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We are going to take a circuitous route to get to a point I want to make, but bear with me. In this instance, the long way home is the interesting way home.Lets go back for a moment to Kentucky Oaks Day. Remember how Carina Mia had to run in the Eight Belles Stakes on the undercard because she didnt have enough points to get into the oversubscribed Oaks, not for performance reasons, but because of other circumstances beyond her control (the quarantine at Payson Park, Carina Mias winter quarters)? And remember how Carina Mia was so impressive winning the Eight Belles as miles the best that more than a few people opined the fillies in the Oaks were quite fortunate they didnt have to face Carina Mia that day?Okay, now lets flash back to Belmont Stakes Day, to specifically the Acorn Stakes on that tremendous undercard. The Acorn is a prestigious race; its not the Oaks, but its a terrific event, and it was Carina Mias opportunity to extract revenge on the circumstances that prevented her from competing in the Oaks, not to mention two major Oaks figures -- the winner, Cathryn Sophia, and Go Maggie Go, second-best in the Oaks after finishing a tough-trip fourth, and winner of the subsequent Black-Eyed Susan. And Carina Mia did gain a measure of revenge, winning the Acorn as clearly the best, beating both Cathryn Sophia and Go Maggie Go.Somewhat lost in that intriguing Carina Mia-Kentucky Oaks storyline was the performance of the runner up in the Acorn, Off the Tracks. Off the Tracks showed a lot of potential winning both of her starts last year, including a strong score in the Schuylerville Stakes. She romped in the Margate in her first start this year despite being announced as being nowhere near completely fit. She was then switched over to trainer Todd Pletcher, and followed with what was her only unsatisfying outing, a third as the 4-5 favorite to Go Maggie Go in the Gulfstream Park Oaks.But as flat as Off the Tracks was in the Gulfstream Oaks was as good as she was in defeat in the Acorn. Off the Tracks was held up in traffic from late on the far turn to nearly mid-stretch in the Acorn, costing her momentum, while Carina Mia got the jump on her with a clear, unobstructed run on the outside. Im not suggesting that Off the Tracks would have beaten Carina Mia in the Acorn with a clean trip. No one knows that. But what we do know is, Off the Tracks finished strongly once clear, was beaten only a little more than a length, and, notably, finished ahead of both Cathryn Sophia and Go Maggie Go.That was the setup to Off the Trackss start in Saturdays Mother Goose at Belmont Park, another race that, among other things, put the form of the Kentucky Oaks to the test, and other race that threw shade on the Oaks form.Off the Tracks faced three opponents in the Mother Goose who ran in the Kentucky Oaks -- Lewis Bay, who finished a good third; Mo dAmour, who finished fifth; and Rachels Valentina, the daughter of the heralded Rachel Alexandra who was widely expected to rebound off a sixth in the Oaks as the favorite. And Off the Tracks was simply much, much better than all of them.Off the Tracks set the Mother Goose pace under pressure, and while Belmonts main track was quite fast on Saturday, her fractions of 22.79 seconds, 45.53, and 1:09.62 were very strong for a race for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles. Thats why when Lewis Bay, who did stumble at the start, but who also sat a beautiful inside trip off the pace, tipped out at the top of the stretch with dead aim on Off the Tracks, she looked 2-5 to inhale Off the Tracks and win decisively. Instead, Off the Tracks turned back and ran away from Lewis Bay like she wasnt even there. This was powerful stuff.As for Mo dAmour, she clunked along to finish a non-threatening fourth. And in Rachels Valentinas defense, she also stumbled at the start. But still, she really gave it up in the stretch after holding sweet early outside stalking position and finished fifth, again as the favorite.Its funny. When a division has a leader as dominant as Songbird is in this years 3-year-old filly division, the rest of the division is, far more often than not, weak and uninspiring. Not so with this years 3-year-old filly division, though. Its stunning how there are so many legitimately good ones, even in the face of Songbird.Lucky us.Quick notes* She is a Grade 1 winner and twice Grade 1 stakes placed, so shes set for life. Nevertheless, I honestly feel bad for Rachels Valentina. Given that her mom is Rachel Alexandra, how can she ever live up to expectations?* I like early-season 2-year-old racing. Its good for the game, and its good for 2-year-olds. That said, I usually dont put much stock in early-season 2-year-old stakes results, which is why 2-year-old rankings dont appear in my Watchmaker Watch until mid-August. However, if the resurgence in early 2-year-old racing that seems to have taken place over the last couple of years continues, I might reassess.But my skepticism of early 2-year-old stakes is being put to the test by the Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs. I thought the Bashford Manor was, in relative terms, a very strongly run race. The final time of 1:09.39 for six furlongs is impressive compared with the 1:11.01 fillies needed to complete the Debutante Stakes just 34 minutes later. Classic Empire came from inside, outside, and inside, and from well off the pace to catch the very speedy Recruiting Ready, with the rest of the Bashford Manor field a city block up the track. I think both a very nice prospects.* Its anyones guess if he will improve for the experience, or if he will return to his free, front-running style, but Danzing Candy clearly did not like being rated early in the Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita, and could only finish second at 1-5. It wouldnt matter so much if Danzing Candy werent so talented. But he is very talented, as he showed when he won the San Felipe over Mor Spirit and Preakness winner Exaggerator. Shane Greene Jersey . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. Sparky Anderson Jersey . - Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie never doubted he would bring back coach Dennis Allen for a third year despite back-to-back 4-12 records. http://www.tigersgearshop.com/Tigers-Alex-Wilson-Kids-Jersey/ . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. Omar Infante Jersey . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. Alan Trammell Jersey . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period.Some of the NFL’s most valuable stars are coming to the end of their contracts, which could spark a bidding war of eye-watering numbers. What is an exclusive franchise tag? A one-year offer to a player. It must be at least the average of the top five salaries at the players position, or 120 percent of the players previous salary, whichever is greater. The players team has all negotiating rights to the player. But Tuesday marks the opening of a window where teams can place a franchise or transition tag on players that are soon to become free agents. March 1 is the deadline, meaning owners will be forced to get the cheque book out to keep their star men.Heres a list of valuable commodities whose contracts are nearing their end… Ins & outs Follow our live updates of the NFL market Von Miller, Denver Broncos Von Miller sacks Carolinas Cam Newton before Denver score a touchdown No player in the NFL has the bargaining power that the aggressive pass rusher currently has at the negotiating table. A stunning Super Bowl 50 performance resulted in the MVP award and helped the Broncos defeat Carolina Panthers. No individual was more influential in that result than Miller.Understanding his own worth as the lynchpin of the leagues best defence, Miller has been vocal about his demands to become the NFLs highest paid defensive player. The Broncos have no intention of losing him, meaning they might apply a franchise tag then negotiate a long-term deal, which will see Miller laugh all the way to the bank. What is a non-exclusive franchise tag? A one-year offer to a player. Like the exclusive franchise tag, it must be at least the average of the top five salaries at the players position or 120 percent of the players previous salary, whichever is greater. Unlike the exclusive franchise tag, the player can negotiate with other teams. The players current team has the right to match any offer, or receive two first-round picks as compensation. Brock Osweiler, Denver Broncos Brock Osweiler hits CJ Anderson for a touchdown against the Patriots The young quarterback briefly usurped the legendary Peyton Manning as the Broncos main man before relinquishing the position as the team won Super Bowl 50. With Mannings future in doubt, Osweiler would be the leading contender to replace him as Denvers starter, but he must first work out his contract.The elephant in the room is Miller, the Broncos star defensive player, whose contract also runs out and who will be their priority. Osweiler may have to be sacrificed.Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins Kirk Cousins finds DeSean Jackson for a 63-yard touchdown A franchise tag on the Redskins quarterback would cost them $19.6 million, according to NFL.com. Worth the money? Cousins just set a Redskins single-season record for passing yards (4,166) and total touchdowns (34). His rapid development into one of the NFLs rising quarterbacks has perhaps caught his employers off guard and retaining him will be their biggest concern this off-season. What is a transition tag? A one-year offer to a player for an amount that is the average of the top 10 salaries at the position. It guarantees the original club the right to match any offer the player may receive from another team. The transition tag can only be used if the franchise tag is not used by a team in that year. Transition tags can be rescinded, but teams that rescind a transition tag cannot use it again until next season. Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs Eric Berrys was one of the stories of this or any NFL season The return of Berry to the field after being after being diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma in December of 2014 was the most uplifting story in the NFL in 2015. To return at a Pro Bowl was truly remarkable and he was crowned AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year as well as being named First-team All-Pro.Berry headlines a host of impact Chiefs defenders scheduled to hit free agency with cornerback Sean Smith, linebacker Derrick Johnson, edge rusher Tamba Hali and defensive tackle Jaye Howard also free agents. The Chiefs defense is one of the best in the NFL and general manager John Dorsey will be keen to keep together a unit that propelled Kansas City into the playoffs.The market for safeties has been set by recent deals for Earl Thomas, who received a four-year, $40m deal from the Seattle Seahawks and Devin McCourty who signed a five-year, $47.5m contract with the New England Patriots. This is what Berry will aim for and the two sides have already begun negotiations according to NFL.coms Ian Rapaport.If the sides cannot reach an agreement, franchising Berry will not be cheap. The tag cost $9.6m to apply to a safety in 2015 and that figure is projected to rise well above $10m for 2015.Reggie Nelson, Cincinnati Bengals Reggie Nelsonn of the Bengals hits Owen Daniels of the Broncos Age can inevitably affect a players worth, as Nelson could find out this off-season.dddddddddddd The safety will soon be 33, which isnt an attractive proposition, but in the 2015 season, he made eight interceptions, which was the joint-highest in the NFL. The Bengals wont want to let him walk away but would be loath to hand him a long-term, big-money deal. Spending $10.6 million on a franchise tag is the obvious option, keeping Nelson for another season before they can reassess.Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears Will we see Alshon Jeffery in a Chicago Bears uniform again? Theres a Daniel Sturridge-at-Liverpool situation developing in the Windy City. Jeffery, when fully fit and firing, is a wide receiver who posts the kind of numbers that the Bears would be looking for. But he missed most of 2015 and with his contract winding down, is it worth shelling out for another year when his fitness isnt guaranteed? The Bears must consider if the outlay is better spent elsewhere.Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets Muhammad Wilkerson could be franchised by the New York Jets The Jets unsuccessfully tried to negotiate a contract extension with Wilkerson prior to last season and his value has only gone up after a career year in 2015. Wilkerson racked up a career-best 12 sacks, which was the most by a Jets player since 2003.The 26-year-old was asked to play more off the edge on passing downs following the addition of number six overall pick Leonard Williams in the 2015 draft and flourished in that role. Williams has been as good as advertised and that means the Jets will likely choose between extending Wilkerson or Sheldon Richardson, who is a free agent after the 2016 season and also likely to command a huge pay day.Outstanding against the run and the pass, Wilkersons scheme versatility - he can excel in both a 3-4 and a 4-3 - and his position flexibility would make him an extremely coveted player on the open market.The starting point for any negotiations would be the five-year, $55m contract ($11m per season average) signed by New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Cameron Jordan last June. Wilkerson is likely to argue he deserves something closer to the six-year, $95.1m deal ($15.85m per season average) signed by Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus in September.The franchise tag for defensive ends was $14.8m in 2015 and that figure will go up next season. That is a big hit for a Jets team that will be operating with limited cap space following the high-priced acquisitions of Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Brandon Marshall last offseason.The Jets appear likely to franchise Wilkerson but may be willing to listen to trade offers for him if they cannot hammer out a deal before the deadline to agree extensions for franchised players in July.Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Doug Martin ran 84 yards from the 10 yard line but just missed out on getting the touchdown. The 2015 All-Pro is already mid-way through contract renewal talks with the Bucaneers but pen hasnt yet been put to paper. The finest year of his career so far means he can play hardball in the boardroom, but a franchise tag for the running-back is expected to be $11.5 million, a figure that is easily affordable for his employers.Cordy Glenn, Buffalo Bills Cordy Glenn (r) #77 of the Buffalo Bills has been a big part of the successful Bills rushing attack Cordy Glenn has been a mainstay at left tackle for the Buffalo Bills since being taking in the second round of the 2012 round, starting 61 of 64 games during that period.The Bills rushing attack was the best in the NFL last season as they finished number one in yards (2,432) and joint first in yards per attempt (4.8) and Glenn was a huge part of that. Buffalo were most successful running to the left behind Glenn, who is a dominating run blocker, and left guard Richie Incognito - who is also a free agent.Glenn has also shown himself to be very solid in pass protection during his four seasons in the NFL and that well-rounded skillset, combined with his age - he is 26-years-old - and the fact he plays a premium position has set him up to cash in this offseason.The 2015 franchise tag for an offensive lineman was $12.9m and that figure will climb north of $13m for next season. That is going to be a difficult number for the cash-strapped Bills to meet but they can create $12.9m in cap space by cutting defensive end Mario Williams, a move which is expected to happen.Trent Williams of the Washington Redskins is currently the NFLs best-paid offensive tackle after signing a five-year deal last season averaging $13.6m per year. Dallas Tyron Smith ($12.2m), Clevelands Joe Thomas ($11.5m), Indianapolis Anthony Castonzo ($10.9m) and Denvers Ryan Clady ($10.5m) round out the top five.Glenn is likely to demand more than Castonzo at the very least. Josh Norman, Carolina Panthers Josh Norman made his mark this season with several stunning displays The 28-year-old was one of the leagues most impressive cornerbacks this season and Carolina must pay $13.7 million to put a franchise tag on him. In the context of the NFL, that could easily be seen as a no-brainer for the Super Bowl runners-up. The Panthers are not shy to spend the cash to keep their top players. Two years ago they got another season out of Greg Hardy using a franchise tag.Russell Okung, Seattle Seahawks Jeremy Mincey, of the Dallas Cowboys, battles Russell Okung The defensive player is a perfect example of how a player can fetch a salary well above his worth if another area of his team is under-performing. The Seahawks offence has misfired, meaning the last thing they want to do is lose a starting pass protector. Time for Okung to buy himself a congratulatory gift? Not quite. A dislocated shoulder on the last day of the season means a five-month recovery period, which he has informed all 32 teams about. Suddenly the ball is back in the Seahawks court. Also See: NFL Video Rookies: Tops & flops Ins & outs NFL on Sky Sports ' ' '