Safarova pulls out in Prague

Tennis Betting Lines

07/14/2010 - Prague, Czech Republic (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded heavy Czech crowd favorite Lucie Safarova pulled out of her scheduled second-round match Wednesday at the $220,000 Prague Open tennis event.

Safarova was slated to meet Sweden's Johanna Larsson on Day 3, but she decided against competing, citing a left hamstring injury. The world No. 24 Czech played, and won, with her leg taped here on Tuesday. Larsson received a walkover into Friday's quarterfinals on the red clay at Stvanice.

Eighth-seeded Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova gave the host nation at least one representative in Friday's quarters by coming from behind to beat Russian qualifier Ksenia Pervak 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. Zahlavova Strycova will face Larsson in the round of eight.

One other second-rounder saw Georgian Anna Tatishvili handle Czech lucky- loser Eva Hrdinova 6-4, 6-3.

On Thursday here, last week's Budapest titlist Agnes Szavay and runner-up Patty Schnyder will play their second-round bouts in Prague. Szavay is seeded seventh this week, while the 31-year-old Schnyder is unseeded.

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.