Breeders' Cup honors golf legend Gary Player

Horseracing Betting Lines

10/30/2009 - Arcadia, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Golf legend Gary Player has been awarded the first ever Breeders' Cup Sports and Racing Excellence Award.

The Breeders' Cup Sports and Racing Excellence Award honors an individual who has established a career of excellence in a chosen profession and also maintains a passionate interest as an owner, breeder or participant in the Thoroughbred racing industry.

"I am chuffed at being selected for this inaugural award," said Player from his stud farm in South Africa, "and delighted to accept it on behalf of all horse lovers around the world. If I had to choose golf over horses, I would miss my clubs."

Gary Player Stud Farm is recognized throughout the world for breeding high quality thoroughbred race horses. The farm, which covers 20,000 acres, has been in operation since 1974 and has produced many stakes winners including Pinehurst, World Over, Foreign Source, Kadarko, Foolish Pride, Creator and Superwood.

"Demonstrating that same commitment to excellence which made him the world's greatest international golfer, Gary's outstanding success as a thoroughbred breeder and passionate supporter of horse racing makes him an extraordinary first recipient of our Sports and Racing Award," said Breeders' Cup President and CEO Greg Avioli.

"On behalf of our board, the racing industry and Gary's many fans and followers around the world, we are extremely proud to present him with this honor at the Breeders' Cup."

The Sports and Racing Excellence Award will be presented to Gary Player at Santa Anita Park on Thursday, November 5. The award itself is a Steuben crystal.

Wwwnelottery Horseracing Betting News

<< Donaghy won't go away
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For nearly 30 years on the day before the Oscars, the Golden Raspberry Awards have celebrated the worst Hollywood has to offer. There is the obvious stuff like Worst Picture, Worst Actor and Worst Actress, along wi

<< Semifinals set at Volvo World Match Play
Casares, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Anthony Kim, Robert Allenby, Masters champion Angel Cabrera and Ross Fisher advanced to Saturday's semifinals of the Volvo World Match Play Championship. On Friday, the four groups involved in

<< Granderson earns Marvin Miller Man of the Year award
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Detroit Tigers outfielder Curtis Granderson was named the recipient of the 2009 Marvin Miller Man of the Year award. The award is named for the founding executive director of the MLB Players Associatio

<< Pujols named Player of the Year by peers
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was honored as the Player of the Year in voting among his major league peers. Pujols, also the NL's Outstanding Player, had one of his best statistic

<< Chelsea quintet on shortlist for FIFA POY award
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chelsea quintet Frank Lampard, John Terry, Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba and Michael Essien have been included on a 23- man shortlist for this season's FIFA World Player of the Year award. England inter

Big Ten Play of the Year >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Iowa Hawkeyes moved up two slots from sixth to fourth in the latest BCS standings after a hard-fought victory at Michigan State - a win that took its toll on the health of a few important cogs in their a

UConn unanimously tops preseason women's poll >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Connecticut women's basketball team is once again atop the Associated Press poll to start the upcoming season. The Huskies, who went 39-0 and won their sixth national cham

McGrew named as full-time crew chief for Earnhardt Jr. >>
Talladega, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hendrick Motorsports on Friday named Lance McGrew the full-time crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No.88 Chevrolet, effective immediately. McGrew, 41, took over crew chief duties for Earnhardt Jr. o

SEC adopts new penalties for criticizing officials >>
Birmingham, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Southeastern Conference has strengthened its penalties for publicly criticizing league officials. Instead of reprimands, such as those given to Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin and Mississippi State's Da

Eagles RB Westbrook questionable vs. Giants >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook missed practice Friday and is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Giants. Westbrook suffered a concussion in last Monday'

Big 12 Conference betting odds

Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State

Texas joins Texas A&M and Kansas as locks after getting league win No. 11. Texas Tech greatly helped its own hopes and crippled OK State's with the two-point win Saturday. Is K-State the last reasonable hopeful? Could be an elimination match in Stillwater on Tuesday, at least for the Cowboys.

Work left to do:

Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on.

Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough.

Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.