RICK NEEDHAM'S BETTER BETTOR

ZENYATTA WINS THE VANITY
AND REMAINS UNDEFEATED!!

BELMONT PARK (ELMONT, NY) SATURDAY JULY 4, 2009

Independence Day Special

Churchill Downs officials say their test of night racing this summer has been a great success after large crowds packed the track for the final evening. Track officials said a crowd of 33,481 showed up July 2, the biggest crowd outside of the Kentucky Derby, Oaks and Breeders' Cup. Churchill general manager Jim Gates told The Courier-Journal that the city clearly loves the experiment held over three nights in the past two weeks. Because of the high turnout, Churchill is asking spectators and fans to vote on whether to make it a permanent fixture.

RACE #10 - BELMONT PARK - 5:47 PM EASTERN POST

The Suburban Handicap

10.0 FURLONGS DIRT GRADE II THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD STAKES $400,000.00 PURSE

#3 IT'S A BIRD
#4 ASIATIC BOY
#7 REAL MERCHANT
#1 FINALLYMADEIT

One of the classic handicap races of the American turf, the Suburban was first run in 1884 at Sheepshead Bay. The Suburban was named after the City and Suburban Handicap in England. The Suburban is the final leg of the "Handicap Triple," which began in 1891, the first leg being the Metropolitan, and the second being the Brooklyn. Only four horses have won these races in one racing year. The year, horse and respective weight carried in each race are as follows: 1931 - Whisk Broom II (126, 139, 130); 1953 - Tom Fool (130, 128, 136); 1961 - Kelso (130, 133, 136); 1984 - Fit To Fight (124, 126, 129). This year's edition is the 123rd running of this event, and #3 IT'S A BIRD has hit the board in four straight, including a trio of "POWER RUN WINS" embedded in this recent streak of racing consistency. #4 ASIATIC BOY, an Argentinian-bred entry, who has been racing mainly in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, goes to the post with the skills of the Jockey/Trainer tandem of Alan Garcia and Kiaran McLaughlin ... they've hit the board with 52% of more than 200 entries saddled as a team to date.

RACING NEWS: Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird rolled into the Monmouth Park stable area at 5:30 the morning of July 3 and settled into his stall in Barn 3 as he prepares for his next start, the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Sunday, Aug. 2. Trainer Tim Ice, looking sleepy after the long road trip from Louisiana Downs that included a stopover at Churchill Downs, said the Birdstone colt had handled the trip well. "Better than I did," Ice said with a grin. "I'm tired, but he got off the van full of himself at Churchill, and he was full of himself when we got here. He shipped great. I just want to take a nap!"

RICK HIGHLY RECOMMENDS THIS SITE FOR THOROUGHBRED FANS!

RICK'S DAILY HANDICAPPING VIDEOS ARE UPLOADED IN THE EVENING - IF YOU WANT TO GET HIS INFORMATION AS THEY ARE PRODUCED THROUGHOUT THE DAY - RICK OFTEN ADDS SOME FREE PICKS FROM BOTH HARNESS AND GREYHOUND TRACKS TO "WHET YOUR APPETITE!" SIMPLY SUBSCRIBE TO HIS REPORTS VIA YOUTUBE - THEY ARE ALWAYS FREE!

YUENGLING "LAGER LONGSHOTS" JULY 4,2009

"Because friends don't let friends drink Belgian Bud!"

PHILADELPHIA PARK

RACE #2: #1 CATCH ME, a 20-1 BOMB, qualifies as a TrackMaster PLUS "PowerPony," and is the speed leader in this claiming field racing at, or about, 8½ furlongs on the dirt.

PRESQUE ISLE DOWNS

RACE #2: The 8-1 shot, #6 GLIDING AROUND drops in class (-9), and has nice speed for this mile test on the "dirt."

Ultra Longshot Angles

NOTE: The entries listed below have been "found" utilizing TrackMaster's fantastic new product Ultra Angles ... I have utilized this product to scan EVERY TRACK in North America for entries today meeting the following 4 criteria:

a. Odds are 4-1 - or higher
b. The entry must be the TOP POWER RATED entry in the field
c. The entry must also have the BEST SPEED in this field for today's distance and surface!
d. The entry has raced in the last 25 days - no extended layoffs allowed!

NOTE: Listed Post Times are given in the local time zone of the track.

Colonial Downs - Race #1 - 6:00PM - #6 PASKETTY 6/1
Delaware Park - Race #1 - 1:15PM - #7 MT. IDA 8/1
Delaware Park - Race #2 - 1:42PM - #7 A GREATER AFFAIR 8/1

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NOTES ON CLASS: The TrackMaster PLUS software uses a sophisticated mathematical formula to calculate the "class" of a particular race. It is important to note that this calculation is NOT based on purse structure, but on the competitive level of the entries in today's field. Therefore, it is possible (and not uncommon), that an entry may be racing for a higher purse today than in his or her last race, but in a "TrackMaster Sense" is dropping in class, because the overall abilities of the entries in today's race are not as competitive as the entries in his or her last race. The TrackMaster class scale is numeric, and basically ranges from 50 to 100, and is particularly helpful in judging entries that are "shipping" in from another track. In my analysis of a race, I often note that an entry is "dropping in class," or "stepping up in class." Following this statement, you will see a (number in parenthesis). The value of that particular number indicates the degree of the class change. EXAMPLE: "#4 SIN CITY takes a fairly significant class drop (-8) this evening." This indicates that this entry is dropping by 8 TrackMaster Class Levels from his or her last race. It does not necessarily mean that this entry is racing for a lower purse, only racing against a less competitive field.

NOTES: I frequently use the term, "POWER RUN" in this column. It is my terminology for a previous race run at a speed, which if duplicated today, should compete for the winner's circle at the class level in which the entry is competing today. Space requirements do not allow for a thorough discussion of this calculation, however, if you would like a short essay on how the "POWER RUN" is calculated, kindly send me some EMAIL at rneedham1@yahoo.com and I'll send you a copy of my "POWER RUN" file.

FRIDAY FREE MLB PICK - YANKEES (MONEY LINE) OVER BLUE JAYS

ARCHIVED FOOTBALL REPORTS - 2008-2009 SEASON

Rick Needham's Football Report 2008-2009 Season

Week Ending - February 1, 2009

2009 Super Bowl

Steelers (-7½) at Cardinals
This might not be a Super Bowl full of marquee names, but it is a game chock full of intrigue. Will the Cardinals' Kurt Warner or Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger join Tom Brady as the only active quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl rings? Warner torched the Eagles' blitz with his quick release but now has to face Pittsburgh zone-blitz master Dick LeBeau, who has more natural pass-rush talent to send at Warner. Roethlisberger seemingly always finds a way to elude pressure and connect on passes in key situations. Will the Cardinals' Ken Whisenhunt or Steelers' Mike Tomlin join Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin as the only active coaches with a Super Bowl title? Added intrigue involves the two head coaches plus Cardinals assistant head coach/offensive line coach Russ Grimm. Whisenhunt and Grimm, both former Steelers assistants, were finalists for the Steelers' head coaching job that went to Tomlin after Bill Cowher walked away in '07. Will the Steelers be able to do what no playoff team has been capable of -- contain Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who already has broken Jerry Rice's NFL record for receiving yards in the playoffs with 419? Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward (knee) and Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin (hamstring) both say they'll play in the Super Bowl, but how effective they'll be is unknown. The only other injury concerns involve Cardinals outside linebacker Travis LaBoy (triceps), and Steelers offensive linemen Max Starks (knee) and Darnell Stapleton (ankle). Starks and Stapleton definitely will play. LaBoy is iffy, but his loss wouldn't be devastating because Bertrand Berry has played well in his place.
"Let's Break It Down Department!"
From Pittsburgh's viewpoint they obviously will need to "Put the Fritz on Fitz." That will be the defense's No. 1 priority -- stopping Larry Fitzgerald --- something they have been able to do with many of the league's top receivers this season. The Steelers have used cornerback Ike Taylor to shadow top receivers because Taylor is tall, fast and athletic. But they also rotate their coverages to use a safety to prevent deep passes. The will also need to try to "Confuse Warner." It's unlikely the Steelers will use heavy blitz pressure on Warner -- at least, not early -- because of his quick drops and releases. Instead, they will give him a variety of looks, especially with strong safety Troy Polamalu, to get him to force throws into coverage. And finally, they will need to put Ben at work. The Steelers success will depend on Roethlisberger, especially if the team has problems running the ball against the Cardinals. He has been making all the big plays and all the big throws in the postseason and has been very comfortable on the big stage.
From the underdog's sideline, Arizona will need to maintain a running game. The Cardinals have surged in the playoffs, and it's no coincidence they've been able to run the ball successfully in that time. The numbers haven't been great, but the club has at least kept alive the threat of the run. If Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower can pick up four to six yards on first or second downs, offensive coordinator Todd Haley will have plenty of options on his call sheet. From my viewpoint, can the Cardinals handle the pressure? The pass protection has to hold up. Kurt Warner has had time to throw in the postseason, and he's been able to get the ball deep to Larry Fitzgerald. Warner has been efficient against the blitz all year, and he has the weapons to make teams pay. The Cardinals have done a nice job with screens and draws recently, which has helped to slow down the rush. And hopefully, they can to continue the strong defensive play. The defense has greatly improved over the past month, controlling some of the best ground attacks in the league. The Steelers aren't great offensively, but quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can make plays on the run. He's creative, and the Cardinals need to keep him in the pocket and bring him down when they get a shot.
The Bottom Line
It's no surprise the Steelers are here; it's a shock the Cardinals are. They aren't a fluke, however. You don't win three playoff games as an underdog by luck. This is a very talented offense with a number of threats, which presents numerous problems for a defense even as good as the Steelers'. Despite living in Pennsylvania ... I'll TAKE ARIZONA to "beat the spread," and an additional wager on THE UNDER (47.0).

Rick Needham (alias TrackMaster Rick) has been known to "poke some fun" at the patrons that he observes at the racing facilities and OTW establishments that he visits almost daily, in his column here at INNERNET.NET... he's also been known to "poke some fun" at himself during the countless number of TrackMaster-handicapping- computer lectures that he has done on the East/West Coasts at facilities-establishments-civic club functions etc ... "Hey ... what is your 'vision' of the archetypcal handicapper?" he asks in his "opening." "Hmmm ... middle aged ... balding ... slightly overweight ... cigar smoking ... Daily Racing Form Reading ...???" Well ... he's 52 (oops now 59 )... balding ... a little overweight at 198 ... but ...
he's never smoked a cigar in his life, and has not read the DRF in more that 18 years, and as a "convert" is an "evangelist" for TrackMaster Software!
At the tender age of 18, Rick began his "career" as a handicapper while working as an "apprentice" at AVCO-LYCOMING in Bridgeport, Connecticut in the mid-60's (a summer job - he was a student-athlete at CLEMSON - Baseball) ... "With both of my parents being teachers, education was the primary goal in our home ... I was pretty oblivious to wagering and horse racing" he notes in his TrackMaster "talks." However, in Bridgeport during this era, there was no opportunity to visit an OTW ... so bookmakers were "rampant" in a huge industrial facilty such as AVCO (they built the compression shafts for the SIKORSKY HELICOPTERS)... After just two weeks of watching this "unknown activity" ... he suggested that for $2.00 per person, that "I will drive to New York (only 50 miles) and place the bets legally, and bring back the "winnings!" His first visit to Belmont was the "charm!" He had never been to a Thoroughbred facility ... and as he notes ... "when I went through the gate .. and saw Belmont for the first time ... I was 'hooked! I talked to the 'old guys' ... learned how to 'read the form' ... how to understand the importance of speed -- class -- and pace. And two weeks later, he was no longer running an ID (Internal-Dimension) Grinder ... but driving his VolksWagen Beetle to Belmont, and earning about $100.00 per day as a "runner!"
Horse racing has seemingly "followed" his moves ... while at CLEMSON .. he stopped at Belmont-Aqueduct ... PIMLICO-LAUREL-BOWIE-TIMONIUM on his trips back and forth to South Carolina/Connecticut ... later attended graduate school (UMASS) and taught in the Amherst, Massachusetts area ... (30 min. driving distance to HINSDALE, N.H. {HARNESS - now a greyhound facility} .. took a teaching assignment at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janerio in BRAZIL ... lived directly across the street from Joqui Clube Brasileiro (the Thoroughbred Track in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and returned to the US to teach in Pennsylvania ... PENN NATIONAL was 60 miles to the North ... CHARLES TOWN was 60 miles to the South ... and PENN NATIONAL built an OTW across the street (in Chambersburg, PA) for Rick to use!
UPDATE ... Rick now lives in Palo Alto, California ... a scant 20 minutes South of BAY MEADOWS!
UPDATE #2 ... Rick has moved back to "The Keystone State" to help East Coast TrackMaster customers, and lives a scant 2 miles from Penn National Race Course in Grantville, PA .. and also has directed the Science and Math programs at an inner-city school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania!
Rick has a BS degree from CLEMSON in Entomology , has completed the M.S. portion of a joint MS/Phd program at UMASS in Pesticide Chemistry, and an advanced degree in Portuguese from Pontifico Universidade Catholico in Brazil ... he wrote the software for the SCIENCE AND MATH FORUM on CompuServe (which after 34 years of continuous on-line use, now has more than 1,175,000 users worldwide ... and it includes a TrackMaster library section), and writes a horse racing column DAILY for not only TrackMaster ... but for 2 other "Web Sites" (Rolling Good Times Online and Virtual Vegas) .. he travels to many East Coast facilities as the result of a "retirement -from-teaching" position which involves the importation of Oriental Rugs from Europe ... he serves as a translator (English-Portuguese-Spanish-French) for these "negotiations" and has been known to "show up" at Calder - Hialeah - Gulfstream - Louisiana Downs - Suffolk Downs - Rockingham - Aqueduct - Belmont - Saratoga - Laurel - Pimlico (and of course ... PENN NATIONAL, PHILADELPHIA PARK and CHARLES TOWN) on almost a regular basis!
Rick was also a contributor to the SPORTSMASTER software package (now using an archived software version), and utilizes this analysis tool on a daily basis to handicap professional and college football, basketball and baseball games. His column on RGTonline.com is also known as THE BIG GAME HUNTER. Rick also has produced a local radio show ... "THE SIMULCAST ZONE" on RADIO STATION WCBG in Chambersburg, PA.

COMMENTS ARE OF COURSE WELCOME!!!

RICK NEEDHAM (RICK'S EMAIL HOME)

Rick uses TrackMaster and SportsMaster software EXCLUSIVELY ... these products are developed by AXCIS INFORMATION SYSTEMS in Sunnyvale, California ... to visit their WEB SITE use this "HOT LINK!" http://www.trackmaster.com

"BET WITH YOUR HEAD ... NOT OVER IT!"

ZENYATTA WINS THE VANITY AND REMAINS UNDEFEATED!!