Eight Belles entered in Kentucky Oaks, may go in Derby

Horseracing Betting Lines

04/29/2008 - Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top three-year-old filly Eight Belles has been entered to run in Friday's $500,000 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. However, Eight Belles is expected to take on the boys in this year's Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

Eight Belles will run in the Kentucky Derby if her connections like the post position she gets at Wednesday's draw. If she scratches from the Run for the Roses that will leave 19 starters for the race.

"We're going in the Derby unless we get a sign from God," said trainer Larry Jones. A far outside post in the Kentucky Derby. 19 or 20, would probably put the filly into the Oaks.

The 1 1/8 mile race has attracted 12 fillies with Eight Belles and jockey Ramon Dominguez drawing the far outside post position.

Eight Belles is campaigned by Fox Hill Farms who raced Hard Spun to a second place finish in last year's Kentucky Derby. The filly is undefeated this year in four starts, including victories in the Fantasy, Honeybee and Martha Washington Stakes.

Overall, Eight Belles has career earnings of $308,650 with five wins in nine starts.

Larry Jones also has highly regarded Proud Spell in the race. Proud Spell will start from post eight with Gabriel Saez returning to ride. He is the only rider the filly has ever had and will be aboard Eight Belles should she go in the Kentucky Derby.

Owned by former Kentucky Governor Brereton Jones, Proud Spell has never been out of the money in seven career starts. She was second to Indian Blessing in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile filly race and this year captured the Fair Grounds Oaks. In her career Proud Spell has earned $938,770 with four wins.

"She should be the favorite or at least second choice based on what she's accomplished," said Larry Jones.

Here is the complete field for the Kentucky Oaks in post position order: Golden Doc A, Kent Desormeaux; Absolutely Cindy, Julien Leparoux; Awesome Chic, Robby Albarado; Elusive Lady, Eibar Coa; Rasierra, Jamie Theriot; Country Star, Rafael Bejarano; Little Belle, Rajiv Marav; Proud Spell, Gabriel Saez; A to the Croft, Calvin Borel; Bsharpsonata, Eric Camacho; Pure Clan, Edgar Prado and Eight Belles, Ramon Dominguez.

The Kentucky Oaks will broadcast on ESPN2 beginning at 5 p.m. (et). The Oaks will be the 10th of 11 races at Churchill Downs on Friday with a post-time of 5:45 p.m. (et).

The weather forecast for Louisville on Friday calls for a possible thunderstorm in the afternoon, post-time temperature around 70.

On Saturday, clouds and sun with thunderstorms possible in the morning. Clouds and sun with thunderstorms possible in the afternoon with a post-time temperature around 65.

Sprtsline Horseracing Betting News

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Football Betting

NFL Football Betting Online

The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.

Thursday, August 21

NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37

NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road

In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.

Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):

* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games

Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.

Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.

Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.

That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.

Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.

CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

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