Gio Ponti out to defend Arlington Million crown

Horseracing Betting Lines

08/17/2010 - Arlington Heights, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defending winner Gio Ponti will take on nine challengers to his title in Saturday's 28th running of the Arlington Million at Arlington Park. The 1 1/4-mile grass race gives the winner automatic entry into the Breeders' Cup Turf in November.

Trained by Christophe Clement, Gio Ponti won the 2009 Million by 1 1/4-lengths over Just as Well who is also back for this year's race. Gio Ponti would go on be win Eclipse Awards as 2009 champion turf and older male thoroughbred.

The champion turf runner has been made the 7-5 morning-line favorite and will again be ridden by Ramon Dominguez. The pair will start from post six.

In three races this year the five-year-old has one win, the Man o'War at Belmont Park in his last start. He was fourth in the Dubai World Cup in March and second in the Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park.

"I'm delighted with Gio Ponti," Clement said after the Man o'War victory. "Everyone made a big deal of him getting beaten (by stablemate Winchester in the Manhattan on June 5), but I never had a doubt that the horse was the leader of his division."

Owned by Castleton Lyons, Gio Ponti has won half of his 20 career starts for better than $4.1 million. Following last year's Million he was second in both the Belmont Turf Classic Invitational and Breeders' Cup Classic.

Hall of Fame member John Henry is the only horse to have won the Arlington Million twice, in 1981 and 1984.

Just as Well, trained and owned by Jonathan Sheppard, will be going for his first win of 2010. He is coming off a second-place finish in last month's Arlington Handicap, a race he won last year prior to the Million.

Julien Leparoux has the mount on Just as Well who is the 5-1 second choice in the program. The son of A.P. Indy will break from the four post.

His first start in 2010 was in the Ben Ali at Keeneland where he was fourth. Just as Well was second in the Dixie Handicap at Pimlico and fifth in the Manhattan Handicap.

After the 2009 Million, Just as Well was sent up to Woodbine for a pair of starts. He was second to Marsh Side in the Northern Dancer, but was a disappointing fifth in the Canadian International to Champs Elysees. He concluded the year in the Japan Cup in Tokyo, finishing seventh.

The seven-year-old has won four of 25 career starts with eight second-place finishes for $842,082.

Here is the complete field for the Million in post position order: Marsh Side, Corey Nakatani, 12-1; Debussy, William Buick, 12-1; General Quarters, James Graham, 8-1; Just as Well, Julien Leparoux, 5-1; Quite a Handful, Tanner Riggs, 30-1; Gio Ponti, Ramon Dominguez, 7-5; Rahystrada, Inez Karlsson, 10-1; Tajaaweed, Michael Baze, 15-1; Tazeez, Richard Hills, 6-1 and Summit Surge, Kieren Fallon, 10-1.

Post-time for Arlington Million XXVIII is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. (et).

Wwbetbarn66 Horseracing Betting News

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SPORTS BETTING - Tennis is an underrated and under-utilized bettors' sport.

Ten years ago, at just about this time, I called Alan Boston in Vegas and left him a voicemail that went something like this (abridged version): "Hey Alan, Chad Millman from ESPN The Magazine calling. I want to do a book about wise guys, you in?"

A couple weeks later I got a message back (abridged version): "I don't know, maybe," Boston said. "Call me and we'll talk about it. But not later today. I got $1,000 on Andre Agassi to win the French Open at 40-1, and he's in the finals."

Here's what happened next (abridged version): Agassi won his tourney. Boston won his $40,000. I wrote sportsbook.

In the ten years since, how much has been wagered on the big-time tennis events? Put it this way: The Nevada Gaming Commission doesn't even track the number year by year because it's so small.

"Tennis makes up about one-tenth of one percent of our take," says Lucky's bookmaking boss Jimmy Vaccaro. "The last big golf major we probably had $100,000 worth of bets. In tennis, we might have written two big tickets."

Tennis' lack of popularity amongst the American bettoratti is no surprise, really. For starters, the biggest sports betting holidays -- the Super Bowl, the NCAA tourney -- are must see TV. People, at least the degenerates I know, plan vacations around watching those events in Vegas sports books.

But Wimbledon? Doesn't exactly reel in the whales. "Seriously, it's the nuts as an event," says Boston. "But who even knows when it's on?"

Here's another reason that helps explain why golf gets traction, something I call "The Bubbe Theory." My Bubbe is pushing 95 and has cataracts so bad that, to her, even the most crystalline Chicago day is mostly cloudy. But she still listens to the Cubs games, and she still calls me in a fit if she disagrees with something Rick Telander writes in the Chicago Sun Times. She's a sports fan. If she doesn't know you, you're just filling a niche. And niche players, even historically good ones like Roger and Raf, don't drive betting volume. Only the highest profile names attract square money, which inflates wagering totals like a shot of saline to the lips. Bubbe, and the public, loved Agassi, tennis' last cross-the-rubicon, mainstream draw. She also has a crush on Tiger. She's given me standing orders to put a sawbuck on the big cat whenever I walk through a sports book (or mistakenly tap into one via my Internet machine.) That explains why the Masters is getting $100K in action at some books while the four tennis majors might not get that combined this year.

This isn't a case of tennis being a difficult sport to bet. In fact, in Europe, it's probably the second most popular sport for gambling after soccer. Granted, as the WSJ football betting last week and The Mag's Shaun Assael examined in even greater depth last year, that might be because gamblers across the pond see it as an easy game to fix. But it could also be because, over there it holds the kind of sway the big two do over here.

Street corners in Spain are peppered with public courts and kids doing their best Raffy impressions. In some war torn parts of Eastern Europe poverty-stricken kids view tennis as an escape route, like football or basketball here. A couple years ago The Mag's Lindsay Berra wrote a great piece about Belgrade's Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic. They learned the game as kids while bombs were raining down on their homeland. They practiced in drained swimming pools. Not exactly Nick Bolletierri conditions.

In the United States, casual fans think tennis is played four times a year. But on the tightly packed European continent, national interest in homegrown talent runs deep every weekend. Of the ATP's current top 20 players, only two, tennis betting and James Blake, are American. Fourteen are from Europe, representing six different countries.

No wonder fans from Lisbon to Bhudapest get jacked up for the net game, whether it's Wimbledon or a low-level tourney like the Estoril Open in Portugal (congrats to Spain's Albert Montanes for winning that one, btw). Chances are good that someone representing their flag will not only be playing, but have a shot at winning.

And that's all any bettor can ask for.

To visit this sports book go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.

Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament odds  
As of February 9, MySportsbook.com has released its coveted 2007 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds. “March Madness betting ” only a month away, the top ranked Florida Gators are favorite at 7-2 to win it all. The defending champs have not disappointed at all this season and currently have a 22-2 record and are undefeated (9-0) in SEC play. The Gators’ thrive off of their extremely balanced, experienced and versatile attack. All five starters started in last seasons National Championship game. What is most impressive with this group is their balance; the five starters all average between 10.7 and 13.6 PPG. The Gators have been on an absolute roll having won 15 straight by an average of 16.4 PPG.

Right behind the Gators are the 5th ranked UNC Tar Heels at 9-2. The Heels (21-3, 7-2) are absolutely loaded with top notch talent and are as deep as any team in the country. A concern for the Tar Heels might be inexperience. Of their top four scorers/ minute earners, three are freshmen and the other is a sophomore. The rest of the regular season, the Tar Heels play only one team that is currently ranked (Duke). Their remaining opponents do combine for an impressive 107-58 record though.

Other teams that the MySportsbook.com members seem to believe will win it all include the west coasts’ top team #2 UCLA (6-1), #3 OSU behind man-child Greg Oden (8-1), and #4 Wisconsin (10-1) behind their defense which has given up 70+ points only three times all season.

Below is a list of some of the favorites to win the 2007 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship lines. For the full list of teams and March Madness odds be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com. If you want to use your credit card to bet on college hoops or any other event, MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.

Arizona 20-1

Butler 20-1

Duke 30-1

Florida 7-2

Georgetown 30-1

Indiana 35-1

Kansas 15-1

Marquette 25-1

Maryland 40-1

Memphis 50-1

Nevada 50-1

UNC 9-2

OSU 8-1

Oregon 30-1

Pittsburgh 15-1

Texas 30-1

Texas A&M 18-1

UCLA 6-1

Wisconsin 10-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook betting needs.