Invasor and Bernardini highlight 2006 Eclipse Award winners

Horseracing Betting Lines

01/23/2007 - Beverly Hills, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 36th annual Eclipse Awards proved to be the most anticipated edition. The drama that has surrounded Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro gave the awards added attention.

Held in Beverly Hills and hosted by actor Jerry O'Connell, the Eclipse Awards honor the best in thoroughbred racing. The most anticipated category was outstanding three-year-old male.

Sentiment was with Barbaro while pragmatism was on the side of Preakness and Travers Stakes winner Bernardini.

Bernardini was voted as champion three-year-old of 2006. He received the honor over the undefeated Discreet Cat as well as injured Barbaro.

Darley Stables, owner of Bernardini, was voted as co-owner of the year with Barbaro's owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson.

Another member of "Team Barbaro" to receive an Eclipse Award was jockey Edgar Prado. He was voted outstanding jockey for the first time in his career.

Breeders' Cup Classic winner Invasor was named Horse of the Year and champion older male horse. The other two finalists for Horse of the Year were Barbaro and Bernardini.

Delaware Handicap winner Fleet Indian was voted champion older female.

The champion two-year-olds for 2006 both won their respective Breeders' Cup races. Juvenile winner Street Sense and Juvenile Fillies champ Dreaming of Anna were both honored for their accomplishments from last year.

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Ouija Board is the champion female turf horse. Ouija Board was also voted this honor for 2004.

Wait a While was honored as champion three-year-old filly of 2006. The filly won stakes races on both the dirt and grass.

Breeders' Cup Sprint champ Thor's Echo was honored as outstanding sprinter of 2006.

Breeders' Cup Mile winner Miesque's Approval claimed the Eclipse Award as champion male turf horse.

McDynamo became a three-time Eclipse Award winner champion steeplechaser of 2006.

The winner as breeder of the year is Adena Springs' Frank Stronach. This is the third straight Eclipse Award and fourth overall for Adena Springs.

Todd Pletcher garnered his third straight Eclipse Award as outstanding thoroughbred trainer. Pletcher set a single season record with more than $27 million is earnings.

French native Julien Leparoux received the Eclipse Award as champion apprentice jockey of 2006.

The Eclipse Awards are presented by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Turf Writers Association and the Daily Racing Form.

Sportsbookonlinegambling Horseracing Betting News

<< Bibby, Kings rally past Nets
Sacramento, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Bibby scored Sacramento's final 15 points, hitting the go-ahead jumper with 10.3 seconds left, as the Kings completed a rally from a 20-point third quarter deficit for an 88-87 win over the New

<< 'Melo returns, teams with A.I. for Denver win over Memphis
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony combined for 51 points in their first game as Denver teammates, as the Nuggets pounced on Memphis early for a 115-98 victory. Anthony returned from a 15-game suspension

<< Without Wade Heat use unprecedented surge to topple Knicks
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Kapono scored 13 of his 22 points during a franchise-record 27-point run in the first quarter as the Miami Heat downed the New York Knicks, 101-83, despite not having guard Dwyane Wade and center Shaquil

<< Cowboys top Sooners
Stillwater, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Byron Eaton scored 17 points and Mario Boggan had 13 points to lead 13th-ranked Oklahoma State over Oklahoma, 66-61, at Gallagher-Iba Arena. JamesOn Curry added 12 points and seven rebounds for the

<< Serena guts out three-set win to reach Aussie Open semis
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - American Serena Williams continued her drive toward a third Australian Open title by rallying to beat Israeli Shahar Peer, 3-6, 6-2, 8-6, in the quarterfinals. Williams, a two-time champion in Melbour

Kobe's 42 paces Lakers over Warriors >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kobe Bryant poured in 42 points on 11- for-22 shooting, as Pacific Division rivals battled with the Los Angeles Lakers holding off the new-look Golden State Warriors, 108-103, at the Staples Center.

Roddick routs Fish to reach Aussie semifinals >>
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andy Roddick continued his push to a possible first Australian Open title with a swift 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win over fellow American Mardy Fish in the quarterfinals. The sixth-seeded Roddick dominated

It'll be Federer vs. Roddick in Aussie semis >>
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tournament organizers got the blockbuster semifinal match they wanted, as world No. 1 Roger Federer will clash with former top-ranked star Andy Roddick in the final four at the 2007 Australian Open.

Dodgers ink veteran pitcher Seanez >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran reliever Rudy Seanez. The Los Angeles Times reported that the deal could be worth up to $1.2 million if he meets perform

AHL Stars ready to shine in Toronto >>
Springfield, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2007 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic, set for this coming Sunday and Monday, will bring some of the best young players in hockey to Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto to continue a tradition that actually began 65

FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million

Football Betting

In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.

And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.

Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.

So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.

Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)

The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.

As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.

The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.

In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.

Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.

And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.

So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.

There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.

So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.

And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.

There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)

Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.

Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.

Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.

So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.

NFL Football Office Pool Printable Sheets

NFL Office Pool Sheets

MySportsbook.com is considered one of the finest online sportsbook according to several surveys performed by independent industry analysts considering such factors as payout accuracy and timeliness, overall quality of website, and bettor satisfaction.

MySportsbook is offering a free printable NFL football office pool sheets. Run your own NFL Football Office Pool. Create your own pool, invite your friends to join. Compete with your with co-workers, friends or family for bragging rights every week. Exchange some hard hits without risk of injury. Trash Talk with your fellow co-workers.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your nfl football pool sheets needs.