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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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The 2007 baseball season reaches it unofficial mid-point this week with the All-Star festivities beginning on Monday. This year's All-Star game is being played at AT&T Park in San Francisco, likely the only park in baseball in which Barry Bonds would not be booed. There was speculation that Bonds would take part in Monday night's home run derby in his home ballpark, but according to Bonds he'll be sitting this one out. As of Thursday, the complete lineup for the annual homerfest was not yet confirmed. The only confirmed participants were defending champ Ryan Howard, AL MVP Justin Morneau, and the Brewers' big slugger Prince Fielder. Other names being tossed around include former derby champ Ken Griffey Jr., Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Lee. Don't expect to see home run leader Alex Rodriguez in the Derby. A-Rod has already said he's giving the derby a pass and he may even end up skipping the All-Star game to rest his injured hamstring. Whatever the lineup of mashers turns out to be, the favorite will be Howard after the show he put on in Pittsburgh last season. After the sluggers display their power strokes on Monday night, the actual All-Star game takes the spotlight on Tuesday. The National League will be looking to end a long losing streak in the midsummer classic, as the AL has a 10-game unbeaten streak. The AL hasn't actually won 10 All-Star games in a row, thanks to the ridiculous 7-7 tie in the 2002 game after both squads ran out of players. Last year the AL won 3-2 courtesy a two-run triple by Michael Young in the ninth inning. The game-winning hit won Young the MVP award. Young will have a chance to win back-to-back MVPs this year as he is returning as a reserve shortstop. No player has ever won back-to-back All-Star game MVP awards, but there have been a few repeat winners, including Cal Ripken Jr. and Gary Carter. 
The starting pitchers have not yet been announced but cutting the list down to two or three from each league usually isn't too hard. For the AL the start will likely go to either AL wins leader C.C. Sabathia, ERA leader Dan Haren, or Boston ace Josh Beckett. Johan Santana could get the nod because he's Johan Santana, and Justin Verlander might get preferential treatment because of his no-hitter and since Jim Leyland is managing. But most likely it will be whichever pitcher out of Sabathia, Haren or Beckett whose throwing schedule best fits the date. The NL starter should be either Brad Penny or Jake Peavy, hands down. Penny is 10-1 with the best ERA in the NL, while Peavy has only one fewer win and his ERA is only 0.09 higher. Either pitcher would be a fine choice. Starting Lineups:
American League
C: Ivan Rodriguez 1B: David Ortiz 2B: Placido Polanco 3B: Alex Rodriguez SS: Derek Jeter OF: Vladimir Guerrero OF: Magglio Ordonez OF: Ichiro Suzuki National League C: Russell Martin 1B: Prince Fielder 2B: Chase Utley 3B: David Wright SS: Jose Reyes OF: Carlos Beltran OF: Barry Bonds OF: Ken Griffey Check out the MLB Baseball Betting Odds at WagerWeb.com
Whenever you decide to do some online gambling, logging on to an online casino seems to be the most straightforward answer. The internet is loaded with online casinos these days, so you don't even have to do a whole lot of research to find yourself at the roulette table as soon as possible and start rolling. That may be the case at first sight. The big question though, is what exactly you want to play these games for? If you only want to do it for fun, then it's really simple: log on to the first online casino you come across, and hit their play for fun tables. It won't cost you anything, and you're going to get the exact same level of service as you would at real money games. Most people however, do not gamble solely because it's fun. They do it in order to make some money. If this is your objective too, just hitting the first online casino that comes up, is no longer an option. Successful online gambling is about small edges. The industry is excellent at creating such small edges for its players then hiding them left-and-right, so that not everyone will take advantage of them. If you're a serious online gambler, you need to locate these edges and then you need to put them to work. 
Also, as soon as real money comes into the equation, whether you play at a fair online casino or one that couldn't give half a nickel about integrity, becomes an altogether different problem. With that in mind, the very first thing you have to be on the lookout for, when searching for an online casino to play at, is that it is indeed a honest and fair one. You can do that by locating the casino first, making sure you like it, and then reading up a bit on it, on gambling forums and blog posts. If a casino has ever scammed an online player in its existence, you're sure to find some kind of online trace of that incident. If you don't find anything, chances are, the casino is secure. Once that's out of your way, check out what financial benefits the casino offers you in terms of sign-up and other bonuses. Do not be dazzled by a very generous bonus offer. Always keep in sight that bonuses are not exactly money per se. You have to work (play) in order to have those bonuses redeemed. What's the use of signing up to a huge bonus if you never really stand a chance to have it unlocked? Better settle for a smaller one that you can actually handle. Always check what the conditions for redeeming your bonuses are. When you're done with that and you still like the casino you chose, study the games a bit. I don't mean you should study them rules-wise. Check out what the house edge is on each of them. Different casinos have different house edges on their games. Online poker is the only place where there is no house edge (that is, if you do not consider the poker rake a house edge). See if the casino offers American as well as European roulette. (European carries a much reduced house edge) As soon as you find all the above factors satisfactory, then you and only then should you download the software and start playing. Online Casino Games at WagerWeb.com
A number of players changed their jersey during the offseason, which could shake up the playoff pictures in both conferences the 2007 NFL season. The moves that will likely have the biggest impact on how things shake down were made by the New England Patriots. New England must not like watching other AFC teams play in the Super Bowl, because they did all they could to make sure they return to the big show this NFL season. Last season, Tom Brady's receiving corps was very weak. This year he may have too many options when he passes. The Pats added once-elite wideout Randy Moss, who could be a huge steal if he can revert back to something close to the numbers he produced in Minnesota. Also added were Donte' Stallworth and Wes Welker. Stallworth is a bit of an injury risk, but he's a reliable receiver and a deep threat when healthy. Welker is a great No. 3 receiver because he's quick out of the slot and can find defensive holes. The addition of linebacker Adalius Thomas on defense should improve a Pats' D that was already one of the best in the league. 
Sticking with the AFC, the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens were already considered by many to be playoff contenders even before they upgraded their rushing attacks. The Broncos maintained their old habits by ditching leading rusher Tatum Bell and bringing in power back Travis Henry. Henry is a workhorse who should fit in well with Mike Shanahan's hard-nosed offensive style. In Baltimore, the Ravens let Jamal Lewis go and brought in some youth in the form of Willis McGahee. Even though he's played three seasons in the league, McGahee is still only 25 and the move to Baltimore should reignite his career after two sub-par seasons in Buffalo. It's key to note that in Buffalo McGahee was part of an inconsistent and rather stagnant offense, and had to run behind a weak offensive line. He shouldn't run into any of those problems in Baltimore. There wasn't a whole lot of quarterback shuffling during the offseason, but there were at least three moves that should pay dividends. Jeff Garcia was considered to be washed up before he led the Eagles to the playoffs last season with Donovan McNabb sidelined by injury yet again. Garcia moves on to Tampa Bay this season, where he'll have a solid receiver in Joey Galloway, but once Chris Simms gets healthy there may be a QB controversy brewing. For the first time in Houston Texans' history, David Carr won't be the No. 1 quarterback. Carr was released after the Texans picked up former Falcons backup Matt Schaub. In limited action Schaub has looked great, but he may have trouble maintaining that success while playing fulltime in a lackluster offense behind a weak offensive line. After months of speculation and hours and hours of trade talk, Trent Green was finally traded to Miami. Green has a former Pro Bowler to throw to in Chris Chambers, but the key word there is former when you're talking about Chambers' recent performance. Don't expect a lot out of Ted Ginn Jr. early on in the season. Once Ginn has trouble adapting to the NFL maybe the Dolphins will see why they should have snagged QB Brady Quinn when they had the opportunity. NFL football betting odds and Fantasy Football available at WagerWeb Sportsbook.
"Dr. Steelhammer" takes another crack at "Relentless" in Cologne, Germany on Saturday night with the IBF World Heavyweight title on the line. For anyone not familiar with the nicknames currently gracing boxing's largely nondescript heavyweight ranks, Dr. Steelhammer is current IBF and IBO title-holder Wladimir Klitschko, while the man they call Relentless is challenger Lamon Brewster. This will be the second time these two fighters will clash, and Klitschko will be out to avenge a defeat from three years ago. In that initial matchup back on April 10, 2004, Brewster won the vacant WBO Heavyweight title after delivering a fifth-round knockout to Klitschko. That boxing fight is remembered for more than the mere fact that Brewster won the title. Klitschko easily won the first four rounds after dominating Brewster with an onslaught of punches, which included knocking Brewster down at the end of the fourth round. In the fifth round, Brewster erupted with a flurry of his own that included a heavy right hand in the final seconds of the round that sent Klitschko to the canvas. Klitschko barely got to his feet ahead of the count, but after the round ended he hit the floor again and remained there long enough and was unresponsive, so the fight was called in Brewster's favor. There have been numerous accusations out of Klitschko's camp that he had been drugged prior to the fight due to a low blood sugar level reported at the hospital after the fight, but nothing was ever confirmed. 
Since that fight Brewster has only fought four times due to injury. After beating Klitschko, Brewster rolled through Kali Meehan, Andrew Golota and Luan Krasniqi before losing his title in an exciting 12-round brawl with Serguei Lyakhovich that he fought without full use of his left eye after the first round. After the fight, it was discovered that Brewster had suffered a detached retina in his left eye that required surgery. That surgery and subsequent healing time kept Brewster out of the ring for over a year and his rematch against Klitschko will be his first fight in 15 months. Since losing against Brewster, Klitschko has won six straight fights, including a TKO of Chris Byrd to win the IBF title, and another TKO against challenger Calvin Brock. In his last fight on March 10 versus Ray Austin, which was also held in Germany, Klitschko delivered an impressive second-round knockout after catching Austin with four furious left hooks. Klitschko is the favorite in the rematch, due to the fact that he's the reigning champ and because of Brewster's long layoff. Since his exhausting loss to Brewster, Klitschko has improved his fight stamina and begun clinching more to give himself a breather when he needs it in the ring. But most of the experts agree that Klitschko hasn't faced a heavy hitter like Brewster since his loss. If Brewster can deliver another round of wicked right hands, he could make it two-for-two versus Klitschko and take his title. Check out Boxing Betting Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook.
Anderson Silva defends his UFC Middleweight title on Saturday night, as he faces Nate Marquardt at UFC 73: Stacked. Silva, nicknamed "The Spider," will be tough to beat and enters this matchup with an MMA record of 18-4 that includes 10 knockouts and three submissions. The fact that Silva can beat you with a flurry of punches and kicks, or with a well-timed submission hold makes him one of the most deadly MMA fighters in UFC today. Silva is a huge striker who can knock you out with his fists, feet or knees with raw power, but he's also a technically perfect Muay Thai boxer which gives him a sometimes impenetrable defense and an offensive style that allows him to fully exploit any holes or weakness his opponent leaves open. In his last UFC fight Silva faced Travis Lutter at UFC 67 in February. The fight ended quickly in the second round after Silva applied a triangle choke to Lutter and forced him to tap out. Marquardt enters the bout as a definite underdog, but Silva won't be taking him lightly. Marquardt matches up with Silva quite well because he's also a well-rounded fighter who can hold his own standing and throwing blows, and grappling on the mat. Nate "The Great" is 28-6-1 in his MMA career with four TKOs and 15 submissions, which includes a 4-0 mark in the UFC. Marquardt has a ton of experience versus some of the best MMA fighters in the world as a former seven-time middleweight king of Pancrase. He fights in a more laidback slow-paced style than Silva, and may need to attack Silva early on to avoid getting laid out early by the explosive champion. Marquardt last stepped into the octagon at UFC Fight Knights back in January. Marquardt went the distance with Dean Lister that night and won in a unanimous decision. Marquardt easily controlled the entire fight after landing numerous hard blows on Lister that sent him to the canvas a few times. Lister refused to give up but he never even had a chance in that one, as Marquardt was the aggressor from the first to last bell. Marquardt will need a similar performance versus Silva if he hopes to come away with the title. Silva is the closest thing to a technically perfect fighter you may ever see, and if Marquardt makes a mistake or lets his guard down for even a second, "The Spider" will be all over him. Check out the UFC Fight Betting Odds WagerWeb Sportsbook
The Nextel Cup Series returns to Daytona International Speedway this weekend, where Kevin Harvick will be looking for his second win at Daytona this season in the Pepsi 400.
Five months ago Harvick won the Daytona 500 by a fender over Mark Martin at the finish line. Harvick hasn't claimed the checkered flag on the Nextel Cup circuit since, but he does have seven Top 10 finishes and a pair of victories in the Busch Series.
The favorite in the second go-round at Daytona will likely be Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart. Point's leader Jeff Gordon just missed his fifth win of the season at New Hampshire last weekend and had to settle for second place behind Denny Hamlin. Gordon has the most wins of any active driver at Daytona, having won there six times during his career. The last time Gordon saw the checkered flag at Daytona was in the 2005 Daytona 500, while his last 400-mile race win at Daytona came back in 2004.
Stewart has been the best driver in the Pepsi 400 the last two years, having won the auto race in 2006 and 2005. Those are Stewart's only two victories at Daytona, as his best-ever finish in the 500 was a second place in 2005. Stewart has had an up-and-down season so far and is still looking for his first victory. Despite the bad luck and sometimes bad results, Stewart is still in the hunt for the championship and sits sixth in points with nine racing remaining before The Chase begins. Stewart's chances in The Chase would be much better if he could get a few wins under his belt, considering reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and four-time Cup winner Gordon both have four wins already this season.
One driver everyone will be watching out for this weekend is Hamlin, who closed the gap on Gordon in the point's standings with his first win of the season last weekend at New Hampshire. Hamlin now sits only 156 points back of Gordon, thanks to his win and NASCAR subtracting 100 points from Gordon over violations at Infineon a week earlier. Hamlin hasn't had much success at Daytona, with his best finish in three races being a 17th place, but he's been one of the most consistent drivers on the circuit this season and will likely challenge for the race lead at some point on Saturday night.
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