The $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs

 

Saturday, March 11

Tampa Bay Derby – Tampa Bay Downs

Win: Tapit Trice

The three-year was bred in Kentucky and raced for Whisper Hill Farm, LLC and Gainesway Stable. He competed at Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park and won a one mile Allowance race at Gulfstream on Feb. 4 this year. The son of Tapit posted a time for 1:36.44 over Shesterkin and Live Is Life.

Tapit Trice has gone a mile in three races in his early career. He is stepping up in distance and grade in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby. However, he was bred to go plus a mile on dirt. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Tapit Trice has worked out at Tampa Bay Downs over the past few weeks.

Place: Shesterkin

Sired by Violence, this three-year colt was also bred in Kentucky and trained by Todd Pletcher. Shesterkin finished first at Gulfstream Park in late December in his last race as a two-year old. He covered a seven-furlong sprint in 1:24.18 past Case and Kentucky Joke.

At Gulfstream as a three-year old colt, Shesterkin place second in that Allowance race on Feb. 4. He is also stepping up in distance and grade in the Tampa Bay Derby with a 6.59 rating by Horse Racing Nation.

Show: Classic Legacy

Trained by William Mott, he finished fourth in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes last time out at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 11. As a two-year old Thoroughbred, he raced at New York horse tracks including Belmont Park, Saratoga and Aqueduct. Classic Legacy won the seven-furlong sprint at Aqueduct on Dec. 31 of last year.

As a son of Into Mischief, he went 1 1/16 miles on dirt in his first competitive outing at Tampa Bay and his home-track advantage should get him into the money in this major graded stakes race. Classic Legacy has worked out at this track since the beginning of last month.

Previously posted on ScoresandStats..com

DraftKings' Odds to Win the Men's Basketball NCAA Tournament

DraftKings' odds to win the NCAA Tournament for men's basketball has taken shape with 85 Division 1 teams making the list. 

The Houston Cougars are the first team out of the box with +550 odds as favorites to win. The Cougars are representing the American Athletic Conference (AAC). The SEC's Alabama Crimson Tide and the Big 12's Kansas Jayhawks are +800 second-favorites to win with the Pac-12 UCLA Bruins (+900) and the Big Ten's Purdue Boilermakers (+1100) rounding out the top five teams in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

Doc's Sports Service takes a closer look at all the college basketball teams that are first on the list in posting DraftKings' Odds for the Top 10 Teams in College Basketball's NCAA Tournament.

NASCAR Cup Series Futures Odds

 Here are the futures odds for NASCAR's 2023 Cup Series Championship

Chase Elliott +550

Kyle Larson +700

Kyle Busch +700

Denny Hamlin +800

Ryan Blaney +1000

Joey Logano +1000

Ross Chastain +1000

William Byron +1200

Christopher Bell +1200

Martin Truex Jr. +1400

Kevin Harnick +1600

Tyler Reddick +2000

Alex Bowman +2500

Chase Briscoe +4000

Daniel Suarez +4000

Bubba Wallace Jr. +4000

Austin Cindric +5000

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +5000

Brad Keselowski +6600

Ryan Preece +6600

Ty Gibbs +6600

Erik Jones +10000

Chris Buescher +10000

Noah Gragson +10000

AJ Allmendinger +10000

Austin Dillon +15000

Justin Haley +20000

Aric Almirola +20000

Harrison Burton +30000

Michael McDowell +30000

Todd Gilliland +50000

Corey Lajoie +50000

Cody Ware +50000

Ty Dillon +50000

BJ McLeod +50000

Posted by BetOnline.ag

Saturday's $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park

 

The Fountain of Youth Stakes is open to three-year old thoroughbred as part of the Kentucky Derby Trail. There are 10 entries in this race and my top five contenders have morning line odds and percentages to win.

Forte (7-5)

Currently the early favorite to win the 2023 Kentucky Derby, Forte is making a three-year debut in the Fountain of Youth Stakes with Todd Pletcher as his trainer and Irad Ortiz Jr. as his jockey. He won his last three Grade 1 events as a juvenile, starting with a victory in the Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 5.

Forte won the 2022 Breeders’ Futurity on Oct. 8 before taking first place in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 4. He covered 1 1/16 miles on dirt in 1:43.06 over Cave Rock and National Treasure in the BC Juvenile. Bred in Kentucky, these Grade 1 stakes were at Keeneland.

Odds of Winning: 65%

Blazing Sevens (7-2)

Trained by Chad Brown, he is starting at No. 6 for his race with jockey Joel Rosario. Blazing Sevens is another Kentucky-bred colt starting out his three-year career in the Fountain of Youth Stakes. He finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile after winning the nongraded Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct on Oct. 1.

As a son of Good Magic, Blazing Sevens was bred to go over a mile on dirt in a major graded event and he should finish in the money in this race.

Odds of Winning: 10%

General Jim (6-1)

In the 2023 Swale Stakes, General Jim placed first with a time of 1:23.34 over Super Chow and Two of a Kind. He has raced at Saratoga, Keeneland, Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park. Trained by Claude “Shug” McGaughey, he is ridden by jockey Luis Saez out of the No. 1 gate in this race.

General Jim has gone over a mile on turf and won. However, his mixed results on dirt is a sticking point in the Fountain of Youth.

Odds of Winning: 5%

Rocket Can (8-1)

At Gulfstream Park as a three-year old, Rocket Can won the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes on Feb. 4. He has finished first or second in his last three races going back to a 1 1/16-mile Maiden Special Weight race at Churchill Downs on Oct. 30 in 2022. As a sire of Into Mischief, he went more than a mile on dirt in all three races.

Rocket Can is probably not going to win the Fountain of Youth. However, he could place second or third in the standings.

Odds of Winning: 15%

Shadow Dragon (12-1)

The New York-bred colt finished second in the Holy Bull Stakes in the beginning of last month at Gulfstream Park. Also trained by William Mott and ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz, Shadow Dragon has good odds as a longshot in this race. He is starting at the No. 3 gate and a clean break could result in a top three finish.

Odds of Winning: 5%

Previously post at Doc's Sports Service

NBA Championship Odds by the Top Five US Sportsbooks

With three quarters of the regulars season gone in the NBA, you can look at five teams that are making plans for the postseason. Also, the top five US sportsbooks are busy setting odds for winning the 2023 NBA title.

The Boston Celtics are favored to win the Eastern Conference at +115 odds. However, the Milwaukee Bucks are second-favorites at +200. The Phoenix Suns are favored in the West at +225 with the Denver Nuggets at +325 as runner ups. 

Doc's Sports Service takes a look at five teams that can make some noise in the playoffs with winning a title with the post The Top Five US Sportsbooks Set Odds on the NBA Championship.

Five Best Horses for the Rebel Stakes This Saturday

Here are my top five horses in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park as well as my percentage to win the race.

Giant Mischief

This Kentucky-bred colt is trained by Brad Cox and raced at Indiana Downs, Keeneland and Remington Park as a two-year old. He placed second in the Remington Springboard Mile on Dec. 17. Wildatlanticstorm won that event with Echo Again coming in third. Giant Mischief will be making his three-year old debut at Oaklawn Parks in the Rebel Stakes starting at No. 5 with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

Sired by Into Mischief, he was bred to go more than a mile on dirt with speed on the backstretch. Giant Mischief has raced for Spendthrift Farm, Stonestreet Stables and Steve Landers Racing.

Odds of Winning: 40%

Reincarnate

Trained by Tim Yakteen and ridden by jockey John Velazquez, Reincarnate is starting in the No. 6 gate at Oaklawn for this race. On Jan. 8 at Santa Anita Park, he won the 2023 Sham Stakes in one mile by posting a time of 1:35.87 over Newgate and National Treasure. Reincarnate has finished first or second place in his early career. He raced at Del Mar and Santa Anita in California before coming to Oaklawn Park in Arkansas.

His races have all been a mile or over on dirt and turf since he place second at Del Mar in a one-mile Maiden Special Weight event. Reincarnate has the pedigree to be one of the leaders in the backstretch in the Rebel Stakes this Saturday.

Odds of Winning: 35%

Confidence Game

With Keith Desormeaux as trainer and James Graham as the jockey in the No. 7 gate of the Rebel Stakes, this three-year colt has a chance to finish in the money. Confidence Game was third in the 2023 Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds behind Instant Coffee and Two Phil’s on Jan. 21. He won his last race as a two-year old at Churchill Downs in a 1 1/16 miles Allowance on Nov. 26.

As a son of Candy Ride, he has gone 1 1/16 miles in his last four races. Confidence Game also should be one of the leaders down the stretch in the Rebel Stakes.

Odds of Winning:: 15%

Powerful

The colt was also bred in Kentucky and he raced for Cortlandt Farms (Donald Adam). He finished first at Churchill Downs on Nov. 26 in the ungraded Ed Brown Stakes after taking 11^th in the Grade 1 Breeds’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 8. Powerful is posted at No. 2 for the Rebel Stakes in his first race of his three-year career. Steve Asmussen in the trainer and Isaac Castillo is the jockey.

Odds of Winning: 5%

Verifying

Breaking in the No. 1 gate, Verifying is trained by Brad Cox and ridden by jockey Florent Geroux. Sired by Justify, he won his first race as a three-year old in a one mile Allowance at Oaklawn on Jan. 14. He finished six in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland on Nov. 4 after placed second in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct on Oct. 1. Verifying has a chance to finish in the money in this race if he gets off to a good start.

Odds of Winning: 5%

 Previously posted at Doc's Sports Service

Penn Entertainment Completes Purchase of Barstool Sportsbook

On Friday, Feb 17, Penn Entertainment completed  the acquisition of Barstool Sports in a deal worth $551 million. The Pennsylvania-based gaming company paid $163 million to acquire 36% of Barstool Sportsbook in 2020. Penn just purchased 64% of the company for $388 million to own 100% of Barstool Sportsbook on its own.

CEO and President of Penn Entertainment Jay Snowden commented:

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Barstool Sports fully into the PENN Entertainment family. Barstool is a proven, powerful media brand with an authentic voice and vast, loyal audience that provides us with a strong top of funnel for new customer acquisition and organic cross-selling opportunities across our growing interactive division."

Doc's Sports Service has the full details in the blog post Penn Entertainment Buys the Remaining Share of Barstool Sportsbook.