I'll Have Another surprises to win Robert B. Lewis Stakes

Horseracing Betting Lines

02/04/2012 - Arcadia, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - I'll Have Another, the longest shot in the field, pulled an upset in Saturday's $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park. The 1 1/16-mile stakes is a stepping stone to the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 7.

Sent off as the 43-1 outsider in the eight-horse field, I'll Have Another was racing second up the backstretch behind pacesetter Isn't He Clever. Liaison, the 3-2 favorite, was running in third in the early going and fourth on the backstretch.

I'll Have Another, ridden by Mario Gutierrez, continued to press the pace as the field entered the far turn. Coming into the stretch Isn't He Clever was joined by I'll Have Another on the lead, but the eventual winner went past the pacesetter down the stretch.

I'll Have Another, trained by Doug O'Neill, hit the wire 2 3/4-lengths to the good over 11-1 longshot Empire Way. Groovin' Bob was third followed by Rousing Sermon, Isn't He Clever, Sky Kingdom and Chips All In. Liaison clipped heels and lost his jockey inside the furlong pole. Groovin' Bob was disqualified to last for interference in midstretch.

"He's an incredibly talented colt and we decided to take a chance in here," the winning trainer noted. "We thought he could hit the board and we'd move forward, but he ran unbelievable. Mario (Gutierrez) gave him a great ride. He's always trained fantastic, but we never saw this coming to be honest with you. This is incredible. We'll look at the Santa Anita Derby if all goes well."

The time for the Lewis Stakes was 1:40.84 on a fast track.

I'll Have Another, owned by Reddam Racing, notched his first win since beginning his career with a victory last July at Hollywood Park. Saturday's win was worth $120,000. The chestnut colt followed his initial win with a second in the Best Pal Stakes in August and a sixth at Saratoga in the Hopeful. His earnings now stand at $184,000.

"We bought him at the OBS (sale) in April of last year and we've loved him since Day One," said Dennis O'Neill, the trainer's brother and associate. "He trained like a really good horse from Day One, trained like a two-turn horse from Day One. He came out of his Saratoga race with sore shins, so when we got him back going, Paul (owner J. Paul Reddam) said to take our time with him. We paid $35,000 for him. It's great for Paul. Paul's put a lot of money in the game and this is fantastic for Paul."

I'll Have Another returned $88.60, $35.80 and $12.00. Empire Way paid $11.80 and $6.20, and Rousing Sermon paid $3.40 to show.

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American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies  

It's that time of year folks.  Betting on American Idol Season 9.  And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below.  With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.

No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.

Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.

Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.

Odds to Win

There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.

All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.

A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.

Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.

Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol. 

Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.

If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.

Elimination Props

Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.

Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.

Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups

The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.

Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.