Baffert takes both Southwest Stakes divisions

Horseracing Betting Lines

02/20/2012 - Hot Springs, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Trainer Bob Baffert sent two horses to Oaklawn Park for the Presidents' Day running of the Southwest Stakes hoping to come away with one victory. However, the race drew 21 entries splitting it into two divisions, each worth $250,000.

Baffert came away from Monday's Southwest Stakes with two victories as Castaway and Secret Circle each won a division of the mile event. Also claiming two wins was jockey Rafael Bejarano.

The first division had a field of 11 three-year-olds. Castaway broke well and joined Majestic Stride on the lead. Bejarano had his mount to the outside of the leader right on Majestic Stride's shoulder.

Castaway took over the lead coming out of the final turn and began to draw clear at the top of the stretch. The 6-1 fourth pick opened his lead down the stretch and posted a 3 3/4-length victory over the late running Jake Mo.

Finishing third was Reckless Jerry, who was second in the track's Smarty Jones Stakes last month. Completing the order of finish were Ring It Up, Majestic Stride, Longview Drive, Junebugred, No Spin, Unbridled's Note, Laurie's Rocket and Red Jack.

Castaway completed the mile in 1:38.09 on a fast track.

Owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Castaway won for the just the second time and notched his first stakes win. The victory was worth $150,000 to bring the colt's total earnings to $209,930. The son of 2007 Kentucky Derby champ Street Sense broke his maiden four weeks ago after failing five times.

Castaway returned $15.40, $9.40 and $7.20. Jake Mo paid $19.00 and $7.40, and Reckless Jerry paid $4.20 to show.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint winner Secret Circle was sent off as the 3-5 favorite in the 10-horse second division. The colt and Bejarano were first out of the gate, but allowed Scatman and jockey Luis Quinonez to set the pace.

Scatman continued to set the pace with the favorite to his outside. Secret Circle drew along side on the final turn and had short lead entering the stretch. Scatman regained the lead at the top of the stretch and looked ready to pull off an upset.

Owned by Karl Watson, Paul Weitmann and Mike Pegram, Secret Circle was able to rally in the final yards and defeat Scatman by a half-length. Adirondack King was third followed by Pee H Dee, Cyber Secret, Z Rockstar, Chalybeate Springs, King Coral, Apprehender and Big Wednesday.

Secret Circle covered the mile in 1:37.08.

The colt also added $150,000 to his bankroll, which now stands at $518,990. Secret Circle began the year with a second to Out of Bounds in last month's Sham Stakes at Santa Anita as the 1-2 favorite.

After winning in his first career start, he won the John Goodman Stakes at Santa Anita and then captured the Juvenile Sprint at Churchill Downs as the 2-5 favorite.

Secret Circle paid $3.20, $3.20 and $2.40. Scatman returned $6.40 and $4.60, and Adirondack King paid $3.60 to show.

Next on the Oaklawn schedule for Kentucky Derby hopefuls is the $500,000 Rebel on March 17 and the $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 14. Archarcharch won last year's Southwest and Arkansas Derby.

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Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

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