Betting Odds - Graffiti - Podcast

Nurburg, Germany - Fernando Alonso out-drove Felipe Massa over the final laps and captured Sunday’s Grand Prix of Europe at the Nurburgring in Germany. The two-time World Champion crossed the finish line 8.1 seconds ahead of Massa.

The victory was Alonso’s third of the season and 13th of his Formula One career.

“The race was so exciting to drive and to watch,” said Alonso. “The rain helped us a lot, our car seems to perform in wet conditions.”

Winner of the last two events, Kimi Raikkonen, led the field into the first turn after winning the pole position on Saturday. But just as the green flag waved, rain drops began to fall and it caused havoc everywhere.

After the first lap all the cars pitted except for Raikkonen who slid past pit road and had to make a second lap. All other cars got their rain tires and by the time Raikkonen limped around to make his stop he had fallen all the way to seventh place.

Meanwhile, rookie Marcus Winkelhock, who got his bad weather tires before anyone else, was somehow the race leader.

On lap three six cars spun off the track including points leader Lewis Hamilton, and the safety car was sent out. Winkelhock had a 33.5-second lead but the cleanup was too much to do under race conditions and the red flag was brought out to suspend the race.

While the clean up was underway the rain stopped and the sun began to shine, though more rain was still possible.

Out of the race were Jenson Button, Adrian Sutil, Nico Rosberg, Scott Speed and Vitantonio Liuzzi, but Hamilton was able to restart his car and was still in the race.

After almost 25 minutes the safety car led the field around the circuit and two laps later the race went back to green.

As the green flag dropped, reality struck Winkelhock and both Massa and Alonso quickly passed him. Hamilton’s crew decided to “roll the dice” and went to dry tires, but he struggled over the still partially wet track.

Massa and Alonso began to pull away from third place Mark Webber as Winkelhock fell all the way to 16th place. By lap 11 the track had sufficiently dried and the teams all began to change over to dry tires.

Meanwhile, Hamilton set the fastest lap of the race and while everyone was on pit lane he made up the lap he lost during his spin off the track on lap three. Raikkonen was flying and slid into third place behind Massa and Alonso.

Massa opened up a 2.5-second lead on Alonso who was being challenged by Raikkonen. On lap 20 Hamilton set another fastest lap of the race, but he was still more than 80 seconds behind the leaders and 50 seconds out of a points position.

Massa continued to extend his lead. On lap 25 it was 4.8 seconds and at the halfway point the margin was 7.1 seconds. Third-place Raikkonen suddenly slowed on lap 34 and his day was done. The leader pitted for the final time with 24 laps remaining to be run.

Massa’s stop was a clean one and off he went as Alonso was still 7.6 seconds back. Still, Alonso didn’t quit and he slowly began to cut into the Brazilian’s big lead. It was just under six seconds with 15 laps to go. The margin was under five seconds (4.9) with 13 laps to go, but catching a driver and passing him are two entirely different things.

Nine laps still to run and it appeared that another rain storm was about to open up. In advance of this, Renault put Heikki Kovalainen on rain tires. If it would rain hard enough, the rookie would have a huge advantage over everyone else who were still on dry tires.

One lap later the rains came and the leaders pitted for new tires. Massa beat Alonso off pit road and was still the leader, but the gap was under two seconds. Alonso was right on Massa’s tail and with five laps to go he moved alongside Massa. Massa fought him off, but Alonso came back a second time and a third time and with five laps to go Alonso made a bold move for the lead. They touched slightly, but neither car was damaged as Alonso finally got around the Ferrari.

After the pass, Alonso simply pulled away from Massa and the race for the win was over.

“I like the rain, when it happens I am happy,” said Alonso.

Webber, Alex Wurz, David Coulthard, Nick Heidfeld, Robert Kubica and Kovalainen completed the points-scoring positions.

Alonso’s win pulled him to within two points of his McLaren teammate Hamilton (70-68), who finished ninth. Massa is in third place, 11 points behind Hamilton.

The next race is scheduled for Sunday, August 5th in Budapest, Hungary.

Elmont, NY - Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches will not make her return to the races in Saturday’s $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park. The leading three-year-old filly has a fever preventing her from making her first start since winning the Belmont Stakes on June 9.

“Her temperature has been slightly elevated the last couple of mornings and we had to postpone a scheduled breeze that was to take place this morning,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “We will point her towards the Alabama, at Saratoga on August 18.”

Only the third filly to capture the Belmont Stakes, Rags to Riches has been perfect this year in five starts while earning more than $1.29 million. She is trained by Pletcher for owners Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.

New Kent, VA - Saturday’s 10th edition of the $1 million Virginia Derby has attracted a field of 10 grass-running three-year-olds at Colonial Downs. The last three renewals have been won by some of the best of their generation.

Louisiana Derby winner Circular Quay is the 5-2 morning-line favorite as he makes his turf debut for trainer Todd Pletcher. His two major opponents are Colonial Cup champ Summer Doldrums and Strike a Deal, the runner-up in that race.

Circular Quay is making his first start since finishing fifth in the Preakness Stakes after being sixth in the Kentucky Derby. For the Virginia Derby the chestnut colt will start from post four with Garrett Gomez returning to ride.

Owned by Michael and Doreen Tabor, Circular Quay has won four of nine career starts for better than $1.1 million. Earlier this year he was fifth in the Risen Star Stakes when forced to change course to avoid a mishap. Last year he was second to Street Sense in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile as the 3-1 favorite.

Summer Doldrums, 7-2 in the program, posted a head victory over Strike a Deal in last month’s Colonial Cup. Owned by Klavarich Stables and William Lawrence, the colt will break from post nine with Jose Lezcano in the saddle.

Trained by Richard Violette, Summer Doldrums has won four of 10 lifetime starts for $631,716. At Aqueduct this year he won the Whirlaway Stakes followed by a third in the Gotham and a fourth in the Wood Memorial.

The 3-1 second pick in the program is Strike a Deal. The bay colt will be ridden by red-hot jockey Ramon Dominguez from post two. Dominguez captured the Delaware Handicap last Sunday.

Strike a Deal is owned by Jayeff B Stables and trained by Alan Goldberg. This year he won the Straight Deal Stakes at Belmont Park. The three-year-old has all three career wins on the turf along with two second place finishes. His career earnings stand at $289,765 in six starts.

Completing the field for the 1 1/4 mile Virginia Derby are Blazing Dynamo, Red Giant, Inca King, Soldier’s Dancer, Duveen, Love Dubai and Top Cross.

CBS Sports will broadcast the Virginia Derby which has a scheduled post-time of 5:44 p.m. (et).

In 2004 Kitten’s Joy won this race on his way to being voted champion male turf runner. The following year English Channel won the Virginia Derby, the last two years he has won the United Nations Handicap. Last year, Go Between established a course record of 1:59.74 in winning the race.

By Don Agriss:

BOOKMARK CRUSH SHOT SPORTS TRACK LINKS

The name Native Diver was in prominent display last weekend in connection to Lava Man’s try at a third straight win in the Hollywood Gold Cup. Native Diver accomplished the feat from 1965 through 1967.

Forty years ago Native Diver was the dominant thoroughbred in California. Beginning with his four-year-old season he won such prominent stakes races as the Golden Gate, Inglewood and San Diego Handicaps. Add victories in the San Francisco Mile, Inglewood Handicap and another San Diego Handicap.

Learning about a racehorse that I never saw run live is a fascinating effort. The 1960’s was a transitional decade for racing. It was beginning to lose its popularity to football and basketball.

Native Diver was owned by Mr. & Mrs. L.K. Shapiro who also were his breeders. Buster Millerick was the trainer and was ridden, primarily, by Jerry Lambert. Bill Shoemaker was aboard Native Diver in winning the 1963 San Francisco Mile, four years before a second Mile win at Bay Meadows.

It was his six-year-old season that stands out as possibly his best. He won the won Hollywood Gold Cup for the first time followed by wins in the Los Angeles, San Carlos, San Diego, American, Albany and Palos Verdes Handicaps. In 1965 Native Diver won seven of 10 starts for $241,650.

Native Diver followed 1965 with four wins in 12 starts for $205,750 in 1966. He won the Hollywood Gold Cup for the second straight year followed by victories in the Inglewood, San Pasqual and San Bernardino Handicaps. Native Diver won a total of three Inglewood Handicaps.

His final racing season in 1967 produced $258,100 in earnings while winning six of 13 starts as an eight-year-old. Native Diver claimed his third straight Hollywood Gold Cup along with wins in the Los Angeles, San Carlos, Albany, Del Mar Handicaps and another San Francisco Mile.

The Eclipse Awards had not yet been introduced. the Daily Racing Form and the Thoroughbred Racing Association each awarded year-end honors.

Native Diver was denied seasonal championships by both groups. He became the first California-bred to earn $1 million dollars. His final earnings were $1,026,500 with 37 wins in 81 career starts.

Native Diver came down with a case of colic prior to the 1967 Bay Meadows Handicap and died from a twisted intestine. His remains were buried beneath a monument at Hollywood Park.

As a gelding Native Diver had no progeny. However, with Lava Man equaling his three straight Hollywood Gold Cup wins, Native Diver once again got a chance to come alive for a new crop of racing fans.

BOOKMARK CRUSH SHOT SPORTS TRACK LINKS

Stanton, DE - Eclipse Award winning trainer Todd Pletcher goes after his second straight win in Sunday’s 70th renewal of the $1 million Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park. Pletcher has entered two older females in an attempt to repeat last year’s victory with Fleet Indian.

Indian Vale is the 2-1 morning-line favorite from the Pletcher barn while Unbridled Belle is 12-1 in the program. The trainer has a total of two wins in the “DelCap”, having also won with Irving’s Baby in 2001.

Owned by Eugene Melnyk, Indian Vale will be ridden by award winning jockey John Velazquez from post six. The five-year-old mare has a lifetime record of seven wins in 10 starts for $648,601.

In three starts this year Indian Vale has won the Next Move and Fleur de Lis Handicaps with a fourth place finish in the Louisville Handicap.

Unbridled Belle is owned by Team Valor and will start from post four with Ramon Dominguez in the saddle. Dominguez won this race in 2001. Last month the four-year-old filly was second at Delaware Park in the Obeah Handicap to Peak Maria’s Way.

Peak Maria’s Way is 8-1 in the morning-line for trainer Michael Gorham and owners Old Church Farm and John Murphy. The four-year-old will be ridden by Joe Rocco from the inside post.

Along with her victory in the Obeah Handicap she won an allowance race here in May. In her career Peak Maria’s Way has earned $296,804 with seven wins in 17 starts.

“She obviously has done well here at Delaware,” said Gorham, “and another obvious big edge is you do not have to ship for the race. She is coming into this race really good. All this year she has really been training well and she has done everything we asked her to do.”

The 3-1 second choice is Asi Siempre and rider Edgar Prado. The five-year-old will break from post three for owner Martin Schwartz and trainer Patrick Biancone.

Completing the nine horse field for the Delaware Handicap in post position order are Lila Page, Ice Cool Kitty, Promenade Girl, Daytime Promise and Take a Check. Take a Check, third in last year’s “DelCap”, is the top returning runner from 2006.

The Delaware Handicap will be televised on ESPN2.

Delaware Park also announced the creation of a “Wall of Fame” at the track. The first class is comprised of former Horse of the Year Kelso, Hall of Fame trainer Henry Clark, Hall of Fame jockey Bill Shoemaker, Christiana Stable and William Dupont, Jr.