Filly to face the boys in Smarty Jones

Horseracing Betting Lines

01/10/2012 - Hot Springs, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oaklawn Park's series for three-year-olds on the Kentucky Derby trail will get underway on Monday, January 16 with the running of the $100,000 Smarty Jones Stakes. The mile event was won last year by eventual Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile champ Caleb's Posse.

While the field for the Smarty Jones won't be filled until Saturday, a filly has been readied for the race. On Fire Baby, owned by Anita Cauley, is expected to take on her male counterparts in the stakes.

"She's so ready," said trainer Gary 'Red Dog' Hartlage. "She just looks so good and comes home so easily."

On Fire Baby, with regular jockey Joe Johnson in the saddle, worked Tuesday morning in 1:02 1/5 over five-furlongs at Oaklawn Park. She was caught for six-furlongs in 1:14 2/5 and 1:28 for seven-furlongs.

"Joe says she dropped about a foot when he shook the reins at her," said Hartlage. "She really got down on her belly, leveled off and dug in for this work."

The filly has won three of four starts including victories in the Pocahontas and Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs. After winning in her first career start at Ellis Park in August, On Fire Baby finished fifth at 40-1 in the Alcibiades Stakes in October at Keeneland.

On Fire Baby has earned $227,329 in her four starts.

The Smarty Jones Stakes is named for the 2004 champion three-year-old colt who won the Arkansas Derby along with the Run for the Roses and Preakness Stakes.

Goldclubcasion Horseracing Betting News

<< Raiders fire Hue Jackson
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Raiders have fired head coach Hue Jackson after just one season. Jackson confirmed the decision of new Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie to the San Jose Mercury News. The Raiders had o

<< Broncos promote WR Goodwin to active roster; Larsen on IR
Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Broncos promoted wide receiver D'Andre Goodwin to the active roster Tuesday, while placing fullback Spencer Larsen on injured reserve. Larsen played in all 16 games for the Broncos during the regular

<< SE Louisiana's Roberts adds familiar coordinators
Hammond, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New Southeastern Louisiana University football coach Ron Roberts announced Tuesday the additions of Greg Stevens as offensive coordinator and Pete Golding as defensive coordinator to his program. Both coaches s

<< Oilers' Eberle out 2-3 weeks
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Edmonton Oilers forward Jordan Eberle will miss 2-3 weeks of action with a right knee injury. Eberle suffered the injury during Saturday's game in Dallas. The results from an MRI informed the team's decis

<< Green Bay coordinator's son dies
Green Bay, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The son of Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin has been found dead in a Wisconsin river. Authorities had been searching for Michael Philbin, 21, since he was reported missing Sunday

Derrick Mason retiring after 15 NFL seasons >>
Owings Mills, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wide receiver Derrick Mason has decided to call it a career after 15 seasons in the NFL. "I'm done," Mason told Scout.com in a telephone interview. "I won't be playing football. I only knew one way to pl

Panthers G Markstrom to have knee surgery >>
Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Panthers revealed on Tuesday that netminder Jacob Markstrom will undergo knee surgery. The procedure, deemed a minor one by club general manager Dale Tallon, will take place on Wednesday at

South Dakota inks a pair of JUCO players >>
Vermillion, SD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New University of South Dakota head football coach Joe Glenn announced Tuesday the signing of running back Jasper Sanders and safety Dennis "D.J." Wakes of Butler Community College (Kan.) for the 2012 season.

In the FCS Huddle: Towson's West earned the Rice Award >>
Towson, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Terrance West may have led the FCS with 27 regular-season touchdowns and claimed the inaugural Jerry Rice Award, but the best freshman in the country wasn't even on scholarship until halfway through the 2011 season

Stars activate Souray >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Stars have activated defenseman Sheldon Souray from injured reserve. Souray hasn't played since December 23 due to a sprained ankle. Souray is in his first season with Dallas and has four g

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)

The 2008 NFL betting lines season is almost upon us! If you like to bet on the NFL, you are in the best possible place for online betting. The sportsbook has NFL odds up on a ton of futures, and you will also find NFL lines up for early games as well. Join sportbook today and we'll help guide you right through to Super Bowl XLIII and beyond!

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