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One of the anticipated NHL off season moves was the migration of Vinny Lecavalier to the Montreal Canadiens. Bob Gainey’s excoriation of Tampa GM Brain Lawton seemingly closed the door on that move. Mark me as suspicious. Gainey would have been under increasing pressure to pick up the francophone star and his onerous contractual obligations. With a flurry of accusations and recriminations, Gainey attempted to lay the blame for the Habs dismal season on the doorstep of the Lightning. In fact, Gainey was using devious means to obtain separation from the potential trading partner and fracture the mindset in Quebec which anticipated a Lecavalier homecoming. Gainey doesn’t want the financial package accompanying the Lightning player and made a preemptive strike against the accumulating pressure to obtain the player…plot thickens; Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets has refused to make a long term commitment to the franchise. On July 1^st, 2010, Nash will be formally named Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs…the Philadelphia Flyers are -130 favourites at home to the Penguins today, the Blackhawk’s -155 over Calgary and the San Jose Sharks a surprising -200 at home to Anaheim. The Penguins have caught my attention, they need to down the Flyers and turn their attention to more pressing matters, they’re my play this afternoon ….Nikolai Khabibulin will start for the Blackhawk’s. After a porous performance in Game 4 speculation centered on a start for capable Cristobel Huet. It’s the right pick allowing the Bulin Wall a chance for redemption…if you still have faith in Eric Staal and the Carolina Hurricanes, you can bet them at +315 to win their series against the New Jersey Devils. Cam Ward has been outstanding and, surely, Eric Cole can break out and ignite the Canes top line, right? Yeah, I’ll take a small taste of that action…Simeon Varlamov plays goal like a cat on a hot tin roof. With explosive speed and cultivated instincts, he skitters to and fro with dramatic intensity. Oh yes, he’s a keeper and everything the Caps have been hoping for in a backstopping prospect…Justin Pogge plays goal like a bloated raccoon corpse on a hot tin roof… 41.7 million of the 78 million the Detroit Lions signed Matthew Stafford for last night is guaranteed. It is the most lucrative contract ever inked by a rookie…an interesting whisper has the St Louis Rams willing to part with QB Marc Bulger. The New York Jets are apparently interested and, if the deal is made, the Rams could upset the plans of many teams by taking Mark Sanchez. Again, this could all be a ploy by the Rams to garner a king’s ransom for their second overall pick…Kyle Busch has been hammered down to 2-1for tomorrows big NASCAR event at Talladega. Look, that’s far too low for any driver at the Alabama track famous for “The Big One”, the huge multi car crash that seems to define restrictor plate racing…at many online casinos Pioneer of the Nile has dropped to under 5-1 for the May 2nd Kentucky Derby. Is it Bob Baffert’s world and we just live in it? The son of Empire Maker has made a powerful impression in Kentucky this week and looks poised to run a career high while hitting the dirt. I Want Revenge remains the favourite at about 7-2 while Quality Road has soared to 14-1 on the basis of his development of a second quarter crack…Quality Road could easily be the most talented runner in the field, a total package with tremendous speed and dependable stamina. But I’m getting the feeling the cursed colt will be reduced to an historical footnote as he struggles to remain sound. Great runners like Pulpit and Unbridled‘s Song are able to live on through their progeny despite never being able to strut their stuff in an American Classic…at 50-1 or more, absolutely you take a flyer on Win Willy, the son of the first Derby pick the Racing Meridian ever made, the redoubtable Monarchos…the drawback of betting from afar; I wagered on Selective Shopper in the last at Woodbine yesterday and then, y’know, worked for a living. I was groin punched when, upon reading the results, I realized Todd Kabel had given up the mount and the animal was, instead, partnered by a sack of oats. The horse was yanked back to dead last from the break, a peculiar strategy in a five and a half furlong race one has a legitimate chance to win, but closed with a rush to miss the place by a nose. If Kabel had been on? Draw your own conclusions…Edison Miranda is +200 for his May 16^th scuffle with Olympian Andre Ward. Is Ward the next Roy Jones, or Joe Mesi? I say bloated Buffalonian and plan to wager enthusiastically on Miranda…wagering on the Vladimir Klitschko - David Haye match is surprisingly tight, with the Ukrainian at -260 while the Brit can be had at +220…if you believe Antonio Tarver has anything left at all, he can be picked up at a juicy +500 for his May 9^th rematch with Chad Dawson…in the FIRST at Woodbine I’m hoping the aforementioned Mr. Kabel shows up to pilot Bob N Weave. The young filly plunges to grapple with cheapies and should be a force in the final furlong against some faint hearted ones. The same trainer/jockey connection can be safely played in he SECOND with the fast It’s Ridiculous. In the THIRD Trip Permit offers value as an overlay. The colt fumbled against a speed demon April 11^th but receives serious class relief this afternoon. In the SIXTH a straight Bear’s Rocket/Shafted exactor should be the ticket. In the SEVENTH Gantu should have plenty of pace to run down while under the command of sprint specialist Enrico Rosa Da Silva. In the EIGHTH, the Jacques Cartier Stakes, Legal Move reunites with Pat Husbands and is a threat for the top prize. If I can get double digits, I’ll make an investment on Choreography in the NINTH. The nine year old is sitting on a big effort but he may have been placed a tad high for his aging bones. In a very bizarre way, I’m looking forward to the TENTH. An amazingly wretched group of maidens has been collected for what should be a horror show of a finale. Splash of Gold has finished second seven times but the mare finds a group so devoid of skill I’m actually anticipating a win. Yep, ask for value, and, of course, don’t take the elastic off the bankroll, but let’s have a bit of fun and see if the no hoper finally has a moment in the sun. She’s the Susan Boyle of Woodbine!