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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 six races, finished second four times and ran third seven times since July 27.
ARLINGTON PARK
Wriggle: Broke alertly from outside post, raced 3 ½ lengths behind in fourth after a half-mile, dropped to fifth in stretch, closed late to make up two lengths and finished third beaten two necks at six furlongs on Aug. 24.
CALDER
On Lake: Checked at start, trailed early, raced 4 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, advanced from fifth to fourth in stretch, closed well to make up more than three lengths and finished third beaten a nose and a half-length at 1 1/16 miles on the turf Aug. 25.
DELAWARE PARK
Box the Fox: Broke last, trailed early, advanced to seventh more than five lengths behind after three-eighths of a mile, closed gamely from sixth to make up more than two lengths in stretch and finished second beaten a head at 5 ½ furlongs on Aug. 25.
DEL MAR
Royal Classic: Broke last, raced sixth more than two lengths behind after a half-mile, came out in stretch, rallied from fifth to second making up nearly four lengths and finished second beaten a neck at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 25.
LOUISIANA DOWNS
Feisty Commander: Raced eighth more than 11 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, advanced five wide to fourth in stretch, closed well to make up more than 4 ½ lengths and finished second beaten a head at 7 ½ furlongs on the turf Aug. 24.
MONMOUTH
Sammy Van Ammy: Raced five lengths behind in fifth after a half-mile, dropped to eighth after six furlongs, blocked along inside in upper stretch, angled out, closed fast to make up more than two lengths and gained second by a nose at a mile on a good turf course Aug. 19; ran final quarter in 23 4/5.
SARATOGA
Centerport Baby: Lunged in air at break, pinched back, steadied, raced seventh more than 8 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, came out on turn, drifted seven wide at quarter pole in sixth and rallied belatedly to gain second by 1 ¼ lengths on Aug. 22.
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Lawyer Ron hopes to build his case for Horse of the Year in the 54th running of the Woodward on Saturday at Saratoga.
The 4-year-old son of Langfuhr is on a roll, winning two stakes that includes the Whitney on July 28 in record time of 1:46 3/5 for the 1 1/8 miles in his only outing at the historic track.
In the past 22 years, only one race horse that won the Whitney and the Breeders' Cup Classic went on to be Horse of the Year -- Invasor in '06. However, five horses that took the Woodward since '84, when the BC Classic was launched, were voted the top thoroughbred after winning both races.
All were great champions: Saint Liam, '05; Ghostzapper, '04; Skip Away, '98; Cigar '95; and Alysheba, '88.
Before there was BC Day, the great Forego reeled off four consecutive Woodwards starting in '74 and was Horse of the Year three straight times ending in '76.
Lawyer Ron, who is 3-1-1 of 5 this year, could be the first to take the Whitney, Woodward and BC Classic. Of course, Street Sense will have something to say about Horse of the Year when both meet on Oct. 27 in the second afternoon of BC races at Monmouth Park.
This year's Grade 1 Woodward at 1 1/8 miles could be called Whitney 2 since four runners that finished behind Lawyer Ron in that Grade 1 on July 28 are scheduled to go in the $500,000 contest:
Wanderin Boy, the runner-up 4 ¾ lengths back; Diamond Stripes, another length behind in third; Brass Hat, a disappointing eighth; and Sun King, way back in 10th.
Prior to his uncharacteristically dull showing in the Whitney, Brass Hat returned from a yearlong layoff to set the track record for 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs on July 8 - 1:41 1/5.
"I don't think he was fond of Saratoga, but that is our next start," trainer Buff Bradley told the media shortly after Brass Hat's worst finish since the fall of '04. In '06, the son of Prized captured three stakes, including the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park.
"I'm hoping that has changed some and I plan to have a different game plan for the race," Bradley said. "After that I don't know. I'm sure he can run with those horses so I'm giving him another shot and hope he'll be closer to the pace this time."
Of the also-rans only Wanderin Boy has captured a stakes race this year, winning the Alysheba by 4 ¼ lengths on May 7 in the slop at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Nick Zito is upbeat about his Wanderin Boy and Sun King. After recently working each in company, he said, "Both horses are coming up to the Woodward the right way."
He called Sun King's 46 2/5 for four furlongs on Aug. 24 "one of the best works since I got him." Unfortunately, the son of Charismatic's last victory came in the Commonwealth Breeders' Cup at Keeneland on April 15, 2006.
Wanderin Boy and Lawyer Ron would have the upper hand if it were an off track at Saratoga since each has two victories on surfaces less than fast.
Two other formidable challengers in the expected field of seven scored in '07 stakes at Belmont Park: Political Force in the Suburban and Corinthian in the Metropolitan Mile.
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The NFL's AFC East Division has been a no-brainer in recent years when it comes to NFL wagering. The New England Patriots have won this division five of the past six years and have three Super Bowl trophies to show for it.
Will things change this year?
The oddsmakers don't think so, as New England not only is WagerWeb.com's -850 favorite to win the AFC East again, but the Pats are WagerWeb's +310 favorite to win Super Bowl XLII. With Tom Brady and Bill Belichick still in Foxborough, and with New England adding receiving weapons Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker in the offseason, the division is clearly the Pats' to lose. Expect a career year out of Brady and a huge season from second-year back Laurence Maroney.
The New York Jets were New England's closest challengers last season, finishing 10-6 and two games out of the division lead. The Jets also surprisingly reached the playoffs via wild card in Coach Eric Mangini's first season, although Mangini lost to mentor Belichick 37-16 in the postseason. The Jets, +925 to win the AFC East, did add running back Thomas Jones in the offseason from the Bears, but he has been injured. Without Jones, the offense has struggled mightily under QB Chad Pennington, and many believe the club overachieved last year. Look for a step back for the Jets this year and for Pennington to eventually be replaced by Kellen Clemens.
The Buffalo Bills, +2100 to win the AFC East, might be one of the sleeper teams in the NFL this season. The Bills finished 7-9 last year and lost running back Willis McGahee to the Ravens, but QB J.P. Losman showed signs of life in the second half of last year,
and receiver Lee Evans is ready to be a star. Add draft pick Marshawn Lynch from Cal at running back, and Buffalo appears poised to climb to second in the AFC East and battle for a wild-card spot.
The Miami Dolphins, +1300 to win the AFC East, had big playoff hopes heading into last season, but not much went right. QB Daunte Culpepper could never overcome his knee problems and was awful, and RB Ronnie Brown struggled. Miami finished 6-10, despite a strong defense, and lost Coach Nick Saban to Alabama in the offseason. The Dolphins traded for QB Trent Green to run the show, but he looks old in the preseason. Expect another disappointing year in South Florida.
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With the third week of NFL preseason action wrapped up, here is a look at some of the major storylines to come out of the NFL training camps so far this summer.
Atlanta Falcons
Michael Vick has officially entered his plea of guilty in his federal dogfighting case, which means the star quarterback could be facing as much as five years in jail. This saga has been the focus of the NFL for the entire offseason, and both the Falcons and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will be relieved to put this ugly episode behind them. This means the Falcons can now concentrate on getting Joey Harrington acclimated to the team system, especially now that the impressive D.J. Shockley is out for the year with a knee injury. It is also promising for the Falcons that Warrick Dunn is back and taking part in full-gear workouts after he had back surgery earlier this summer. Dunn recorded six carries for eight yards in Atlanta's 24-19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night.
New England Patriots
Star cornerback Asante Samuel has finally ended his holdout and will rejoin his teammates after missing all of training camp plus the first three games of the preseason so far. The fourth-year player, who broke out with ten interceptions last season, was trying to get an improved contract from the team. This is a big coup for the Patriots, who are arguably the league's best club at creating a team atmosphere while not being held hostage by star players. Also, getting Samuel back gives the Patriots a true shutdown cornerback, something which is rare around the league today.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins signed Joey Porter during the offseason after the volatile linebacker was released from the Pittsburgh Steelers, the only team Porter had ever played for. Porter then suffered a knee injury during the summer, and had to undergo arthroscopic surgery. But the three-time Pro Bowler claims to be ahead of schedule for rehabilitation and while he will not in the Dolphins' preseason finale at New England, he says he is aiming to be fit for the regular-season opener with the Washington Redskins.
Green Bay Packers
If Brett Favre's mood could not get any worse after the Packers failed to sign Randy Moss, who eventually went to New England, Favre must have been downright distraught when Donald Driver went down with a foot injury in last week's game against Jacksonville. Favre has been throwing to Driver since the receiver's rookie season in 1999, and would have been his No. 1 target again this season. Driver's injury is not thought to be serious, but this puts an even bigger spotlight on the Packers' inability to land another solid receiver for Favre during the offseason.
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What: Cincinnati at Atlanta, NFL preseason Week 3
When: Monday, 8 p.m.
WagerWeb.com line: Bengals -3 (38.5)
Preseason games are always a gamble, because you never know how long the starters will play, and whether they are interested in the result anyways (usually no). Should tonight's "Monday Night Football" tilt be a regular-season game, the Bengals would likely be 7-point favorites. The one good thing to remember about a team's third preseason game is that it usually is the one the starters play the most in out of all of the exhibition season. That would seem to bode well for NFL bettors looking to make money on Cincinnati, which clearly has superior talent on offense.
Look for Carson Palmer and much of the Bengals' high-powered first-team offense to play the majority of the first half. Rudi Johnson is having a good preseason in the Cincy backfield, and Palmer is his usual strong self. The only questions on the Cincy offense are finding a backup running back and the No. 3 receiver.
However, a few things point to a possible Atlanta upset, or at least a cover, in this game:
*This has been stated as the Falcons' most important game of the preseason by Coach Bobby Petrino. He will be playing his starters at least a series into the second half, as much of Atlanta's position battles are unsolved currently, unlike in Cincinnati. So, with Tuesday being cutdown day in the NFL, the Bengals may be playing more second- and third-teamers than the Falcons.
*Atlanta starting QB Joey Harrington will need all the snaps he can get to try and get acclimated to Petrino's offense. Add to that Cincinnati's defense being picked apart by Saints QB Drew Brees in the last game, and Atlanta's receivers looking stronger than expected, and we could see a high-scoring affair on "MNF".
*Let's not forget the impact that Michael Vick's plea agreement on Monday could have on this game. You know the Falcons are tired of hearing about their soon-to-be-former teammate and would love nothing better to bring a little good news to the city. It looks like it may be a long year in Atlanta on and off the field, so even an exhibition victory on national television may be motivation enough for the Falcons to pull out the home victory.
So the pick here is the Falcons to at least cover, but look for the over.
The latest edition in the battle of Pennsylvania takes place at Heinz Field on Sunday night when the Pittsburgh Steelers hosts the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Steelers have won two of their three football games to start the preseason, including a win over New Orleans in the Hall of Fame Game, and Ben Roethlisberger has looked solid in his appearances. A major problem last football season was his tendency to throw a lot of interceptions, which led some people to believe he was not fully healed from his motorcycle accident in the 2006 offseason. But "Big Ben" is back, healthy, and that is a huge bonus for new coach Mike Tomlin. The Steelers also have no injuries heading into this game.
The Eagles rebounded from a big loss at Baltimore with a dominant performance of their own at home last week over Carolina. Donovan McNabb was spectacular in his cameo, but the Eagles have some injury concerns. Javon Kearse is still nursing a surgically repaired knee, while L.J. Smith seems likely to miss this game with a groin injury. But Brian Dawkins should get on the field for the first time this year during this game.
The Steelers are listed as a 3-point home betting favorite with the total sitting at 35½. Kick-off is 8 pm ET with NBC handling the coverage.
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As the preseason rankings were released for the upcoming NCAA football season, there may have been a raised eyebrow or two at some big-name teams failing to make the top five. Here is a look at some of those teams looking to restore their past glory.
The first name that comes up is slotted at No. 6, home of the defending champions from Florida. The Gators roared to the national championship last season by pasting Ohio State, but this year they will have to retain their title with only two returning starters on defense. While Tim Tebow got some time last season, it was basically as a rushing alternative to Chris Leak. Their defense could take a beating in the SEC, which is annually one of the nation's most difficult conferences.
The aforementioned Buckeyes are back at No. 11, and after losing Heisman winner Troy Smith, Antonio Pittman, Anthony Gonzalez and Ted Ginn Jr. to the NFL draft, a falloff seems inevitable. However, they still have a solid defense and are capable of challenging their bitter rivals, Michigan Wolverines for the Big Ten title.
Louisville quietly was one of college football's best teams last season, and starts the 2007 campaign at No. 10. Quarterback Brian Brohm was the architect of most of the Cardinals' success, and he returns to campus for another season. Brohm also has his two favorite targets in receivers Harry Douglas and Mario Urrutia back, so Louisville should light up the scoreboards around the Big East once again this season.
California comes in at No. 12, and the Golden Bears are still flying from their final-week win over rival USC that essentially eliminated the Trojans from the national championship race. With Marshawn Lynch gone to the NFL, Nate Longshore will have full license to go down the field at all times. With DeSean Jackson leading a very talented group of receivers, the Bears could surprise some people this year.
However, California lost six starters on defense and that could hurt them in the pass-happy Pac-10. Last season's big surprises, Rutgers and Boise State, are ranked at 16th and 24th respectively, and they will not have the luxury of falling under the radar this season. Opposing teams will be ready for the Scarlet Knights and Broncos and their bag of tricks in 2007.
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As we head into the third week of the 2007 NFL preseason action, the fight for the starting quarterback position is one of the most hotly-contested on many rosters. Here is an update on two football teams that are being forced to make a tough decision.
Cleveland Browns
Coach Romeo Crennel was planning on easing rookie Brady Quinn onto the roster after his training-camp holdout, thinking the Notre Dame star would begin the season behind Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson. But Crennel must be rethinking his position after Quinn's debut performance in the Browns' 23-20 loss at Detroit last week. Quinn was 13-for-20 for 155 yards and two touchdowns while leading the Browns to 20 fourth-quarter points, and the poise he showed in the pocket belied his years and experience. After this performance Quinn has probably inserted his name into the battle for the top of the depth chart at quarterback for the Browns, who have two tough games at Denver and Chicago to finish out the preseason. It will be interesting to see who gets the most reps in this week's game at Denver, as fans are now calling for the young Quinn to start. Quinn, who was a projected top-five or top-ten pick in the draft, fell all the way to 22nd and has a lot to prove in the NFL. He looks eager to quiet his critics.
Oakland Raiders
This battle for the starting quarterback position involves a player who has yet to sign a contract. After Andrew Walters and Aaron Brooks split time under center for the Raiders last season, Oakland went out and drafted LSU's JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick. Fans thought their problems were solved with the big, athletic quarterback who was the key to the Tigers' success last year. However, Russell decided to hold out for more money so the Raiders took a chance on Daunte Culpepper, who was obtained after a bitter dispute ended badly in Miami. Culpepper has come in and played very well for the Raiders in the preseason, while Walter and Josh McCown have also played well. This puts the Raiders back on top in their negotiations with their No.1 draft pick, as they could probably afford to sit him for the entire season as long as Culpepper stays healthy behind the Raiders' suspect offensive line.
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The USC Trojans are annually one of college football's powerhouses, and this year is no exception as the Trojans picked up 62 of 65 votes to top the preseason ranking. But things will not be easy for the Trojans, at least on the national level.
USC has every chance of making the national championship game as coach Pete Carroll continues to trot out a lineup any coach would envy. John David Booty returns to live up to the long line of Trojan quarterback greats of recent years, but more importantly USC brings back ten starters on defense. The losses of receivers Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith will hurt, but the defense is solid enough to keep teams under wraps until the offense sorts itself out.
The LSU Tigers are next in the rankings, and they also welcome back a strong defense to campus. The Tigers bring back eight starters on defense, including all three at the all-important linebacker position. This takes on extra significance in the smashmouth SEC, not to mention the Tigers are trying to replace quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who went first overall in the NFL draft.
The West Virginia Mountaineers come in third in the preseason rankings, and they will again ride the talents of Pat White, Steve Slaton and the nation's best rushing attack to a bowl game. The Mountaineers were possibly the biggest surprise of last season, but they will not have that luxury this season as teams are well aware of the threat these two possess. Slaton may even line up at receiver this season to get the football in the talented junior's hands as much as possible.
The Texas Longhorns are fourth in the rankings on the strength of the development of quarterback Colt McCoy, who was stellar in his freshman year. McCoy was stepping into the huge shoes left by Vince Young, and now it is solely his team. McCoy is growing into a leader and just so happens to have a rifle of an arm.
Michigan Wolverines is one spot head of defending champion Florida Gators to make the top five, and the Wolverines are happy to see quarterback Chad Henne and Mike Hart return for the senior seasons. They will try to lead the Wolverines to the Big Ten title and gain revenge on their bitter rivals from Ohio State (who come in 11th in the rankings), but with only four returning starters on defense, Henne and Hart will have their hands full.
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Heading into Week 3 of NFL football preseason action, the NFC North has three teams at 2-0 while the AFC heavy hitters are getting off to a slow start.
NFC North
The Bears, Lions and Packers are all 2-0 before their third preseason game, and the Bears gained a small bit of Super Bowl revenge with their 27-24 win at Indianapolis on Monday. However, the inconsistency of Rex Grossman reared its ugly head as the young quarterback threw an interception and fumbled three times, including twice from snaps. Grossman was accurate with his short passing, but he cannot afford to turn the ball over. The Lions' offense has looked very potent so far this preseason, following a 548-yard performance with another 310 yards in a 23-20 at Cleveland. Jon Kitna was brilliant at Cleveland by going 12-for-16 for 137 yards and a touchdown, but allowing 20 fourth-quarter points to the Browns could be a cause for concern. Of course, those were third and fourth-string players out there at that point. The Packers may be the most surprising as they destroyed the Seahawks 48-13 at home last week. Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre combined to go 17-for-28 for 171 yards and three touchdowns, and the defense forced an outstanding six turnovers out of the Seahawks while returning two for major scores. But the Packers committed five turnovers themselves, and were fortunate that none came back to bite them. Taking care of the ball is priority number one for a team of Green Bay's talent level.
AFC
Even though it is only preseason, who would have thought that both the Colts and Patriots would be 0-2 heading into Week 3? The Patriots had an uncharacteristic four turnovers in last week's 27-24 loss at home to Tennessee Titans, including two interceptions from Tom Brady. The Patriots will also want to rectify their average of 2.7 yards per carry on the ground so teams will not be able to key on Brady and receiver Randy Moss as they attempt to forge a good understanding in their first year as teammates. The usually-efficient Colts also had four turnovers in a 27-24 loss to the Bears at home, but thankfully none of those came from the arm of Peyton Manning. The Colts' main problem has been defense, but they only allowed 68 yards to the Bears, which is a promising sign. The Colts were terrible against the run last season and could be even worse this season, so head coach Tony Dungy will be looking at solutions for this dilemma as the season wears on.
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After struggling to find the end zone in their first two preseason football contests, the New Orleans Saints got their high-powered offense rolling again last Saturday against Cincinnati Bengals. The Saints defeated Cincinnati 27-19 as 3.5-point underdogs after scoring on their first three possessions. The Saints will try to keep their offense moving on Thursday when they head to Kansas City to battle the Chiefs. In last week's contest Drew Brees had his best football game of the preseason despite throwing to a depleted collection of receivers. Both Marques Colston and Devery Henderson sat out Saturday, Colston to rest some sore legs and Henderson to give an injured hamstring some time to heal. Without his two biggest targets Brees completed 6-of-6 passes for 55 yards in his only series. Deuce McAllister ended the first drive of the game with a six-yard touchdown run and finished the night with three carries for 15 yards. Reggie Bush also got in on the action with a second-quarter touchdown run, as he ended his night early as well with four carries for 13 yards. Third-string rookie running back Antonio Pittman ran in for a one-yard TD in the fourth quarter as the Saints scored more points against Cincinnati than they had in their first two preseason games combined.
While the Saints got their offense going last week the Chiefs continued to struggle to move the ball downfield. The Chiefs lost 11-10 to Miami Dolphins as a 3.5-point favorite thanks to some more poor play from Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard. The two pivots battling for the starting job aren't making the decision very easy for coach Herm Edwards after neither has stepped up to outright claim the job in the preseason. Against Miami, Croyle started off well and completed 6-of-11 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw a badly placed interception. Huard barely saw the field in the loss, completing only 3-of-5 passes for 26 yards. The Chiefs also have to be concerned with their running game which has failed to materialize without Larry Johnson, who continues to hold out. Johnson's supposed replacement (if his holdout continues), Michael Bennett, only amassed eight rushing yards on seven carries versus Miami. Check out NFL Football Betting Odds at WagerWeb.com.
Shortly after the Triple Crown horse races ended in June, there was talk of the three winners meeting in a stakes race and, ultimately, in the Breeders'Cup Classic.
That ended when Belmont winner Rags to Riches came up with minor physical setbacks and trainer Todd Pletcher decided the filly would stick to her own gender and the BC Distaff would be the main goal.
Then Preakness winner Curlin went in the Haskell instead of the Travers, finishing a disappointing third behind Any Given Saturday. Then trainer Steve Asmussen announced his colt would train up to the BC Classic.
Only Street Sense has remained on course, thanks to trainer Carl Nafzger's strategy. The son of Street Cry captured the Jim Dandy and enters the Travers en route to the BC Classic at Monmouth Park in the fall.
On Saturday, the Kentucky Derby winner continues on the championship road that may lead to top 3-year-old and Horse of the Year honors.
Individual winners of all three Triple Crown jewels only met once in 137 runnings of the Travers. That was in 1982 when runners included Kentucky Derby champ Gato Del Sol, Preakness victor Aloma's Ruler and Belmont winner Conquistador Cielo.
However, 13-1 Runaway Groom, who captured two of three Canadian Triple Crown contests, pulled the upset. The son of Blushing Groom captured top 3-year-old honors in that country.
Whirlaway is the only Triple Crown winner to take the Travers - in '41.
Street Sense won't face the toughest of opposition in a field that may reach nine. Only Imawildandcrazyguy and C P West ran in Triple Crown races, but neither hit the board. In fact, both are looking for their first stakes victory.
C P West did finish second to Street Sense in the Jim Dandy on July 29 at Saratoga. The son of Came Home went four furlongs in 46 3/5 on Aug. 16. "He worked great," said trainer Nick Zito. "He had a strong gallop-out, too. I was happy about that."
Zito has had at least one Travers runner in seven of the last eight years, winning with '04 Belmont Stakes victor Birdstone.
Three colts have one victory each, including Sightseeing, third in the Jim Dandy, who captured the Peter Pan on May 20 at Belmont. The son of Pulpit, who has been in the money all six of his '07 outings, breezed five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 - Sunday's top workout on the training track.
Loose Leaf, coming off a victory in the Lemon Drop Kid Stakes on Aug. 5, breezed five furlongs in 1:02 1/5 last Saturday. "It was something simple, something easy - he just needed something that would continue him to focus in on finishing," trainer Ken McPeek said.
Another likely Zito starter, Helsinki, was fourth in the Lemon Drop Kid, but "he had a big excuse," the trainer said. "He's a natural mile-and-a-quarter horse (the Travers distance). We had blinkers on him. He had some trouble. I'm going to take the blinkers off."
Tiz Wonderful was victorious in a pair of 2-year-old stakes last year, but an injury knocked him off the Triple Crown trail. The son of two-time BC Classic winner Tiznow finished a disappointing sixth in the Jim Dandy, but breezed an impressive 1:14 for six furlongs on Aug. 13.
Obviously, Street Sense is the horse to beat. He went a nifty 59 3/5 for five furlongs with regular ride Calvin Borel aboard on Aug. 15 in what Nafzger called a "good, solid work."
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The Chicago Bears will be out for some revenge on Monday when they take on the Indianapolis Colts for the first time since Indy beat them in the Super Bowl.
The Bears began the 2007 NFL preseason by squeaking out a 20-19 win over Houston as a 3-point road underdog. Rex Grossman appeared in only two series in the win and completed 8-of-10 passes for 50 yards. It was also a short night for running back Cedric Benson, who only carried the ball five times for 23 yards. Benson may see his carries increase throughout the preseason to prepare him for the feature role this season, however on the other hand head coach Lovie Smith may want to keep Benson limited due to his injury-prone past. After replacing Grossman, backup QB Brian Griese got off to a rocky start with an interception on his first pass, but settled down quickly to complete 6-of-7 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown. The Bears' defense put up their usual strong front, despite missing Brian Urlacher and Tommie Harris, who were given the night off.
The Colts started the preseason with a 23-10 loss to Dallas as a 5.5-point underdog. Peyton Manning barely saw the field in the loss, as he lasted only one series and completed 3-of-5 passes for 37 yards. Joseph Addai did even less than Manning, while rushing for five yards on two carries. Third-string QB Josh Betts was responsible for the Colts' lone touchdown in the football game after finding Trent Shelton in the end zone late in the fourth quarter. Indianapolis was lethargic throughout the game, as the offense registered only 204 yards, while the defense showed a number of holes that Tony Dungy will need to patch up before the regular season begins. The preseason hasn't been much of a concern in Indianapolis the last couple of years. Last year, prior to their Super Bowl run, the Colts were 1-3 in the preseason while in 2005 they were winless at 0-5.
Indianapolis topped Chicago 29-17 as a 7-point favorite in the Super Bowl way back in February. Even though Monday night's game takes place in Indianapolis the Bears are a 2.5-point road betting favorite. The Colts' abysmal preseason record and generally relaxed attitude about the preseason could have something to do with that.
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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 two horse races, finished second six times and ran third five times since July 8.
ARLINGTON PARK
Bluesbdancing: Stumbled at start, exchanged bumps with rival, raced sixth more than 1 ½ lengths behind after three-eighths of a mile, in tight through the turn into stretch, closed well late to make up more than 1 ½ lengths and finished second beaten a head at 5 ½ furlongs on a good turf course Aug. 11.
CALDER
Activator: Bumped with rival at break, rushed inside to lead early, steadied in tight along backstretch, raced second a half-length behind after a half-mile, dropped to fourth after six furlongs, angled out for drive, made up two lengths in stretch and finished second beaten a neck at a mile on Aug. 11.
DEL MAR
Artist's Tale: Raced fourth more than six lengths behind after a half-mile, came out in stretch under left handed urging, bumped with rival at sixteenth pole, split horses to make up 2 ¼ lengths and finished second beaten three-quarters of a length at 1 1/16 miles on the turf Aug. 11; disqualified and placed fourth for interference in deep stretch.
ELLIS PARK
She's Got Da Jack: Sprinted clear early, led by 2 ½ lengths after a half-mile, drew off into the lane, tapped twice with whip, shied for a stride from two tire halves beneath inner railing about 60 yards from wire and won under her own power by 16 lengths at a mile on Aug. 9.
LAUREL PARK
Easy Lassie: Raced 4 ½ lengths behind in fourth after a half-mile, saved ground into stretch, eased out, rallied to second beaten three-quarters of a length at a mile on the turf Aug. 12; ran final quarter in 23 1/5.
LOUISIANA DOWNS
South Beach Boy: Broke last, raced ninth more than 9 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, came six wide turning for home, rallied from fifth in stretch to make up 6 ½ lengths and finished second by a neck at 6 ½ furlongs on Aug. 10.
MONMOUTH
Mr. W. B.: Raced fifth more than 3 ½ lengths behind after a half-mile, came three wide into the lane, rallied from second to make up two lengths in stretch and lost by a half-length at six furlongs on Aug. 10; ran final quarter in 24 4/5.
SARATOGA
My Fair El: Broke alertly, raced third early, grabbed lead by a half-length after a half-mile, shook loose in mid-stretch and drew off by eight lengths under a vigorous hand ride at six furlongs on Aug. 9; ran final quarter in 24 4/5.
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Lava Man has gone where no horse has gone before on the Left Coast. Last year he became the first thoroughbred to win the Golden State's Big 3 stakes in the same year.
This year the son of Slew City Slew is attempting to record his own version of Can You Top This - the popular radio show (1940-54) where three funny men attempted to top jokes offered on a variety of subjects from the studio audience.
Lava Man hasn't tasted defeat on any main race track in California since finishing third behind Borrego and Perfect Drift in the '05 Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Since then he has reeled off nine straight victories.
This year he's trying to duplicate last year's triumphs in the Santa Anita Handicap, the Hollywood Gold Cup and the Pacific Classic, all at 1 ¼ miles. It's now two down and the Pacific Classic to go.
The 6-year-old defeated Molengao by three-quarters of a length in the Santa Anita Handicap on regular dirt March 3 and nosed out A. P. Xcellent in the Hollywood Gold Cup on its new synthetic surface June 30.
The 17th Pacific Classic will be run on a synthetic surface for the first time, but its Polytrack, a bit different than Hollywood's Cushion Track. Both are all-weather surfaces.
Polytrack has the texture of natural dirt, but is lighter in color. It has a high stock absorption rate and low elasticity repulsion rate. It's a mixture of sand, synthetic fibers and recycled rubber with a microcrystalline wax combined on-site.
The Cushion Track is composed of silica sand mixed with synthetic fibers, elastic fiber and granulated rubber - all coated with a specially formulated blend of wax.
Santa Anita is installing a Cushion Track that should be ready about weeks before the Oak Tree meeting opens Sept. 26.
On Aug. 11, Lava Man worked six furlongs in 1:14 4/5 shortly before the first race at Del Mar.
"I loved it," trainer Doug O'Neill told Brisnet.com. "He did it nice and easy, which was the idea. And he finished up strong and galloped out strong. It was a typical work for him. I'd call it impressive."
The seven-time Grade 1 winner will face a large field, maybe as many as a dozen challengers in the meeting's richest race -- $1 million. But it won't be a slam-dunk.
Top contenders include the four that finished behind him in the Hollywood Gold Cup -- A. P. Excellent, Big Booster, Porido and Molengao. Lava Man also will face the top three finishers in Del Mar's San Diego Handicap -- Sun Boat, Salty Humor and Arson Squad.
Other formidable challengers are 3-year-olds Tiago and Albertis Maximus, one-two in Hollywood's Swaps Breeders' Cup, and promising sophomore Time Squared, runner-up in Arlington Park's Round Table Stakes.
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The NFL preseason enters the busiest night of Week 1 on Saturday night with seven games on the schedule. The spreads in most of those games is incredibly small, so you're really just picking the outright winner.
Two games to highlight on Saturday night are Kansas City at Cleveland and Arizona at Oakland. Both games have low spreads and look like good upset picks.
The Chiefs vs. Browns battle on Saturday night might not be the game bettors envisioned when the schedule was first released. Many Cleveland fans expected to get their first real look at Brady Quinn is this game but after the rookie QB's holdout kept him out of camp for so long, Quinn likely won't see a lot of action Saturday night. With Quinn's chances of earning the starting QB job all but gone, that leaves either Charlie Frye or Derek Anderson in the hot seat in Cleveland. Whoever develops a better rapport with Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow should find himself starting in Week 1 of the regular season.
The Chiefs have their own starting quarterback decision to make heading into the preseason. After Trent Green was shipped to Miami it was expected that Damon Huard would start the season behind center. However, once Brodie Croyle started firing rocket passes in camp his name was bounced around as a possible starter. The starting quarterback won't be the only thing on Herm Edwards' mind during the preseason. With Larry Johnson holding out for a new contract, Edwards has to closely examine who could fill his role if he's still holding out once the season starts. Priest Holmes announced that he was ready and willing to take Johnson's job earlier this week, and if he shows he still has it during the preseason he could be the No. 1 back again in Kansas City.
With the QB's on both teams all fighting for a starting job, this game could actually closely resemble a real NFL game from start to finish instead of the usual half-hearted preseason tilt.
In Oakland on Saturday night the fans will have to settle for the coaching debuts of Lane Kiffin and Ken Whisenhunt instead of the debut of QB JaMarcus Russell. The first overall pick is embroiled in what could end up being a lengthy holdout. Russell won't be starting at QB for the Raiders anytime soon so Kiffin has to choose between Josh McCown, Andrew Walters and Daunte Culpepper to lead the offense. The Raiders' offense has nowhere to go but up after scoring only 12 touchdowns last year.
The Cardinals enter this season the same way they've entered almost every season in team history. That would be coming off another losing season with what appears to be a bright future. The Cardinals have plenty of offensive talent led by Matt Leinart, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Edgerrin James, but they still need a lot of help on defense.
Every coach likes to win their debut and both Kiffin and Whisenhunt will be looking to get off on the right foot. Expect both new coaches to feel out their new teams as much as possible in their first game action and to go hard for a win.
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The English Premier League season begins on Friday, as Manchester United begins their attempt to repeat as champions. When you're talking about the EPL you really only have to limit your talk to Man U., Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, as they have finished as the top four in various orders for what seems like forever.
Manchester United won last year's championship by six points over Chelsea, which ended Chelsea's two-year reign at the top. Man U. reloaded for another run at the title this year by signing midfielder Owen Hargreaves and opening the purse strings to snag the talented duo of Nani and Anderson. Manchester United's bread-and-butter combination on the scoresheet will still be Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, and with their roster full of stars it will be hard for anyone to keep them from repeating this year.
A big part of Chelsea's failure to claim their third straight league title last year was injury. Chelsea's backfield was left shortstaffed when John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho went down last year, and having keeper Petr Cech also added to the walking wounded did not help. Chelsea made a few big acquisitions in the offseason to make another run at the title including Florent Malouda and Claudio Pizarro, and Tal Ben should provide some stability to the defense should the injury bug bite again. These additions alongside leading scorer Didier Drogba make Chelsea a soccer team to be reckoned with again, and a legitimate title contender.
Another third-place finish last season caused Liverpool to throw around some cash in the offseason to try and get to the top. However, signing Fernando Torres to a record-setting deal and also grabbing Ryan Babel may not be enough to put Liverpool in the same category with Man U. and Chelsea. Captain Steven Gerrard and forward Peter Crouch should provide their usual punch, while Dirk Kuyt showed he could be a future force in his first year with Liverpool last season. Even with their changes though, most experts are predicting Liverpool to find more success on the Cup stage than in the soccer league once again this season.
And what about Arsenal? After another fourth-place finish last year it looks like another tough year is ahead. Their best player Thierry Henry departed for Barcelona and veteran Freddy Ljungberg is also gone, leaving Arsenal in quite a lurch. Unless they get some stout support from their youth and what's left of their scorers, this could finally be the year another team cracks the Top 4. If that were to happen watch for Tottenham Hotspur, which made a splash in the offseason by acquiring Darren Bent, to make a run.
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School will soon be in session, which means college football kicks off even sooner. Florida rode a superb offense and a dominating defense to the NCAA Football title last season, despite not being listed among the favorites early in the year. If the National Championship goes to one of the favorites this year, expect one of these schools to bring home the title.
USC
This year's Trojans' squad may sport the best defense they've ever had under head coach Pete Carroll. If you think about how good some of Carroll's National Championship defenses have been, that's a truly scary statement. The defense is just outstanding and knows how to play well together with 10 starters returning. Offensively the Trojans lost some big weapons to the draft in Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith. However, John David Booty has the pedigree to be a solid scoring QB without the plethora of weapons that Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart had when they led USC to glory. The Trojans have an incredibly tough schedule this year that includes road games at Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon and California, and they should be definite No. 1 contenders if they can escape those games unscathed.
LSU
No more JaMarcus Russell? No problem. Don't expect the Tigers to simply roll over this season just because they lost their star quarterback to the NFL. Senior Matt Flynn is ready to step in and take the reins and he has some good receivers in Early Doucet and Brandon LaFell. The Tigers' defense was ferocious last season and with eight returning starters they should be feared again. The schedule-makers were very kind to the Tigers this season and the only tough road game ahead of them appears to be their trip to Alabama. That being said, LSU still has to tackle Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Florida and Arkansas at home. If LSU and USC were to meet up in the National Championship game, they might finally get to settle that national title they split back in 2003.
Florida
Don't count out the reigning national champs just yet. The Gators lost a lot of their championship squad including QB Chris Leak, RB DeShawn Wynn, WR Dallas Baker and a huge chunk of their smashmouth defense, but they also reloaded with plenty of talent too. The Gators' chances of repeating as title-holders likely will rely on two things. First and foremost is QB Tim Tebow. As a freshman Tebow flashed his strong arm and quick legs in limited duty last season. Now he'll have to prove he can carry the load all year. Secondly, the defense needs to be rebuilt from the ground up and has a lot to live up to from last year. Florida's trip to LSU on Oct. 6 will likely define their season.
Michigan
The Wolverines would likely be the No. 1 contender for the National Championship if they hadn't been blown out in last year's Rose Bowl. The Michigan offense should be killer this season with QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart and WR Mario Manningham all returning. The defense has only seven retuning starters, but new blood could be just what Michigan needs to fill in the glaring holes that were exposed in the Rose Bowl. For Michigan to earn a berth in the championship game, they will have to beat Ohio State this year.
Louisville or West Virginia?
The Big East announced itself as a legitimate championship contender last year, but only one out of Louisville or West Virginia can actually make it to the big game. The Cardinals will ride the strong arm of senior QB Brian Brohm. One thing that may hurt the Cardinals is that they will have to adjust to new head coach Steve Kragthorpe after Bobby Petrino left for the NFL. The Mountaineers have one of the best backfield duos in all of college football in QB Pat White and RB Steve Slaton. The amazing duo combined for 2,963 rushing yards and 34 rushing touchdowns last season and could be even better this year. Circle the Cardinals/Mountaineers game on November 8 on your calendar right now.
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Tiger Woods will get his last chance at a 2007 major victory this weekend when he and the rest of golf's best tee it up at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the PGA Championship. Woods is a huge +175 favorite in this event and he very well should be since he's the defending champ and he dominated the field at last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. At last year's PGA Championship, held at Medinah, Woods shot an amazing 18-under par to top his closest opponent, Shaun Micheel, by five strokes. Last weekend in the Bridgestone, Woods was even better than that as he finished eight strokes ahead of the second-place finishers, Justin Rose and Rory Sabbatini. If Woods does fail to win at Southern Hills this weekend, it will be his first season devoid of a major win since he was shut out in 2004. The last time the PGA Championship was held at Southern Hills was way back in 1994, when Nick Price easily won by five strokes after shooting 11-under par. That was before Woods turned pro, but Tiger has graced the fairways of Southern Hills before. Southern Hills has also hosted the U.S. Open three times in the past, including 2001 when Retief Goosen defeated Mark Brooks in a playoff. Woods ended up tied for 29th place that year, three strokes back of the leaders. 
Just like last week in the Bridgestone, the field at the PGA may be short one major contender. World No. 2 Jim Furyk was forced to miss the Bridgestone due to back pain, and according to Furyk his back hasn't improved enough yet to confirm he will play this weekend. Since this is a major, Furyk will likely wait until the last minute before announcing whether or not he's in or out this weekend. If Furyk is forced to sit, Woods' biggest competition will likely be his usual foes Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh. Mickelson won the PGA in 2005 at Baltusrol, while Singh claimed his second career PGA title at Whistling Straights in 2004. Singh won his first PGA title at Sahalee in 1999. Mickelson has been playing awful lately, by his high standards. Last week in the Bridgestone, Mickelson tied for 46th place which was actually his best finish in more than a month after he had failed to make the cut in his last three PGA events. Singh looked lost at times at the Bridgestone last week when he finished tied for 56th, but he played much better a week earlier when he was second behind Furyk at the Canadian Open. Other former PGA Championship winners that bettors may want to keep an eye on this weekend include 2001 champ David Toms and 2003 winner Shaun Micheel, who seems to save his best stuff for the PGA Championship. Check out the PGA Golf Betting Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook.
