09/02/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Curlin will become the first repeat Horse of the Year since Cigar in 1995 and 1996. The four-year-old colt has proven himself incapable of turning in a poor performance.
In last Saturday's Woodward Stakes he methodically ran down the pacesetters in the 1 1/8 mile race and had jockey Robby Albarado keeping him focused down the stretch.
"There was a little concern going into the first turn with the traffic," noted trainer Steve Asmussen. "He got bumped around a little bit. But you could tell halfway down the backside that Robby was very comfortable with where he was at. And Robby went to him when he needed to and it looked like Curlin came back with something left."
Asmussen gets all the credit he deserves in preparing Curlin for a return to the main track after a near miss on the turf in the Man o'War Stakes. The colt hasn't lost on dirt since finishing third in last year's Haskell Invitational.
"The mystique of Saratoga, winning a Grade 1 here, the Graveyard of Champions, all of that works into your head leading up to this," Asmussen said following the Woodward effort. "But he came through like Curlin does and we're extremely proud of him. Curlin is meant for the big moment. He takes it all in stride."
The one negative aspect of Curlin's current season is the possibility of him not defending his title in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Because the World Thoroughbred Championships will contested on the synthetic track at Santa Anita, Curlin's connections are purportedly planning to avoid the 1 1/4 mile race.
"The perfect scenario would be to run in the best races," said co-owner Jess Jackson, "the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Breeders' Cup, then go overseas to the Japan Cup. But that will be hard to press into a four-week schedule. We'll wait and see. He loves Belmont and now I think he loves Saratoga."
Asmussen has stated that Curlin will remain at his Saratoga barn for the time being and breeze there early next week. The Jockey Club Gold Cup is Saturday, September 27, four weeks after the Woodward.
"He'll train back here right now," Asmussen said from Saratoga. "I spoke with Mr. Jackson and we really like the circumstances for him right now. We talked last night. We're very pleased with how he cooled out. We'll let him go back to the track in a couple of days, kind of enjoy what happened and admire him for a little bit and then try to make a decision on where he's at and what's best for him."
Curlin could stop competing right now and still claim Horse of the Year quite easily. His people want him to conclude his illustrious career as the all-time money earner over Cigar.
Cigar totaled $9,999,815 when retired. With the Woodward victory Curlin went by Skip Away on the career list and now has more than $9.7 million. The $450,000 winner's check from the Jockey Club Gold Cup would put Curlin above $10 million in lifetime winnings.
This is the final year of Curlin's Hall of Fame career. It is obvious he will go out a champion and spend a comfortable life on the farm making little Curlins.
<< Sun Belt Conference News and Notes
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
ARKANSAS STATE: The Red Wolves made the biggest headlines for the SBC this
past week, as they marched into College Station and upended Big 12 power Texas
A&M by an 18-14 score. ASU amassed an impressive 2
<< Conference USA News and Notes
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
EAST DIVISION:
EAST CAROLINA - The Pirates pulled off the season's first big upset, as they
knocked off ACC power and then 17th-ranked Virginia Tech 27-22 on Saturday.
T.J. Lee's blocked punt and subseq
<< Independents News and Notes
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
ARMY: The second season under coach Stan Brock didn't get off to a much
better start than the first, as the Black Knights fell at home to Temple,
35-7. The loss was Army's seventh straight, dating back to las
<< Broncos deal CB Foxworth to Falcons
Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos traded cornerback
Domonique Foxworth to the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday in exchange for an
undisclosed pick in the 2009 draft.
Foxworth, a third-round draft choice in 2005
Singh up to third in World Rankings >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vijay Singh won his second FedEx Cup
Playoff event on Monday when he took the Deutsche Bank Championship, and in
the process moved up to third in this week's Official World Golf Rankings.
Singh,
Pac-10 Conference News and Notes >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
ARIZONA: The Wildcats had to wait out a lightning storm before opening their
season, but once they took the field they did not waste any time dismantling
the Idaho Vandals. Arizona set a school record with 49
Mountain West Conference News and Notes >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
AIR FORCE: The Falcons began their 2008 campaign on Saturday with a resounding
41-7 win over Southern Utah at home, scoring at least seven points in every
quarter and beginning with a safety midway through th
Western Athletic Conference News and Notes >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
BOISE STATE: The Broncos won a battle for Gen State bragging rights, to a
degree, on Saturday with a 49-7 victory against Idaho State at home. Boise
State scored at least a touchdown in every quarter and roll
Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook that aims to keep betting fun. The company sees itself as a premier provider of a top-shelf gambling entertainment experience. MySportsbook knows that this can not be accomplished if gamblers are struggling through the betting process, so the emphasis is put on simplicity and ease of use.
Established in 1997, MySportsbook was the first sportsbook to offer the Instant eCheck method, and has since continued on to be one of the most innovate and fastest growing internet sportsbooks the industry has seen. A player doesn’t have to look very far before coming across one of the many sportsbooks that have cloned MySportsbook’s written policies, web pages and advertising campaign, hoping to bottle some of MySportsbook’s magic.
Although MySportsbook’s growth is largely attributed to their talented in-house marketing team, every successful bookmaker will agree that bringing the players in is only half of the battle. In a time when most internet sportsbook were nickel-and-diming players, MySportsbook was creating ways to make bonuses automatic and absent of fine print, while offering all payouts free of charge. This sportsbook also accepts Visa & Mastercard sportsbook.
Almost everything on the online sportsbook site is set in the model of simplicity, making the CS clerk’s job easy as well. Each account action made online results in an automated email sent to the client. When calling MySportsbook, the player feels as if his call is in the united states as no accents can be heard through a state of the art telecommunications system. Few online sportsbooks can compete with My Sportsbook when it comes to offering a fun and hassle-free experience to the small to moderate sized gambler.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting