NASCAR Nextel Cup Series – Banquet 400, Kansas Speedway

Su Oct 10 – 2:00pm EST (NBC)
This week’s race at Kansas Speedway is the 4th Cup race run on the track. Jeff Gordon won the first two and Ryan Newman took last years race. In each of the races Gordon won, Newman finished 2nd, and in the race Newman finally won last year, Gordon finished 4th. They are the only drivers to finish in the top of every Kansas race and, not surprisingly, head our outright market this week. Kansas is very similar to Las Vegas in terms of banking and size, so you would expect the Roush drivers (so dominant in Vegas) to do well here. The fact is they have yet to yet to notch a top five in all three Kansas races, but that may be ready to change this week?

Matt Kenseth won at Vegas this year and was followed home by Kasey Kahne. The latter has been threatening to break out with a win all year and this track offers him his best shot to do so. Like Ryan Newman he is a lover of these cookie cutter tracks (1.5 mile ovals). Another driver to watch out for this week is Newman’s teammate Rusty Wallace. Wallace has finished in the top 10 in all 3 Kansas races, with two top5's, and looks cracking each way value at 28/1!

Breeders’ Cup, Lone Star Park

Sa Oct 30
Funny Cide rekindled memories of his dual Classic-winning season with an impressive victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park last Saturday. Since the 2003 Preakness, Funny Cide had won just twice, and time seemed to have run out for last year’s Kentucky Derby hero. Saturday’s race was his last chance to prove he still retained the ability, but a return to the big time wasn’t looking assured as he began to falter after taking a brief lead early on, dropping back to third as the field turned into the stretch. After being headed, however, he came back running, coming home strongly for a three-quarter length victory over Newfoundland to earn himself a return trip to the Breeders' Cup Classic. Bago, winner of last weekend’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris, is considered only a possible runner for the Classic at this stage.

The Jockey Club Cup topped a weekend full of Breeders’ Cup clues, with Kitten’s Joy sending out a warning to the European contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Turf with victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.

Three-year-old Kitten's Joy, racing against older horses for the first time, clearly relished the 1 ½ mile trip to register a 2 ½ length victory over favorite Magistretti in the $750,000 contest. Such an impressive success indicates that the US has another serious contender for the Turf, after Johar’s dead-heat with High Chaparral last year produced the first success for a home-trained horse in the race since Buck’s Boy in 1998.

Powerscourt, first-past-the-post (later disqualified) in the Arlington Million, is still likely for the Turf after skipping the Arc with a minor ailment, but could also be entered for the Classic.

MLB – ATL Braves @ HOU Astros

Sa Oct 9 – 1:00pm EST (ESPN2)
Su Oct 10 – TBD

With the National League Division Series tied at 1-1, Minute Maid Park will be rocking when the Astro’s return home on Saturday, needing only two wins to advance to the NLCS. Houston won Game 1, 9-3, before the Braves rallied to win Game 2, 4-2, in 11 innings. Both teams won games having to come from behind, and a similar type of tight game is expected again this weekend.

The Braves can claim momentum after an emotional victory - plus a very tough loss for Houston - but the Astros are going home to a park where they have won 18 consecutive games, and it would be a mistake to think either team is lacking for confidence. The Braves have won the only playoff games they've played at Minute Maid Park, beating Houston, 7-4, in Game 1 of the 2001 NLDS and 1-0 in Game 2. Every pitcher who worked in that series for Houston is either injured or has moved on, while closer John Smoltz is the only Brave still pitching for Atlanta who saw duty in that series. With two different teams this time, this is another situation entirely, and the difference could be the Astro’s home record this year.

Prediction: Astros @ 10/11/Under 9.5 @ 4/5.

NFL - NY Giants @ DAL Cowboys

Su Oct 10 – 1:00 pm EST (FOX)
The Giants go into this battle of NFC East rivals on a three-game winning streak following a season-opening 31-17 loss at Philadelphia, but look set to face their biggest test since Week 1 from Dallas. The Cowboys (2-1)
are coming off a bye after a Monday night win at Washington. With division leaders Philadelphia on a bye themselves this week there is an opportunity for both teams to make up some lost ground.

Since that opening loss the Giants have put away the Redskins, Browns and then Green Bay at Lambeau Field, all teams that have had their troubles, so it is difficult to know just how good New York are. Their turnover margin has certainly been excellent, forcing 13 turnovers and committing just two during their streak. In addition once the offence takes the field, the ball is being protected relatively well. Kurt Warner has re-established himself as a decent quarterback, while Tiki Barber is enjoying a renaissance as the NFC's leading rusher.

In Dallas, however, they face a team with a decent secondary who should be able to focus on stopping the ground game. The Giants’ offensive line may have provided sufficient protection so far for Kurt Warner, but can this really last for too much longer? Cowboys QB Vinny Testaverde can throw the ball as well as any in the league. He has good targets in the receiving corps in Johnson, Glenn and Bryant and so should pose problems for the Giants' secondary.

Last season, Dallas swept the Giants for the first time since 1998, winning at Giants Stadium (35-32), and in Dallas (19-3) on December 21. In fact the Giants have lost 10 of their last 13 visits to the Texas Stadium, and that sequence is fancied to continue here. Our handicap betting requires Dallas to win by more than 3.5 points, and that is something they should achieve comfortably. Prediction: Dallas (-3.5) @ 10/11.