2013 Bojangles’ Southern 500 Predictions
This week the Sprint Cup series returns to the heart of NASCAR racing country for the prime time running of the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Author: Dave Schwab
David Schwab is a regular contributor to the Cappers Picks Blog. While not cheering for his beloved Philadelphia Eagles David can be found working on his blog at www.eaglesinc.com. David wants to hear from you so please comment below.
139th Kentucky Derby Preview and Picks
The 2013 Triple Crown horse racing season for three-year old thoroughbreds gets underway this Saturday afternoon with the running of the Crown Jewel of the series; the Kentucky Derby. Run on a 1 ¼ mile dirt track at Churchill Downs, this grade I stakes race features a field of 20 horses competing for a total prize purse of $2 million.
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The following is a closer look at my top favorite, contender and longshot for Saturday’s race with odds provided by Sportsbook.
The Favorite
There are a few quality horses in this category, but the one that I have pegged as the favorite to win the Derby is Verrazano at +400. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, this colt comes into this race with a perfect 4-0 record in four previous starts.
After winning a maiden weight special and allowance race at Gulfstream, he really burst onto the scene with a victory in the Tampa Bay Derby this past March as a 2/5 favorite in his first graded stakes race.
Verrazano cemented himself as one of the favorites to win on Saturday after winning the grade I Wood Memorial as a 4/5 favorite in early April.
The Contender
The early odds on Goldencents are +1000, but he could easily move up to be one of the top three or four horses in the field depending of the outcome of the draw for starting positions.
As a two-year old, this colt broke his maiden in his first start at Del Mar and then went on to finish second in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont and first in the Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs to close-out a very successful juvenile campaign. [ad-1605881]
With Doug O’Neill as his trainer, Goldencents won the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita in early January in his first stakes race as a three-year old.
Following a disappointing fourth-place finish in the grade II San Felipe Stakes in early March, he moved right back up the ranks with a huge victory in the grade I Santa Anita Derby on April 6.
The Longshot
This is one of the strongest fields in years for the Kentucky Derby as there are a number of horses with longer odds more than capable of upsetting the field late Saturday afternoon.
One horse in particular that is starting to draw quite a bit of attention is Mylute at +2500.
This horse has gained a reputation as an excellent sprinter so the added distance of this race is a concern; however trainer Tom Amoss and jockey Rosie Napravnik have done a great job with him as a three-year old to build his endurance.
His best finish in a major stakes race this year is second in the grade II Louisiana Derby on March 30, but Mylute still has upset potential written all over him.
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2013 Aarons 499 Predictions
This week the Sprint Cup series will make its first trip this season to one of the most storied NASCAR tracks in the country for the running of the Aarons 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. Sunday’s race is set to get underway at 1 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
2013 Toyota Owners 400 Predictions
NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series is back in prime time this week for the running of the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Speedway. Saturday night’s race is set to get underway at 8 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
2013 STP 400 Predictions
This week NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series will make its first stop of the season at Kansas Speedway for the running of the STP 400. Sunday’s race is set to get underway at 1 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
2013 NRA 500 Predictions
NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series will make its first prime time appearance of the season with the running of the NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Saturday night’s race is set to get underway at 8 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
2013 STP Gas Booster 500 Predictions
After a week off, NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series returns to action this weekend at Martinsville Speedway for the running of the STP Gas Booster 500. Sunday’s race is set to get underway at 1 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
2013 MLB Team Previews – Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia owned the NL East in recent years with five-straight division titles from 2007 until 2011 including a World Series Championship in 2008, but it suffered a harsh dose of reality last season that a good thing does not last forever.
2013 MLB Team Previews – Miami Marlins
A new high-profile manager and exorbitant free-agent spending spree had many of the baseball experts touting the newly-named Miami Marlins as the team to watch in 2012. Ozzie Guillen got off on the wrong foot with the Miami fans and never really recovered while none of the players brought in to help turn things around ever came close to living-up to their inflated contracts.
2013 MLB Team Previews – N.Y. Mets
When New York decided to jettison a few high-priced but underperforming players during the 2011 season Mets fans accepted the fact that last season was the start of a major rebuilding program. The end result was an overall record of 74-88 which was actually three more losses than the year before, but the team may finally have some of the right pieces in place for a change.
2013 MLB Team Previews – Atlanta Braves
As a perennial contender to win not just the NL East but the National League Pennant as well, the Atlanta Braves once again find themselves in prime position to make some serious noise in both races. Last season they posted 94 wins to finish as one of two wildcards in the NL but came up short against St.Louis in the newly instituted play-in game for the NLDS.
2013 MLB Team Previews- Colorado Rockies
Somebody has to finish last in the NL West this season and Colorado is the perfect candidate after going 64-98 last year en route to falling a full 30 games out of first place and 12 games behind the third-place Padres.
2013 MLB Team Previews- Arizona Diamondbacks
Over the past decade or so since winning the World Series in 2001, the Diamondbacks have been the type of team to remain competitive all season long, but always managing to come up short when everything is on the line.
2013 MLB Team Previews – Washington Nationals
If the Washington Nationals are allowed to bring all of their weapons to this season’s postseason fight there will be some tremendous value in their current odds to win it all. After having to put their pitching staff ace Stephen Strasburg on the shelf for last year’s playoffs, the Nationals made an early exit with a 3-2 series loss to St. Louis in the NLDS.
2013 Auto Club 400 Predictions
NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series returns to the West Coast this weekend for the running of the Auto Club 400 in Fontana, CA. Sunday’s race is set to get underway at 3 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
2013 MLB Team Preview: San Diego Padres
San Diego was picked to finish dead last in the NL last season, but a surprising start that lasted all the way to All-Star break renewed hopes that this team could possibly still return to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
