2007 Haskell Invitational Horse Racing Features Stakes Winners Galore

The 40th Haskell Invitational has attracted a slew of stakes winners, including Curlin, victorious in the Preakness.

There have been some classy horses coming off victories in Triple Crown events that captured this race. Three won the Preakness: Deputed Testimony, '83; Point Given, '01; and War Emblem in '02, the only Kentucky Derby champion to visit the winner's circle.

Six consecutive captured the Haskell from '94, when Holy Bull scored at the lowest payoff of $2.40, through '99, when Menifee triumphed. In all, 18 favorites didn't disappoint in 39 races.

There have been notable upsets, too. Right off the bat in the initial '68 running, favored Iron Ruler ran fourth while Balustrade won at 33-1. Our Native surprised odds-on Linda's Chief by seven lengths in '73 and returned $17.60.

In '76, Majestic Light, 5-1, established the stakes record of 1:47 for 1 1/8 miles that was equaled by '87 Belmont winner Bet Twice in a five-horse field that included runner-up Alysheba, victorious in the first two Triple Crown legs. Majestic Light sired '82 winner Wavering Monarch.

In '86, Wise Times surprised Belmont winner Danzig Connection at 11-1. Lost Mountain upset Hansel, the '91 Preakness and Belmont winner, and returned $13.60.

The longest shot to score was Skip Trial, who upset '85 Kentucky Derby champ Spend a Buck and Belmont victor Crème Fraiche, second and third, respectively. The sire of '96 Haskell winner Skip Away returned $73.

More than 40,000 fans jammed the New Jersey oval for Monmouth's signature race eight of the last nine years. In '03, Peace Rules went wire-to-wire as the largest crowd in Garden State history turned out - 53,638.



"This should turn out to be a great race," racing secretary Mike Dempsey predicted. "(It's) one of the best Haskell fields we've ever had."

Sunday's race, in addition to the likely favored Curlin, third at Churchill Downs who was nosed out in the Belmont by Rags to Riches, includes several stakes winners that ran in one or more Triple Crown events.

Hard Spun, second at Louisville, third at Pimlico and fourth at Belmont, hopes to regain the winning form he displayed earlier this year taking two stakes.

Any Given Saturday won the Dwyer Stakes on July 4 after running eighth in the Kentucky Derby.

Cable Boy, undefeated in three outings during the Monmouth meeting, scored by 3.75 lengths on June 24 in the Coronado's Quest, named for the '98 winner of the Haskell that was sired by '88 winner Forty Niner.

Cable Boy established the track record of 1:38 3/5 for a mile and 70 yards in only his second start.

Xchanger, who captured Delaware's Barbaro Stakes, was unbeaten last year at Monmouth in two starts, including a victory in the Sapling Stakes.

While Imawildandcrazyguy has only two allowance wins, the stretch runner finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby and sixth in the Belmont. If there's a healthy pace up front, the son of Wild Event could pull the upset.

Possible starters include First Defence, who won the Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes, Monmouth's prep for the Haskell.

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2007 NCAA Football Heisman's Trophy

The Heisman Trophy may not guarantee its winner a long and successful pro football career, but there isn't a single college player who wouldn't love to display the bronze statue on his mantle.

Heck, they can even be used later in life as collateral for paying off civil penalties after you get off on a murder rap. Right O.J.?

For most college football standouts, their chances of being awarded the Heisman are practically nil unless they playing quarterback or running back for a BCS contender. That's just the way the American media hype machine works.

The two quarterbacks with the best shot at attaining Heisman glory this year are Louisville's Brian Brohm and USC's John David Booty. Both QBs lead teams that have BCS Bowl aspirations this 2007 season and the one that actually leads his team there should have the edge in the Heisman race.

Brohm and the Cardinals are in for a tough fight in the Big East this year from West Virginia and Rutgers. The Cardinals' QB has a live arm and he really showed what he is capable of in last year's Orange Bowl when he roasted Wake Forest for 311 yards. Brohm missed two games last season, which cut into his final numbers. If Brohm can't stay healthy for the entire season this year, his Heisman window will close.

Playing quarterback at USC these days almost makes you a Heisman contender by default. When it comes to Booty though, he's the real deal. Like Brohm, Booty flashed his immense skill in a bowl game last season when he picked apart Michigan for 391 yards and four touchdowns in the Rose Bowl.

Booty has far fewer offensive weapons around him heading into this season, but if he can continue to put up big numbers without the mass of talent around him, it could garner him even more Heisman votes. If Booty leads USC back the BSC Bowl game, he could become the fourth player from USC to claim the Heisman in the last six years.




If a QB doesn't end up with the Heisman, it almost always ends up in the hands of a running back. This year's biggest standouts in the backfield are Darren McFadden of Arkansas and Steve Slaton of West Virginia.

McFadden finished as the runner-up to Troy Smith last year, which makes him a Heisman contender by default. However, to have a chance at actually winning this year, McFadden will have to live up to, or more likely exceed his performance from last season.

If anyone can do that, it's McFadden. The Razorback back is a solid combination of size, speed and power who's hard to tackle and can break off a huge run when he reaches open field.

Slaton may very well be the best running back in college football team right now. Blessed with blazing speed and a never-quit attitude, Slaton fights hard for every yard. That determination to stretch out every carry just that much further paid off for Slaton last season, as he rushed for an amazing seven yards per carry.

If Slaton can match that and find the end zone with regularity, he could take West Virginia to the top of the Big East and earn himself plenty of Heisman consideration. One thing that could trip Slaton up on his way to Heisman gold is his teammate QB Pat White. White, with his own excellent rushing ability and rocket arm is also a Heisman hopeful and could end up splitting votes with Slaton keeping both of them from winning the award.

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Hall of Fame 2007 NFL Game Preview

The 2007 NFL preseason kicks off on Sunday, August 5 when the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrate their 75th anniversary by taking on the New Orleans Saints.

The neutral-site game at Canton, Ohio will mark the first time in more than a decade that the Steelers take to the field without Bill Cowher on the sidelines. New head coach Mike Tomlin will hope to get his career started with a win, but seeing how this is a preseason game, he'll more likely be happy to get through the game without an injury to one of his key players.

Neither the Steelers nor the Saints made any huge moves on the field during the offseason. The Saints didn't have much retooling to do after winning the NFC South last year, but the Steelers looked due for a few changes after a disappointing 8-8 season.

Unless an injury crops up in training camp between now and game time, expect most of the usual starters to see action early on in this game before giving way to the backups by at least the second half.




Ben Roethlisberger will likely be looking to get some kinks out of his game during the preseason this year after getting off to an awful start last season. Roethlisberger will see a few series with his usual receivers Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes, but don't be surprised if running backs Willie Parker and Najeh Davenport do most of the heavy lifting.

The Saints offense, led by Drew Brees, will be looking to pick up where it left off last season when it boasted the best offense in the NFC. Marques Colston will be out to avoid a sophomore slump after a breakout rookie campaign, while Devery Henderson and rookie Robert Meachem will battle for the starting job vacated by Joe Horn.

As good as the Saints are through the air, they may actually be even better on the ground. Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush form a formidable one-two punch out of the backfield, which could be even harder to stop if Bush gets more active this season.

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2007 Allstate 400 Auto Racing at the Brickyard

With seven auto races remaining before The Chase begins, NASCARAllstate 400 at the Brickyard.

Jeff Gordon continues to hold a comfortable lead in the driverfavorite at the Brickyard, but not just because of his points lead. Ever since NASCAR started holding a race at Indy in 1994, Gordon has had the most success of any driver on the track. Since winning NASCAR's inaugural race at Indy in 1994, Gordon has seen the checkered flag at the Brickyard three more times with his last win coming there in 2004. The only other driver to win more than once at Indy during that span was Dale Jarrett, who crossed the finish line first in both 1996 and 1999.



Last season, the fastest driver at Indianapolis was Jimmie Johnson. Johnson has run into some bad luck recently and after finishing 37th at Chicagoland two weeks ago and has fallen down to seventh place in the driver standings. The reigning Nextel Cup champion had been sitting in the Top 3 for most of the season.

The biggest threat to Gordon adding a fifth Brickyard victory to his tally this weekend looks to be Tony Stewart. After a frustrating first half of the season, Stewart finally posted his first win of the year two weeks ago at Chicagoland in the USG Sheetrock 400. Stewart has tasted victory at Indy before having won there in 2004. As long as Stewart's car doesn't give him anymore problems like it did too frequently early in the season, you should find him near or at the front of the pack most of the day Sunday.

With the Chase just around the corner, the drivers to watch this weekend are the ones sitting on the bubble in the driver standings. The No. 12 overall spot (and the final one in the Chase) currently belongs to Dale Earnhardt Jr., but he holds just a 30-point lead over 13th-place Ryan Newman. Kurt Busch, in 14th place, is also well within striking distance at only 77 points back of Junior.

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Fantasy Football Guide: 2007 NFL sleepers and busts

The difference between sitting in your fantasy football league

Top 5 Sleepers:

1. Santonio Holmes - Pittsburgh WR

By the end of last season, Holmes had stolen Cedrick Wilson's starting job in Pittsburgh. Holmes has great speed and size to get downfield and create separation with DBs. With a healthy Ben Roethlisberger under center, Holmes' numbers should be on the rise this season. And Santonio is a cool name to boot.

2. Cedric Benson - Chicago RB

With Thomas Jones gone to the Jets, the starting job belongs to Benson in Chicago - now he has to prove he can handle it. Benson is a punishing back with speed to break off big runs when he gets room. Injuries have hurt Benson's growth the last two seasons, but he should rumble for more than 1,000 yards if he can stay healthy.

3. Jerious Norwood - Atlanta RB

The Falcons were the No. 1 rushing team in the league last season and, no matter what happens with Michael Vick, there should still be lots of running in Atlanta again this year. Norwood shared the duties with Warrick Dunn last season, but with Norwood's speed and Dunn's advancing age, Norwood should become the feature back more and more as the season goes on.

4. Matt Leinart - Arizona QB

Leinart is surrounded by a ton of talent and after going through some growing pains during his rookie campaign, he should be ready to break out this year. He may start slowly while adapting to a new system under a new head coach, but by midseason, Leinart should be racking up the TD passes to Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald.

5. Vincent Jackson - San Diego WR

Even with the athletic Antonio Gates in tow at TE, the Chargers need a real No. 1 wide receiver. Jackson fits the mould perfectly with deep speed and red-zone size. With Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson drawing most of the attention from opposing defenses, Jackson could be in for a breakout season.



Top 5 Busts:

1. Trent Green - Miami QB

Welcome to Miami, Trent, where the offensive line is a mess and the receivers are mostly washouts. Green's aging arm has no real value in the Dolphins awful passing game.

2. Fred Taylor - Jacksonville RB

Taylor put together a fine season last year because he finally avoided any big injuries. Taylor will be lucky to avoid the injury bug two years in a row and, even if he does remain healthy, his carries will decline as blossoming Maurice Jones-Drew's duties increase.

3. Chester Taylor - Minnesota RB

Taylor ran for a ton of yards last season, but his touchdowns numbers were too low for a No. 1 fantasy RB. Taylor's days as the starter in Minnesota appeared numbered the instant the Vikings drafted Oklahoma stud Adrian Peterson. His value drops with every carry he loses to Peterson.

4. Mike Furrey - Detroit WR

Don't expect Furrey to replicate the big-time numbers he put up last season. Furrey's receptions have nowhere to go but down with Calvin Johnson in town. Furrey could still have some solid yardage totals, but his trips to the end zone should be few and far between. Still has value, just in the later rounds. Don't base your pick on last year's stats.

5. Michael Vick - Atlanta QB

Even before his dogfighting legal troubles mushroomed this summer, Vick was one of the last quarterbacks I would have drafted. Vick's play is so erratic and inconsistent that he can lead your fantasy team to victory once week and bring it crashing down the next. Vick might be worth taking as a backup, but don't make him your starting QB or you'll be sorry.

Bet on the 2007 NFL season at WagerWeb Sportsbook
penthouse and falling into the basement is often deiced by who grabs the right sleepers and who gets caught with the year's bust. Last season, anyone who grabbed sleepers like Frank Gore or Jon Kitna was sitting pretty for their small risk, while anyone who got caught holding Edgerrin James or Mike Vanderjagt was sitting in last place.

2007 Canadian Open Golf Betting Preview

The snow has melted long enough up north for the PGA to squeeze in the Canadian Open at Angus Glen's North Course.

Even though this tournament takes place a week after the British Open and just two weeks before the PGA Championship, the field isn't totally lacking star power. Jim Furyk is back to defend the Canadian Open title he won last season at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

Furyk shot a 14-under par last year to edge Bart Bryant by one stroke. Some other big names slated to be in attendance at Angus Glen this weekend include Vijay Singh, who won the Open in 2004 at Glen Abbey, Mark Calcavecchia, 2005 Open champion at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club and Canadian Mike Weir.

Weir may be Canada's best hope to win the homeland open this weekend after finishing tied for eighth at last weekend's British Open. Weir also tied for eighth two weeks earlier at the AT&T National, marking his only Top 10 finishes this season.



Another Canuck to keep your eye on this weekend is Stephen Ames. Ames has three Top 10 finishes this season and there was talk of him supplanting Weir as Canada's best golfer earlier this season. The chances of a Canadian actually winning at Angus Glen probably aren't that good, though, when you consider the last Canadian to win the event was Pat Fletcher was back in 1954. If you pull out your history books for some perspective on that, it was the same year that legendary Sam Snead was winning the third and last of his Masters titles.

Aside from Furyk, Calcavecchia and Singh, other past winners from the last decade teeing off this weekend include 2003 champ Bob Tway, 2002 winner John Rollins, 1998 champ Billy Andrade and 1997 champ Steve Jones.

This is the first time the Canadian Open has been played at the Angus Glen North Course. Its South Course did play host to the Open in 2002. Rollins won that year after defeating Neal Lancaster and Justin Leonard in a three-way playoff.

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Whitney Handicap: All in the Family for Decades

The Whitney Handicap isn't very old compared to other Saratoga stakes like the Travers. When Black Mania won the inaugural in 1928, Petee-Wrack captured the 64th Travers.

But the Whitney is historic in its own right, named for a family whose horses have won every major race in the United States. Harry Payne Whitney's Regret was the first filly to capture the Kentucky Derby in '15 and earned Horse of the Year honors.

Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, most often referred to as C. V., inherited his father's stable in '30 and became the third generation of Whitneys heavily involved in horse racing.

On May 17 that year, five months before the elder Whitney passed away, his 2-year-old Equipoise won the Keene Memorial at Belmont Park. Called the Chocolate Soldier by fans because of his elegance and symmetry, Equipoise had his juvenile season cut short by a hoof crack and only ran three-times as a 3-year-old.

But at 4 and 5, C. V., called "Sonny" by close friends, cashed in when Equipoise captured a slew of stakes, including the Whitney in '32 with a purse of $5,400. Equipoise also was Horse of the Year for the first of two consecutive times.

One of Whitney's homes was the "Cady Hill" estate at Saratoga Springs, not far from the track where in '50 he founded the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, serving as its first president.

Two years later, he sent out another winner in the Whitney: Counterpoint, who took the Belmont in '51. In '57, C. V. was inducted into the Hall of Fame. On Aug. 6, eight new members join the elite group in the ceremony at Saratoga.

Fast forward more than two decades when C. V., in his 80s, saw his horses triumph in the Whitney twice: State Dinner in '80 and Silver Buck in '82.

Some national champions have won the Whitney, including War Admiral, '38; Tom Fool, '53; and Dr. Fager,'68. Two champs won this race three times: Discovery, '34-36, and Kelso, every other year beginning in '61.




Flashy Bull, going for his fifth consecutive victory, will likely be favored in Saturday's $750,000 Whitney for 3-year-olds and up.

The son of Holy Bull comes off victory in the $829,500 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 16. He covered the 1 1/8 miles, the same distance as the Whitney, in an excellent 1:48 1/5.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin's Flashy Bull will again face conditioner Todd Pletcher's Magna Graduate and horse trainer Richard Durow's Diamond Stripes, second and third, respectively, in that Grade 1 race at Churchill Downs.

Pletcher also entered Lawyer Ron, winner of the Grade 1 Oaklawn Handicap, and Fairbanks, runner-up to Political Force in Belmont's Suburban.

Other challengers in the 80th Whitney include Dry Martini, impressive winner of the Cornhusker Breeders' Cup Handicap at Prairie Meadows; Awesome Twist, runner-up in the Tom Fool; Papi Chullo, on a two-race winning streak; Wanderin Boy, victorious in Churchill's Alysheba; and Sun King, fourth in the Met Mile.

The 44th running of the $500,000 Jim Dandy on Sunday has attracted several 3-year-olds prepping for the $1 million Travers on Aug. 25 that's part of Saratoga's stakes program worth more than $10.3 million.

The odds-on favorite will be Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, who skipped the Belmont after being edged by Curlin in the Preakness.

His main opposition isn't very strong because topnotch sophomores like Curlin and Hard Spun opted for the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth on Aug. 5.

Only one of the 19 he beat in The Derby will run: Nobiz Like Showbiz, 10th on May 5. Only one that raced well behind his runner-up finish in the Preakness is entered: C P West, fifth on May 19.

Other challengers are Tiz Wonderful, idle since his unbeaten juvenile season because of a tendon injury, and Sightseeing, winner of the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont on May 20.

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2007 Greg Melikov's Horses to Watch

Horses worth watching, a list of runners compiled by handicapper/turf writer Greg Melikov that should do well next time out or improve considerably, won four races, finished second six times and ran third three times since June 13.

ARLINGTON PARK
I Like Ike: Raced eighth more than six lengths behind after a half-mile, angled out for drive, rallied from fifth to make up more than 6.75 lengths in stretch and finished second beaten three-quarters of a length at 1 1/16 miles on a yielding turf course July 21.

CALDER
Dynhocracy: Raced fifth early, advanced to third in stretch, bumped by rival, steadied and finished second beaten a length at 4.5 furlongs on July 21.

DEL MAR
Victory Joe: Bumped between rivals at break, squeezed back, raced fifth more than 4.5 lengths behind after a half-mile, came out in mid-stretch, rallied to second making up 2.5 lengths and lost by a head at six furlongs on July 22.

ELLIS PARK
Raedonald: Trailed by more than six lengths after three-eighths of a mile, advanced six wide to fifth into the lane, carried out very wide in stretch by fading leader, made up nearly five lengths and was nosed out at 5.5 furlongs on the turf July 22.




LOUISIANA DOWNS
Invading Deputy: Tracked pace in third 1.5 lengths behind after a half-mile, lost ground to fifth after six furlongs, came three wide for drive, made up 2.5 lengths in stretch and finished second beaten a half-length at 1 1/16 miles on July 22.

MONMOUTH
Open Sleigh: Raced four lengths behind in sixth after a half-mile, saved ground on far turn, angled out for drive, rallied from fourth to second in stretch, made up more than 3.5 lengths and lost by a half-length at 1 1/16 miles on the turf July 22.

PHILADELPHIA PARK
Chastise: Raced more than 5.5 lengths behind in sixth after three-eighths of a mile, lacked room leaving quarter pole, rallied from fourth when clear in stretch, finished gamely to make up five lengths and lost by a neck at about five furlongs on the turf July 21.

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2007 MLB imminent returns that should boost contenders

It seems like almost every team in the playoff hunt this year has been hit hard by injuries at some point during the 2007 MLB season. A number of playoff contenders have some key personnel almost ready to make their return from the infirmary and give them an added boost down the stretch.

Curt Schilling - Boston
After throwing pain-free in the bullpen earlier in the week Schilling was cleared to make his first rehab start for Pawtucket this weekend, with another minor-league start tentatively scheduled for next Thursday. If all goes well down on the farm, Schilling could be back in Boston within two weeks.

Ryan Dempster - Chicago Cubs
After pitching a perfect inning in a game with Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday and putting together another fine outing in the minors on Thursday, Dempster was scheduled to rejoin the Cubs on Friday. Dempster is expected to take over the closing duties again, which would allow Bob Howry to step back into his usual set-up role.

Randy Wolf - L.A. Dodgers
Wolf threw off flat ground during a bullpen session earlier in the week, but still appears to be a week or two away from rejoining the Dodgers. The Los Angeles rotation is full of holes thanks to injury and they need Wolf back as soon as possible, but management has said they won't rush him back from his shoulder injury.

Bill Hall - Milwaukee
Hall practiced in the outfield and did some light running on Wednesday on his sprained ankle. According to Hall he's almost back up to full speed and was planning on taking batting practice on Thursday for the first time since the injury. Barring any major setbacks Hall should work his way back into the lineup next week.




Phil Hughes - N.Y. Yankees
The Yankees could really use Hughes' arm in their rotation and he may be close to returning to the big leagues. Hughes pitched four strong innings in his second rehab start with New York's Double-A farm MLB team in Trenton earlier last week, and is expected to take the mound again on Monday for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. As long as Hughes' hamstring continues to hold up he should be back in pinstripes by the end of the month.

Huston Street - Oakland
Mike Piazza - Oakland
If the Athletics hope to make another second-half postseason push they need Street and Piazza healthy and productive. Street felt fine after pitching a simulated game earlier this week, but his final test will come this weekend when he'll make a minor-league appearance. If that goes all right he could be back with Oakland on Monday. Piazza began a minor-league assignment earlier this week and is hitting .400 with a homer and two RBI. Piazza could rejoin the Athletics as soon as Friday.

Brett Myers - Philadelphia
Myers begins a rehab assignment with the Phillies' A-ball minor-league team on Friday. The timetable on Myers right now has him returning to the Phillies' bullpen in about a week. Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel has already said Myers will take over the closer's role again once he returns.

Check out the MLB Betting Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook

Boxing Bout: Hopkins vs. Wright

If you're a fan of all-out boxing brawls you may want to pass on the Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins vs. Ronald "Winky" Wright bout on Saturday night in Las Vegas. However, if you prefer a well-fought bout between two of the best technical fighters in the world today, you should get yourself a front-row seat.

Hopkins will be defending his The Ring World Light Heavyweight Championship title, which he won by tearing apart Antonio Tarver more than a year ago. The 42-year-old Hopkins said he was retiring as a title-holder after dominating Tarver, but according to Hopkins his boxing skills are just too good for him to quit just yet. To hold onto his title versus Wright, Hopkins will need to outbox his much younger opponent.

Wright, who is 35 years old, last stepped into the ring in December when he won a unanimous decision over Ike Quartey after toying with Quartey for 12 rounds. Wright's easy bout with Quartey came after he could not work out a deal for a rematch with Jermain Taylor. Wright fought Taylor to a standstill in June 2006 in a middleweight title fight that was called a draw. The draw decision enraged Wright, who refused to face Taylor again stating he had been robbed. Another Wright/Taylor battle could be in the future, but first Wright will have to get past Hopkins.



Wright may have one small disadvantage in this fight due to the fact that he must pack on an extra 10 pounds to make the light heavyweight class. Wright fought Quartey and Taylor at 159 ½ pounds, but he'll have to get up to 170 pounds to take on Hopkins. If the added pounds become a burden for Wright, it could give Hopkins a slight advantage.

Most of the experts in the boxing world expect this fight to go the distance with both fighters trading shots throughout the fight, but neither is expected to land a knockout blow. Hopkins has a career record of 47-4-1, with one no-contest and 32 knockouts. Wright is 51-3-1 with 25 knockouts in his career. With both fighters owning a counter-punch defensive style, don't expect a ton of haymakers and power punches.

Wright's southpaw style has been confusing to his opponents in the past (Shane Mosely and Felix Trinidad to name a couple), but Hopkins likely has the experience and the ring smarts to cope with it. Unless one of them lands a lucky punch, this fight should go 12 rounds with both fighters having a chance to come away with a close decision.

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2007 NFL Football Rookie Watch

After the show that last year's rookie crop put on, the new class of 2007 has a lot to live up to. In case you may have forgotten, last year's rookies included the likes of Reggie Bush, Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Joseph Addai, Devin Hester, Maurice Jones-Drew and Marques Colston, just to name a few. Can this year's rookies live up to those lofty standards?

The quarterbacks taken in the first round of this year's draft, JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn, will likely start the NFL season the same place Young did in Tennessee last year. That would be on the bench. In Oakland, Russell has a cannon for an arm and elusive speed but he'll need some grooming to be ready for NFL-caliber defenses, and he'll be lacking the offensive weaponry he had surrounding him while at LSU. Quinn has the makeup of a great NFL quarterback, but he's got both Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson standing between him and the starting job in Cleveland. Quinn has better receivers than Russell does in Oakland, with Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr. for starters, and if Cleveland struggles as much as they're expected to early on Quinn could find himself thrown into the fire by midseason.



Last year's rookie running backs excelled right out of the gate with Bush flashing his skills in New Orleans, Jones-Drew scoring 14 rushing TDs, and Joseph Addai winning a Super Bowl in only his first season. This year's running-back crop doesn't appear ready to repeat those outstanding feats, but there are two backs that could shine right away. Adrian Peterson is your prototypical NFL power running back. He's strong as an ox and also sports breakaway speed, but has proven to be injury-prone throughout his collegiate career. In Minnesota, Peterson will start the season sharing the carries with Chester Taylor. Taylor had some solid games last season, but seemed to run out of gas in the second half. Look for Peterson to spell Taylor more and more as the season goes on and possibly steal his starting job if he performs. Marshawn Lynch wasn't considered to be the best running back in the draft, but he may end up putting up the best rookie numbers. Lynch has a starting spot open for him in Buffalo and it should be his for the taking. If he does earn the starting role, Lynch could top the rookie stats by default because of his large number of carries.

You would think there was a lack of solid receivers in the league considering how many were drafted in the first couple of rounds. After so many teams lost out on Colston last year, maybe they were scared of getting scooped again. The cream of the draft crop is clearly Calvin Johnson. No other player looks as ready to step in and produce right away as Johnson does. With his speed, size and great hands, Johnson will make up an amazing receiving duo with Roy Williams in Detroit. The Lions may not win many more games this season, but they should boast a lethal passing attack. Other possible receiver standouts include Robert Meachem in pass-happy New Orleans, Dwayne Bowe in Kansas City (where their receiving corps is very weak), and Anthony Gonzalez who looks like a perfect fit as the No. 3 man in Indianapolis. Ted Ginn Jr., Dwayne Jarrett and Craig Davis could also break out.

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2007 British Open Golf Betting Preview

The British Open returns to Carnoustie Golf Links this week for the first time since Jean Van de Velde's epic collapse in the 1999 Open. Van de Velde's triple bogey on the 18th hole, when all he needed was a double bogey or better to win the championship, is remembered as one of biggest chokes in golf history.

It's unlikely we'll see another Van de Velde-type meltdown at Carnoustie this year, unless of course Phil Mickelson has what's deemed to be a comfortable lead with only a few holes to go. For Mickelson's sake (and his sanity) he had better hope he got the choking out of his system at last weekend's Scottish Open.



The names Paul Lawrie (who won at Carnoustie in '99) and Van de Velde will likely come up a lot this weekend, but the most talked about golfer no matter how he performs will as usual be Tiger Woods. Tiger has won three British Open titles in his career, including the last two held at St. Andrews in 2005 and Royal Liverpool last year. Woods' first Open championship also came at St. Andrews in 2000, but he may be hard-pressed to add a fourth Open title to his long list of accomplishments at Carnoustie. Dubbed one of the hardest courses in the world, Carnoustie gave Woods fits back in 1999 when he finished at 10-over par, four strokes back of the leaders.

The last person not named Tiger Woods to win the British Open was Todd Hamilton in 2004. Since his improbable win Hamilton hasn't won another tournament and he's failed to even crack the Top 35 in another major. In other words he has almost zero chance of repeating his 2004 magic at Carnoustie. The real challengers to Woods will likely be the usual leaderboard fodder like Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els. Those four have combined to win 10 majors, but only Els has claimed the British Open when he won at Muirfield in 2002. Back in 1999 at Carnoustie, Furyk was the best of the four when he shot an 11-over par to finish five shots back. Els finished eight strokes back at 14-over par, while both Mickelson and Singh missed the cut.

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Saratoga: The Spa and Graveyard of Champions

An American boxing champion that became a congressman, a lawyer who made a fortune on Wall Street, the grandfather of Winston Churchill and a horseman combined to stage the first national meeting nearly 144 years ago.

It was held as an experiment. Well, the experiment, four days at Saratoga Raceway that began Aug. 3, 1863, was a huge success. So much so that the quartet decided to expand the following year and move across the street to construct a bigger track to accommodate larger crowds.

They called it Saratoga Race Course, located in the resort of Saratoga Springs where the first thoroughbred horse race in this country was held in 1847. The principle players were:

William R. Travers, a lawyer named president of the Saratoga Association, who was such a force in racing that the oldest major American thoroughbred race bears his name.

John "Old Smoke" Morrissey, former bare-knuckle champ, gambler and a soon-to-be lawmaker on state and national levels that once was a New York gang member in the 1850s.

Leonard Walter Jerome, flamboyant entrepreneur, father of Churchill's mother and another successful stock speculator known as "the King of Wall Street."

John R. Hunter, whose horses ran on both sides of the Atlantic and co-owned the first winner of the Travers with Travers in 1864 named Kentucky.

The Saratoga meeting originally consisted of four weeks, but subsequently was lengthened another week and finally became a six-week meeting that now ends on Labor Day.

Saratoga Springs, located in upstate New York, was known as The Spa for the mineral springs in the area. And it later became known as the Graveyard of Favorites as well as the Graveyard of Champions.

Some champions that tasted defeat at the hands of unheralded opponents included Man 'o War, Gallant Fox and Secretariat.




Big Red's only loss in 21 races came in 1919 in a sprint on a muddy track to the aptly named Upset, '73 Triple Crown champion Secretariat was surprised by Onion in the Whitney Stakes and another Triple Crown winner, Gallant Fox, was defeated by 100-1 shot Jim Dandy in the '30 Travers.

The Jim Dandy later became a stakes race, established in '64 as an appropriate prep for the Travers.

The 36-day meeting that opens July 25 features significant purse increases of more than 13.5 percent, the New York Racing Association announced. That's up from an already industry leading daily average exceeding $678,800 to an expected $771, 535.

Open allowance races at 1 1/8 miles jump $17,000 to $68,000 and purses for open maiden sprints climb $15,000 to $62,000. Overnight stakes rise $10,000 to $75,000.

There will be 47 stakes, included 33 graded races. And 15 stakes are Grade 1 events. In addition, there are seven multi-stakes days, including the track's richest two afternoons.

On July 28, the 80th running of $750,000 Whitney heads four stakes worth more than $1.7 million. On Aug. 25, the 138th Travers, worth $1 million, is the headliner on a four stakes card of more than $1.5 million.

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By Greg Melikov

Great race horses worth watching, a list of runners compiled by handicapper/turf writer Greg Melikov that should do well next time out or improve considerably, won five horse races, finished second five times and ran third five times since June 13.

ARLINGTON PARK

Dubuque: Raced sixth early, dropped to seventh 3 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, angled out for drive, rallied from fifth in stretch to make up more than 3 ¼ lengths and lost by a nose and 1 ¼ lengths at 1 1/16 miles on the turf July 13.

CALDER

Trey: Raced 7 ½ lengths behind in fifth after a quarter-mile, saved ground around turn, rallied from fourth in stretch to make up 5 ½ lengths and finished full of run to gain second by three lengths at 4 ½ furlongs on July 13.

ELLIS PARK

Daring Julie: Trailed by more than 3 ½ lengths in fifth after three-eighths of a mile, maneuvered six wide for drive, rallied from sixth to make up more than 2 ½ lengths and lost by a half-length at 5 ½ furlongs on the turf July 15.



La Bala: Broke from outside post, raced eighth more than 7 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, moved five wide leaving turn, advanced to fourth in stretch, angled inside of winner, made up 3 ¾ lengths and finished second by three-quarters of a length at 6 ½ furlongs on July 14.

MONMOUTH

Tease: Trailed early, advanced to seventh more than nine lengths behind after a half-mile, rallied from sixth to fourth in stretch, made up nearly fife lengths and finished third beaten a neck and a nose at a mile on July 15.

Lockup: Trailed by more than seven lengths after a half-mile, advanced to fifth in stretch, closed well outside to make up more than five lengths and lost by a half-length at six furlongs on July 15; ran final quarter in 24 4/5.

PHILADELPHIA PARK

Misty Pearl: Chased pace in sixth more than 5 ½ lengths behind after three-eighths of a mile, saved ground through turn, rallied from fifth to make up more than two lengths in stretch and was nosed out at 5 ½ furlongs on July 8.

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2007 AFL Arena Football Playoffs

The road to Arena Bowl XXI goes through Georgia and San Jose on Saturday, as the Georgia Force host the Columbus Destroyers in the National Conference Championship, while the San Jose Saber CatsChicago Rush in the American Conference Championship.

The Destroyers advanced to the Conference championships after clipping Tampa Bay Storm 56-55 in the opening round and upsetting Dallas Desperados 66-59 in the divisional round. Columbus wasn't supposed to get past Dallas, which entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed after a 15-1 regular season. In fact the Destroyers were a huge 12-point underdog in the game. Columbus pulled off the upset thanks to the stellar play of QB Matt Nagy. In the win Nagy threw for 285 yards with four touchdown passes, while also running in for a score. Damien Groce led all Columbus receivers with eight receptions for 170 yards with a touchdown.

After winning the Southern Division, the Force received a bye in the first round of the playoffs and easily knocked off Philadelphia Soul 65-39 in the divisional round. Georgia QB Chris Greisen torched the Soul for 301 passing yards with seven touchdown passes and a rushing TD.

This will be the third time this season that Georgia and Columbus will be facing each other. Way back in Week 5 the Destroyers edged the Force 62-61 as a 6.5-point home underdog, after Nagy converted a two-point conversion with 14 seconds to go. Nagy had a combined six touchdowns in the win, while Greisen had nine touchdowns and two costly interceptions. In the rematch in Week 14, the Force rumbled past Columbus 54-33 as an 8.5-point home favorite. Greisen outplayed Nagy, throwing six TD passes to Nagy's four.



In the American Conference Championship game, the defending Arena Bowl champs from Chicago will try to snap San Jose's long 11-game winning streak.

Chicago had a bye in the first round of the playoffs and easily got through the Divisional round with a 52-20 drubbing of Los Angeles Avengers as a 10.5-point favorite. An ailing Matt D'Orazio threw three TD passes before sitting out a good chunk of the fourth quarter. Receiver Bobby Sippio was the real star of the game though as he caught two touchdowns passes, ran in for another, and even made a touchdown pass that oddly enough found D'Orazio's hands in the end zone.

The SaberCats also got some rest in the first round thanks to a bye. In the divisional round, San Jose slipped past Colorado Crush 76-67 as a 12-point favorite. SaberCats' quarterback Mark Grieb tied an AFL record with nine touchdown passes, while James Roe was his favorite target on the day with five TD receptions.

The SaberCats and Rush faced off early in the regular season back in Week 2. The Rush edged San Jose 48-45 in that game as a 2-point home underdog. D'Orazio and Sippio were the leaders as usual, with D'Orazio throwing five touchdowns and Sippio catching three of them. Grieg threw for an amazing 346 yards with six touchdowns, but was intercepted twice.

Coincidentally these two teams also faced off in last year's American Conference Championship game, when Chicago clipped San Jose 59-56 on route to winning Arena Bowl XX

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What winning Texas Holdem should be about?

Contrary to what most rookies might think, beating Texas Holdem online is not an easy feat to accomplish. Being a game of small edges and of high luck-induced variance, it's not easy to beat even if someone is playing at a table full off fish.

On top of the fact that in Texas Holdem a rookie will stand a 40-60 chance against a seasoned player, a phenomenon called "schooling" also comes into play. Schooling's basically about the weaker players ganging up on better ones to make their lives miserable.

If you're looking for a game where rookies don't really stand a chance against good players, Omaha might be the game for you. As far as Texas Holdem goes, you can try to outmaneuver your opponents somehow.

Since the only advantage a lucky rookie will get over you is a short-term one, you might want to take the game onto a field where short term advantages do not matter that much. That is exactly why you should play STTs or SNGs. These games are short enough to be worth the time you invest in them, yet they are long enough to kill rookies. Another advantage they have, is the fact that there are only a limited number of players in them (compared to MTTs, which sometimes gather thousands of players) so your chances for victory do not take a serious blow.

Ring games are extremely tricky to beat for good players for other reasons than the ones named above, too.

As I said, the luck factor comes in big in Texas Holdem ring games. Dealing with this luck factor is an issue sometimes not even the best players come prepared for. Good players know, of course, that in order to win at Holdem they need to be on their best game and pray that it is enough to be better than the others and to beat the rake (those who really know their game, have other ways to beat the rake too, like rakeback.




They are aware of the fact that it takes only about a 55-45 edge to be a long-term winner, and as long as they keep pushing that edge by staying on their best games, they should be OK.

This is where the luck factor comes in. It sometimes so happens that our good player experiences a bad-luck streak. Even though he's playing his best, nothing really seems to work out for him.

You should know that even though they push that small edge of theirs, winning Texas Holdem players will still lose about 65-70% of the time. The only thing is, that they lose less than they win in the remaining 30% of cases and they manage to beat the rake too.

Now then, losing 65-70% of the time may not seem like a glamorous way to make money, but when it becomes 90%, the situation becomes downright unbearable.

These are usually the things that push our good player over the edge and send him tilting.

He fails to grasp the idea, that even though he's losing 90% right now, in the future that will go down to about 40% or even less - provided he can stay on his best game and push his edges well.

Instead, our guy decides to compensate for the losses by becoming a 45-55 underdog and playing a bunch of hands like that. Obviously, this is not the way to make money. This is why it's extremely important that you stay in control of your emotions all the time.

Online poker is particularly good at taking you out of your emotional comfort-zone. Learn to control your emotions and learn to deal with the luck factor. It is there, and it won't go away just because you get angry with it.

Fantasy MLB Baseball - Season's First Half Studs and Duds

At the All-Star break, fantasy baseball owners really should be taking stock of their baseball team and evaluating if they have what it takes to make a run for top spot in the second half. If you had any of our fantasy studs over the first half, you're likely in a good spot to challenge for the title. If you had more than one of our duds, then good luck next year.

Fantasy Studs:

Baseball Hitters

Alex Rodriguez - Anyone who passed on A-Rod because they thought he couldn't deliver in New York ended up passing on the top fantasy stud in the first half. If A-Rod can keep mashing through the second half, he could provide enough offense to carry any fantasy team to a title.

Gary Sheffield - Sheffield started out the season ice-cold and hopefully you were smart enough to trade for him while his value was in the toilet. After batting a lowly .200 with two homers in April, Sheffield has hit 19 homers and is on a .342 clip since June.

Matt Holliday - Even before he displayed his hidden power in the Home Run Derby, you should have known the name Matt Holliday. Not only is he second in the NL with a .341 batting average, but he also has 15 dingers and 69 RBI. In a rotisserie league he'll provide everything you need aside from steals.

Grady Sizemore - Sizemore may very well be the king of rotisserie. Sizemore's average may be a little light for a leadoff man at .280, but he makes up for it by producing in every other fantasy category. Sizemore has some pop in his bat, drives in a lot of runs for a leadoff man and has the wheels to steal.

Russell Martin - Where did this guy come from? Before the season most rankings barely listed Martin as a Top 10 catcher. Martin leads the Dodgers in average, home runs and RBI and he also has 16 stolen bases. For a catcher, that's just nasty.

Baseball Pitchers

Josh Beckett - I avoided drafting Beckett like the plague, and that turned out to be a big mistake. With his blister problems hopefully behind him, Beckett is racking up the wins in Boston while posting a respectable ERA.

Jake Peavy - The Padres' ace likely went much later than he should have in most drafts due to his off-year last season. Anyone who grabbed him is reaping the rewards in the wins, strikeouts and ERA category.

Chris Young - If you missed out on Peavy, hopefully you at least snagged Young. The experts were calling for a third-year breakout from the tall righthander, and they were right.



J.J. Putz - Don't let his performance in the All-Star Game fool you; Putz may be the best closer in the American League right now. With a microscopic ERA of 0.88 and an insane WHIP of 0.59, any lead in the ninth is safe in Seattle right now.

Dan Haren - That Mark Mulder trade is looking pretty good now for A's fans. Haren may not be able to keep his ERA under 2.50 all season, but anything under 3.00 is a rare feat.

Fantasy Duds:

Baseball Hitters

Andruw Jones - Jones finally got over the Mendoza line before the break, but he's still the biggest fantasy bust of the year with his .211 average and 15 home runs. Way to get paid in your free-agent year, Andruw.

Vernon Wells - Wells can't seem to keep it going for more than a few games at a time. He'll need a superb second half to hit his usual solid numbers.

Carlos Delgado - Another usually reliable slugger that has had a hole in his swing most of the season. The power comes and goes, but the average has been out to lunch all season.

Scott Rolen - Anyone that drafted Rolen expecting him to bounce back hopefully waived him for a better third baseman by now. The power has all but disappeared and so has the plate prowess.

Bobby Abreu - Abreu used to be a five-tool fantasy star. This year he goes through hot and cold streaks that leave owners not knowing when to bench him and when to start him.

Baseball Pitchers

Chris Carpenter - Anyone that used a second-round pick on the Cardinals' ace got burned badly when Carpenter went down. He'll be back for the second half, but will he be his old self right away?

Scott Kazmir - Last season Kazmir had a respectable ERA and a pile of strikeouts. The strikeouts are still coming, but a lack of command has raised his ERA by more than a run. Don't even talk about the brutal WHIP.

Ervin Santana - Anyone who (unfortunately) drafted Santana has learned never to start him on the road where his ERA is 8.59.

Dontrelle Willis - An ace with a 4.72 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP? No thanks.

Barry Zito - Another great ace with an even worse 4.90 ERA. The 6-9 record kind of stands out too.

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2007 Golf Tournament -- John Deere Classic

It looks like most of the top golfers in the world take the week off before the British Open. That's how it looks anyway when you skim over the field for this weekend's John Deere Classic at TPC at Deere Run.

The tournament held in Silvis, Illinois has never been a big draw for the big names, and this year is no exception with big names like Woods, Mickelson and Furyk all taking a pass on the John Deere. There are still a number of recognizable names scattered throughout the field, such as John Daly, Jason Gore, Notah Begay III and Billy Mayfair, but the golf tournament is practically void of any previous winners on the tour this 2007 season. One notable exception is Masters champion Zach Johnson, who could have a clear path to another tournament title this weekend if he brings his "A" game.




Over the past couple of years the John Deere has drawn a lot for attention by giving Michelle Wie a sponsors' exemption into the tournament. After missing the cut in 2005 and dropping out with heat exhaustion in the second round last year, Wie won't be returning to Deere Run this weekend.

One golfer who will be returning is last year's John Deere winner John Senden. At last year's event Senden shot 19 under par to edge J.P. Hayes by one stroke. If bettors want to rely on history when making their pick this weekend, they may want to lay some cash on Hayes instead of Senden.

Not only did Hayes finish as runner-up in this event last season, but he also won it back in 2002. Most other former John Deere champions won't be making the trip back to Deere Run this weekend, as only Steve Jones who won in 1998, and Blaine McCallister who won way back in 1988, are listed among this weekend's field.

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2007 Season Horses to Watch

2007 Horses worth watching, a list of runners compiled by handicapper/turf writer Greg Melikov that should do well next time out or improve considerably, won six races, finished second five times and ran third three times since June 9.

ARLINGTON PARK
Lacer: Raced eighth more than 4/1 lengths behind after a half-mile, encountered traffic, dropped to 11th more than 7.5 lengths behind after six furlongs, rallied from seventh through traffic, made up 4.75 lengths and finished second beaten three-quarters of a length at about 1 1/16 furlongs on the turf July 6.

BELMONT
Moroccan Affair: Raced fourth early, dropped to fifth more than three lengths behind after a half-mile, steadied repeatedly and rallied in stretch to finish third beaten a head and a half-length at six furlongs on the inner turf; ran final quarter in 23 3/5.

CALDER
Tinted Moon: Broke slowly, trailed by more than eight lengths after three-eighths of a mile, angled outside in stretch, closed well from sixth to make up more than 2.75 lengths and finished second beaten three-quarters of length at 5.5 furlongs on July 5.

ELLIS PARK
One-Eyed Jackie: Raced four lengths behind in fourth after three-eighths of a mile, fanned six wide into stretch, made up 3.75 lengths and dead-heated for second beaten three-quarters of a length at 5.75 furlongs on July 7.

Three Cities: Broke sluggishly, squeezed back, trailed early, moved to fifth more than 4.5 lengths behind after three-eighths of a mile, split rivals six wide with a burst of speed in the final furlong, made up more than 2.5 lengths in stretch and finished second beaten a half-length at 5.5 lengths on the turf July 7.




HOLLYWOOD PARK
Queen Holly: Broke slowly, trailed by more than 9.5 lengths after three-eighths of a mile, rallied from sixth along rail in stretch, made up more than 2.5 lengths and beaten a head for second at five furlongs on July 2.

LOUISIANA DOWNS
Absent Friend: Broke last, trailed by more than 25.5 lengths after a half-mile, rallied down the middle of stretch from sixth to make up 5.5 lengths and finished second beaten a half-length at 1 1/16 miles on July 1.

MONMOUTH
Capital Crime: Pressed pace early, gained lead by a head after a half-mile, led by three lengths in stretch and cruised to 10-length victory ridden out at six furlongs on July 6; ran final quarter in 24 4/5.

PHILADELPHIA PARK
Peggys Run: Raced fifth more than four lengths behind after a half-mile, dropped to seventh after six furlongs, lost ground advancing to fifth in stretch, split rivals, finished well making up more than 3.5 lengths and finished second beaten a half-length at 1 1/8 miles on the turf July 2.

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