Rachel Alexandra puts in work for Personal Ensign

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08/02/2010 - Saratoga Springs, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A little less than four weeks before she returns to the races, 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra had a five- furlong workout Monday morning. The four-year-old filly will make her next start in the 1 1/4-mile Personal Ensign at Saratoga on August 29.

With jockey Shaun Bridgmohan riding, the champion covered the five-furlongs in 1:02.45 on Saratoga's Oklahoma training track.

"I thought she looked really good," said trainer Steve Asmussen. "Shaun did a good job with her. She obviously was very strong away from the pole, but she looked beautiful. This morning was a little warmer than it has been the past two days. I think the cooler weather this week has had her energy level very high, and we did a little more with her first work back today than we normally do off a race [because] of how she'd been galloping the past few days."

Rachel Alexandra will have workouts the next three Monday mornings leading up to the Personal Ensign, which will be her initial attempt at 1 1/4-miles. Her previous longest race was last year's 1 3/16-miles Preakness, which she won.

"She's always been very impressive; something that everybody has noted on is how she gallops out after a race," noted Asmussen. "She shows that in her training. It is going to be her first time at 1 1/4-miles running, and it isn't galloping out."

Owned by Stonestreet Stable and Harold McCormick, Rachel is no stranger to winning at Saratoga. As a three-year-old she won the Woodward versus older males. Her regular jockey is two-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel.

"I feel very comfortable, with her being here and having had the success she had last year," added Asmussen. "Right now, you try to get her work schedule where it is and hope that Mother Nature allows you to do that."

She won the $400,000 Lady's Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park in her most recent start. The champion filly has won two of four races in 2010, including her last two, for $498,376.

Rachel has won 13 of 18 career starts for $3,446,730.

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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