Orioles demote Tillman; designate Meredith for assignment

Baseball Betting Lines

06/22/2010 - Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles have optioned pitcher Chris Tillman back to Triple-A Norfolk and have designated pitcher Cla Meredith for assignment.

Baltimore had to clear room on the 40-man roster for utilityman Jake Fox, who was acquired from Oakland in a trade for minor league pitcher Ross Wolf and cash considerations.

Tillman was 0-3 with an 8.40 earned run average in four starts since his recall on May 29. The right-hander, who started 12 games for the Orioles last season, threw a no-hitter for Norfolk on April 28.

Meredith was 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in 21 games for the Orioles.

Wwfreearcade Baseball Betting News

<< Rollins returns; Ruiz placed on DL
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies have activated shortstop Jimmy Rollins off the 15-day disabled list and have placed catcher Carlos Ruiz on the DL. Rollins had been sidelined since May 22 with a calf strain

<< Northern Iowa adds trio of coaches
Cedar Falls, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - University of Northern Iowa head football coach Mark Farley has added three assistant coaches for the 2010 season. Matt Entz worked with the team during spring practices and will be the defensive line coach

<< Athletics send Fox to Baltimore
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Athletics have traded utilityman Jake Fox to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league pitcher Ross Wolf and cash considerations. Fox was designated for assignment by the Athletic

<< Quinn moves into front office, Renney named new Oilers coach
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Edmonton Oilers announced Tuesday that Pat Quinn will step down as head coach and take over as a senior hockey advisor and Tom Renney will be the team's new head coach. Quinn guided the Oilers

<< Staubitz inks two-year deal with Wild
St. Paul, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Wild signed forward Brad Staubitz to a two-year contract on Tuesday, one day after acquiring the rights to the restricted free agent in a trade with San Jose. Financial terms of the deal

Bruins get Horton, Campbell from Florida >>
Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins have acquired forwards Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell from the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman Dennis Wideman, the Bruins' first-round pick in 2010 and a third- round s

Coen to coach Brown quarterbacks >>
Providence, RI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brown University football coach Phil Estes announced Tuesday that he has selected former Massachusetts standout quarterback Liam Coen to be the Bears' quarterbacks coach. Coen enjoyed a successful four-year

Mine That Bird 2010 debut getting closer >>
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Although no race has been confirmed, trainer D. Wayne Lukas is actively preparing 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird for the gelding's first start of the year. The four-year-old had a six- furlong

Draft takes back seat to free agency >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The annual NBA draft, the unofficial kickoff to the NBA offseason, takes place Thursday at Madison Square Garden's WaMu Theater. What happens on draft day usually molds a team's plan for the future but the

This Week in Auto Racing June 25 - 27 >>
Loudon, NH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The race to make the championship Chase in the Sprint Cup Series heats up this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Meanwhile, Danica Patrick makes her return to the Nationwide Series at New Hampshi

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.