California Derby attracts seven for Saturday

Horseracing Betting Lines

01/11/2012 - Berkeley, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The first of two stakes races for three-year- olds at Golden Gate Fields this winter goes off on Saturday with the running of the $100,000 California Derby. The 1 1/16-mile race is a prep event for the track's $200,000 El Camino Real Derby on February 18.

The seven horse field is led by Russian Greek, winner of the track's Gold Rush Stakes. Russian Greek, trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, will start from post six with Aaron Gryder in the saddle.

Owned by Olympia Star Inc., Russian Greek opened his career with a win at San Rosa last July. In November the colt was fifth in the Golden Nugget at Golden Gate before rallying from last to win the Gold Rush by a neck over Marshal Marini. He has banked $61,700.

Breaking from post five will be Blacky the Bull, the third-place finisher in the Gold Rush. Trained by Jeff Bonde, the colt had been eighth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint behind Secret Circle. In five starts Blacky the Bull has a win and a third for $42,780. Kerwin John has the riding assignment aboard Blacky the Bull.

Also coming out of the Gold Rush is fourth-place finisher Cahill Chrome. The chestnut gelding will be ridden by Juan Hernandez from post four.

Cahill Chrome, trained by Roger Hansen, reeled off three straight wins before the Gold Rush. In nine career starts he has earned $56,182.

Here is the field for the California Derby in post position order: Senor Rain, Kevin Krigger; Hodge, Russell Baze; Unveiled Heat, Abel Cedillo; Cahill Chrome, Juan Hernandez; Blacky the Bull, Kerwin John; Russian Greek, Aaron Gryder and Reconstruction, Frank Alvarado.

Post-time on Saturday is scheduled for 7:22 p.m. (et).

Casibo Horseracing Betting News

<< Baylor QB Griffin to enter NFL Draft
Waco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III will enter the NFL Draft. The fourth-year junior quarterback made it official Wednesday afternoon, announcing while wearing Baylor colors that he is forgoing his senior sea

<< Apprentice Jockey finalists unchanged
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Due to an error in statistics involving the voting for the 2011 Eclipse Award for Apprentice Jockey, a re-vote has been conducted by the affected organizations. On Wednesday, the National Thoroughbred R

<< Georgia TE Charles declares for NFL Draft
Athens, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Georgia junior tight end Orson Charles announced Wednesday that he will skip his final season and enter the NFL Draft. Charles, a Mackey Award finalist, had 45 catches for 574 yards and five touchdowns t

<< Judge approves agreement between Fox, Dodgers
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A bankruptcy judge has reportedly approved a settlement between the Dodgers and Fox Sports, a decision that clears the way for the sale of the club. According to MLB.com, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gro

<< Pens' Jeffrey returns from IR; Despres goes on
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Penguins activated forward Dustin Jeffrey from injured reserve on Wednesday and placed rookie defenseman Simon Despres on it. Jeffrey has appeared in just six games this season while comin

Tottenham topples Everton >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tottenham moved level with Manchester United in second place in the Premiership table on Wednesday after securing a 2-0 win over Everton at White Hart Lane. Aaron Lennon's first-half goal handed Spur

Astros claim OF Martinez off waivers >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Astros have claimed outfielder Fernando Martinez off waivers from the New York Mets. Martinez, 23, spent most of last season with Triple-A Buffalo and hit .260 with eight home runs and 30 RBI. He ha

Earthquakes sign Gordon to new contract >>
Santa Clara, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Earthquakes have signed forward Alan Gordon to a new contract, it was announced on Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but the agreement allows Gordon to return to San Jose,

Boise State names Prince new offensive coordinator >>
Boise, ID (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boise State head coach Chris Petersen announced the promotion of assistant Robert Prince to offensive coordinator on Wednesday. "We are looking forward to having Robert (Prince) direct our off

Mets re-sign Scott Hairston >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets re-signed outfielder Scott Hairston to a one-year deal on Wednesday. Hairston, 31, hit .235 with seven home runs, eight doubles and 24 runs batted in for the Mets last season. The

Betting Football

NFL Football Betting Online

Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?

I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.

Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.

There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.

Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.

For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.

A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.

The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.

Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.

So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.

Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.

“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.

Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.

“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.

It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.

Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.

The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.

“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.

“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”

Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.

The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.

“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”

Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?

“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.

MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.