Oak Tree at Santa Anita set for 2010

Horseracing Betting Lines

06/23/2010 - Arcadia, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The annual Oak Tree at Santa Anita racing meet has been confirmed for this year. The announcement came at Tuesday's meeting of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB).

The announcement put an end to speculation over the future of the Oak Tree meet. Santa Anita's parent company, Magna International Development (MID), voided the lease in May, which was originally scheduled to be good through 2016.

MID Chairman Frank Stronach agreed to a special one-year lease contract with Oak Tree that will allow the non-profit organization to operate this fall as originally scheduled.

"Mr. Stronach has generously changed his mind and allowed us to stay for another year," said Oak Tree Director and Executive Vice President Sherwood Chillingworth. "I think it's (new one-year lease) good for the industry and for all of us."

Opening day for the 2010 Oak Tree program will be Wednesday, September 29.

The Oak Tree at Santa Anita racing meet hosted the last two Breeders' Cup World Championships and also played host to the event in 1986, 1993 and 2003.

Pddsmaker Horseracing Betting News

<< Phil Jackson leaning toward retirement
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) -Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson says he's leaning toward retirement, but will wait until next week to make his final decision.The 11-time NBA champion said Wednesday he'll get the results of another battery of medical

<< Hornets owner: "We will continue to build around Chris Paul"
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New Orleans Hornets owner George Shinn released a statement Wednesday, saying star point guard Chris Paul is the franchise's "cornerstone" and the player the team will continue to build around.

<< NBA Draft Notebook: Kahn insults himself into a corner
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In less than 24 hours, I will be hopping on a train bound for New York's Penn Station and the annual NBA Draft that will take place upstairs at the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. I real

<< Gonzalez deserved better from Marlins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Perhaps when the Florida Marlins solidified plans for their new ballpark recently, they should have gone with a circus tent to cover the field rather then a retractable roof. It would fit with the overriding theme surrounding

<< Federer, Djokovic, Roddick reach third round at Wimbledon
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Six-time champion Roger Federer, third-seeded Novak Djokovic and three-time runner-up Andy Roddick were among Wednesday's second-round winners at Wimbledon. The top-seeded world No. 2 Federer was teste

Grizzlies hold 3 1st-round picks, many options >>
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -The Memphis Grizzlies have three first-round draft picks and many options Thursday night.They can package picks and trade for a current NBA player, combine picks and one of their players to move up or simply use all three to bol

Cavs trying to deal into NBA draft >>
CLEVELAND (AP) -The Cleveland Cavaliers don't currently have a coach, any draft picks or a clue if LeBron James is coming back.But in this volatile summer, things are changing quickly.The Cavs, who traded away their selections while chasing an NBA t

Germany edges Ghana to win Group D >>
Johannesburg, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Germany clinched the top spot in Group D on Wednesday at Soccer City as Mesut Ozil's goal in the 60th minute was enough to give the Germans a 1-0 win over Ghana, which still advanced on goal di

Socceroos top Serbia, but both teams eliminated >>
Nelspruit, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Australia topped Serbia 2-1 to add some excitement to the final round of games in FIFA World Cup Group D at Mbombela Stadium on Wednesday. The Socceroos needed to win and erase a five-go

Strasburg: 7 strikeouts in 5 innings in 4th start >>
WASHINGTON (AP) -Stephen Strasburg got off to another strong start for the Washington Nationals on Thursday, striking out seven with no walks through his first five innings.The right-handed rookie opened with a 97 mph fastball in 93-degree heat agai

Big East Conference odds

Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence

Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.

Work left to do:

Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.

Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.

DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...

West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.

Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.

For more March Madness odds go to MySportsbook.com

For more College Basketball betting lines go to BettingExpress.com

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


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).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"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. 

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