Breeders' Cup to return to Churchill Downs in 2011

Horseracing Betting Lines

06/11/2010 - Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Churchill Downs has again been selected as host of the Breeders' Cup for 2011.

The legendary home of the Kentucky Derby will also host this year's Breeders' Cup from November 5-6, and in 2011 will become the second venue to welcome thoroughbred racing's world championships in consecutive years. Santa Anita hosted the event in 2008 and 2009.

"The prospect of consecutive years at Churchill Downs combined with Kentucky's strong business climate and legislative incentives are sure to make the event a tremendous success for the Breeders' Cup, greater Louisville and the state," said Breeders' Cup chairman William S. Farish Jr. "Churchill Downs continues to be one of the world's greatest racing facilities, and is extremely popular with our horsemen and fans."

It will also mark Churchill's eighth time as Breeders' Cup host. The 2011 card will be conducted November 4-5.

"Nearly a half-million fans from around the world have witnessed some of racing's most dramatic moments during the record six previous visits by the Breeders' Cup to our historic track," said Robert Evans, president and CEO of Churchill Downs. "From its first stop in 1988, the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs has been one of our industry's greatest celebrations and its return in 2011 provides another wonderful economic development opportunity for our city, state and region. We are pleased to welcome the two-day Breeders' Cup championship in 2011 to complete its first back-to-back visits to Churchill Downs and our city."

Churchill Downs previously hosted the Breeders' Cup in 1988, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000 and 2006.

Wsouthwest Horseracing Betting News


<< Bettman needs to build off thrilling Cup final
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It may sound cliche, but when it comes to fixing what ails the National Hockey League, there may be no better time than the present. On the heels of the most successful NHL season in a decade and a Stanley

<< Indians hope to change evil ways with recall of Santana
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians, mired in last place in the American League Central, have recalled catcher Carlos Santana from Triple- A Columbus. Santana, the Indians' minor league player of the year in 2009, was

<< We know drama: Brewers host Rangers at Miller Park
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers followed a Hollywood script to pick up a series win on Thursday. They'll try to keep that momentum going this evening when they host the Texas Rangers for the first time in almost 13 years with to

<< First-place Reds to begin interleague set with Royals
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hitting with runners in scoring position has been one of the main ingredients to the success of the Cincinnati Reds. The National League Central leaders will try to cook up some more wins at home when they welcome the Kansas

<< Phils, Moyer take run search to Boston's Fenway Park
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamie Moyer hopes for a little run support this evening when the Philadelphia Phillies start a three-game interleague set against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The Phillies were shut out for a major-league tying

South Africa earns draw in World Cup opener >>
Johannesburg, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - South Africa opened the 2010 FIFA World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Mexico at Soccer City on Friday in Group A play. The host nation took a surprising 1-0 lead in the 55th minute through Siphiwe

Hawks end drought as TV ratings skyrocket >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For the first time since the days of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, the Chicago Blackhawks have delivered the Windy City a championship. The 2009-10 Blackhawks will have their name etched on Lord Stanley's Cu

Hewitt reaches Halle semis >>
Halle, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt reached his first semifinal of 2010 with a victory Friday at the Gerry Weber Open, a grass-court Wimbledon tune-up. The eighth-seeded two-time major champion Hewitt got

Izzo tells AP: Still no decision on Cavaliers job >>
Tom Izzo is still torn, trying to figure out if he should stay at Michigan State or leave to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers.Izzo wrote in a text message Friday morning - about 12 hours after he returned home from Cleveland - he has not made a decisio

Texas regents to meet Tuesday about Big 12 future >>
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -University of Texas regents will meet next week to decide whether the Longhorns will remain in the Big 12 or switch to another conference.The regents announced Friday that they will hold a meeting by telephone Tuesday for ``discu

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.