Sportswriter captures North America Cup at Mohawk

Horseracing Betting Lines

06/26/2010 - Campbellville, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dan Patch Award winner Sportswriter led most of the way and was able to hold on to win Saturday's $1.5 million North America Cup at Mohawk Raceway. The three-year-old pacer covered the mile in 1:48 3/5.

Driven by Mark MacDonald, Sportswriter took the lead around the first turn and set the pace up the backstretch. Racing in second was Kyle Major with We Will See in third and Fred and Ginger fourth in the 10-horse field.

Last year's two-year-old pacing colt champion took the field into the far turn as Fred and Ginger made a move into second with Kyle Major in third and 2-1 favorite Rock N Roll Heaven advancing into fourth.

Trained by Casie Coleman, Sportswriter had the lead coming off the final turn and into the stretch. We Will See, driven by Brett Miller, came charging along the rail to challenge the leader.

Sportswriter held off We Will See down the stretch to post a one-length victory in the year's first major harness race. Finishing third was 95-1 longshot Piece Of The Rock followed by Rock N Roll Heaven, Delmarvalous, Fred and Ginger, One More Laugh, Kyle Major, Art Professor and All Speed Hanover.

Sportswriter, owned by Steve Calhoun, West Wins Stable and Southwind Farm, notched his first win of the season, picking up $750,000 for the effort. After winning seven of eight races in 2009, the pacer has earned $1,645,411 in his career with eight wins in 12 lifetime starts.

Earlier in the evening, Coleman and MacDonald combined to win the $666,000 Fan Hanover with Western Silk to become the first trainer-driver combination to win both the Fan Hanover and Pepsi North America Cup.

In last week's elimination race, Sportswriter was third to Rock N Roll Heaven.

Sportswriter returned $8.50, $5.50 and $4.60. We Will See paid $21.40 and $10.50, and Piece Of The Rock paid $15.20 to show.

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.