Alpha goes after first in Withers

Horseracing Betting Lines

02/01/2012 - Ozone Park, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alpha, winner of the Count Fleet Stakes, heads a field of seven for Saturday's $200,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct. The 1 1/16-mile event is part of the track's stakes series for three-year-olds leading to the $1 million Wood Memorial on April 7.

Sent off as the 4-5 favorite in the Count Fleet, Alpha will start the Withers from the outside post with Ramon Dominguez again riding. The colt is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin for Godolphin Racing.

"It's fantastic this year what they've done with the Count Fleet, Withers, Gotham, and Wood," said McLaughlin's assistant Artie Magnuson. "It's a great program, best in the country, seriously. It's a steady march, great purses, and there's grading in there. It's ideal.

"The thought is (to run in) all of them. We could skip one if we want, but the thought is to just do all four. The Kentucky Derby is very important, but this series is very important. These aren't preps, these are important races, so we're treating them that way. We take the Withers very seriously, and the Gotham. We've won a stake and that's nice, and this is graded, that's important, everything's very important. Alpha needs to show up, needs to run, but we couldn't be happier with him now."

With two wins in four career starts Alpha has $180,000 in his bankroll. Last year he was second to Union Rags in the Champagne and 11th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile won by Hansen with Union Rags second. Bernardini, sire of Alpha, won this race in 2006.

Owner Mike Repole, of Uncle Mo fame, has How Do I Win entered in the Withers. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the gray three-year-old will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez from post five .

How Do I Win was fourth in the Count Fleet last month at 11-1. Prior to that start he had won two straight after failing in his first three races.

"He's been kind of inconsistent in the afternoons, as you can tell from the past performances, but when he puts everything together I think he'll live up to expectations," said Pletcher, who won the Withers in 2008 with Harlem Rocker. "In his last race, the jockey took too much hold of him, and he's more of a free-running horse."

Here is the full Withers' field from the rail out: Hakama, Julian Pimentel; Speightscity, David Cohen; Swag Daddy, Junior Alvarado; King Kid, Mike Luzzi; How Do I Win, Cornelio Velasquez; Tiger Walk, Horacio Karamanos and Alpha, Ramon Dominguez.

Post-time for the Withers is slated at 4:05 p.m. (et).

Silverdoolar Horseracing Betting News

<< Buddle makes Galaxy return
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Galaxy announced Wednesday that it has signed Edson Buddle on a free transfer after the American striker spent one season in Germany with FC Ingolstadt. Buddle previously featured for the

<< Martinuccio joins Villarreal on loan
Villarreal, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Villarreal has signed forward Alejandro Martinuccio on a six-month loan from Brazilian side Fluminense, it was announced on Wednesday. The two clubs just beat the transfer deadline to push the

<< Pirates ink veteran hurler Cruz to minor league deal
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday signed pitcher Juan Cruz to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. The 33-year-old right-hander went 5-0 with a 3.88 earned run average

<< Newcastle's Cabaye handed three-match ban
Newcastle, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye has failed in his appeal to the English Football Association over a violent conduct charge stemming from Saturday's FA Cup loss to Brighton and Hove Albion,

<< Wilshere suffers another injury setback
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere will spend further time on the sidelines after developing a stress fracture in his right foot. The 20-year-old has been out of action since June a

In the FCS Huddle: Best class? Put up your Dukes >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The axiom for college recruiting is for a particular university to keep the top high school players from its state at home in its signing class. The Virginia-laden roster of James Madison University footba

Mariners sign Guillen >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle Mariners signed infielder Carlos Guillen to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training Wednesday. The 14-year veteran spent the first six seasons of his career wit

Thibodeau, Brooks named NBA's top coaches for December and January >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bulls' Tom Thibodeau and the Oklahoma City Thunder's Scott Brooks have been named the top coaches for the Eastern and Western Conference, respectively, for December and January. Thibode

Simon, Gasquet roll in Open Sud openers >>
Montpellier, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - French favorites Gilles Simon and Richard Gasquet were among Wednesday's second-round winners at the Open Sud de France tennis tournament. The second-seeded world No. 12 Simon subdued Italian Fla

Irving, Rubio named NBA's top rookies for January >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio were named the top rookies in the Eastern and Western Conference, respectively, for games played from the season'

MySportsbook.com offers Blackjack contest and $10,000.00 in Free Prize money!

Every month MySportsbook.com's casino host, Jack Black, gives away $10,000.00 in free casino prize money. To Enter - All you have to do is play at least 10 hands (total) of Blackjack on one of the specified dates of the blackjack contest. The online casino host randomly hands out free bonuses ranging from $50 - $500, and one lucky player who will receive a free $2,500.00 bonus.

"We have been running this monthly free blackjack contest to our active mebers for 5 years now, and the players just love it," says Jack Black, online casino host at MySportsbook.com. "And why wouldn't they love a free chance to win some extra online blackjack cash."

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Mastercard needs.

2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.