Nick Zito will win the Belmont Stakes again. The two time winner hoist the coveted Test of Champions trophy once again on Saturday but it won't be because of morning line favorite, Ice Box.
It will be because of Fly Down. The son of Mineshaft has the requisite turn of foot in order to blow away the Belmont Stakes field. Ice Box? The horse always finds trouble and I believe he finds trouble again on Saturday. He'll come on but it will be too late. First Dude? He has to be tired after that Preakness run.
I'm predicting that Game On Dude and First Dude go out for the lead, Interactif lies about 2 to 3 lengths behind. Behind Interactif will be Fly Down. As they turn for home, Interactif will take the lead while Game On Dude and First Dude will fall back to the pack.
At that point, Fly Down will kick it into gear to run past Interactif. Ice Box will run on for 2nd while Interactif will hang on for third.
Make sure to play the Pick 4 as the pool is $1 million bucks! Good luck on Belmont Stakes Day!
Other D.S. Williamson articles:
Read more sports stuff
D.S. Williamson's fictional short story collection:
and they're off Stories From the Racetrack
Friday, June 4, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Best Three Year Old Will Probably Come Out of the Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is about two weeks away, but already it's obvious to me. The best three-year old this year, I have no doubt, will come out of the Belmont Stakes.
This year reminds me of 2000 when Tiznow, a late-blooming three-year old, went on to capture the Breeders' Cup Classic after finishing second in the Pacific Classic that summer. Tizzy didn't run in a single 3-year old Classic race, but that's okay because sometimes it makes more sense to let time do it's thing. That appears to be the case with this group of 3-year olds although as opposed to Tizzy, the Belmont Stakes will prove to be the race from where the 2010 champion 3-year old emerged.
Just a few weeks ago it looked like Super Saver had taken a huge step forward ala Charismatic in 1999 when he won the Lexington Stakes and the Kentucky Derby. For Super Saver, the step forward appeared to be in the Kentucky Derby. Another step forward in the Preakness looked possible, but instead of moving forward in the Preakness, Super Saver moved backward, losing by 11 1/2 lengths.
The horse that appeared to take a step forward in the Preakness was Lookin' At Lucky, the failed Kentucky Derby favorite. Lucky, however, only produced a 102 Beyer Speed Figure. Although wrought with inexplicable failings, the Beyer Speed Figure is still a nice barometer of how fast Lookin' At Lucky is capable of running because his Beyer numbers, surprisingly, have never really "jumped". Lucky has been a rather "blah" performer as a 3-year old. He almost let First Dude beat him at Pimlico after First Dude ran the first quarter in 22 and change.
In 2000, Fusaichi Pegasus won the Kentucky Derby. There was an expectation that he would improve in the Preakness after winning the Kentucky Derby, but he didn't. He regressed. The winner of that year's Preakness, Red Bullet,never did much after the Classic victory, the Foggy Road Stakes being the highlight of his post-Preakness career. The winner of the Belmont Stakes was Commendable, who took the lead shortly after the gates opened and never looked back. Commendable won the Belmont by default.
Tiznow was the horse that took that all important step-forward but it wasn't in a Classic race. It was in the Affirmed Handicap. This year, "Tiznow", in my opinion, will run in the Beelmont Stakes. Who is this year's "Tiznow"? There are two possible candidates.
The first is FlyDown, Nick Zito's other entrant in this year's Belmont. Fly Down's stablemate, Ice Box, is going to be the morning line favorite for the Belmont Stakes if all goes well but Fly Down is in line to be the best 3-year old in the country. Flydown has a huge upside and should get the distance of the Belmont without any trouble at all. His Dwyer victory was awe-inspiring.
The second candidate for best 3-year old in the nation is the aforementioned First Dude. The Bob Baffert trained Game On Dude will pressure First Dude in the Belmont Stakes, but the other "dude" can't put too much pressure on First Dude or else he's going to get cooked. First Dude ran 6 furlongs in the Preakness in 1:11 and 1. He actually came back on after Lookin' At Lucky passed him in the stretch showing the type of gameness missing in Super Saver. Any more improvement and First Dude could wire the Belmont Stakes field. First Dude can also rate if his other "dude" rival decides to take the lead.
Both First Dude and Fly Down present to very possible, I would venture to say likely, 3-year old of the year candidates. With Super Saver proving to be a super dud, and Lookin' At Lucky appearing to be nothing more than a good but not great horse, the 3-year old title is up for grabs. My money will be on that horse either being First Dude or Flydown.
Other D.S. Williamson articles:
Read more sports stuff
D.S. Williamson's fictional short story collection:
and they're off Stories From the Racetrack
This year reminds me of 2000 when Tiznow, a late-blooming three-year old, went on to capture the Breeders' Cup Classic after finishing second in the Pacific Classic that summer. Tizzy didn't run in a single 3-year old Classic race, but that's okay because sometimes it makes more sense to let time do it's thing. That appears to be the case with this group of 3-year olds although as opposed to Tizzy, the Belmont Stakes will prove to be the race from where the 2010 champion 3-year old emerged.
Just a few weeks ago it looked like Super Saver had taken a huge step forward ala Charismatic in 1999 when he won the Lexington Stakes and the Kentucky Derby. For Super Saver, the step forward appeared to be in the Kentucky Derby. Another step forward in the Preakness looked possible, but instead of moving forward in the Preakness, Super Saver moved backward, losing by 11 1/2 lengths.
The horse that appeared to take a step forward in the Preakness was Lookin' At Lucky, the failed Kentucky Derby favorite. Lucky, however, only produced a 102 Beyer Speed Figure. Although wrought with inexplicable failings, the Beyer Speed Figure is still a nice barometer of how fast Lookin' At Lucky is capable of running because his Beyer numbers, surprisingly, have never really "jumped". Lucky has been a rather "blah" performer as a 3-year old. He almost let First Dude beat him at Pimlico after First Dude ran the first quarter in 22 and change.
In 2000, Fusaichi Pegasus won the Kentucky Derby. There was an expectation that he would improve in the Preakness after winning the Kentucky Derby, but he didn't. He regressed. The winner of that year's Preakness, Red Bullet,never did much after the Classic victory, the Foggy Road Stakes being the highlight of his post-Preakness career. The winner of the Belmont Stakes was Commendable, who took the lead shortly after the gates opened and never looked back. Commendable won the Belmont by default.
Tiznow was the horse that took that all important step-forward but it wasn't in a Classic race. It was in the Affirmed Handicap. This year, "Tiznow", in my opinion, will run in the Beelmont Stakes. Who is this year's "Tiznow"? There are two possible candidates.
The first is FlyDown, Nick Zito's other entrant in this year's Belmont. Fly Down's stablemate, Ice Box, is going to be the morning line favorite for the Belmont Stakes if all goes well but Fly Down is in line to be the best 3-year old in the country. Flydown has a huge upside and should get the distance of the Belmont without any trouble at all. His Dwyer victory was awe-inspiring.
The second candidate for best 3-year old in the nation is the aforementioned First Dude. The Bob Baffert trained Game On Dude will pressure First Dude in the Belmont Stakes, but the other "dude" can't put too much pressure on First Dude or else he's going to get cooked. First Dude ran 6 furlongs in the Preakness in 1:11 and 1. He actually came back on after Lookin' At Lucky passed him in the stretch showing the type of gameness missing in Super Saver. Any more improvement and First Dude could wire the Belmont Stakes field. First Dude can also rate if his other "dude" rival decides to take the lead.
Both First Dude and Fly Down present to very possible, I would venture to say likely, 3-year old of the year candidates. With Super Saver proving to be a super dud, and Lookin' At Lucky appearing to be nothing more than a good but not great horse, the 3-year old title is up for grabs. My money will be on that horse either being First Dude or Flydown.
Other D.S. Williamson articles:
Read more sports stuff
D.S. Williamson's fictional short story collection:
and they're off Stories From the Racetrack
Thursday, January 14, 2010
USC Finds Their Fall Guy in Lane Kiffin
The USC Trojans, arguably the top NCAA football program in the United States, ended their quest for a new head coach by signing Lane Kiffin away from the Tennessee Volunteers.
The USC job will be Kiffin’s second in the past the two years after he left the NFL’s Oakland Raiders and was signed by Tennessee to turn around a storied SEC program that had fallen on hard times. Oh, wait, did I write that Kiffin had “left” Oakland? My apologies.
Kiffin didn’t leave Oakland. Al Davis, the Oakland Raiders’ walking zombie of an owner who sometimes appears to make decisions by consulting a magic eight ball, fired Kiffin. According to Davis, Kiffin is a “liar”. That statement isn’t alarming until one realizes that Al Davis is probably the most forgiving man on the planet.
For instance, Davis’s current coach, the man who could be “King of the Truck Drivers” if he didn’t coach the Oakland Raiders, Tom Cable, punched out one of Davis’s assistants in the locker room. Did Cable get fired? Nope. In fact, Davis is still “evaluating” Cable’s performance this past regular season.
But Kiffin? Kiffin is a horrible human being according to Davis. And, yet, there he was, with Daddy Monte, his venerable father who helped create the famed Cover 2 defense that almost every NFL team uses to keep opposing quarterbacks from going wild, espousing the awesomeness of USC on television.
How thoughtful. And, ‘Bama Nation wants to thank you, Lane, for sticking it to the Volunteers. Oh, LSU, Florida and Ole Miss give their regards as well.
What the hell, Kiffin? Seriously? After one season in Tennessee, you’re bolting?
Of course, that’s not the biggest question. The biggest question is why in the world would USC athletic director Mike Garrett hire Kiffin in the first place. The only thing I can think of is that coaches like North Carolina’s Butch Davis and Pittsburgh’s Dave Wannstedt turned down Garrett.
Both guys, in my opinion, would have been a better fit for a program that almost assuredly is going to suffer through some NCAA sanctions starting next season. Which brings up another point…what exactly is Kiffin expected to do in L.A.?
Kiffin can’t possibly be expected to win, can he? After all, Pete Carroll, who made the right decision by bailing on the program for money and potential glory with the Seattle Seahawks, failed to motivate a team loaded with talent, will Kiffin?
USC’s glory days appeared to be behind them as it was and Pete Carroll was coaching them. Now, they have Lane Kiffin who failed with the Oakland Raiders and didn’t have enough guts or integrity to at least give it a go in Tennessee.
Now Kiffin takes over a program that could be in dire straits because of NCAA violations. Not only that, but California, Oregon, Oregon State and Stanford all have football programs that can compete with USC now. UCLA and Arizona appear to programs that are rising.
Notre Dame gets Brian Kelly and USC gets…Lane Kiffin?
A small argument can be made that Kiffin will surround himself with top assistants and that those assistants, like his father Monte and their buddy Ed Orgeron, will help him lead USC back to the BCS Championship Game, but that’s a tough argument to make because Orgeron’s success occurred a while ago and Monte Kiffin’s success has been in the NFL.
It’s more likely that Lane Kiffin will end up like Charlie Weiss, the former Notre Dame coach, who just couldn’t build a college program that could compete year in and year out.
Wait, I just thought of the real reason Kiffin is USC’s new coach. Athletic Director Mike Garrett needed a scapegoat now that Carroll bolted for the NFL. Can anybody think of a better one than Lane Kiffin?
I certainly can’t. Good job, Lane. Take the money for a while. Garrett won’t care. You just decided to sign on to a program going down the tubes that needed a scapegoat.
Well, you’re it. Hey, Lane, you just put the nail in your own coffin because after USC becomes the fifth best team in the Pac 10, you won’t be able to get another head coaching job in the college ranks or NFL probably ever again.
But at least you’re getting paid and you do get to work with Daddy Monte for another year. Hey, that’s something.
The USC job will be Kiffin’s second in the past the two years after he left the NFL’s Oakland Raiders and was signed by Tennessee to turn around a storied SEC program that had fallen on hard times. Oh, wait, did I write that Kiffin had “left” Oakland? My apologies.
Kiffin didn’t leave Oakland. Al Davis, the Oakland Raiders’ walking zombie of an owner who sometimes appears to make decisions by consulting a magic eight ball, fired Kiffin. According to Davis, Kiffin is a “liar”. That statement isn’t alarming until one realizes that Al Davis is probably the most forgiving man on the planet.
For instance, Davis’s current coach, the man who could be “King of the Truck Drivers” if he didn’t coach the Oakland Raiders, Tom Cable, punched out one of Davis’s assistants in the locker room. Did Cable get fired? Nope. In fact, Davis is still “evaluating” Cable’s performance this past regular season.
But Kiffin? Kiffin is a horrible human being according to Davis. And, yet, there he was, with Daddy Monte, his venerable father who helped create the famed Cover 2 defense that almost every NFL team uses to keep opposing quarterbacks from going wild, espousing the awesomeness of USC on television.
How thoughtful. And, ‘Bama Nation wants to thank you, Lane, for sticking it to the Volunteers. Oh, LSU, Florida and Ole Miss give their regards as well.
What the hell, Kiffin? Seriously? After one season in Tennessee, you’re bolting?
Of course, that’s not the biggest question. The biggest question is why in the world would USC athletic director Mike Garrett hire Kiffin in the first place. The only thing I can think of is that coaches like North Carolina’s Butch Davis and Pittsburgh’s Dave Wannstedt turned down Garrett.
Both guys, in my opinion, would have been a better fit for a program that almost assuredly is going to suffer through some NCAA sanctions starting next season. Which brings up another point…what exactly is Kiffin expected to do in L.A.?
Kiffin can’t possibly be expected to win, can he? After all, Pete Carroll, who made the right decision by bailing on the program for money and potential glory with the Seattle Seahawks, failed to motivate a team loaded with talent, will Kiffin?
USC’s glory days appeared to be behind them as it was and Pete Carroll was coaching them. Now, they have Lane Kiffin who failed with the Oakland Raiders and didn’t have enough guts or integrity to at least give it a go in Tennessee.
Now Kiffin takes over a program that could be in dire straits because of NCAA violations. Not only that, but California, Oregon, Oregon State and Stanford all have football programs that can compete with USC now. UCLA and Arizona appear to programs that are rising.
Notre Dame gets Brian Kelly and USC gets…Lane Kiffin?
A small argument can be made that Kiffin will surround himself with top assistants and that those assistants, like his father Monte and their buddy Ed Orgeron, will help him lead USC back to the BCS Championship Game, but that’s a tough argument to make because Orgeron’s success occurred a while ago and Monte Kiffin’s success has been in the NFL.
It’s more likely that Lane Kiffin will end up like Charlie Weiss, the former Notre Dame coach, who just couldn’t build a college program that could compete year in and year out.
Wait, I just thought of the real reason Kiffin is USC’s new coach. Athletic Director Mike Garrett needed a scapegoat now that Carroll bolted for the NFL. Can anybody think of a better one than Lane Kiffin?
I certainly can’t. Good job, Lane. Take the money for a while. Garrett won’t care. You just decided to sign on to a program going down the tubes that needed a scapegoat.
Well, you’re it. Hey, Lane, you just put the nail in your own coffin because after USC becomes the fifth best team in the Pac 10, you won’t be able to get another head coaching job in the college ranks or NFL probably ever again.
But at least you’re getting paid and you do get to work with Daddy Monte for another year. Hey, that’s something.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Check Out AFC Playoff Game Stuff For Sunday!
Check out my article regarding the AFC games in the NFL this Sunday with playoff implications.
And don't forget to pick up your copy of and they're off! with that awesome cover by Jaitip Srisomburananont.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Top Ten Horses Of the Decade? Quick Link For the Article
Who are the Top Ten Horses of the past decade? Click the link below for the article!
Also, don't forget to pick up your copy of my short story book collection at:
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Hooked on Clash of the Gods
I've been watching this show on the History Channel, Clash of the Gods, and it's awesome.
Hercules pisses off Hera by being Hercules. She sends madness to him. He kills his children. He does the twelve labors. Then, he commits suicide becuase the twelve labors didn't help him rid himself of his guilt.
King Minos decides to keep his prized bull to himself. Posiedon gets pissed and gets Minos' wife to fall in love with the bull. The bull bears the Minotaur. Athens and Crete go back and forth and the Cretian's kill Athenian virgins by sticking them in the labyrinth with the Minotaur until Theseus comes by and kills the Minotaur. But, as luck would have it, Theseus doesn't raise the white sail, like his dad told him to do, on his way back to Athens and so his dad, King Aegis, throws himself into the water and dies.
What's in store today? How about an episode on the Lord of the Rings. I'm wondering what the profs are going to say about that.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Breeders' Cup This Weekend!
The best two days in horse racing this year occur on Friday and Saturday. I've already got numerous articles posted in the BetUS Locker Room on almost every single one of the 2009 Breeders' Cup races. Check those out starting with my Classic picks.
Classic Picks
Also, here are some thoughts:
Rose Catherine in the Juvenile Fillies Turf is the best overlay bet on Friday.
Court Vision in the Mile is the best overlay bet on Saturday.
Summer Bird should win the Classic.
Zenyatta won't finish in the Top 5 in the Classic.
It's worth betting the Pick 6 if you can keep it under control, less than $150 total.
Don't forget to pick up your copy of Stories From the Racetrack.
See ya!
Classic Picks
Also, here are some thoughts:
Rose Catherine in the Juvenile Fillies Turf is the best overlay bet on Friday.
Court Vision in the Mile is the best overlay bet on Saturday.
Summer Bird should win the Classic.
Zenyatta won't finish in the Top 5 in the Classic.
It's worth betting the Pick 6 if you can keep it under control, less than $150 total.
Don't forget to pick up your copy of Stories From the Racetrack.
See ya!
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