Afleet Express holds off Fly Down to win Travers

Horseracing Betting Lines

08/28/2010 - Saratoga Springs, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Afleet Express, ridden by Javier Castellano, edged a late running Fly Down to capture Saturday's $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. The time for the 1 1/4-miles was 2:03.28 on a fast track.

The Travers, also known as the Mid-Summer Derby, had a field of 11 evenly matched three-year-olds for the 1 1/4-miles. Haskell runner-up Trappe Shot went off as the 7-2 favorite and Jim Dandy winner A Little Warm was second at 9-2.

Setting the pace was Jim Dandy runner-up Miner's Reserve followed by First Dude, A Little Warm and Trappe Shot. Entering the far turn Miner's Reserve and jockey David Cohen continued on the lead with First Dude, second in the Preakness, still pressing the pace.

Around the final turn Afleet Express assumed the lead along the rail as Belmont Stakes runner-up Fly Down and rider Jose Lezcano rallied on the outside.

Afleet Express took the lead coming out of the turn and into the stretch. Fly Down came charging down the middle of the track and drew even with the leader with a furlong to run.

The two battled down the stretch right to the wire. The two colts hit the wire together in what appeared to be a dead-heat. Afleet Express, one of three Afleet Alex sons in the Travers, nosed out Fly Down with a bob of the head.

First Dude finished third with Afleet Again fourth. Completing the order finish was A Little Warm, Friend Or Foe, Miner's Reserve, Ice Box, Trappe Shot, Super Saver and Admiral Alex. Afleet Again and Admiral Alex were also sired by 2005 champion three-year-old colt Afleet Alex.

Afleet Express returned $16.00, $7.80 and $4.90. Fly Down paid $6.90 and $5.20, and First Dude paid $4.60 to show.

Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, Afleet Express is owned by Gainesway Stable and Martin Cherry. The colt earned $600,000 with the win to bring his career earnings to $835,140.

"There are people who go and run in the Derby just to run in the Derby," Jerkens said this week, "even though they know they're going to get beat 100 lengths. I don't see what you get out of that. To be in here in a race that has gotten as prestigious as this has and to have a horse with a good chance is pretty exciting."

In his seven-race career, Afleet Express has won four times with a second and a third. He was third in Saratoga's Jim Dandy Stakes and won the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park in June. Castellano has been aboard Afleet Express the last four races.

Wwwtreasuredome Horseracing Betting News

<< Dallas, Columbus battle to scoreless draw
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FC Dallas extended its road unbeaten run to 10 Major League Soccer games, and its overall league unbeaten run to 12 games, by earning a 0-0 draw at Columbus on Saturday afternoon at Crew Stadium. The game,

<< Laird three clear at The Barclays
Paramus, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Scotland's Martin Laird carded a six-under 65 in the third round Saturday to grab a three-stroke lead at The Barclays. Laird, who won the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open last year, comp

<< Wie, Shin share lead at Canadian Women's Open
Winnipeg, MB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michelle Wie shot an even-par 72 on Saturday and was joined in the lead by Jiyai Shin after three rounds of the Canadian Women's Open. Shin carded a three-under 69, bouncing back from a pair of bogeys with thr

<< Blue Jays' Encarnacion lands on DL
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Blue Jays placed Edwin Encarnacion on the 15-day disabled list after the third baseman sprained his left wrist during a sixth-inning at-bat on Saturday. Encarnacion grounded out in that frame and exit

<< White Sox P Threets to have Tommy John surgery
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox have placed reliever Erick Threets on the 15-day disabled list with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. The left-hander allowed just one unearned run in 11

Goldberg tied for lead at Canadian Tour Champ >>
St. Catharines, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Leading money winner Aaron Goldberg shot a four-under 66 to join Kane Hanson in the lead Saturday after the third round of the Canadian Tour Championship. Hanson, the 36-hole leader, managed only an

Blackburn, Fuentes shut out M's; Twins win third straight >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nick Blackburn hurled 8 2/3 scoreless innings and Denard Span drove in the lone run as Minnesota clipped Seattle, 1-0, in the middle test of three from Safeco Field. Blackburn (8-8) yielded two hi

Sevilla, Valencia win big in La Liga openers >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Abdoulay Konko and Joaquin Sanchez scored twice for their respective clubs as the Spanish La Liga opened its 2010-11 campaign with three fixtures on Saturday. Konko's two goals helped Sevilla top Leva

Browns DB Sorensen leaves game >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Browns defensive back Nick Sorensen left Saturday's game with an undisclosed injury. Sorensen was hurt in the second quarter when he was blocked by a pair of Lions defenders on a kickoff.

Victorino, Blanton and bullpen get Phils past Padres >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shane Victorino provided a much-needed offensive spark with two hits and two RBI for the Phillies, who defeated the San Diego Padres, 3-1, in the second of three games at PETCO Park. Victorino, who

Police report: Terrell Owens hospitalized after attempt

Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.

The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.

Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.

NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.

"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.

The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.

But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.

The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.

Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.

The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.

The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.

The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.

Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.

Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."

Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.

"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."

Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.

It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.

"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."

Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.

"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."

At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.

According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.

Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.

Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.

When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.

He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.

Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.

Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.

Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.

While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.

"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.

Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.

Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your VISA Sportsbook needs.