A couple of sophomores came running this week to get a leg up on their generation in the Risen Star Stakes and the Fountain of Youth.

El Padrino made it 3 for 5 in his career winning the Risen Star but he made his sports betting backers sweat as he just held it together getting up by a nose at odds-on.

It was so tight that the runner-up’s rider, Rosie Napravnik, claimed interference but it was denied. Take nothing away from the second finisher Mark Valeski, who was making his first start going long and was tons the best of the rest.

It was a nice bit of training to have him on top of his game in this race and the blood is there for him to thrive. There are several route winners in the tree and his dam won stakes routing and banked nearly $350,000.

As for the winner, expect him to be primed to do battle with the horse he just beat in the Louisiana Derby on April 1.

There are a couple of schools of thought about how a taxing race like this affects a runner. One is that it is far too early in the online sportsbooks season to have a runner have such a hard race and what will be left in the tank in the spring.

The other feeling is that a race like Saturday’s will only toughen a horse up and get him battle tested for the day when he will really have to step up to the plate.

At this point in time, the lean here is to the ladder theory.

The Fountain of Youth lost quite a bit of thunder when Algorithms, the 8-5 chalk, had to be scratched because of a popped splint.

Favoritism went to Algorithms stablemate Discreet Dancer but that runner was pressured on the lead and eventually settled for third.

Union Rags took one step closer to the goal of winning the Kentucky Derby by tracking about 2 lengths off the leaders early before drawing away to win by 4 under a hand ride in 1:42.68.

The last time this race was run at a mile and a sixteenth Read the Footnotes won in 1:42.71. That runner was 4th in the Florida Derby next out, then was troubled in the Kentucky Derby never to race again.

Trained by Barbaro’s mentor Michael Matz, Union Rags, barring injury should get all the attention going forward and the logical next spot for him will be the Florida Derby.

Another runner that has surfaced on the radar is the $950,000 purchase Fed Biz. This Bob Baffert charge was hung wide in educational sprint debut from the rail but is 2 for 2 since.

His last race was solid as he made the top coming into the stretch and drew off in the small field, although he was lugging in.

The blood is solid on the bottom side as his dam took a stakes and only lost once in 5 outs. More importantly the dam is kin to Grade 2 winner and over $350,000 earner Tale of the Cat. Fed Biz’s sire could run all day long and was unlucky to lost the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Fed Biz’s half sister Spun Silk won a stakes in New York routing going away in the lane. This horse will take some sports betting online following.

If my memory serves, in some betting circles such as Mise O Jeu (in Canada) and possibly also the now defunct Blue Bonnets horse racing (also in Canada) the original bet is not returned. So if a Mise O Jeu ticket (or Blue Bonnets horse) paid 2-1, you would bring back your winning ticket and exchange it for two times whatever your bet was. Is there a name for this kind of system? Is the terminology different (e.g. payout vs pays)?

Sometimes places will use the word “for” instead of “to” when writing their odds.

So if you get paid “2 TO 1″, you will win 2 PROFIT for every 1 you bet. Place a wager for $10, and your total return will be $30. ($20 profit, plus your $10 bet back.)

If they say the return is “2 FOR 1″, you will win 2 times what you wagered, but that’s it. No bet back. Place a wager for $10, and your total return will be $20. They are replacing your bet with TWO times your bet. “2 FOR 1″.

In Vegas, there are still some Craps tables that get away with this. “Horn” bets are already horrible bets to make, but they really stick it to the ignorant gambler in this area. Take “Double 1′s”, for example. (“Aces”.) If you bet for 1-1 to come up, it’s SUPPOSED to pay 30 to 1. You can see it right there on the felt: “30 to 1″. If you bet a dollar, they will pay you $30, plus they will leave your bet on the table. Again, that’s what it’s supposed to be! But in these cheap casinos, that bet reads as “30 for 1″. (Notice the “for” instead of the “to”.) Now if you put a dollar on this bet and it wins, they will only pay you $29. If you say they didn’t give you thirty, they will take the dollar that’s still on the table and give it to you. There’s your 30!

It’s a rip-off on the Craps table. In horse racing, you’ve just got to be cautious. It’s unlikely they are trying to rip people off, but if you are going to try to handicap the race, you’ve got to take into account exactly what odds you’re REALLY getting, based on the terminology of that horse track.

If there is EVER any question in your mind, ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU BET!!! These places are going to make plenty of money. They aren’t going to try to cheat you, and they will be happy to make things clear for you.

Who: Thoroughbreds – Mr. Bowling, Mark Valeski, El Padrino, Algorithms, Discreet Dancer, Union Rags
What: Horse Racing Betting Tips – The Risen Star, The Fountain of Youth
Where:Fair Grounds, Gulfstream Park
When:Saturday and Sunday, February 25th and 26th

El Padrino appears to have the Risen Star field over a barrel, judging by his lofty last-race Beyer Speed Figure of 100. That figure towers over the competition’s next-best number of 87, earned by Shared Property in his Arlington Washington Futurity score. However, before plunking down your hard-earned cash on the chalk, take a closer look at the Brereton Jones/Larry Jones entry of Mr. Bowling and Mark Valeski. In the Fountain of Youth, the two best Derby prospects, Algorithms and Union Rags, may take a back seat on Sunday to the morning-line third choice, Discreet Dancer (3-1). Find out why below.

#7-El Padrino (2-1) launched his 3YO campaign with an impressive score vs. entry-level allowance foes at Gulfstream Park nearly a month ago, and gets in light in The Risen Star at 116. He’s the most likely winner, but there are hurdles. This is his Fair Grounds debut, and he’ll be tackling a talented local contingent. Also, the pace is expected to be a tepid one, so the field could be bunched up and traffic could be a problem. #1-Mr. Bowling (4-1) is coming to hand nicely for trainer Larry Jones. The colt’s sparkling bullet breeze on Monday in 59 4/5 (fastest of 62 at the distance) signals a strong move forward off his winning effort in The Grade 3 LeComte. And you’ll get two-for-the-price-of-one with entrymate #1a-Mark Valeski (4-1), a very talented runner in his own right. Jones is confident that this son of Proud Citizen will have no problem stretching out…he may lead this field on a merry chase. I’ll take a shot with the home team entry at odds of 3-1 or better.

Union Rags, unlucky runner-up in The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile due to a wide trip, makes his sophomore debut in The Fountain of Youth as the current Kentucky Derby Future Book consensus favorite. He’s followed closely in futures wagering by the undefeated Algorithms. Roles are reversed on Sunday, however, with #2-Algorithms (8-5) a slight choice over #7-Union Rags (2-1). Both colts have tactical speed, but will be hard-pressed to catch probable pacesetter #5-Discreet Dancer (3-1). Discreet Dancer and stablemate Algorithms will both be making their two-turn debuts, and both should be up to the task. While Algorithms may be better on the first Saturday in May, Discreet Dancer should be very tough at 1 1/16th miles, especially with Gulfstream Park’s short stretch, which measures only 898 feet. Nobody really knows how good Discreet Dancer is yet…and they probably won’t know after Sunday’s race either, if, as I expect, he wins the Fountain of Youth in relatively easy fashion. I’m betting on Discreet Dancer to win, and I’ll key him over Algorithms and Union Rags in the exacta.

Those are my horse racing betting tips for the weekend. Best of luck and happy gambling!

Who: Thoroughbreds – El Padrino (key horse)
What: Horse Racing Betting Tips – The $300,000 Risen Star Stakes
Where: Fair Grounds
When: Saturday, February 25th

Eleven sophomores with designs of starring on the Triple Crown Trail kick off Saturday in the sports betting mile and a sixteenth Risen Star and several will be bested for class.

Only 3 of the runners have won stakes so there is a big online best sportsbook learning curve here. Afford will be a legit price as he was all out beating $50K optional foes in his last race when recording a 75 Beyer.

Optimizer has lost 5 in a row since winning the debut by a neck but he has been Grade 1 placed and he needed his last badly.

Mr. Bowling had a coming out party in last winning the Grade 3 Le Comte. The win over the track can only help and his connections entered a rabbit in this race in the vision of Mark Valeski.

That runner has won two in a row, brings :45 and change speed to the party and got to figure the instructions will be to send hard and try to discourage the other zip.

Z Dager was getting to Mr. Bowling in the lane in last just missing by a head and he has the tactical speed that will allow him to settle and still maintain contact.

Teds Folly has won 6 of his 9 starts but was totally exposed when ninth in his local debut.

Adenas Chance will be a huge number. He was handled easily by a few foes that he faces today and will have to come from left field.

Hero of Order is the speed component of the Gennadi Dorochenko pair but it took him a long time to figure it out and there are others in here that have designs on the top.

El Padrino has never run a poor race. He has proven he can handle any kind of going, showed his class last year when beaten less than a length in the Grade 2 Remsen and he posted a career best and top last-race Beyer in his last scoring at Gulfstream with a 100 Beyer.

If one figures that Shared Property was just dead short in last, you can build a case for a move forward. The runner has shown agility overcoming trouble, was hung wide in his Grade 1 sixth to close 2011 and was only beaten a half in the LeComte. Factor in clever trainer Tom Amoss, and you have a player here.

Tizanexpense had the excuse of the synthetic and the poor start in the debut but he has been game in his last two wins. This is where he gets the acid test and he is far outside for this race.

When the gates up, look for Mark Valeski and Hero of Order to hook up and set the pace. Both will be trying to win a route for the first time and that is where they are vulnerable.

At the top of the lane El Padrino will be stalking primed to pounce. Just inside the sixteenth pole Javier Castellano will let him run and it will be all over except for the shouting. Shared Property will pass the rest to complete the exacta.

Box those two in the exotic and good luck on the betting websites.

This sport is all about keeping and even keel because for every victory there is the agony of defeat around the corner but even the most hard-core online sports players have to think about the range of emotions for trainer Graham Motion last weekend on both online betting coasts.

First, let’s take a look at the bad news for the Motion camp and it came in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate when his student Lucky Chappy was anything but lucky losing a nose decision to Daddy Nose Best when tons best of the rest.

Chappy raced 5 wide, engaged the winner at the top of the lane, and just could not hold him off. It was the smallest sports betting victory margin in this race in 31 runnings of the race. Chappy was ridden by New York based rider Alan Garcia and this is what he had to say about the effort, Garcia: “When you come this far to win a race and get beat like that….heartbreaking. He broke a little slow out of there and it took him a little while to get going. He finished well. I’m looking forward to the next one. It’s going to be good.”

More on Chappy’s next one later.

As for the good news, it came in the form of last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom.

The runner returned and defeated five horses in a 1 1/16-mile contest at Gulfstream.

After breaking slowly and trailing for a half-mile, the budding star moved into contention down the backstretch, was kept outside of the two leaders as they moved around the turn, then took the lead approaching the top of the stretch under John Velazquez.

The rider had this to say, Velazquez:“They went slow enough where he just pulled me into contention all on his own. I let him do what he wanted as opposed to wrangling him back behind horses. The second I started kissing at him in the stretch he picked it right up and took off. It was a great feeling today and great to have him back. He felt as good as ever.

Animal Kingdom came out of the Belmont Stakes with a fractured hock, an injury that required surgery. He had been working steadily for trainer Graham Motion at Palm Meadows in South Florida for his betting sites return.

Motion has a method to his madness, Motion: “Obviously, I would have been disappointed if he hadn’t won today, when you have a race that’s set up for you. But this was the best thing for us. He still had to go out there and win it. He needed a race and still has six weeks to regroup to get him to Dubai in the right way. This horse has come a long way since October. Nothing was more heartbreaking than to see this horse stuck in a stall a week after the Belmont. He went from being the fittest horse in the country to not being able to get out of his stall. That was tough. To see him today, back to himself, obviously I’m elated.

The chestnut colt was using the race as a prep for the $10 million Dubai World Cup next month and don’t be shocked if Lucky Chappy is on the same plane to Dubai aiming for the UAE Derby.

hi americans australia has offered american harness racing from he meadowlands and i know where o watch it at thebig.com
i have watched a few races and was wondering where i can i can the form as i see horses win at $8.40 ($2) bet but pay $ 25.80 in australia for a $1 bet. The races are on early morning/early arvo in australia
so where can i ge the form or if someone can contact me wih ips would be greatly apprecciated
i mean to get the form sorry my typing is shocking tonight
with tips the t key is a pain
im having a shocker my neice spilt coke on my laptop and keyes work when they wanna

sounds like separate pools, that would explain the difference in prices.

i think there is a link on thebigm.com for forms.

www.meadowlandsracetrack.net is their new web site address. Yep, the last I knew they were separate pools but the meadowlands is under new management so email them.

Good luck with the coke!

See the link below – they put the free pages up whenever there is a guaranteed pool – which is currently nightly on the pick 5 (races 1-5) and the pick 4 (races 6-9).

http://www.trackmaster.com/usta/

Note: The link doesn’t seem to have the pick 4 pages this time, but it’s supposed to.

my horse came in 1st in the game and it says win 18.20… what does that mean?

I take it you mean 8 to 1
A horse that wins at 8 to 1 pays $18 for a $2 bet.
If you bet $20 you win $180
your horse paid 18.20, so you get back $182.
Subtract the $20 you bet and your winnings are: $162

You won $182. Congratulations! The $18.20 represents how much a $2 win bet would pay on that horse. In this case, you bet 10 times that amount. Thus, You win $18.20 x 10 = $182.

20 x 18.20 = $364

but i know you yanks show your divvies in twos

so it would be 10×18.20 = $182

that means you get your 2.00 back plus16.20 profit.So a 20 dollar bet would return 180.00

Who: Thoroughbreds – Russian Greek, Daddy Nose Best, Lucky Chappy, Handsome Mike, Lady of Fifty
What: Horse Racing Betting Tips – The El Camino Real Derby
Where: Golden Gate Fields
When: Saturday, February 18th

Russian Greek is the top 3-year-old colt based at Golden Gate Fields. His stablemate, Lady of Fifty, is the leading sophomore filly on the Northern California circuit. They’ll meet for the first time this Saturday in the El Camino Real Derby, and will be facing a classy contingent of out-of-towners, which includes Daddy Nose Best (trained by Steve Asmussen), Lucky Chappy (Graham Motion) and Handsome Mike (Doug O’Neill). Will the home court advantage prevail?

Daddy Nose Best is graded stakes-placed on grass, and finished a creditable 6th (beaten less than 4 lengths) in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. His trainer/jockey combo of Steve Asmussen/Julien Leparoux has clicked for 27% winners and a positive ROI in 2011-12. The major question is the track…he’ll be making his first start on Golden Gate’s Tapeta surface.

Lucky Chappy got the better of Daddy Nose Best in The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (4th…beaten 3 ? lengths). Like Daddy Nose Best, he’ll be making his artificial surface debut. The Graham Motion trainee appears to be the main threat if he takes to his new surroundings.

Handsome Mike weakened late to finish in mid-pack in the Grade 1 Cash Call Futurity on Hollywood Park’s poly track, but earned a solid Beyer Speed Figure of 86 in the process. He’ll get blinkers for the first time on Saturday, which has proven to be a money-making strategy for O’Neill runners.

Lady of Fifty has won from just off the pace as well as on the lead. Her connections feel she is tractable. She may have to be in this spot, as there is an abundance of speed, with Cahill Chrome, Handsome Mike and Rockinarz Recruit all capable of contesting the pace.

Russian Greek need only pass the class test. He’s won both of his 2-turn starts locally, and will get the pace setup he needs to flatter his late-running style. By Giant’s Causeway out of a Grindstone mare, his breeding suggests he’ll answer the class question affirmatively. I’ll bet on #4-Russian Greek to win at odds of 2-1 or better.

Those are my horse racing betting tips for this weekend. Best of luck and happy gambling!   

Who: Thoroughbreds – Lucky Chappy
What: Horse Racing Online Betting Tips – The $200,000 El Camino Real Derby
Where: Golden Gate
When: Saturday, February 18th

The $200,000 guaranteed El Camino Derby will be renewed Saturday at Golden Gate and a full field of sophomores will try to win the Grade 2 event at 9 furlongs on the synthetic.

Over the years, this race has been won by some very nice horses and although none have won the Kentucky Derby, El Camino Real heroes like Snow Chief, Tabasco Cat and Tank’s Prospect did go on to win Triple Crown races.

Last year Steve Asmussen’s student Silver Medallion won this race after cashing in the Eddie Logan at Santa Anita when the runner got a perfect trip to post the winning 94 Beyer.

Asmussen is hoping for that sports betting d?j? vu feeling, as he will saddle Daddy Nose Best Saturday. He was the beaten chalk in the Logan last time but rider Julien Leparoux flies in from Florida for the mount. This is what he had to say about this runner on the Golden Gate site.

Leparoux: “I went there expecting to win but I don’t think he cared for the turf there. He was getting out with me. He’s got a lot of talent and hopefully he can show that talent in the El Camino. I know Steve Asmussen is very happy with how the horse is doing right now.”

All Squared Away just broke his maiden and will have to step up big time this weekend. Cahill Chrome likes this layout and ran his eyeballs out in defeat in the California Derby in his 2012 opener. Chrome has run 4 bang-up races since graduating.

Handsome Mike did not put in a pretty performance in his last, the Grade 3 Sham and his lone win was just a sprint.

Lady of Fifty is four for 5 in her career and the lone win came in a return situation in the first attempt vs. winners. She has legit speed but will be trying to beat the boys for the first time. She has already paid back her $40,000 purchase price. Russell Baze, who has won this race 8 times, rides the filly, who is looking to become the first miss to win this event.

Lucky Chappy has never been on the synthetic but connections thought enough of him to ship from Gulfstream. He has a tendency to break poorly and that must be addressed, but he is in the clever barn of Graham Motion and will be picking up some serious pieces late.

Owned by Animal Kingdom’s crew, Chappy must be respected.

Rockinarz Recruit brings speed, but has never been sent long while Russian Greek was left with too much work to do late in the only loss but he’s unbeaten on this surface.

Senor Rain ran big in Greek’s Cal Derby but although he has speed, he will be hard pressed to clear and this is a far cry from beating $40K starter rivals.

Unveiled Heat figures to get away on the tote as he just beat 2 home in his last effort and that was his first try vs. winners.

With a legit amount of speed in here, look for Chappy to get Lucky. His connections don’t ship often but they are here trying to get Graded stakes earnings with the Kentucky Derby in mind. He’s the wager at 4-1 or higher.

Good luck on the online betting sites.

The singer that gave us ‘Beer for My Horses’ and ‘Should’ve Been a Cowboy’ could be pouring the champagne the first Saturday in May if his Reckless Jerry continues to improve and online sports betting enthusiasts should know this owner knows the sport.

Enter Toby Keith, the superstar country music singer, who has been around the block and back as this is not his first trip to the rodeo.

Last year Keith owned a runner that was on the Triple Crown trail but fell off of it when injuries finally too a toll.

But Keith is back again, this time with a colt who has not only showed talent but, has stayed realatively healthy in the early stages of his online best sportsbook career.

By Cactus Ridge, Reckless Jerry has thrived as the distances increased and will be pointed to next week’s $250,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn.

Hung wide in his first two starts last year, the youngster took to the slop like the proverbial duck to water graduating in game style and then almost pulled off a 19-1 upset in a $350,000 Remington Park stakes.

Freshened since that race, he returned in the $100,000 Smarty Jones last month and ran his eyeballs out in defeat losing by a neck while posting a clever 93 Beyer.

In that last race he broke from post 12 in the one-mile, two-turn contest and was wide the whole way.

Reckless Jerry is trained by Kenny Smith, who knows what to do with a good horse. His most famous student was probably Silver Goblin, who won a ton of stakes in the Midwest but his best moment may have come in defeat.

Entered in the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap several seasons ago, Silver Goblin had the lead in the lane but could not turn back the legendary Cigar, who won going away, won his next 10 races and eventually tied Citation’s record for consecutive victories.

Not really bred for the classic distances but Reckless Jerry may have a chance to show he can excell when given real estate to negotiate.

Check out what Keith told Bloodhorse’s Jason Shadler, Keith:“A lot of people look at the pedigree, Cactus Ridge out of a Crafty Prospector, and they say he aint gonna go very far. But his second dam is by Shadeed, his third dam is by Graustark, and his fourth dam by Princequillo. Cactus Ridges dam is by Danzig and the dams under that were group I winners in Europe. So were going to find out.”

This singer is no rookie to the racing game. He owns a huge farm in Oklahoma and knows the ins and outs around the sales. He has been active pin hooking horses for years. That is a tricky business but it involves making investments, and then turning right around and selling those runners.

Its risky, and only the strong survive but you can fall into some quality stock if you are smart enough.

He owns Cactus Ridge and the runner now stands at the famed Calumet and if Keith and Jerry are lucky enough to have an entrant in the Kentucky Derby, you can bet your bottom dollar that famous cowboy hats will be all over Churchill Downs.

Check out the Southwest this Sunday and stay tuned to your betting websites.