Junebugred is golden in Smarty Jones

Horseracing Betting Lines

01/16/2012 - Hot Springs, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Junebugred, ridden by Joe Bravo, held on to win Monday's $100,000 Smarty Jones Stakes to begin Oaklawn Park's series for three-year-olds on the Kentucky Derby trail. The 6-1 third choice covered the mile distance in 1:38.45 on a fast track.

In the 12-horse field On Fire Baby, the lone filly to start, went off as the 3-2 favorite with Optimizer at 2-1.

Breaking from the gate first was Laurie's Rocket followed by No Spin, Jake Mo, Junebugred and On Fire Baby. Laurie's Rocket and No Spin battled on the front end up the backstretch and into the far turn.

On Fire Baby, with Joe Johnson riding, was four wide around the final turn with No Spin, Laurie's Rocket and Jake Mo to her inside. Junebugred had dropped back on the turn as 17-1 longshot Reckless Jerry came running on the outside.

At the top of the stretch Junebugred found room along the rail with Jake Mo, On Fire Baby, Laurie's Rocket and Reckless Jerry to his outside. Trained by Steve Hobby, Junebugred was able to take the lead in late stretch and hold off the late running Reckless Jerry.

Junebugred was able post a neck victory over Reckless Jerry with On Fire Baby finishing third. Holding on for fourth was Jake Mo followed by Laurie's Rocket, Optimizer, Copus, Prince Cheval, King Coral, No Spin, Fastestwhogetspaid and Hard Nosed.

Owned by Alex and Joann Lieblong, Junebugred was making just his third career start in the Smarty Jones. The win was worth $60,000 to bring the chestnut colt's earnings to $95,400.

The three-year-old made his debut last October at Monmouth Park when he finished third as the 13-10 favorite. Six weeks later he broke his maiden at Aqueduct at 8-1.

"We started him off and he showed us some talent," said Hobby about the colt. "His first time out he hadn't had any dirt in his face and he got to hopping and jumping around like a lot of first-time starters do. We went and sent him to David (trainer David Fawkes) in New York to give him a shot on the track up there."

Junebugred returned $14.80, $7.00 and $4.60. Reckless Jerry paid $12.80 and $6.20, and On Fire Baby paid $2.60 to show.

Next for three-year-olds is the $250,000 Southwest Stakes on Monday, February 20 followed by the $500,000 Rebel on March 17 and $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 14.

The Smarty Jones Stakes is named for the 2004 champion three-year-old colt who won the Arkansas Derby along with the Run for the Roses and Preakness Stakes. The stakes was won last year by eventual Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile champ Caleb's Posse.

Broadacst Horseracing Betting News

<< Marquette holds off Louisville
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Darius Johnson-Odom scored 19 points as No. 21 Marquette overcame a slow start to down No. 23 Louisville, 74-63, at Bradley Center. Davante Gardner totaled 17 points and six rebounds for the Gol

<< Blazers edge struggling Hornets
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points and nine rebounds, helping the Portland Trail Blazers handle the New Orleans Hornets, 84-77. Nicolas Batum added 19 points and six boards for the Blazers, who snapped

<< Nationals, Flores agree to one-year deal
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Nationals and catcher Jesus Flores have agreed to a one-year contract, thus avoiding arbitration. Flores split time last season between the big club in Washington and its Triple-A aff

<< City goes top with win over Wigan
Wigan, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester City moved into sole possession of first place in the English Premier League on Monday with a 1-0 win over Wigan at the DW Stadium. Edin Dzeko's goal in the 22nd minute proved to be the di

<< Cavani's penalty kick helps Napoli salvage draw
Naples, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Edinson Cavani's successful penalty kick in the 71st minute helped Napoli salvage a 1-1 draw with Bologna at the San Paolo stadium on Monday. Bologna seized the advantage after 14 minutes when Nico Pulzet

Griffin takes Paul's place to lead Clippers past Nets >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Blake Griffin had a double-double with 23 points and 14 rebounds as the Chris Paul-less Los Angeles Clippers took down the New Jersey Nets, 101-91. Paul sat out Monday's game against the Nets with a

Hawks take down skidding Raptors >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Smith poured in 28 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, and the Atlanta Hawks continued to surge with a 93-84 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Joe Johnson finished with 27 points and six assists for the

Capitals D Green sidelined after surgery >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green is expected to miss the next 4-to-6 weeks following stomach surgery. CSN Washington reported on Monday evening that Green, who has suited up in just 10 games

Doan, Gordon lead Coyotes past Avs >>
Glendale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shane Doan and Boyd Gordon scored a pair of goals and Mike Smith made 38 saves as Phoenix dominated Colorado by a 6-1 count on Monday evening. Gilbert Brule and Rostislav Klesla also lit the lamp for

Penguins captain Crosby to visit specialist >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pittsburgh Penguins superstar and captain Sidney Crosby will meet this week with Dr. Ted Carrick, a specialist in chiropractic neurology. Crosby has been out since developing concussion-like sy

SPORTS BETTING - Tennis is an underrated and under-utilized bettors' sport.

Ten years ago, at just about this time, I called Alan Boston in Vegas and left him a voicemail that went something like this (abridged version): "Hey Alan, Chad Millman from ESPN The Magazine calling. I want to do a book about wise guys, you in?"

A couple weeks later I got a message back (abridged version): "I don't know, maybe," Boston said. "Call me and we'll talk about it. But not later today. I got $1,000 on Andre Agassi to win the French Open at 40-1, and he's in the finals."

Here's what happened next (abridged version): Agassi won his tourney. Boston won his $40,000. I wrote sportsbook.

In the ten years since, how much has been wagered on the big-time tennis events? Put it this way: The Nevada Gaming Commission doesn't even track the number year by year because it's so small.

"Tennis makes up about one-tenth of one percent of our take," says Lucky's bookmaking boss Jimmy Vaccaro. "The last big golf major we probably had $100,000 worth of bets. In tennis, we might have written two big tickets."

Tennis' lack of popularity amongst the American bettoratti is no surprise, really. For starters, the biggest sports betting holidays -- the Super Bowl, the NCAA tourney -- are must see TV. People, at least the degenerates I know, plan vacations around watching those events in Vegas sports books.

But Wimbledon? Doesn't exactly reel in the whales. "Seriously, it's the nuts as an event," says Boston. "But who even knows when it's on?"

Here's another reason that helps explain why golf gets traction, something I call "The Bubbe Theory." My Bubbe is pushing 95 and has cataracts so bad that, to her, even the most crystalline Chicago day is mostly cloudy. But she still listens to the Cubs games, and she still calls me in a fit if she disagrees with something Rick Telander writes in the Chicago Sun Times. She's a sports fan. If she doesn't know you, you're just filling a niche. And niche players, even historically good ones like Roger and Raf, don't drive betting volume. Only the highest profile names attract square money, which inflates wagering totals like a shot of saline to the lips. Bubbe, and the public, loved Agassi, tennis' last cross-the-rubicon, mainstream draw. She also has a crush on Tiger. She's given me standing orders to put a sawbuck on the big cat whenever I walk through a sports book (or mistakenly tap into one via my Internet machine.) That explains why the Masters is getting $100K in action at some books while the four tennis majors might not get that combined this year.

This isn't a case of tennis being a difficult sport to bet. In fact, in Europe, it's probably the second most popular sport for gambling after soccer. Granted, as the WSJ football betting last week and The Mag's Shaun Assael examined in even greater depth last year, that might be because gamblers across the pond see it as an easy game to fix. But it could also be because, over there it holds the kind of sway the big two do over here.

Street corners in Spain are peppered with public courts and kids doing their best Raffy impressions. In some war torn parts of Eastern Europe poverty-stricken kids view tennis as an escape route, like football or basketball here. A couple years ago The Mag's Lindsay Berra wrote a great piece about Belgrade's Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic. They learned the game as kids while bombs were raining down on their homeland. They practiced in drained swimming pools. Not exactly Nick Bolletierri conditions.

In the United States, casual fans think tennis is played four times a year. But on the tightly packed European continent, national interest in homegrown talent runs deep every weekend. Of the ATP's current top 20 players, only two, tennis betting and James Blake, are American. Fourteen are from Europe, representing six different countries.

No wonder fans from Lisbon to Bhudapest get jacked up for the net game, whether it's Wimbledon or a low-level tourney like the Estoril Open in Portugal (congrats to Spain's Albert Montanes for winning that one, btw). Chances are good that someone representing their flag will not only be playing, but have a shot at winning.

And that's all any bettor can ask for.

To visit this sports book go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.