Pound for Pound MMA Rankings – The Top Dogs of them All

While the UFC isn’t quite the be-all, end-all of mixed martial arts, it still features an overwhelming percentage of the best fighters in the world.

And while many fighters of lesser talent are able to stake a claim for being in the top ten rankings of pound-for-pound MMA fighters, there’s still no substitute for facing top competition every time out like fighters in the UFC do.

However, the heavyweight division is an exception as many of the top fighters reside outside of the UFC betting.

With that in mind, here are the top ten pound-for-pound fighters in all of MMA:

1. Fedor Emelianenko-

Scored an impressive knockout of Andrei Arlovski in January, and he will remain at the top until he loses or retires. He’s beaten most of the top fighters at or near his weight class from the past decade or so and he shows no signs of slowing down. Just watch him the next time he fights and you’ll see what all the hype is about.

2. Georges St. Pierre-

“Greasegate” aside, St. Pierre was simply too dominant against fellow pound-for-pound superstar BJ Penn at UFC 94 not to jump Anderson Silva. His wrestling is world class and his boxing is remarkably fluid. Consider me impressed.

3. Anderson Silva-

He came, he saw, he punched Thales Leites in the knee. Then he took home the middleweight belt after UFC 97 yet again. Next up is a bout against Forrest Griffin at 205. While it’s an interesting and potentially close matchup, Silva needs to fight a fellow truly elite fighter soon like St. Pierre or maybe even Rampage Jackson or Rashad Evans while he’s still in his prime. The UFC owes it to the fans.

4. Miguel Torres-

This world-class bantamweight star of the WEC simply doesn’t lose. He wins, and wins in impressive fashion. It doesn’t look like anyone has a shot to beat him unless he moves up to take on Mike Brown or Urijah Faber at some point.

5. Rashad Evans-

Perhaps the most underrated fighter on the planet despite his title belt in the best weight class around, the UFC’s light heavyweight division. If Lyoto Machida wants this spot, he’ll have to beat Evans first at UFC 98.

6. Lyoto Machida-

Anderson Silva’s sparring partner, a Machida win over Evans just might revolutionize the sport. He puts together combinations with his feet that only elite boxers can with their hands.

7. Rampage Jackson-

Boasts incredible power, boxing, and wrestling skill. A future matchup against either Evans or Machida will be monumental.

8. BJ Penn-

The St. Pierre loss was alarming but it was a mismatch in terms of strength in St. Pierre ‘s favor. Penn gets the benefit of the doubt but Kenny Florian has the ability to beat him in their upcoming fight.

9. Mike Brown-

His rematch against Urijah Faber for the WEC Featherweight Title could be the biggest in the league’s history. Brown is a strong wrestler with great punching power.

10. Urijah Faber-

Faber can do it all, and his loss against Brown can be attributed mainly to getting a little bored and getting a little too flashy. But Brown still has the ability to beat him on June 7 in their rematch.

Horse Matchup LOCK ALERT – Hollywood Park Race 8

Race-day:  5/13/2009

Race-time:  7:38 pm est.

The BetOnline Racebook offers something that horseplayers absolutely have to take advantage of.  That would be making wagers on Dailey Horse Matchups.

Why is it important for horse racing players to take advantage of this unique opportunity?  Because it’s always easier to beat one horse than it is to beat 4, 5 or 6 horses in any given race.  Also, the odds on the horses that bettors can expect to receive are usually almost always fair.

Let’s take a look at the best Daily Horse Matchup for Wednesday’s Race 8 at Hollywood Park.

Pediatrics -150 vs. Sun Lighting +120

Analysis:  Pediatrics is a 5/2 favorite on the morning line in this race for the simple fact that she is dropping out of a $46,000 maiden special weight race into this $25,000 maiden claimer.

Whenever horseplayers see such a drop, they have to assess a couple of things.  The first is whether or not the drop is intentional.  In this case, it appears that the drop is in fact intentional because Pediatrics has been working steadily since his last race on March 13th.  The second is whether or not the drop is going to help.  That’s a more difficult question to answer.  The drop should definitely help but not because Pediatrics is simply dropping.  Pediatrics also gets Rafael Bejarano to take the call.  Bejarano is winning at 28% at this meet.

Now, let’s take a quick look at Sun Lightning.  On paper, Sun Lightning should beat Pediatrics because Sun Lightning appears to be the faster horse.  Sun Lightning has been a stayer in her past races, much like Pediatrics, but this race sets up differently for him.  Sun Lightning busted a fantastic 5 furlong work on May 2nd in 58 and change.  It was the fastest of 35 works at that distance.  Since Danny Sorenson takes the call, a well known front-running jockey, there is no doubt that Sun Lightning will go for the lead in this.

So, now the race comes down to one question, will Sun Lightning be able to hang on in the lane while Pediatrics a dropper with the best jockey on the grounds on her back, runs at him?

From my perspective, the answer is no.  Sun Lightning is obviously going to go for the lead in this as evidenced by that phenomenal work on May 2nd.  He keeps his front-running jockey, gets the right pace set-up as there is no true front-runner in this race and should be able to lead these to the finish line on a track that favors consistent speed from the beginning of a race to the end.  Sorenson should put her on the lead and then coast to the finish line while Pediatrics will have to hustle through and around horses to get to the end of this race.

And, Sun Lighning is going off at the better odds.  I’ll be making a nice, sizable wager on Sun Lightning to simply beat Pediatrics in this horse matchup.

Pick:  Sun Lightning at +120

 

Estoril Open Early Round Action

Estoril, Portugal – The BetOnline tennis betting market for the Estoril Open is currently open for betting, and with many exciting matchups shaping up in Estoril, Portugal, sports bettors will want to take this chance to speculate on some of the action. If you have not joined the online tennis betting community in this thrilling past time, it is not too late. Granted, most of the big names in tennis are taking a much-needed break before the Madrid Masters kicks off next week, but their absence is certainly no reason for tennis bettors to give this week a skip.

To get you going, here are some free tennis picks to consider, complete with tennis predictions and BetOnline tennis odds.

Tennis Betting Line: Frederico Gil -175         James Blake     +135

Match Time: 04:00 AM Eastern Time, Tuesday May 5 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict – James Blake has had a disappoint turn on the clay-courts of Europe. In fact, his whole season has been a bit disappointing. But to get back to his clay-court results they have been unremarkable. The American is 0-2 on the dirt, having suffered first round exits in Houston and Rome. What is most concerning about his performance on clay is the fact that he has lost to players that rank beyond the top 100. No.113 Guillermo Canas beat him in Houston – albeit Canas is a skilled clay-courter and once a top ranked player. In Rome, however, he lost to an unheralded No.112 Victor Crivoi. I expect Blake’s woes to continue as he comes up against a pretty good clay-courter and local favorite in Frederico Gil. The Portugese player is coming off a runner-up finish in Tunisia (Challenger event), a quarterfinal in Casablanca and a R32 appearance in Barcelona.

Tennis Betting Picks: Gil in straight sets

Tennis Betting Line: Andrey Golubev  +600          Nikolay Davydenko     -1200  
Match Time: 04:00 AM Eastern Time, Tuesday May 5 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict – In this all-Russian affair, Davydenko is the heavyweight. Save for his opening round exit in Rome last week, the second seed has posted some good results since returning to action at the Monte Carlo Masters. In Monte Carlo, he reached the quarters and in Barcelona, he was a semifinalist.

Tennis Betting Picks: Davydenko in straight sets

Tennis Betting Line: Ivan Navarro +160         Alberto Martin     -210

Match Time: 04:00 AM Eastern Time, Tuesday May 5 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict – Ivan Navarro is 1-9 on the season meanwhile Alberto Martin is a slightly better 4-9 on the season. Both have not had noteworthy turns on the ATP circuit this season. This matchup is for the taking. Navarro owns the only victory between these two on clay (lower circuit event), yet the market favours Martin.

Tennis Betting Picks: Navarro in three sets

BMW Open Quick Picks – Get your Bets in Early

Munich, Germany – The BMW Open offers the online tennis betting hamlet at BetOnline Sportsbook some matchups with good value. So to help you speculate on your tennis wagers, here are some free tennis picks to consider, complete with BetOnline tennis odds.

Tennis Betting Line: Martin Vassallo Arguello  -180        Denis Gremelmayr     +140  

Match Time: 05:00 A.M. Eastern Time, Tuesday May 5 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: No.47 Martin Vassallo Arguello takes a 10-9 mark into his opening match against Germany’s Denis Gremelmayr. Certainly, the home crowd will favor Gremelmayr the bookies like Arguello to go through to the second round. Gremelmayr is an abysmal 1-7 on the season. Even trips to lower circuit events have been discouraging for the German save for a R16 appearance at Sunrise. For all these parts, even with home edge, Gremelmayr is a long shot play. Arguello was a semifinalist in Acapulco earlier this year.

Tennis Betting Picks: Arguello Vassallo in three sets

Tennis Betting Line: Potito Starace -190         Igor Kunitsyn     +145  

Match Time: 05:00 A.M. Eastern Time, Tuesday May 5 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: Potito Starace had a good Barcelona tournament when he reached the R16. He failed at his home event in Rome, falling at the first hurdle. On the season, he is 7-12; on clay, he is 3-4. Kunitsyn has a 1-0 edge over Starace coming into this match. However, the Russian is 5-11 on the season. Clay is not his best surface and he takes a 1-3 mark into this match, highlighted by first round exits in Monte Carlo and Rome.

Tennis Betting Picks: Starace in straight sets

Tennis Betting Line: Daniel Brands    +145        Stefan Koubek     -190

Match Time: 05:00 A.M. Eastern Time, Tuesday May 5 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: No.141 Daniel Brands of Germany receives a wild card into this event only because he is German. This is his first ATP level event of the season. On the challenger circuit, he reached the quarters in Wroclaw and Belgrade and the semis in Athens. Stefan Koubek is a journeyman player through and through. His ranking has slipped to 215 from No.188 at the start of the season. His best ATP Tour level result was a quarterfinal run in Delray Beach.
There is little to recommend Brands save for home edge. Might this be enough for him to record his first ATP level win? Maybe. At the very least, he might be moved to put forward a good effort. The reality is that he comes up against an experienced veteran in Koubek who once ranked as high as No.20. Koubek has seen better days but Brands is a greenhorn; therefore, in theory a beatable player.

Tennis Betting Picks: Koubek in three sets

Picking Winners – Byron Nelson Championship Odds

Byron Nelson Championship To Win

Tee-off:  5/21/2009

The big guns, save for Tiger, will be on the links this week for the Byron Nelson Championship.  With Tiger on the bench, favoritism automatically would of fallen to his biggest rival, Phil Mickelson.

But Phil Mickelson had to pull out of the PGA tour due to his wife Amy’s breast cancer diagnoses.  Now it falls to Adam Scott, the defending champion, to challenge last week’s Valero Texas Open winner, Zach Johnson.

Let’s analyze the chances of some of the top golfers in the Byron Nelson Championship.

1. Kevin Na +5000 – - Kevin Na has done everything right this year except win a tournament.  He will look to do that this week and no doubt should be tough to beat.  Na doesn’t have history on the course, but at odds of 50 to 1 gamblers could do worse than bet on a guy ranked 2nd in total putting, 1st in sand save percentage and 7th in scoring average.  He also ranks 12th in par-5 scoring which could give him a nice advantage over a lot of the competition.  He’s the pick at the odds.

2. Charley Hoffman +2000 – - Hoffman finished 9th in the Valero Texas Open and made the cut yet again.  He’s the made the cut in 12 of the tournaments he’s played in this year.  Hoffman ranks in the Top 25 in driving distance, putting and scoring average.  It’s only a matter of time before his excellent form leads to a victory.
3. Ian Poulter +1500 – - Poulter tied for 3rd in this tournament in 2007 and has been very good this year with a 2nd place finish at TPC Sawgrass and a fifth place finish at Quail Hollow.  He should be on his game for the Byron Nelson this week.
4. David Toms +2000 – - Talk about hitting the ball well!  Toms finished 5th in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, 18th in the Quail Hollow and tied 9th at TPC Sawgrass.  He took the Valero off to study up for this tournament.  Toms is also ranked in the top 10 in driving accuracy, putting and scoring average.  He’s got a shot.
5. Vijay Singh +2500 – - Vijay put in a great effort at the TPC Sawgrass when he finished 9th.  If he’s returning to form, then he has a much better chance than the 25 to 1 odds would indicate as Vijay won the Byron Nelson in 2003 and has finished in the Top 25 three other times.

Best Long Shot

Brian Davis +5000 – - Besides Kevin Na, who I picked to finish first, the best long shot on the board has to be Brian Davis who missed the cut at the Byron Nelson in 2007 and 2008 but has put together two back to back 5th place finishes and has scored 16 straight par or better rounds in a row.

Preakness Betting Tune-up – Horse Picks from Belmont Park

Thursday’s Pick 3 play is an interesting $24 wager that starts in the seventh race. My top pick is Monastic Springs, who is 10/1 on the morning line.

We cashed a nice ticket on the colt when he broke his maiden in his debut at nearly 13/1. What attracted me to the colt in his debut is that he was out of the Grade 1 winning mare Ipi Tombe.

I doubt he will be 10/1, but I would be happy to see something in the neighborhood of 9/2.

The toughest racebook race of the three-race sequence is the final leg, a New York bred maiden special weight race on the turf. The race drew a field of nine, and we will go four deep looking for the winner.

Today’s Play of the Day from Belmont Park:

BEL Race 6 Md $35,000 (3:40 et)

#3 Carmen’s Kiss 7/2

#6 Purses and Shoes 6/1

#2 Amber’s Edge 6/1

#1 Magnificent Truth 3/1

Analysis: #3 Carmen’s Kiss cuts back from a mile to six furlongs on the turf here after making a mild late run to finish seventh, beaten two lengths for the top spot. The filly is on the light side pedigree wise for the turf but she is in a sharp turf barn and gets a positive jock switch from a seven pound bug to Coa. She shoed some early interest in her debut despite hitting the gate, and expecting to see Coa get this gal in the mix early here.

#6 Purses and Shoes makes her turf debut here after coming up just a head shy of beating $20K maiden claimers last out on the main track at Gulfstream Park. She steps up in class and her pedigree for the grass is also on the light side. However, she does appear to be heading in the right direction here and Kent takes over. Decent value if we see close to the 6/1 ML.

Wagering

WIN: #3 to win at 5/2 or better.

EX: 3,6 / 1,2,3,6

TRI: 3,6 / 1,2,3,6 / 1,2,3,4,6,9

Today’s Pick 3 Play from Belmont Park:

Starting in Race 7: $1: 5,6,10 / 3,10 / 4,5,6,7 = $24

BEL Race 7 Alw $46,000N1X (4:12 et)

#5 Monastic Springs, #6 Lime Rickey, #10 So It Goes

#5 Montastic Springs makes his first start since last June. We were lucky enough to back this guy when he made his debut and we got 13/1 despite the fact he is out of the G1 winner Ipi Tombe ($1.5 million). The colt was the beaten favorite in his first start against winners, a highly graded race that produced four next out winners including a pair of stakes winners. Goldberg is 13% winners with horses coming back off a +180 day layoff, I am expecting to see this guy fire off the bench, and the 10/1 ML looks more than fair.

#6 Lime Rickey was outrun last out in the G1 Wood and gets some big class relief here dropping into the allowance ranks. His last three turf tries were solid, all runner up finishes in stakes company in Florida. He is a logical threat here but his 3/1 ML may end up lighter in this spot.

BEL Race 8 OClm $50,000N2X (4:45 et)

#10 Expansion, #3 Wood Be Willing

#10 Expansion was a game second last out at today’s second level allowance condition, beaten just a nose for the top spot. He has been involved in photos in three of his last four outings and now makes his third start of his current form cycle. The colt draws a tough post but looks like he has found a good spot here.

#3 Wood Be Willing had to steady at the break and finished evenly last out in a fourth place finish versus Alw-3 optional claimers off a ten month layoff. The seven year old drops a condition and figures to be tighter for his second start off the bench for the Jerkens barn that is 17% winners with horses making their second start off a +180 day layoff.

BEL Race 9 Md Sp Wt (5:17 et)

#5 Believe in Love, #4 Mustang Island, #6 Strong Impact, #7 Zeppies Shadow

#5 Believe in Love tries turf for the first time here for the Penn based Kravets barn. The gelding has been in the mix in 4 of his 5 starts on the main track and has a decent enough turf pedigree for this level. He is by Freud (13% first turf) out of a Deputy Minister mare that has dropped seven winners, one turf winner, and three stakes winners, top earner Chasin’ Wimmin ($418K), who won 1 of 10 on turf.

#4 Mustang Island stalked the early pace and faded to finish a well beaten eighth last out in his debut last fall. The winner of that race was Giant Ryan, who returned to beat Alw-1 company in his next outing. Returns with lasix added for a top turf barn not known to fire first time out and hits at a 22% clip with second timers. The barn hits at a 17% clip (with a +ROI) with horses making their first start on turf.

Price Plays From Belmont Park:

These are price plays to watch today. A small win-place wager is in order or if your pockets are deep enough, use these runners in your trifecta and Pick 3 and Pick 4 wagers. One or two of these could be the difference between a regular day at the track and hitting the IRS window with a signer.

R2: #6 Western Decision 15/1

R3: #5 Smokin Sarah 10/1

R4: #3 Spartan King 8/1

R7: #5 Monastic Springs 10/1

R7: #10 So It Goes 10/1

R9: #7 Zeppies Shadow 8/1

Good luck padding your bankroll today!

BMW Open Second Round Betting Action

Munich, Germany – With second seed Marin Cilic, seventh seed Paul-Henri Mathieu and unseeded Jeremy Chardy and Mikhail Youzhny all booking their places in the quarterfinals, four spots remain to be determined. Who will advance into the final eight is the question that tennis bettors want to know the answer to. Let us look at the tennis betting market on the second round to gain some insight.

Tennis Betting Line: Andreas Beck-110        Tomas Berdych     -130

Match Time: 08:20 A.M. Eastern Time, Thursday May 7 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict – No.58 Andreas Beck of Germany has home advantage, an edge that proved to be huge in his opening round win over Rome Masters quarterfinalist Mischa Zverev. The German, to the delight of the crowd, punched above his weight class to beat Zverev in straight convincing sets 6-3, 6-4. Next up for Beck is a player that has been struggling woefully this season, Tomas Berdych. To highlight the Czech’s struggles, he had a relatively difficult time against qualifier Sascha Kloer of Germany in the first round, narrowly beating the German in tight sets 7-6(0), 6-4. Overall, Berdych is 10-10 on the season and his ranking is showing a downward trend. This is an opportunity for Becks to go one further.

Tennis Betting Picks: Beck in three sets

Tennis Betting Line: Julien Benneteau -275         Daniel Brands     +190  

Match Time: 07:00 A.M. Eastern Time, Thursday May 7 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict – Julien Benneteau benefited from the withdrawal of top seed Fernando Gonzalez, for had he faced the Chilean, he certainly would not have been favored to reach the second round. As it stood, he opened his campaign against lucky loser Alexander Peya. What should have been a routine stare down though turned into a nightmare three set affair for the Frenchman as Benneteau was forced to come back from a set down 2-6, 7-5(5), 7-5. Tale told, Benneteau was fortunate not to be sent packing.

Benneteau is favored in the market at -275 but given his opening round battle methinks he might not be a sure play. He comes up against a local favorite in Daniel Brands, who notched his first ATP win over Stefan Koubek 6-3, 7-6(2). While he lacks in experience he has home edge, which could prove the deciding factor.

Tennis Betting Picks: Brands in straight sets

Tennis Betting Line: Thiemo De Bakker   +275         Lleyton Hewitt     -450  

Match Time: 05:00 A.M. Eastern Time, Thursday May 7 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict – Lleyton Hewitt is the firm favorite in this match at -450. Betting on him will not be a huge moneymaking opportunity for tennis bettors, but he is a smart play.

Tennis Betting Picks: Hewitt in straight sets

NBA Draft 2009 – There Is A God! Clippers Get Griffin

Last summer was tumultuous for the Los Angeles Clippers, much like there last five years. They lost Elton Brand, largely considered at the time as one of the league’s best power-forwards. Before he left Clipperland, Brand had lured Baron Davis to L.A. with hopes of uniting as one of the best tandems the league had to offer. It’s funny how money talks, and Brand walked when he was offered $80 million by Philadelphia.

Well the basketball God’s have spoken, and they’ve said that the Clippers do not deserve to suck that bad. The Clippers won the draft lottery, and will undoubtedly take Blake Griffin from Oklahoma. He is the best player in the draft by a longshot, and the only guy that experts deem a marquee, franchise player.

In essence, the Clippers lost their franchise guy in Brand only to gain a new, fresh face in Griffin. There is justice in the world.

Now the Clippers will roll forward with a rejuvenated Davis, who has already vowed to come back better than ever. He may have left his heart in Golden State, but his passion is still firmly on an NBA Championship betting. On paper, the Clippers might be able to compete with fading stars in the west. Chris Kaman was injured all season. Marcus Camby and Baron Davis both quit on the team. Al Thornton is a tremendous energy player. With Griffin, they could be a formidable force to be reckoned with.

Eleven years ago the Clippers took Michael Olowakandi out of Pacific University with the top pick. Trust me – they’re not making another one of those mistakes. Griffin is an unreal athlete, who plays with power and vengeance. His desire to prove himself will vault him in to Rookie of the Year contention immediately.

Memphis will pick second with the dangerous Oklahoma City Thunder likely gunning after Hasheem Thabeet with the third pick to bolster their front court. The rest of the lottery picks don’t matter, because the rest of the draft absolutely blows (although I’m genuinely intrigued to see where Willie Warren goes…and not just because his name is “Willie”).

Last season, Davis brought hope and Elton Brand ripped it away. This year, a new face joins the ranks of the NBA and brings a new regime to the Clippers. Hope is a funny thing in the NBA odds. Sometimes you spend so long dragging your knuckles across the ground that you just lose it completely. Mike Dunleavy doesn’t help at all. But when a player like Griffin shows up in Hollywood, you have to hope.

The country’s in a recession. NBA owners are panicking about going bankrupt and abandoning their teams. A lockout is looming in the NBA’s future. Cleveland might lose its coveted star. New Jersey might lose its team. Players will bounce to Europe for more guaranteed money. Owners are calling out players’ mothers. The Clippers have been the running gag of the NBA for nearly a decade.

At a time like this, it’s ok for Clippers fans to look up and smile…even if it is just for a little while. A little hope can go a long way. Say what you will about the Clippers, but there’s no more deserving fan base than this.

UFC 98 Main Card Preview – A Champion Will Rise

There’s a lot going on these days in the world of the UFC, including the landmark UFC 100 event. But UFC 98 features a couple of fights that might be just as exciting as anything UFC 100 will be offering, including a matchup of two undefeated light heavyweight stars with the belt on the line.

With a combined record of 32-0-1, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans and challenger Lyoto Machida have had two of the most impressive starts to their careers of any fighters in UFC history.

At UFC 98, the two new breed fighters will wage a stylistic battle that will be an absolute treat for hardcore mixed martial arts fans.

Machida is going off as a -225 to +175 favorite in the BetOnline sportsbook and it seems as if a win by “The Dragon” is almost a foregone conclusion in some circles. But Evans has shown the kind of smarts and explosive power in the Octagon in his last few fights that makes it hard to bet against him in any fight, let alone a five-round title fight.

Matt Hughes and Matt Serra square off in the other big-money fight on UFC 98’s main card and this is a real grudge match in the welterweight division with a genuine rift between the two adding to the fight’s intrigue.

Hughes is a -275 to +190 favorite over the younger but shorter Serra in this three-round bout that could be a classic matchup between a wrestler in Hughes and jiu-jitsu specialist in Serra.

The other three main card fights aren’t nearly as important in the grand scheme of things but all should be entertaining.

Sean Sherk is a -275 to +190 favorite against Frankie Edgar, and Sherk’s wrestling takedowns could be very tough for Edgar to stop, giving Sherk the decided edge.

Xavier Foupa-Pokam has stepped in for James Irvin to take on Drew McFedries in another main card fight, and while McFedries has a lot of holes in his game, he always makes things interesting.

The final main card fight at UFC 98 features wrestling specialist Chael Sonnen against Dan Miller, a 12-1 up-and-comer in the middleweight division. This fight’s entertainment value lies mainly in its potential for a close, back-and-forth contest that could become a battle of wills.

UFC 98 will air live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET from Las Vegas so be sure to check out the lines and get your bets in early in preparation for one of the biggest fight nights of the year.

Horse Matchup Pick from Hollywood Park – The Best Odds in Racing

Matchup betting can be a terrific way for horseplayers to increase their chances of cashing tickets. Instead of beating a full field of horses, bettors only have to beat one horse.

The BetOnline Racebook has been terrific at offering some fantastic horse matchup wagers at both Belmont and Hollywood Park.

Today’s best matchup wager occurs in Race 6 at Hollywood, a $16,000 claimer.

Let’s analyze the matchup.

Dailey Horse Matchup: Hollywood Park – Race 6

Race-day: 5/14/2009

Race-time: 6:37 pm est.

Catalina Fog -150 vs. More Than Class +120

Analysis: Catalina Fog is the morning line favorite in this race at 5/2. He’s won two races in a row by a length and a neck on Golden Gate Field’s Tapeta track and now will try Hollywood Park’s cushion track for the fifth time. Out of his four previous races over Hollywood’s track, he has a third to show for it. The difference between this gelding now and before 2009 is that he’s been running for two exceptional trainers, Steve Sherman who is winning at 24% for the year, and John Martin, his trainer now who is winning at 32% for the year. Both guys have really gotten this fella to run well.

Then again, he’s been running in some seriously cheap races. He was running at the $8,000 and $6,250 level for Sherman. He ran his last two races at the $10,000 and $12,500 level for Martin. The fastest Catalina Fog has ever run a half in is 45 flat.

More Than Class is dropping out of a $20,000 claiming 7 furlong race where he led the first half mile in sterling 44 and change. He couldn’t hang on and ended up losing by 4 ½ lengths with a terrible speed rating, but he drops into this 5 ½ furlong race where he no doubt should be able to clear again. Trainer R.H. Ayers is winning with 27% of his starters and puts More Than Class into a position to win by dropping him in class to this $16,000 race. He’s easily the speed of the speed and either could grab the lead or, if jockey Aaron Gryder wants to play it safe, simply track Catalina Fog until the top of the stretch as More Than Class breaks outside of his rival.

What this race comes down to is whether or not More Than Class can either sustain his speed or rate and whether or not Catalina Fog can produce a third good race in a row while stepping up in class.

I’m siding with More Than Class in this matchup. Catalina Fog was all out in his last to win at the $12,500 level by a neck. Now, he faces a dropper with speed out of a very tough barn. More Than Class has had only two races in 2009. This will be Catalina Fog’s seventh race of the year. I’ll take the fresher dropper with better early speed and more class in this matchup.

Pick: More Than Class at +120

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