Strategiebereich » oreboard that overhangs those sections. The

There are fans of the sport of Thoroughbred racing, and there are fans of Thoroughbred racing because of the intellectual challenge of handicapping and betting. There is some cross over between these two spheres. For example, my love for the game is fueled by both the wagering component, and by my huge respect for the history of the sport. But by and large, Thoroughbred racing is a dichotomous entity.This comes to mind because of Saturdays stakes activity. The road to the Breeders Cup takes a serious turn Saturday with five Grade 1 stakes at Santa Anita, each of them Win and Youre In events for the Breeders Cup on Nov. 4 and 5 that Santa Anita will host. There are also five graded stakes at Belmont Park, three of them Grade 1 contests, two of which are also Breeders Cup WAYI races. And there are stakes-heavy cards at Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park, although those cards carry less of a significant Breeders Cup impact.Many of these stakes on Saturday are very important from a sporting perspective. A few are even critical, and I will explain why in a moment. But from a wagering standpoint, many of these stakes are, frankly, duds.As prep races for the Breeders Cup go, the stakes at Santa Anita would be important even if you didnt know a single horse entered in any of them. All five of these stakes will be run on the same main track or turf course that their corresponding Breeders Cup races in November will be run on. It is for this reason that these preps take on an added degree of significance. And Saturdays Rodeo Drive, Chandelier, and FrontRunner Stakes will not only be run on the same surface as their corresponding Breeders Cup races, they will also be run at the same distance as the Filly & Mare Turf, Juvenile Fillies, and Juvenile, respectively.Santa Anitas Awesome Again Stakes, the local prep for the Breeders Cup Classic, boasts California Chrome, the best horse in the world (right now, at least), and the future book favorite for the Classic. If California Chrome wins Saturday, hell become an even stronger favorite for the Classic. If he loses, it will turn the Classic on its head.Klimt is in a similar position in the FrontRunner. I have Klimt as the future book favorite for the Juvenile in DRF, and whatever race the favorite for any Breeders Cup event has his or her final prep in, it makes that race a key prep.The Zenyatta, the other big stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday, lured Beholder and Stellar Wind, currently the two best older dirt females in the country, leading candidates for the Breeders Cup Distaff, and two horses the likes of which Songbird has not yet met.At Belmont, Flintshire, Americas dominant male turf horse and the favorite for the Breeders Cup Turf, gets his final tune up in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.Also at Belmont, A. P. Indian, winner of two Grade 1 events during the Saratoga meet, and X Y Jet, freakish in Florida early this year and who was a narrowly beaten second in the Dubai Golden Shaheen despite chipping a knee, meet in the Vosburgh. By any measure, A. P. Indian and X Y Jet are top contenders for the Breeders Cup Sprint.And at Churchill Downs, Runhappy, last years champion male sprinter, makes his belated 4-year-old debut in the Ack Ack Stakes, a return that could have significant implications for a couple of Breeders Cup events, and beyond.Clearly, there is big stuff going on Saturday. It doesnt take F. Lee Bailey to make that case.But if youre a bettor who is not a chalk-eating weasel (a term of endearment, sort of, for people who like to wager on short-priced horses), how many of these races are you eager to bet on?Runhappy will be a prohibitive favorite and, in my view, there arent any appealing wagering alternatives in his race.California Chrome will also be a prohibitive favorite. Dortmund looks like the only imaginable alternative to him in the Awesome Again, and even though Dortmund just doesnt seem as good as California Chrome, he wont be much of a price, either.Klimt looks very imposing, and so do A. P. Indian and X Y Jet. But all three will be short prices.Flintshire, who might be the tiniest price of the day, faces only three opponents. And only three others lined up to face Beholder and Stellar Wind, who were going to be heavily bet no matter how many showed up to oppose them.Look, I know declining foal crops have resulted in a shallower pool of available stakes horses. That said, short fields and competitive racing are not necessarily mutually exclusive. You still can have six or seven horse races that are competitive, and thus reasonably attractive, betting-wise.And thats the rub. As important as many of Saturdays stakes might be, satisfying the sports purists, many are also decidedly uncompetitive, frustrating bettors. Nike Air Max Flair Nz . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Nike Air Max 90 Nz . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. http://www.airmaxnzwholeale.com/cheap-air-max-270-nz/max-270-mens.html . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. Nike Air Max Deluxe Nz . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. Nike Air Max 2019 Nz . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. PHILADELPHIA -- The key to Maikel Francos success is not trying to do too much.Franco hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 on Thursday night.I just go try to put the ball in play, put good contact on it, Franco said. When you try to do too much, youre not being someone you have to be.Ryan Howard also homered for Philadelphia, which avoided a three-game series sweep.After all the home runs they hit against us, we finally beat them with a home run, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. That was huge.Justin Turner and Yasmani Grandal went deep for the Dodgers, who began play 1 1/2 games in front of the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.Thats a game that leaves a sour taste, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Its a win we had late. We had a lead late.Michael Mariot (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning in relief of Jerad Eickhoff to earn the victory.Freddy Galvis led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and Franco followed with his 22nd homer, to deep center off Grant Dayton (0-1) to give the Phillies a 5-4 lead.It was a fastball right down the middle and I put good contact on it -- nothing else, Franco said.Jeanmar Gomez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 32nd save in 35 opportunities.Eickhoff gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings with eight strikeouts and two walks. The right-hander snapped an eight-game streak in which Philadelphia starters pitched fewer than six innings -- one game short of matching the club record.Hes got a bulldog mentality, Mackanin said. He means business when he goes out there. Tonight it wasnt the greatest, and he got burned, but he threw an awful lot of good curveballs.The Dodgers jumped on Eickhoff quickly as the first three batters of the game scored to put Los Angeles ahead. Chase Utley and Corey Seager singled and Turner connected on his 23rd homer.Utleys throwing error in the second led to an unearned run as Aaron Altherrs RBI single brought Philadelphia to 3-1.Grandals one-out solo homer, his 20th, off the scoreboard in right in the fourth inning made it 4-1.Howard led off the bottom of the inning with his 19th homer of the season, a booming shot to center, to move into a tie with Carlton Fisk for 75th all-time with his 376th career home run.ddddddddddddHoward has 11 homers in his last 28 starts and is batting .357 since the All-Star break.Hes been swinging the bat as well as Ive seen him in a long time, Mackanin said.And Philadelphia closed to 4-3 on Featherstons double to left-center.Featherston started at second base in place of Cesar Hernandez, who was a late scratch due to a sore foot.Dodgers starter Ross Stripling gave up three runs -- two earned -- and six hits in five innings. Stripling, making his 11th start, struck out five and walked two.STREAKING GONZALEZDodgers Adrian Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a sixth-inning double. Gonzalez is batting .432 with six doubles, three homers and 11 RBI during the streak.HOMER HAPPYThe Dodgers finished with 16 homers in their six games against Philadelphia this season.Philadelphia has homered in 12 straight games for the first time since 2013.EMPTY SEATSThe Philies moved all fans with tickets in sections 104 and 105 in right field because of an issue with the scoreboard that overhangs those sections. There also were no fans in the first three rows in the sections directly above the scoreboard. In a statement, the Phillies said the scoreboard wasnt a threat to fall but fans were moved for precautionary measures. The problem with a bracket supporting protective netting in front of the scoreboard was to be corrected after the game, the team said.TRAINERS ROOMDodgers: RHP Bud Norris, sidelined since Aug. 1 due to a back strain, will be activated from the DL and start the weekend series opener at Cincinnati.Phillies: Hernandez said he will be in the lineup on Friday.UP NEXTDodgers: Norris (6-9, 4.26) will make his first start since July 31 in the opener of the four-game series, facing Reds RHP Tim Adleman (1-1, 3.73).Phillies: LHP Adam Morgan (1-7, 6.62) starts on Friday night when the Phillies host the Cardinals for the first of three games. RHP Adam Wainwright (9-7, 4.72) starts for St. Louis. ' ' '