Blue Jays grant Ruiz release

Baseball Betting Lines

05/19/2010 - Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - First baseman Randy Ruiz was granted his release from the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Ruiz, who had batted .150 with a home run and one RBI over 13 games this season, has signed a contract with Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan.

To take his place on the roster, the team recalled outfielder Jeremy Reed from Triple-A Las Vegas. He appeared in two games for Toronto earlier in the season and had one hit in four at-bats.

Also, the team activated pitcher Marc Rzepczynski from the 15-day disabled list and optioned him to Las Vegas. He has yet to play this season as he suffered a fracture on his middle finger of his throwing hand in spring training.

Wwwtrenitalia Baseball Betting News

<< New York faces Columbus for early East supremacy
Harrison, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Red Bull New York stated the 2010 Major League Soccer season 5-1-0 after finishing dead last in the league in '09. But since the team's last win - a 2-0 decision at D.C. on May 1 - Red Bull has gone 0-2

<< Mets place Niese on DL, recall Dickey
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets placed pitcher Jonathon Niese on the 15-day disabled list with a mild right hamstring strain on Wednesday and recalled right-hander R.A. Dickey from Triple-A Buffalo. The move is

<< Marlins place Leroux on the shelf
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Marlins have placed right-hand pitcher Chris Leroux on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 18, with a strained right elbow. Leroux has appeared in 14 games this season,

<< Nets owner says GM Vandeweghe will not return
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New owner of the New Jersey Nets Mikhail Prokhorov has reportedly said that general manager Kiki Vandeweghe will not be with the team for next season. The Newark Star-Ledger stated that Pro

<< Seahawks sign QB Losman
Renton, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle Seahawks announced a number of moves Wednesday, including the signing of quarterback J.P. Losman. Losman played in one game for the Raiders last season, and also spent time with the United Footba

Devils sign pair of blueliners >>
Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Devils signed defensemen Eric Gelinas and Dan Kelly, the club announced Wednesday. No terms of the deals were released. Gelinas was the Devils' second round choice, and 54th overall, in the

Galaxy head to Dallas without Donovan, Buddle >>
Frisco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Galaxy face their toughest test of the season to date when they travel to take on FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park in Major League Soccer action on Thursday night. The Galaxy will be playing their

World Cup 2010 Preview: Can Ronaldo regain form for Portugal? >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Portugal's maiden voyage into the World Cup in 1966 ended with a third-place finish based largely on the scoring exploits of Eusebio, and to date, it remains the country's best performance. But a

Just as Well pointed to Arlington Million XXVIII >>
Arlington Heights, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coming off a second-place finish in last Saturday's Dixie Stakes at Pimlico, Just as Well is on the road to this year's Arlington Million at Arlington Park. The 1 1/4-mile race, a furlong more t

Marshall has routine surgery >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Recently acquired Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall underwent surgery on Wednesday that will keep him off the field for an uncertain amount of time. Head coach Tony Sparano stated that Marshall

Horse Betting

(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).

The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.

"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."

Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.

"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."

When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:

CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.

DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.

PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.

You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.

"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."

Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.

(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)

Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."

But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."

Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."

Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."

All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.

In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.

"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."

To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.