No sharing expected in Lecomte Stakes

Horseracing Betting Lines

01/19/2012 - New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The annual drive to the Kentucky Derby is well underway and Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course the Louisiana section of the highway commences with the $175,000 Lecomte Stakes.

The mile and 70 yard event is the first of three stakes in the Big Easy for Kentucky Derby probables. The $300,000 Risen Star Stakes follows on Saturday, February 25 and the $1 million Louisiana Derby concludes this section of the trail on Sunday, April 1.

Leading the 13-horse field is Shared Property, winner of the Arlington- Washington Futurity last September 10 at Arlington Park. The 4-1 favorite will again be ridden by Leandro Goncalves for trainer Tom Amoss from the far outside post.

"He showed me he's the kind of horse who will do whatever you want to (in order to) win and that's the kind of horse you need to win races like this," noted Goncalves after winning the Arlington-Washington Futurity.

Owned by Jerry Namy, Shared Property followed his Arlington Park win with a disappointing sixth-place result in the Breeders' Futurity on October 8 as the 5-2 favorite at Keeneland.

With two wins in three career starts the gelding has banked $71,800.

Co-owner and trainer Al Stall Jr. sends out Seven Lively Sins who has been slotted as the 9-2 second choice. Getting the ride on the colt for the first time is local sensation Rosie Napravnik who guided Pants On Fire to victory in last year's Louisiana Derby. Colt and rider will break from post seven.

With Julien Leparoux in the saddle, Seven Lively Sins was second at Churchill Downs in the Iroquois Stakes on October 30 with a fourth on November 19 in the Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs. The colt has earned $96,697 with all four finishes hitting the board.

Listed as the 5-1 third pick in the Lecomte is Exfactor trained by longtime Midwest conditioner Bernie Flint. Owned by Stoneway Farm, the gray colt will start from post four with Shaun Bridgmohan again in the saddle.

Exfactor is coming off a win in last month's Sugar Bowl Stakes at Fair Grounds as the 3-2 favorite. Last July the colt captured the Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs by nearly three-lengths. He has three wins in four starts for $145,348.

"The man that owns this horse (Jim Stone) has his own farm," Flint said the day after winning the Sugar Bowl. "This colt had showed me some promise since I got him, but he was a little on the small side, so after the Bashford Manor I decided to turn him out for five and a half months and let him grow up and be a horse.

"It used to be, you could give a horse all the time he needed to grow up, but with the money they're giving away these days, with the Breeders' Cup and these other rich races, sometimes owners can't afford to let you do that. Fortunately, Mr. Stone let me take my time with this horse, so hopefully now I have a nice horse for a winter campaign here at Fair Grounds and I've given him the proper time to get him ready for the classic distances that will be coming along later."

Here is the field for the Lecomte from the rail out: Adena's Chance, Marlon St. Julien, 20-1; Ted's Folly, Jose Medina, 10-1; Mr. Bowling, Robby Albarado, 8-1; Exfactor, Shaun Bridgmohan, 5-1; Dan and Sheila, John Velazquez, 6-1; Z Dager, Shane Sellers, 6-1; Seven Lively Sins, Rosie Napravnik, 9-2; Alexander Thegreat, John Jacinto, 30-1; Hammers Terror, James Graham, 6-1; Hero of Order, Iram Diego, 20-1; Chalybeate Springs, Brian Hernandez Jr., 20-1; Capetown Devil, Corey Lanerie, 6-1 and Shared Property, Leandro Goncalves, 4-1.

Adena's Chance and Hero of Order will race as an entry as will Dan and Sheila and Z Dager.

Post-time for the Lecomte is slated for 5:55 p.m. (et).

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How did changes to college football betting rules affect bettors?

The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.

While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.

For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.

1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.

2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of online football betting possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.

How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.

Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.

Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.

How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).

Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.

Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on college football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

Terrell Owens could return for Cowboys next game
A bye week will allow Terrell Owens broken hand to recover just in time for the next game the Dallas Cowboys are slated to play, according to reports. MySportsbook.com, an football sportsbook, has posted football betting lines on TO playing.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger Sunday night and had a plate surgically attached to it Monday. Although Owens' hand was swollen and aching Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he's optimistic the receiver will be back at work next week and catching passes a week from Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

MySportsbook.com online sportsbook listed Terrell Owens with odds of 7-2 (or $7 paid out for every $2 bet) to return back for the game against Tennessee.

"I certainly wouldn't rule it out now," Parcells said, referring to Terrell Owens immediate return. "Maybe five days from now I might, but I wouldn't rule it out now. ... I know we're looking to try to get him moving around pretty good in the next day or so. So we'll see where we are."

Owens did not speak with reporters Wednesday, but said Sunday he'd be out two to four weeks. A return against the Titans would be 13 days after the surgery. The Cowboys were listed as an early -7 1/2 favorite vs. the Tennessee Titans for Week 4 at MySportsbook.com

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