David Cassidy Wants to Win Kentucky Derby Betting Belmont Stakes belmont stakes betting online

David Cassidy isn't horsing around when he says his life's passion is to win the Kentucky Derby.
The 1970s teen idol has a contender in Mayan King, an undefeated 3-year-old who will run Saturday in the Lane's End Stakes at Kentucky's Turfway Park. Cassidy owns the horse with several partners.
"If I could win the Kentucky Derby, there would be nothing on the face of the earth, other than the birth of my son 14 years ago, to compare to the thrill and the high of it," he said Tuesday by phone from Florida.
The colt is named for a street near Cassidy's home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
"The day we bought him I thought he was a Derby horse. It's the only time I've ever high-fived anyone in the sales ring," he said. "I've already turned down quite a lot of money for him."
Cassidy, 54, has bred thoroughbreds since the 1970s, when he rose to stardom playing Keith Partridge on "The Partridge Family." He has used a different name because he didn't want to draw attention to his celebrity.
Trainer Paul Aguirre, who will saddle Texcess on Saturday, remembers Cassidy's teen idol days. "It makes it hard to root against him," he said.
Cassidy can't attend Saturday's race because he's doing a concert at a Connecticut casino that night.
"I'm free May 7," he said, laughing. The 131st Kentucky Derby will be run that day at Churchill Downs.

Injured Declan's Moon off Kentucky Derby trail Betting Belmont Stakes belmont stakes betting online

The path to the Kentucky Derby took a few unexpected twists and turns during the weekend: High Limit soared into contention by winning the Louisiana Derby, and top prospect Declan's Moon dropped out with a slight knee fracture.
"It's still early to get excited," trainer Bobby Frankel said the day before High Limit won Saturday's Louisiana Derby in his first race in more than four months. "Strawberries today, jam tomorrow."
But Frankel was pretty pumped up after he got his first look at High Limit in action. Now 3-for-3, the three-year-old colt won his first two races for trainer Tony Dutrow last October before owners Gary and Mary West sent High Limit to Frankel's barn.
High Limit moves into this week's Run to the Roses Top 10 at No. 4. Meanwhile, undefeated Declan's Moon will be sidelined about five months, trainer Ron Ellis said. The two-year-old champion, No. 2 last week, was injured after winning the Santa Catalina Stakes on March 5.
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Also moving onto the Derby trail is Bellamy Road, yet another colt from Nick Zito's barn, this one owned by Yankees boss George Steinbrenner. Bellamy Road won an allowance race at Gulfstream Park by a whopping 153/4 lengths Saturday, and his next start is likely the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 9. Zito's other Derby hopefuls include No. 3 High Fly, No. 7 Sun King, Noble Causeway and Andromeda's Hero.
Sweet Catomine continued her domination of fillies Sunday by winning the Santa Anita Oaks, and now is likely to challenge the boys in the Santa Anita Derby on April 9. A strong showing in that race, and the two-year-old champion filly might have a chance to become just the fourth filly to win the Kentucky Derby.
Coming up this weekend is a full slate of Derby preps, topped by the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita and the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Breeders' Cup Juvenile champion Wilko takes on the likes of Roman Ruler, Consolidator, Don't Get Mad, Giacomo and Golden Shine in the 1 1-16th-mile San Felipe, while unbeaten Rockport Harbor is set to take on top-ranked Afleet Alex in the 1 1-16th-mile Rebel.
Rockport Harbor was flavouring his right rear leg Saturday — the same leg that was gashed during the Remsen Stakes in November and needed six weeks to heal. Trainer John Servis said "instead of being 75 to 80 per cent for the Rebel, Rocky will be maybe 65 to 70 percent."
Also, Galloping Grocer is scheduled to run in the one-mile Gotham at Aqueduct, and Sun King should be the favourite for the 1 1-16th-mile Tampa Bay Derby.
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This week's top 10, with updated Derby future wager odds through Sunday:
1. Afleet Alex (Tim Ritchey, trainer; John Velazquez, jockey): Velazquez ready for first trip aboard son of Northern Afleet ... Winner in five of seven starts, with two seconds, for earnings of $710,800 ... Next start: Rebel ... Odds: 8-1.
2. Rockport Harbor (John Servis, Stewart Elliott): Hopefully set for three-year-old debut after winning all four starts last year ... Worked five furlongs in 1:02.80 at Oaklawn on Friday, but right rear leg problem could be factor ... Next start: Rebel ... Odds: 14-1.
3. High Fly (Nick Zito, Jerry Bailey): Fountain of Youth winner has four victories in five starts ... Training solidly for final prep ... Next start: Florida Derby (April 2) ... Odds: 21-1.
4. High Limit (Bobby Frankel, Ramon Dominguez): Won 1 1-16th-mile Louisiana Derby by four lengths in near stakes record time ... Won despite 138 days between races ... Next start: Wood Memorial (April 9) or Blue Grass (April 16) ... Odds: 9-1.
5. Sweet Catomine (Julio Canani, Corey Nakatani): Cruised to victory in Sunday's Santa Anita Oaks ... Next test may be against boys ... Only three fillies have won Kentucky Derby; Winning Colors in 1988 was the last ... Next start: Santa Anita Derby (April 9) ... Odds: 16-1.
6. Roman Ruler (Bob Baffert, Bailey): Passed on Gotham in favour of staying at Santa Anita for 3-year-old debut ... Last race was BC Juvenile on Oct. 30 — he was fifth ... Worked a mile in 1:38.60 last week ... Next start: San Felipe ... Odds: 18-1.
7. Sun King (Zito, Edgar Prado): Won allowance by 53/4 lengths at Gulfstream on Feb. 26 ... Tuned up for next race with five-furlong work in 59.49 at Palm Meadows ... Next start: Tampa Bay Derby ... Odds: 10-1.
8. Wilko (Craig Dollase, Nakatani): BC Juvenile winner worked seven furlongs in 1:28 at Hollywood Park on Saturday ... A solid third in Hollywood Futurity on Dec. 18 in last race ... Next start: San Felipe ... Odds: 21-1.
9. Lost in the Fog (Greg Gilchrist, Russell Baze): Swale Stakes winner just 50-50 for Derby ... Undefeated colt shipped from Florida back to Northern California last week ... Next start: Undecided ... Odds: 13-1.
10. Bandini (Todd Pletcher, Velazquez): Fountain of Youth runner-up may be trainer's best Derby prospect ... Next start: Florida Derby ... Odds: 14-1.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Bellamy Road, Consolidator, Don't Get Mad, Galloping Grocer, Noble Causeway.

Funny Cide primed for Breeders' Cup Classic Betting Belmont Stakes belmont stakes betting online

A racing sensation one minute, an also-ran the next, the popular chestnut gelding is back to his winning ways and primed for Saturday's $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic.
Funny Cide is headed to Lone Star Park off perhaps the best race of his career, a gutty win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 2.
"He acted like the champion I know he is," jockey Jose Santos said. "He's stronger, more intelligent. A lot of people were thinking Funny Cide is a fluke. I want to show them he isn't."
The 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner gets a chance to end his 4-year-old season in style when he takes on returning Classic winner Pleasantly Perfect, Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone, plus Roses in May and Ghostzapper, both unbeaten this year. Toss in 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri, too, after trainer D. Wayne Lukas said the 6-year-old mare will run in the Classic, not the Distaff.
Funny Cide appears ready for any horse.
"He's doing better than he ever has in his life," trainer Barclay Tagg said Tuesday from New York after Funny Cide had his final workout at Belmont Park. "It'll be tough, but my horse is fit."
Until the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Funny Cide was having a solid _ but far from exceptional -- campaign after nearly winning the Triple Crown. He had won two of eight races, but finished second twice and third three times. He lost the Suburban by a neck and the MassCap by a nose, and those were difficult to accept.
"Discouraging, certainly, but he ran well and that's all you can ask," said Sackatoga Stable managing partner Jack Knowlton, one of the fun-loving, former high school pals who own Funny Cide. "We've been bridesmaids a few times, but we knew our luck was going to turn. And now we're really looking forward to the Classic."
A Classic win would atone for a perplexing 16 months. After losing the Belmont Stakes to Empire Maker in his Triple try, the New York-bred ran a dull third in the Haskell Invitational in his next start, then spiked a fever and missed the Travers. Then, Knowlton and Co. made a last-minute decision to enter Funny Cide in the Classic at Santa Anita.
The move backfired. Funny Cide beat only one horse, finishing ninth under Julie Krone in a race run with temperatures hovering around 100 degrees and in a smoky environment caused by wildfires. Santos, who had ridden Funny Cide in all his previous races, was unavailable because he had committed to ride Volponi in the Classic.
"Nothing worked for us last year," Tagg said. "Julie wasn't used to him. It was too hot and he doesn't like it hot. It was an unfortunate race."
This time, the vibes are much better.
Santos is back on Funny Cide after missing a second ride aboard the son of Distorted Humor in August with a broken arm. He watched as Funny Cide -- with Edgar Prado aboard -- made his long-awaited Saratoga debut by finishing a well-beaten second to Evening Attire in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup.
Tagg and the owners have been on the same page with Funny Cide's schedule, and the horse has cooperated with a healthy year and his huge win in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup.
"Last year at this time, we were reaching," Knowlton said. "This year, he's clearly earned his way here. We feel he is legitimately one of the top handicap horses and belongs in this race."
Even with a win, Funny Cide has virtually no shot at being named champion older horse. Classic contenders Pleasantly Perfect, Roses in May and Ghostzapper will battle it out for that honor. But there can be little argument that Funny Cide remains among the most popular horses in training.
When Funny Cide finally ran at Saratoga, a near-record crowd of 70,175 showed up.
"The crowd was humungous," Tagg said. "The race before Funny Cide's, I went up to be in the paddock. And the crowd was 10-deep all the way around and down to the racetrack. And they were just staring at an empty paddock, waiting for Funny Cide to walk in there. And that would be another 20 minutes. I was utterly amazed."
Funny Cide is sure to draw a crowd when he shows up at Lone Star on Wednesday with assistant trainer and exercise rider Robin Smullen. Tagg plans to arrive Friday.
As for Knowlton and his gang, who rented yellow school buses to transport their entourage to last year's Triple Crown races, the Breeders' Cup count is up to 60. Bus plans aren't in the works for this trip, though.
"I kind of feel like I did when we were going into the Derby," Knowlton said. "If things go perfectly right and we get a good trip, we'll have a reasonable shot."

Countdown to the Cup: Action is Hot and Heavy Betting Belmont Stakes belmont stakes betting online

The action was hot and heavy going into Breeders' Cup week, with 26 pre-entered horses working on Oct. 24, an influx of horses arriving from all parts of the country and Europe, and a serious injury to Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) contender Ready's Gal.
Ready's Gal, who was coming off an excellent second to Balletto in the Frizette Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park, suffered a fractured pastern in her right hind leg while working at Belmont. The daughter of More Than Ready joins Balto Star, who had been cross-entered in the John Deer Turf (gr. IT) and Mile (gr. I), as Breeders' Cup casualties from the Todd Pletcher barn.
As of Monday morning, Oct. 25, only three Breeders' Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge (gr. I) starters were at Lone Star Park – Roses in May, Dynever, and Birdstone, who arrived sporting the remnants of a skin rash that had broken out shortly after the colt's victory in the Travers Stakes (gr. I). Assistant trainer Reynaldo Abreu said the rash has completely dried up and the spots remaining are bald spots that have already begun to fill in. All blood tests proved negative, and the rash has not affected Birdstone's training.
Roses in May and Dynever both worked at Lone Star Saturday, with Roses in May breezing five furlongs in 1:01 3/5, galloping out a strong quarter mile, and Dynever breezing a half in :48 3/5, galloping out five-eighths.
Three other Classic horses – Pleasantly Perfect, Perfect Drift, and the Japanese invader, Personal Rush -- are due to arrive today.
Also scheduled to arrive Monday was a planeload of European horses, headed by the top-classic fillies Ouija Board, cross-entered in the Turf and VO5 Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT); Nebraska Tornado, cross-entered in the Distaff - Presented by Nextel- (gr. I) and Filly & Mare Turf; and Six Perfections, who will be trying to land consecutive victories in the Mile.
The most notable works Sunday were the five-furlong drills by Ghostzapper (:59 3/5 at Belmont) and Roman Ruler (:58 at Santa Anita). Ghostzapper is scheduled to fly to Dallas on Wednesday, along with other Bobby Frankel-trained Breeders' Cup starters based in New York Midas Eyes, Cajun Beat, and Nothing to Lose. Two other Frankel starters – Light Jig and Mega hertz, were expected from California.
One of the main questions surrounding this year's World Thoroughbred Championships was how horses would handle Lone Star Park, which has only been in existence since 1997 and has never even had a grade II race run there.
So far, there have been no complaints, and several exercise riders have commented how great they thought the turf course was. The course had been listed as yielding this past weekend, and the riders said it was in fantastic shape, with a good bounce to it.

Belmont: Lady Tak scores easily Betting Belmont Stakes belmont stakes betting online

The connections of Lady Tak are flirting with the idea of running the talented filly in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Nothing she did on Sunday would discourage the pursuit of such a lofty task.
After stalking the pace-setting Molto Vita through a half-mile run in 46.84 seconds, Lady Tak struck the front turning for home and easily cruised to a two-length score in the Grade 2, $150,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap at Belmont Park. Molto Vita held second, 4 1/4 lengths ahead of Zawzooth.
Lady Tak, a 4-year-old daughter of Mutakddim, covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.04 and returned $3.60 as the 4-5 choice.
John Velazquez rode the winner, his fourth on the card. It was the third time in five racing days that Velazquez rode four winners at Belmont. On Friday, he rode three.
It was the 10th victory from 17 career starts for Lady Tak, who was coming off a victory in the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga on Aug. 29.
Trainer Steve Asmussen said he would talk things over with owner William Heiligbrodt before determining what to do next with Lady Tak. She was scheduled to ship back to Kentucky on Tuesday.

Lukas hesitant to pit Azeri vs. males again Betting Belmont Stakes belmont stakes betting online

It couldn't have taken but seconds after Azeri cruised to victory in last Sunday's Overbrook Spinster Stakes at Keeneland that the discussion began anew over whether she should continue to race against fillies and mares in the Distaff or challenge males in the Classic on Breeders' Cup Day Oct. 30 at Lone Star Park. It was a point of many animated discussions between owner Michael Paulson and Azeri's first trainer, Laura de Seroux, who guided Azeri to the Horse of the Year title in 2002. And it is again at the forefront for Paulson and Azeri's current trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, who has righted Azeri after a mid-season hiccup. As with de Seroux, Lukas appears to be coming down on the side of caution. In an interview this week, Lukas outlined the reasons he believes Azeri should race in the Distaff, while emphasizing the final choice will be made by Paulson. And that choice might not be made until the last moment. The Breeders' Cup has a two-stage entry process. On Monday, horses must be pre-entered. At that point, horses can be named to more than one race, and that is what is likely to happen with Azeri. She is expected to be pre-entered in both the $2 million Distaff and the $4 million Classic. Those entries are announced Wednesday. Then, on Oct. 27, final entries are due, and post positions are drawn. At that point, horses must be entered in just one race. "I laid it all out for him," Lukas said from his home in Louisville, Ky., not far from Churchill Downs. "I said, 'I work for you, and I'll do whatever you want, Michael.' He's amazing, the amount of work he does on her. He takes films, and has this stop-frame stuff where he can tear down a race by every eighth and every quarter. It's mind-boggling how in-depth he gets into it. "I gave him the pros and cons. Obviously, if she goes in the Distaff, she'll be the favorite. The other race has more issues. He wants to double-enter. Look, I want to win a Breeders' Cup race. I don't feel you should go in the Classic unless you have the edge. I did it with Serena's Song in the Haskell because I thought she was the best horse in the race. I did it with Winning Colors in the Derby because I thought she was the best 3-year-old. I did it with Lady's Secret in the Whitney because I thought she was the best horse in the race. They clearly had the best numbers." The Distaff is at 1 1/8 miles, a distance over which Azeri has won 6 times in 7 starts, including the 2002 Distaff. The Classic is at 1 1/4 miles. The only time Azeri has attempted 1 1/4 miles, she was caught in a speed duel and was nailed late by Storm Flag Flying in the Personal Ensign Handicap. In addition, the Classic will have quality speed horses such as Roses in May, whereas the pace in the Distaff should not be as wicked. In Azeri's lone try against males, she finished eighth of nine in the Metropolitan Handicap. Lukas said the likely defection of the speedy Saint Liam from the Classic would not alter his opinion over the merits of the two races, but acknowledged that "the way the race unfolds would have a great bearing on the outcome. "She will relax beautifully," Lukas said. "She doesn't need to wing-ding. What will have more of an effect on her is adding the eighth of a mile from the Distaff to the Classic." If Azeri wins the Distaff, she likely will clinch her third straight Eclipse Award as champion older filly or mare. And she will complete a remarkable season, returning from near-retirement at the end of 2003. "It's gratifying the way she's put the doubters to sleep," Lukas said, "but she's one of those that anyone could have taken. I just don't know if anyone could have handled the heat like I can. I'm used to it." Lukas also will enter Stellar Jayne in the Distaff. Others expected include Ashado, Elloluv, Indy Groove, Island Fashion, Society Selection, Storm Flag Flying, and Tamweel. Indy Groove is trained by Tom Proctor, who 10 years ago pulled off a Distaff shocker with 47-1 shot One Dreamer. "It's the 10-year anniversary," said Hap Proctor, Tom's brother, who is the farm manager for owner Leonard Lavin's Glen Hill Farm. "Plus, we can eat some good barbecue."