Alpha looms large in Withers

Horseracing Betting Lines

02/03/2012 - Ozone Park, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Local stakes winner Alpha has been made the even-money favorite in a field of seven for Saturday's $200,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct. After a year's absence the Withers returns as a prep event for three-year-olds on the road to the Kentucky Derby.

Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin for Godolphin Racing, Alpha will start from the outside post with regular rider Ramon Dominguez in the saddle. The colt was the 4-5 favorite when winning last month's Count Fleet Stakes at Aqueduct.

"We're excited to be running him, to be in this position," said McLaughlin. . "Our stomachs were upset last weekend when Consortium didn't run well in the slop at Gulfstream (sixth in the Holy Bull), so we're thankful for Alpha. But we have to do it day by day, race by race."

Alpha, whose sire Bernardini won this race in 2006, has two wins in four career starts with $180,000 in his bankroll. He was second to Union Rags in the Champagne Stakes last October, but only 11th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

"The Withers is an important race because it's graded and you don't get to run in the Derby unless you have those graded stakes earnings," said McLaughlin. . "When you look at the schedule, you start with the first Saturday in May, and work back from there. We are taking the Withers as an important step, and maybe, maybe, afterward we'll talk about what we're going to do."

The 1 1/16-mile Withers is a preliminary race for Aqueduct's $1 million Wood Memorial on April 7.

The 4-1 second selection is King Kid trained by Dale Romans. The colt has drawn post four with Mike Luzzi getting the mount.

"He's a horse we've always thought a lot of, and we'd like him to run big Saturday and see if he belongs," said Romans who saddled 2011 Preakness champ Shackleford. "It would be nice to get $120,000 of graded stakes earnings and then be selective about where he'd go next."

Owned by McKee Stables, King Kid won in his first start in November and was third in last month's Gulfstream Park Derby behind Reveron. Reveron has drawn into Saturday's Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

Here is the full Withers' field from the rail out: Hakama, Julian Pimentel, 5-1; Speightscity, David Cohen, 20-1; Swag Daddy, Junior Alvarado, 10-1; King Kid, Mike Luzzi, 4-1; How Do I Win, Cornelio Velasquez, 10-1; Tiger Walk, Horacio Karamanos, 6-1 and Alpha, Ramon Dominguez, 1-1.

Post-time for the Withers is slated at 4:05 p.m. (et).

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2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds

The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.

Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”

“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”

MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:

Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:

Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1

Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17

Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1

Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1

Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1

Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1

Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5

Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1

Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1

Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1

Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50

Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1

Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1

Best Animated Feature Film:

"Cars": 1/3

"Happy Feet": 2/1

"Monster House": 20/1

Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:

"Water" – Canada: 22/1

"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2

"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1

"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1

"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10

Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:

"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5

"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2

"Helmer & Son": 5/2

"The Saviour": 6/1

"West Bank Story": 7/2

Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:

"Babel": 7/4

"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1

"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20

"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4

"The Queen": 5/4

Best Motion Picture of the Year:

"Babel": 11/4

"The Departed": 1/2

"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2

"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10

"The Queen": 20/1

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10

Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1

Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1

Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5

Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:

Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1

Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1

Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1

Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8

Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1

Film To Win Most Oscars:

Dreamgirls: 2/3

Pans Labyrinth: 6/5

The Departed: 6/1

The Queen: 11/1

Babel: 15/1

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1

Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1


Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.