ciation circuit, winning the most races annually at Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga from 2009-12. He set records for wins at a Saratoga meet (68 in 2012)

America goes crazy for its college basketball on Thursday with the start of the NCAA Tournament – or March Madness – as it’s called. Beware the Ides of March, a soothsayer once told Julius Caesar, warning of the great leaders death. Ignoring the soothsayer turned out to be a real brute for the great Roman leader… Anyway, the kings of college basketball - Kansas, Michigan State, Virginia, Oregon, North Carolina - had better watch out for the Ides of March - or the giant-killers.But before all that, lets fill you in with what its all about: College basketball reaches its pinnacle every March What is March Madness?Its a 64-team basketball tournament, spread over three weeks. The first round starts this Thursday and ends late on Friday, the second round in Saturday-Sunday, and then the last Sweet 16 is March 24-25, the Elite Eight is Saturday-Sunday March 26-27, and then its Saturdays Final Four is April 2, and the Final on Monday April 4.In other words, if you love your basketball and all the excitement that goes with it, youve picked the right month.How does it work?If youve splurged a lot of betting money on college basketball this season, its pretty likely that you have been lucky to break even this season. Everyone seems to have beaten everybody. Its been like a big Premier League.And that parity has made things really, really fun. The way that the pre-March Madness season works is that theres a 1-25 ranking, with No 1 the best and 25th a mere marker. Frankly, the committee should be ranking 64 teams, but that would take the glamour out of March Madness, plus it would be 25 ranked teams is tradition.In college basketball there are four quadrants (North, South, East, West), where the No 1 team is matched up with a No 16 team, No 2 team matched up with a No 15 team and so on. If youve had an inconsistent regular season, youre going to be ranked lower than if youve had a good season. Its the same reason why, say, Novak Djokovic is always the No 1 seed at Wimbledon and he rarely ever loses.Theres a lot of money spent…The opening four day of March Madness also the busiest day for visitors in Vegas apart from the Super Bowl, and is generally seen as a quasi-national holiday. And with the first day coming on Thursday, which ties in nicely with St Patricks Day, expect a lot of luck to be requested! The annual event has become a mainstay in American sports Who are the favourites?Kansas (6/1), Michigan State (13/2), North Carolina (7/1) are your three main favourites, and theres some love for Virginia and Kentucky (both 12/1). I happen to think Kansas are a lovely bet at 6/1 for the title, although Michigan State - who wont face Kansas unless its the final - is equally good money for 13/2. Kansas have been in great form since late January and seeing some of their games in the run-in, they are nothing if not impressive.NCAA = NBA future?One of the best things about March Madness is thinking: Will these guys do well in the NBA?Steph Curry, who currently cant do anything wrong in the NBA, was a hero for small school Davidson, taking them to the sweet 16 with a string of incredible performances.Magic Johnson lit up the tourney in 1979 for Michigan State. He was then drafted first by the LA Lakers. He did pretty well after that. Johnson faced off in the final against Indiana State and future Hall of Famer Larry Bird. Stephen Curry #30 of the Davidson Wildcats shone during March Madness Oh, and a guy who played for North Carolina hit the game-winning shot in the 1982 Championship Game. His name was Michael Jordan.We cant wait for the 2016 crop - although well be without almost-certain No 1 pick Ben Simmons from LSU, who isnt making an appearance this year.So let the madness come…The best thing - unless youre a betting man - isnt the domination of the big teams. Its the small schools making history. I still remember where I was watching No 15 Hampton beating No 2 Iowa State in 2001, and No 11 George Mason beating No 1 Connecticut in 2006.I remember No 15 Lehighs upset of the one of college basketballs superpowers - Duke (No 2) in 2012. And No 14 Mercer doing the same to Duke - then ranked No 3 - in 2014. And of course, when everybodys favourite - Kentucky - lost to unfancied Wisconsin in the Final Four last year, we all went a bit mad too.Lets hope for more of the same in 2016! Anthony Rendon Jersey Large . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. Cheap Custom Nationals Jersey . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. Jonathan Drouin also scored and had three assists while Zachary Fucale made 17 saves for the Mooseheads (16-8-0), who led 6-1 after two periods. http://www.customnationalsjersey.com/ .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. Custom Anthony Rendon Jersey . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. Wholesale Custom Nationals Shirts . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- For the first time since his forced retirement in 2013, Ramon Dominguez has spent a large amount of time at the racetrack this summer at Saratoga.His apprehension has been replaced by the realization that the track still has the comforts of home.Honestly, I didnt know exactly how I would feel about coming this much, Dominguez said in a recent interview. But Ive been able to appreciate and enjoy the sport from a totally different perspective where when Im riding -- which is something I will always love -- its such a high demand, and I put so much pressure on myself because I need to perform, I need to win, I need to do the best I can, and that takes a little bit away of the fun of enjoying the whole sport.Now, there is no personal attachment as far as having to perform, so therefore I can come and appreciate races, looking at the beautiful horses in the paddock, even people watching, and just seeing all different characters that come to the track, he added.On Friday, many people will be watching Dominguez when he is inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Dominguez will be part of an elite class that includes Steve Asmussen, who ranks second all time among North American trainers in wins and fourth in purse money won; Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly; and Zenyatta, the 2010 Horse of the Year and three-time champion older female.Tom Ochiltree, a horse who won 21 races, including the 1875 Preakness; and jockey Wayne D. Wright -- both elected by the Historic Review Committee -- as well Arthur B. Hancock Jr. and William Woodward also will be inducted, the latter two in the Pillars of the Turf category.Dominguez rode 4,985 winners in a 17-year career from 1996 to 2013. He was a three-time Eclipse Award winner and had become the dominant rider on the New York Racing Association circuit, winning the most races annually at Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga from 2009-12. He set records for wins at a Saratoga meet (68 in 2012) and a Belmont spring/summer meet (98 in 2009).A fierce competitor on the track, Dominguez was a genteel, humble gentleman off it. His career was cut short due to head injuries suffered in a spill at Aqueduct in January 2013, and Dominguez, who can see the Belmont Park grandstand from his bedroom window, mostly stayed away from the track.But this summer, he and his family have come to Saratoga for the meet. Dominguez is interacting with the traineers and owners for whom he rode and the jockeys he competed against, some of whom still seek his counsel.ddddddddddddIt has been great, Dominguez said. The people I have met at the racetrack are my second family, so coming to the jocks room and seeing the guys, its like Im there [riding]; or in the mornings, seeing trainers and owners, I feel like I havent missed a beat.Dominguez, who is now a distributor for LifeVantage, a network marketing company dealing with health and wellness products, has been honored by many organizations this summer. He is an active member of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.Asmussen, 51, enters the Hall of Fame with 7,379 wins and just shy of $245 million in purse money won. In Curlin (2007-08) and Rachel Alexandra (2009), Asmussen trained the Horse of the Year for three consecutive years.In 2014, Asmussen was removed from consideration for the Hall of Fame after being accused of abuse by the animal-activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Asmussen was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. The New York State Gaming Commission fined Asmussen $10,000 for the use of a synthetic hormone but dismissed more serious allegations.Asmussen helped guide Rachel Alexandra through a remarkable 2009 campaign. Wine magnate Jess Jackson purchased Rachel Alexandra a few days following her jaw-dropping Kentucky Oaks victory for trainer Hal Wiggins. Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness with Asmussen as trainer and would beat the boys in the Haskell at Monmouth Park and the Woodward at Saratoga. The latter race completed an 8-for-8 campaign that earned her Horse of the Year.Zenyatta went for 5 for 5 that year, including a victory over males in the Breeders Cup Classic, but finished second to Rachel Alexandra in Horse of the Year voting. In 2010, Zenyatta suffered her first career loss in her 20th and final start to Blame in the Breeders Cup Classic, but her previous five Grade 1 victories at four different tracks earned her the Horse of the Year title.Usually open to the public, this years Hall of Fame ceremony was open only to museum members first and has been sold out.The ceremony, which takes place at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion on East Avenue, will be streamed at DRF.com and on the museums website, www.racingmuseum.org, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Eastern. ' ' '