"Best Bets" for Sunday's Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park

 

Sunday, Jan. 8

Sham Stakes – Santa Anita Park

Win: National Treasure

This three-year colt bred in Kentucky has raced for SF Racing, LLC and Madaket Stables to name a few of the owners. National Treasure finished first at Del Mar in the Maiden Special Weight race on Sept. 3 in 2022. He went on the take second in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 4 at Keeneland.

Sired by Quality Road, National Treasure is well on the way to being one the top three-year old Thoroughbreds to come out at West Coast tracks. His forte is the speed and power to run one mile and over in close races.  

Place: Speed Boat Beach

Another colt trained by Baffert, Speed Boat Beach was bred in Florida by Caperlane Farms. He won the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMile on tuft at Del Mar on Dec. 4 as the juvenile. On Oct. 2, Speed Boat Beach finished first in the ungraded Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita in a five-furlong turf race in 0:55.25 over Helladic and Ah Jeez.

Either dirt or turf, the son of Bayern has finish first in three of his last four races in his two-year campaign. Speed Boat Beach makes his three-year debut on a West Coast track at Santa Anita Park.

Show: Spun Intended

As a son of Hard Spun, the three-year colt has finished second at Santa Anita and first at Del Mar in a couple of 6 ½-furlong Maiden Special Weight sprints in the fall of 2022. Spun Intended was bred in Kentucky and has raced for Edge Racing and Muir Hut Stables, LLC.

Graduating up to a mile on dirt, Spun Intended’s siblings are Northern Dancer and Turkoman. He is bred to go the distance with the speed and power in his stride. His Horse Racing Nation rating is 6.73, second only to National Treasure. 

 Previously Posted on ScoresandStats.com

 

 

 

The Virginia Lottery Reported That State's Sportsbooks Cleared $50 Million Again in November

The legal US sportsbook industry have cleared $50 million in Virginia's sports betting revenue in November. It was the third straight month that the state's sport betting industry eclipsed that mark. Starting in September with $53.8 million in gross revenue, November was above that record by 6.8%. 

According to the Virginia Lottery, the 11 months in 2023 was $301.3 million in adjusted net revenue. That is up 149.5% in the same 11 months last year. Doc's Sports Service has all the details in Virginia's Sportsbook Cleared $50 million in Three Straight Months.

Sunday's NFL Playing Props for Week 17

Kansas City hosts the Denver Broncos early afternoon in Week 17 and the Chiefs are 12.5-point home favorites in their AFC West outing. The New Orleans Saints are on the road to face Philadelphia and the Eagles are 6.5-points favorites at home. The Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon and the Saints' Alvin Kamara are popular player props in these two games.

The Carolina Panthers take on the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay in a NFC South Division showdown at 1 p.m. (ET). Tampa Bay is a three-point home favorite and Tom Brady highlights the player props in this contest. In two of the late afternoon games, the Minnesota Vikings are meeting the Green Bay Packers and the Rams and Chargers are meeting in LA. The Packers are three-point home favorites and the Chargers are 6.5-point favorites at home. Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and the Chargers' Austin Ekeler are featured in the games' player props.

ScoresandStats.com have detailed the "best bets" in Sunday's NFL Player Props Predictions for Week 17.

Cowboys vs. Titans Player Props Pick TNF Week 17

 The Dallas Cowboys are 11-point road favorites against the Tennessee Titans in Week 17 and the total line is 40 points with the betting public going OVER the points. The NFL player props for this TNF inter-conference matchup are highlighted by Dak Prescott for Dallas and Derrick Henry for Tennessee.

The Cowboys have favorable -500 odds on the money line and they also the major of player props from linebacker Micah Parsons to kicker Brett Maher. ScoresandStats.com has all five player props "best bets" in Cowboys vs. Titans Player Props Predictions for TNF Week 17.

Coast to Coast Graded Horse Racing on New Year's Eve

 

Saturday, Dec. 31

Fort Lauderdale Stakes - Gulfstream Park

Win: Colonel Liam

This five-year horse is bred out of Kentucky and he has raced at Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Fair Grounds, Gulfstream and Saratoga Race Course. His stake race wins include the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on Jan. 29 at Gulfstream.

Place: Decorated Invader

This Thoroughbred is also five years old and bred in Kentucky. Decorated Invader finished fourth in the Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 13. Sired by Declaration of War, he finished in the money in his previous two turf races this year.

Show: Shadow Sphinx

Shadow Sphinx took second in the Artie Schiller Stakes this November as one of his six races in the money this year. The seven-year gelding has raced since 2017 and he is trained by Michael Maker. He is starting at No. 4 with jockey Paco Lopez getting the ride.

Joe Hernandez Stakes - Santa Anita Park

Win: Front Run the Fed

The Kentucky-bred six-year horse is trained by Chad Brown and he races for Klaravich Stables. Front Run the Fed is a son of Fed Biz and siblings of Storm Cat and Maria’s Storm. He won the Van Clief Stakes at Colonial Downs on July 18, beating Grateful Bred and Matta with a time of 1:02.77 for a sprint of 5 ½ furlongs.

Place: Gregorian Chant

The six-year gelding has finished first, second or third in five of the last six races this year. Gregorian Chant took third in his last two races at Santa Anita. He covered 6 ½ furlongs in the Grade 2 Eddie D. Stakes on Oct. 1 and a mile in the Lure Stakes on Oct. 29.

Show: Smooth Like Strait

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Smooth Like Strait is finishing up his five-year campaign. The Kentucky-bred horse finished second or third earlier in the year in three races before the ninth-place finish at Keeneland and seventh at Del Mar. They were both major graded events.

Previously posted on ScoresandStats.com

 

 

The Top US Sportsbooks Have Pre-Launch Promos in Ohio

Certain US sportsbooks have big plans for Ohio on Jan. 1 and beyond. Bonuses and other promotions are part of the launch on that day. FanDuel is giving away NBA League Pass subscriptions and Caesars Sportsbook is raffling off 45 tickets for the Cleveland Cavaliers game.

All the top US sportsbooks are giving away free bets as part of the pre-launch package. One stipulation is the free bets expire on Jan. 1. 

Pre-launch plans have been detailed by Doc's Sports Service in Ohio's Top US Sportsbooks Best Bonuses and Promotions.

Saturday's NFL Player Props for Week 16

The NFL games have a special Saturday edition on Christmas Eve. The early 1 p.m. (ET) matchups is highlighted by the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Seattle Seahawks as 10-point home favorites and the total line is set at 49 points. The Chiefs' player prop pick is tight end Travis Kelce. 

The Buffalo Bills go on the road as nine-point favorites against the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings welcome the New York Giants to US Bank Stadium as four-point favorites at home in another pair on early afternoon matchups. Wide receiving Stefon Diggs is the player prop for Buffalo and Justin Jefferson is the player prop as wide out for Minnesota.

A couple of late afternoon battles in the NFC on Saturday has the Washington Commanders against the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles against the Dallas Cowboys. The 49ers are seven-point home favorites and the Cowboys are favorited by five points at home. Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke and Philadelphia tight end Dallas Goedert are the featured props in those two contests.

ScoresandStats.com has the five performances rolled-up with Saturday's NFL Player Prop Predictions for Week 16.