Rachel Alexandra puts in work for Personal Ensign

Horseracing Betting Lines

08/02/2010 - Saratoga Springs, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A little less than four weeks before she returns to the races, 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra had a five- furlong workout Monday morning. The four-year-old filly will make her next start in the 1 1/4-mile Personal Ensign at Saratoga on August 29.

With jockey Shaun Bridgmohan riding, the champion covered the five-furlongs in 1:02.45 on Saratoga's Oklahoma training track.

"I thought she looked really good," said trainer Steve Asmussen. "Shaun did a good job with her. She obviously was very strong away from the pole, but she looked beautiful. This morning was a little warmer than it has been the past two days. I think the cooler weather this week has had her energy level very high, and we did a little more with her first work back today than we normally do off a race [because] of how she'd been galloping the past few days."

Rachel Alexandra will have workouts the next three Monday mornings leading up to the Personal Ensign, which will be her initial attempt at 1 1/4-miles. Her previous longest race was last year's 1 3/16-miles Preakness, which she won.

"She's always been very impressive; something that everybody has noted on is how she gallops out after a race," noted Asmussen. "She shows that in her training. It is going to be her first time at 1 1/4-miles running, and it isn't galloping out."

Owned by Stonestreet Stable and Harold McCormick, Rachel is no stranger to winning at Saratoga. As a three-year-old she won the Woodward versus older males. Her regular jockey is two-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel.

"I feel very comfortable, with her being here and having had the success she had last year," added Asmussen. "Right now, you try to get her work schedule where it is and hope that Mother Nature allows you to do that."

She won the $400,000 Lady's Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park in her most recent start. The champion filly has won two of four races in 2010, including her last two, for $498,376.

Rachel has won 13 of 18 career starts for $3,446,730.

Wwwlnba Horseracing Betting News

<< Haynesworth starts and stops, again doesn't pass
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -This time, Albert Haynesworth started but had to stop.The two-time All-Pro defensive tackle tried to take the Washington Redskins conditioning test again Monday morning, but he pulled up after three back-and-forth sprints because

<< Tseng remains No. 5 as rankings tighten up
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Yani Tseng claimed her third major championship title when she won the Women's British Open on Sunday, but held steady at No. 5 in this week's world rankings. Tseng, who became the youngest gol

<< Schalke signs Spanish defender Escudero
Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Schalke has signed Spanish defender Sergio Escudero from Real Murcia for an undisclosed fee, it was announced on Monday. The 20-year-old Escudero has signed a four-year contract with Schalke,

<< Orioles hoping Showalter will open new era
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles introduced Buck Showalter as their new manager Monday, hoping to turn the page on what's been a forgettable 2010 season thus far. Showalter will be charged with building up

<< Heat sign Beverley
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat have signed guard Patrick Beverley to an undisclosed contract. Beverley spent the 2009-10 season in Greece and played the previous year in the Ukrainian Basketball Super League. He appeared in f

Redskins pick up Beck from Baltimore >>
Ashburn, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Redskins have acquired quarterback John Beck from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for cornerback Doug Dutch. Beck is in his fourth NFL season and will join his third team. He was s

Appleby soars in world rankings >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Stuart Appleby carded the second 59 of the year on the PGA Tour and that helped him soar 65 places to No. 94 in this week's world rankings. Appleby qualified for this week's World Golf Championsh

New Orleans Saints 2010 Season Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For the first time in their checkered 43-year history, the New Orleans Saints are the hunted. Even as a 13-3 division-winner last season, the Saints were never a total fit for that role in 2009. A team that had won a total

Eriksson walks away from Ivory Coast job >>
Abidjan, Ivory Coast (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sven-Goran Eriksson has decided not to continue as manager of Ivory Coast after he failed to come to terms on a financial agreement with the country's soccer federation. Eriksson took over for V

This Week in Golf - August 5th through August 8th >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS - BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL, Firestone Country Club, Akron, Ohio - The third official World Golf Championship event is on tap this week and several of the top players in the wor

Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

Get free 2009 Super Bowl Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting VISA Mastercard