Havre de Grace named 2011 Horse of the Year

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01/16/2012 - Beverly Hills, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Havre de Grace, owned by Fox Hill Farms, was voted 2011 Horse of the Year and champion older female. The announcement came during the 41st annual Eclipse Awards program Monday night at the Beverly Wilshire.

The awards are voted on by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), National Turf Writers And Broadcasters (NTWAB) and Daily Racing Form.

As a four-year-old, Havre de Grace won five of seven starts for more than $1.6 million. Trained by Larry Jones, she won the Azeri, Apple Blossom, Obeah, Woodward and Beldame. Her only losses were by a nose to Blind Luck in the Delaware Handicap and in the Breeder's Cup Classic where she finished fourth.

"It didn't take me long to fall in love with her," said Rick Porter of Fox Hill Farms. "She did everything Larry and I asked of her."

Havre de Grace was ridden in 2011 by Ramon Dominguez and Gabriel Saez. Dominguez won his second straight Eclipse Award as champion jockey.

The other finalists for Horse of Year were Cape Blanco and Acclamation. Cape Blanco was named champion male turf horse and Acclamation was voted champion older male thoroughbred.

The 2011 Eclipse Awards winners:

Horse of the Year: Havre de Grace

Two-Year-Old Male: Hansen

Two-Year-Old Filly: My Miss Aurelia

Three-Year-Old Male: Animal Kingdom

Three-Year-Old Filly: Royal Delta

Older Male: Acclamation

Older Female: Havre de Grace

Male Sprinter: Amazombie

Female Sprinter: Musical Romance

Male Turf Horse: Cape Blanco (IRE)

Female Turf Horse: Stacelita (FR)

Steeplechase: Black Jack Blues (IRE)

Owner: Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey

Breeder: Adena Springs

Trainer: Bill Mott

Jockey: Ramon Dominguez

Apprentice Jockey: Kyle Frey

The 42nd Eclipse Awards will be held at Gulfstream Park in the Sport of Kings Theatre.

Eclipse Awards are bestowed upon horses and individuals whose outstanding achievements have earned them the title of 'Champion' in their respective categories. Awards also are given to recognize members of the media for outstanding coverage of thoroughbred racing.

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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

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"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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FOOTBALL BETTING

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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