Arkansas Derby goes to longshot Line of David

Horseracing Betting Lines

04/10/2010 - Hot Springs, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lightly-raced Line of David went wire-to- wire in capturing Saturday's $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. The 1 1/8-miles was run in 1:49.37 over a fast track.

Sent off as a 17-1 longshot in the nine horse field, Line of David quickly took the lead coming out of the gate. He led the field around the clubhouse turn with 4-1 third choice Super Saver in second.

Running in third was 5-2 second pick Dublin with longshot Berberis fourth. Noble's Promise, the 9-5 favorite, was racing off the pace after being bumped at the start.

The top four runners kept their positions as the field went up the backstretch. Ridden by Jon Court, Line of David had the lead into the far turn and as the field entered the stretch.

Noble's Promise joined the leaders around the turn for home. Line of David, Super Saver and Dublin were three across the track at the top of the stretch. Super Saver and Dublin appeared to be ready to pass the pacesetter, but were unable to go by him.

As the top, three horses approached the wire. Line of David dug in to keep the lead. At the wire it was Line of David by a neck over Super Saver with Dublin another neck back in third.

"I tell you that we put him on the front end and rolled into that first turn and he was rolling along pretty good but he came back to me," Court said. "I was a little concerned because we were clipping along pretty good but we weren't losing any ground either. I was just right there in the one path tight against the fence around that first turn so I knew it went pretty quick. When I called on him he was full of run through the bridle and he fought very valiantly for the photo."

Uh Oh Bango made a late rally to finish fourth followed by Noble's Promise, New Madrid, Berberis, Pulsion and Northern Giant.

Line of David picked up $600,000 for owners Ike and Dawn Thrash. The purse is the first for the chestnut colt from any stakes race and should be enough to start the Kentucky Derby.

"I was telling Jon in the infield this one was kind of late to the party," noted Ike Thrash. "But he ran really well in his last couple races and even though we got around to it late we knew he could run and he showed up today."

Trained by John Sadler, Line of David was making his start outside of California and on a real dirt track. After breaking his maiden on the fourth attempt, the colt has now won three straight. He has career earnings of $662,000.

Sadler also trains Santa Anita Derby champ Sidney's Candy.

"We're really happy, the horse ran great," Sadler said. "We're setting up camp on Monday and Tuesday at Churchill, We have Sidney's Candy and Crisp and a few others, so we'll add this one to the list."

Line Of David paid $36.60, $14.80 and $6.80. Super Saver returned $6.20 and $4.00, and Dublin paid $3.60 to show.

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Betting Football

NFL Football Betting Online

Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?

I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.

Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.

There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.

Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.

For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.

A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.

The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.

Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.

So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.

Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.

“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.

Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.

“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.

It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.

Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.

The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.

“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.

“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”

Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.

The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.

“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”

Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?

“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.