Mohaymen remains my top colt for the Kentucky Derby. The Fountain of Youth winner has a date with my second horse, Nyquist, in the Florida Derby on April 2 at Gulfstream Park. Seldom do we see such a clash of titans before the Derby at Churchill Downs.
March is a star search. It’s about buzzer-beating shots, comebacks, giant killers and teases. A short time after two No. 5 seeds were chopped down, top-seeded North Carolina was clinging to a one-point halftime lead. And then Arizona was blown out. Welcome to the NCAA Tournament.
It’s not really a stunner, but it’s a great story. Makai Mason, a little sophomore guard, lifted little Yale to its first-ever NCAA Tournament win in its first appearance since 1962.
For track announcer Trevor Denman, we were told he is retiring as the voice of Santa Anita Park. That’s true. But then I got a Del Mar press release saying Denman will call the races there in 2016.
When Pennsylvania approved casino gaming at its racetracks, it was as if printing money was now legal. There was now lots of cash to go around. To the horsemen, to the racetracks, but unfortunately not the horseplayers.
For decades, betting has driven the popularity of the NFL, a league that has forcefully opposed betting. The new reality is betting has company in the form of the booming fantasy sports industry, which is doing its part to help drive the popularity of the NFL while the league enthusiastically promotes it as a business partner.
Everything is flowing for Philip Rivers this season, and no defense is slowing him. The San Diego Chargers quarterback has such a hot hand, he should be shooting at a craps table.
In several ways, Billy Beane is a gambler working with a bankroll. But there’s not much money to play with, so the Oakland Athletics general manager must be smart with it, and he needs to make the right moves.
When Churchill Downs announced a big takeout increase for the season that starts on April 26, the anger of horseplayers overflowed and prompted one group to call for a betting boycott at the storied track.
Everything starts with the coach. Gregg Popovich sets a steady tone for the San Antonio Spurs, who resemble the Aristotle theory that excellence is a habit, not an act.
It’s cool to be popular in high school. It’s not always a positive sign to be the public’s hot pick in the NCAA Tournament, so maybe Michigan State coach Tom Izzo should be concerned.
As legend has it and according to media hype, Colin Kaepernick faces a nearly impossible task this weekend as he attempts to quarterback the underdog San Francisco 49ers to a highly unlikely playoff victory.
There is a growing political sentiment, right or wrong, that state-mandated casino subsidies to the horse racing industry should be stopped. Or at least reduced.
After the party, the hangover is due to hit. And the better the party, the worse the headache gets. Right about now, it’s hitting quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers right between the eyes.
What’s most important to bettors is how to cash tickets this week and, in the big picture, how to handicap explosive offensive teams such as Oregon. The Ducks scare the heck out of bookmakers, who are not setting lines high enough, and sharp bettors, who usually prefer to buy underdogs when the price appears inflated.
