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01/17/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After all the discussions about who should be voted 2011 Horse of the Year, it turned out the decision was not a hard one.
Fox Hill Farms' Havre de Grace was named Horse of the Year in a runaway among the 248 electors. The Larry Jones trainee received 166 first-place votes, outdistancing Acclamation by 140 votes and total points 1,897 to 552. Coming in third was Cape Blanco with nine top votes and 315 points. Game on Dude picked up 10 first-place votes but was fourth in points with 292.
"Havre de Grace is an amazing filly. She had a fantastic year and she deserves the award," said Michael Vild, Senior Vice-President and General Counsel at Delaware Park. "I congratulate Rick Porter, Larry Jones and the rest of team Havre de Grace in achieving this honor. Her victory in the Obeah Stakes was spectacular and the Delaware Handicap was one of the most memorable in the history of the race."
Havre de Grace is primarily stabled at Delaware Park, near the Wilmington home of her owner Rick Porter. She is currently at Fair Grounds Racecourse with Jones.
"Her performance in the Delaware Handicap will be one I will never forget," said John Mooney, Executive Director of Racing at Delaware Park. "Havre de Grace and Blind Luck were the two best horses in racing and they showed why in the Delaware Handicap. I applaud her connections for her campaign and Horse of the Year honors. Obviously, all of racing is very much looking forward to seeing her this year."
Along with being Horse of the Year, Havre de Grace was a near unanimous selection as champion older female. She received 245 first-place votes, easily outdistancing arch rival Blind Luck who got two votes and Awesome Maria's one vote.
Havre de Grace became the third straight female thoroughbred to be named Horse of the Year, following Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta. The victory over males in the Woodward at Saratoga was the clinching win for Rick Porter's horse along with a dominating performance in the Beldame over champion filly Royal Delta.
Receiving some support from the voters was Rapid Redux the consecutive wins record holder. The gelding, who posted 21 straight victories through 2011, garnered four top votes and 52 points to finish 11th. He extended his unbeaten streak to 22 with a win earlier this month and was honored with the Special Eclipse Award.
<< Wilander hospitalized
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former tennis great Mats Wilander
was admitted to a Melbourne hospital after falling at his apartment in
Melbourne late Saturday.
The 47-year-old Wilander is being treated for a lacerate
<< Phils sign Pineiro to minor league deal
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies signed right-
hander Joel Pineiro to a minor league deal which includes an invitation to
major league spring training on Tuesday.
The 33-year-old hurler appeared in 27 game
<< Doubai joins Sochaux on loan
Montbeliard, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sochaux confirmed Tuesday that Udinese
midfielder Thierry Doubai has joined the club for the remainder of the season
with an option to buy at the conclusion of the loan spell.
Doubai, 23, has featur
<< Maryland picks Stewart as new defensive coordinator
College Park, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Maryland has named Brian Stewart as its
new defensive coordinator.
Stewart spent the past two seasons as defensive coordinator at the University
of Houston and has also been an assistant on the NF
Phils ink Hamels to $15 million deal >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies have avoided
arbitration with left-hander Cole Hamels, signing him to a one-year deal worth
$15 million plus incentives.
Hamels was 14-9 last season and pitched to a care
Royals agree to terms with Maier >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals have agreed to terms
on a contract with outfielder Mitch Maier for the 2012 season, avoiding salary
arbitration.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Maier is the longest-tenured
Blue Jays sign Villanueva, avoid arbitration >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Blue Jays have signed pitcher
Carlos Villanueva to a one-year contract worth $2.27 million, avoiding
arbitration.
In 33 games last season, his first with Toronto, Villanueva held a r
Brewers, K-Rod come to terms >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers and right-handed
reliever Francisco Rodriguez have reportedly agreed on a one-year deal, thus
avoiding arbitration.
Unable to land a free agent deal to his liking, Rodriguez ac
After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
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