Your Hoops and Horses Selections for Feb. 26-27

Welcome to America’s Best Racing’s Hoops and Horses column, where winners play!
Horse racing is Joe Kristufek’s means to an end, and he loves the sport like no other, but as a Chicago Bulls season ticket holder for eight years and a feared participant in fantasy hoops, Kristufek also has his finger on the pulse of the NBA.
From growing up with the Flintstones of Michigan State, running March Madness pools out of his hidden manila envelope in high school, to attending conference tournaments, Sweet 16s and Final Fours, college basketball runs in Derek Cooley’s blood.
Let’s sprint out on the fast break, spring the horses from the gate and pad our bankrolls!
College Hoops – by Derek Cooley
First, I want to start with this … is anyone sick of Joe Lunardi yet? I am. 
Can we just let the actual bracket guys do their job on selection Sunday without some blowhard interrupting every basketball game on ESPN with his last four in and out and all that jazz? It won’t be right, anyway! 
I mean, don’t get me wrong. I get the whole thing. I get the idea of bracketology, and I think it’s a great concept that ESPN has run with over this ever-expanding coverage of college sports in general. It’s just him. 
Maybe, I’m a tad jealous because maybe I want his job ... but he reminds me of a guy trying to audition for the role of Steve Buscemi, in Buscemi’s eventual blockbuster autobiographical movie; because we ALL know that will/should happen.
Let’s get this train back on the rails, shall we?
We were a half of a point, yes one-half of one point, away from sweeping Saturday. I thought we had the 3-0 record in the bag after the start Indiana got against Purdue! But as we know all too well, sometimes teams that are favored by 4 1/2  points only win by four. That’s the name of the game.
We were very much correct on our other two picks. North Carolina was not to be messed with on Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, and the 25-point margin of victory over Miami wasn’t even a proper representation of how badly the Tar Heels beat the Hurricanes.
We also took a look at that Oklahoma-West Virginia tilt in Morgantown, and accurately predicted a road win for the struggling Sooners on the heels of Buddy Hield. Oklahoma was actually a four-point underdog in that game, as the line played out Saturday afternoon. When it comes to teams that I have winning that are potential underdogs, I’ll inform you to hammer that money line!
All right, enough about Joe Lunardi, Steve Buscemi and last week’s picks. On to the last weekend of February 
Saturday, February 27, 2016
#16 Kentucky @ Vanderbilt (4 p.m. ET, CBS)
The Wildcats travel to the immaculate Memorial Gymnasium, home of the Vanderbilt Commodores. Vandy has been playing some great, tournament-worthy basketball of late. Damion Jones has really been a force down low in the past couple of Vanderbilt victories, especially their big résumé win at Florida this week. Kentucky, on the other hand, is a team I cannot get a grip on. I love Tyler Ulis, and we’ll see if Derek Willis can give it a go for BBN. However, I think the tandem of Jones and Wade Baldwin IV for Vandy will get the Commodores another huge victory as they look toward March. Of course, I “bash” Joe Lunardi earlier in the article and here I’m using phrases like “tournament-worthy” and “résumé win.” I can’t win them all. Also, I have a feeling this line will be very small, and I wouldn’t be shocked if Vanderbilt was actually favored by a point. If not, take Vandy on the money line.
Vanderbilt - 79
vs. #16 Kentucky - 76        
MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM

By Dieckhmj at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2555139
#10 Maryland @ #20 Purdue (4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Another crucial game here in the B1G, and this one has big time seeding/standings implications when it comes to the B1G regular-season crown and the all-important tournament seeding in a tough conference. Good news for Maryland is that Diamond Stone has returned. He actually returned against Michigan on Sunday and contributed 13 points and 5 rebounds in a win. Robert Carter, Stone’s frontcourt mate, added 17 points and 6 rebounds in that win. Bad news for Maryland is this; it won’t be enough. Purdue’s frontcourt is too strong (Isaac Haas, A. J. Hammons, Caleb Swanigan) and that home-court advantage at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. is the real deal. Maryland allowed Marc Donnal, forward for Michigan, to score 25 points on 10 of 13 shooting on Sunday. That’s a precursor to what might be in store for the Terrapins. I’ve got Purdue in this one, pretty easily, as I also think they will be favored.
#20 Purdue - 75
vs. #10 Maryland - 66       
#7 North Carolina @ #3 Virginia (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The Tar Heels and the Wahoos, a classic Top 10 matchup for some easy Saturday evening viewing for you and your loved ones. I’ll say this right now: I think North Carolina is the best team in the nation. I think Kansas and Michigan State are 2A and 2B, but UNC is by number one, right now, regardless of rankings. The one sport you cannot apply the transitive property to is college basketball. You see what UNC did to Miami, and then Miami subsequently beat Virginia. Both home teams won. If you used the transitive property, UNC would destroy higher-ranked Virginia. However, this game is A. in Charlottesville, and B. college basketball. In all likelihood, because of college basketball reasons, Virginia will win this game. Not so fast my friend, UNC is the one team that can actually go ahead and win a game despite “college basketball reasons.” That’s all the explaining you will need in this low-scoring affair.
#7 North Carolina – 65
at #3 Virginia - 59
Last week: 2-1
Season Total: 3-3 (.500)
Ponies – by Joe Kristufek
Last Saturday’s Louisiana Derby Preview Day selections provided a mixed bag of results, but when the dust settled, we squeezed out a profit.
Clearly Now lost the Duncan F. Kenner Stakes at the break and finished last as the favorite. A slow pace didn’t help Pumpkin Rumble’s cause and he checked in fifth in the Fair Grounds Handicap. In just her second career start and first around two turns, Shaken finished a very respectable third in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes. With a perfect ride from Florent Geroux, Gun Runner bailed us out with a victory in the Risen Star Stakes.
Last week: 4-1-0-1 ($2 WPS * $24 wagered * $30.20 returned)
Season Total: 9-2-1-3 ($2 WPS * $54 wagered * $58.40 returned = $6.49)
Saturday, Feb. 27
Gulfstream Park – Hallandale, Fla.
Race 1 – Texas Glitter Stakes
#6 Noholdingback Bear (morning-line odds, 5-2)
A sprinter with a touch of class, this sophomore son of Put It Back has been chasing top Fountain of Youth Stakes player Awesome Banner in recent starts. The waters aren’t as deep in this one, and the pedigree suggests he may have been born to sprint on grass.
Race 6 – Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3)
#4 Lira (morning-line odds, 2-1)
Undefeated in three starts, this filly won much more impressively than the scant half-length margin of victory indicates last time out. Jockey Javier Castellano was all smiles after the race. This gal might be something special.

Photo by Leslie Martin/Gulfstream Park
Race 8 – Canadian Turf Stakes (G3)
#6 Fredericksburg (morning-line odds, 15-1)
In a race full of viable options, this guy should fly under the radar. A good third in a stakes-caliber allowance last out, he returns quick and adds blinkers for this one. He’s very capable of posting the upset.
Race 11 – Palm Springs Stakes (G3)
#5 Kismet Heels (morning-line odds, 9-2)
He may have lost a narrow decision to his stablemate and fellow Palm Beach combatant last time out, but an argument can be made that he actually ran the better race. Still a maiden with only two races under his belt, he adds blinkers for this and could be on edge to take a huge step forward.
Pro Hoops – by Joe Kristufek
It was a good week coming out of the All-Star break. We were 2-1 both against the spread and on totals. The Washington Wizards easily handled the Detroit Pistons, and it took overtime, but the Orlando Magic forged past the Dallas Mavericks. Shocking, I was dead wrong about the Chicago Bulls, who just seem to have the Toronto Raptors number, and Doug McDermott’s career-high 30 points surely didn’t hurt.
Last week: 4-2
Season Total: 5-3 (.625)
Friday, Feb. 26
Indiana Pacers 107
vs. Charlotte Bobcats 98
Just two short weeks ago, the Bobcats smashed the Pacers in Indiana 117-95. The Pacers remember this and the Bobcats haven’t played a home game since Feb. 8. Every win is important in a condensed Eastern Conference. Indiana is motivated. Charlotte is road weary.
Orlando Magic – 109
at New York Knicks – 107
The Magic still have the playoffs as a target while the Knicks continue to fade out of the picture. Sure, they play the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night, very likely a home loss, but that game should prime Orlando for a good showing against New York. Poor Carmelo Anthony.
TOUGH TIMES FOR 'MELO

By Keith Allison - Flickr: Carmelo Anthony, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29829656
Washington Wizards – 110
at Philadelphia 76ers – 95
The Wizards are maddening. They’re perhaps the NBA’s most under-achieving team and a great example of that came Wednesday night against an undermanned Chicago Bulls team. They need to get their act together to make a playoff run, and they do match up very well with the 76ers.