Kevin Modesti's Words & Numbers

Lava Man was made an odds-on favorite after a nine-horse field was set Wednesday morning for the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on Saturday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. The Big 'Cap horses are listed below in post-position order with weight assignments, jockeys and morning-line odds.

1. Awesome Gem (116), Tyler Baze, 10-1
Off the board in Strub, but the gelding has been first or second in six of eight starts
2. El Roblar (114), Richard Migliore, 20-1
Unlike Boboman, this Richard Mandella horse has dirt history (third in San Antonio)
3. Boboman (115), Alex Solis, 12-1
Brother Derek is out, so Solis reforms happy partnership with trainer Mandella
4. Ball Four (116), Julien Leparoux, 15-1
Patrick Biancone-trained 6-year-old just missed first Calif. win in San Antonio ’Cap
5. Spring at Last (115), David Flores, 15-1
Second in Malibu, Strub since classy trainer switch – Todd Pletcher to Doug O’Neill
6. Molengao (116), Victor Espinoza, 6-1
San Antonio winner from Brazil would be first foreign winner since Chile’s Malek (’98)
7. Lava Man (124), Corey Nakatani, 4-5
Defending champ and Cal-bred Horse of the Year has won eight straight races in-state
8. Arson Squad (117), Garrett Gomez, 9-2
Strub winner is first Big ’Cap runner for owners Mace and daughter Samantha Siegel
9. McCann’s Mojave (115), Frank Alvarado, 15-1
33-1 Sunshine Millions Classic winner seeks another upset for owner Mike Willman

Santa Anita also set the field for Saturday’s $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (formerly the Santa Catalina Stakes), for 3-year-olds pointing to the Kentucky Derby.

1. Tiago, Victor Espinoza
2. Scat Thief, Michael Baze
3. Hurry Up Austin, Jon Court
4. French Transition, Julian Leparoux
5. Saint Paul, Alex Solis
6. Tap It Light, David Cohen
7. Sam P., Garrett Gomez
8. Great Hunter, Corey Nakatani
9. Boutrous, David Flores

Posted by Kevin Modesti at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Below is my top-20 ranking of the contenders for the May 5 Kentucky Derby going into three significant preps on Saturday -- the Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita, and the Fountain of Youth and Hutcheson stakes at Gulfstream Park near Miami. I'm one of eight weekly contributors to the Louisville Courier-Journal's Derby rankings. The entire Courier-Journal poll can be found by clicking here.

My top 10:
1. Nobiz Like Shobiz
A winner at 1 1/8 miles; trained by Barclay Tagg (Funny Cide); runs Saturday in Fla.
2. Street Sense
2-year-old champ drops as Carl Nafzger (Unbridled) delays his 3-year-old debut
3. Ravel
Best of trainer Todd Pletcher's bunch could go in March 17 San Felipe at Santa Anita
4. Any Given Saturday
Another Pletcher, he's starting the season against soft Tampa Bay competition
5. Stormello
Bill Currin will run Hol. Futurity champ vs. No. 1 in Saturday's Fountain of Youth
6. Circular Quay
More Pletcher; BC runnerup's recent loss in La. (with big excuse) was third in a row
7. Liquidity
Doug O'Neill-trained (like No. 8); led, finished second to Stormello, Ravel in last two
8. Notional
His win in the Risen Star was viewed nationally as Circular Quay's hard-luck loss
9. Summer Doldrums
If you're that mythical creature who picks solely by speed figures, he's your horse
10. Great Hunter
Rested by O'Neill after busy '06, BC show horse returns Saturday in Robert Lewis

My second 10:
11. Scat Daddy; 12. Hard Spun; 13. Adore the Gold; 14. E Z Warrior; 15. Day Pass; 16. Forefathers; 17. Horse Greeley; 18. Belgravia; 19. Teuflesberg; 20. Drums of Thunder

Posted by Kevin Modesti at 01:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dodgers Gil Hodges (61 percent), Maury Wills (40.2) and Don Newcombe (20.7) were among the top seven vote-getters in the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee balloting announced Tuesday -- but none of the candidates got the 75 percent needed for enshrinement (see mlb.com coverage and the full results by clicking here).

Among non-players, the late Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley (44.4) and former Dodgers and Angels general manager Buzzie Bavasi (37.0) were among the top four -- but here, too, nobody hit the magic number.

Since their eligibility for the writers' ballot expired long ago, Wills, Newcombe and fans of the late Hodges have anticipated this day each year with the hope the Dodgers greats will be honored.

Wait 'til next year?

Posted by Kevin Modesti at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I’ll take the 15-1 odds in Las Vegas on Jim Furyk to win L.A.’s pro golf tournament, which began this morning and runs through Sunday at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.

Furyk is No. 2 in the official world rankings, and Whatsisname isn’t here.

More important, Furyk has three qualities that most recent Nissan Open winners have shared: he’s experienced (rather than a young phenom), he’s accurate off the tee (instead of a long driver), and he’s in good form (not just a big name).

Of the 20 golfers on which LasVegas Sports Consultants has posted odds – from 6-1 Phil Mickelson to 35-1 Robert Allenby (2001 Nissan winner) and Rory Sabbatini (2006) – Furyk and 30-1 David Toms are the only two to rate high on experience, accuracy and form.

Furyk, 36, is third in the PGA Tour’s drives-in-fairway percentage stat, and is coming off fourth- and sixth-place finishes. Toms, 40, was 30th in drives-in-fairway last season, and has finished eighth, 13th and eighth in his latest tournaments.

Looking good in two of the three key categories: Mickelson, Vijay Singh (8-1), Luke Donald (15-1), Stuart Appleby (25-1), Mike Weir (25-1), and Allenby.

Furyk tied for 12th in the Nissan last year.

Here are Las Vegas’ full Nissan odds (cribbed from the Daily Racing Form):

6-1 – Mickelson
8-1 – Singh
10-1 – Ernie Els
15-1 – Donald, Furyk, Retief Goosen, Adam Scott
20-1 – Sergio Garcia
25-1 – Appleby, Aaron Baddeley, Stewart Cink, Padraig Harrington, Trevor Immelman, Weir
30-1 – Chris DiMarco, Charles Howell III, Justin Rose, Toms
35-1 – Allenby, Sabbatini
2-1 – Everybody else

Posted by Kevin Modesti at 09:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A lot of e-mailers thought I was unfair to Tony Dungy in my column Tuesday on the Super Bowl-winning coach's comments about his Christian faith. So, in the interest of balance, I'll give equal time to those e-mailers. Here are highlights of today's batch of correspondence.

One reader thinks I'm trying to deny Dungy his First Amendment right to speak:

"I thought it didn't matter what race, religion, etc., you were because here in the U.S. you always had the freedom to say what you believe. Thanks for setting us all straight that only the famous people given a pass are those that spew hate for America, our President or Christians. Now I understand who you are as a person."

A reader in Granada Hills voices a similar worry that I'm a threat to the First Amendment:

"In a country that was founded 'under God,' why had it become such a big deal to mention his name? Why does everything have to be politically correct? Modesti, if you go along with that, you stand in jeopardy of ending the Constitutional Ammendments of freedom of the press or freedom of speech. ... Do you want to give up freedom of press? You offend us the reader more often than Dungy with some of the stuff you write. So I start writing your editor to get you censored? It is time that we all become big boys and girls and not get so frazzled about the small stuff."

Here's a reader who suggests Dungy was "talking about the anti-Christian media types," and thinks I shouldn't have quoted Jim Buzinski's column from the Website outsports.com:

"Buzinski ... is not a good source since the site it (his column) is on is immoral."

A reader in Chatworth draws a contrast between Dungy and the Super Bowl's most infamous off-the-field flap:

"I am thinking you probably didn’t have much of a problem with Janet Jackson’s nipple display. So, do you teach your kids to hate God but excuse public nudity? You need to rethink what drives you."

The next reader makes the contrast between Dungy and "all of the end-zone dancing, Sharpie writing, chest pumping, self-centered, now-I-deserve-a-bigger-contract athletes of today":

"I find it very refreshing to hear someone give the glory to someone else … even if that someone else is our creator. Stirring up a hornets nest among liberals, atheists and ACLU pundits is, well, what those groups seem to salivate for anyway. Besides, believe in Him or not, it doesn’t change the fact …He is our creator."

The next says I've "joined the ever-so-liberal branch of the media in attacking Chrisitianity," and asks:

"Why is it that former Dodger Shawn Green is praised by the media when he doesn't play on Jewish holidays? Why isn't he condemned by the same media when he consistently states he is proud of his faith? May that be because it is politically incorrect to criticize Jews but entirely acceptable to criticize Christians?"

Another reader believes I and "the writing/blogging community" are upset with Dungy for refusing to play along with the two-black-coaches story line:

"Dungy did what every faithful follower of Christ would do, that is to glorify God. Read Jer. 9:23-24 or I Cor. 10:31 if you doubt the importance of this for a believer. A disciple of Jesus is under a constant mandate to witness (Acts 1:8) and that Dungy, (Colts owner Jim) Irsay, and (Chicago Bears coach Lovie) Smith did quite well, to the consternation of those seeking their own racial triumph "angle" to the contest."

A reader in Seattle sends answers to the questions I raised about Dungy's comment, including this:

"Should believers of other religions take offense from any or all of this? No. Dungy is proud of his beliefs and how he acted and believes that he is being a positive role model. If others don’t feel the same way about what they believe and how they act, they might want to reconsider what they believe in and how they act."

A reader in Castaic says I exaggerate the importance of "color and ethnicity and religious labels," and says this is "what's wrong with our culture today":

"When I see Tony Dungy, I see a fine Christian man, an excellent coach, and an excellent example before I see that he is black. Our society would be light years ahead if everyone saw things this way (my opinion, of course)."

This reader says "those of faith" have been "subjected to discrimination" in recent years:

"Give the man his due and back down on your righteous interpretation of his alleged superiority. Respect for others' beliefs means everyone's beliefs, not just non-Christians."

Similarly, this reader complains that the faithful "have had to sit by and watch this country take our right to faith away from us while the secular world does whatever it wants":

"You see, Kevin, what we have is not a 'religion.' It's a relationship with Jesus Christ! And the last time I looked at the Constitution, it guaranteed us 'freedom of religion,' not freedom from religion!"

Here's someone in Thousand Oaks who fears my column put a negative spin on "what should have been a report dwelling on (Dungy's) achievement":

"I find it both bothersome and disturbing when journalists take it upon themselves to write articles sparking debate and questioning the simple statements made by individuals, especially those made by Tony Dungy, a highly respected man in and out of pro football. ... (Y)our article and other oral commentary by sportscasters only creates heated debate. Is this what you want?"

This reader thinks I just don't get it:

"You secular progressive sportswriters can't handle a Christian coach giving glory to God. But it's nothing new. Skip Bayless made a career by ripping Tom Landry 30 years ago. You can't understand how central faith can be to a person's life and work."

And -- finally -- here's a reader who disagrees with critics of Dungy's remark but seems to appreciate that I put their thoughts in the paper:

"Does someone always have to be offended? Give the guy credit. He's got his priorities in order. Great article. Thanks!"

Thank you all.

Posted by Kevin Modesti at 09:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)