Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Select your timezone:
Turfway Park has named Daniel "Chip" Bach as its new general manager. The Kentucky native had been serving as the track's director of operations since 2006.
"Turfway and the Kentucky horseracing industry have undergone significant change over the past decade," said Kevin Kline, Caesars Entertainment senior vice president and Horseshoe Cincinnati general manager. "Chip's industry experience, strong leadership, operational expertise and dedication to customer service make him an excellent candidate to navigate and grow Turfway's future."
A graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, Bach came to Turfway in 1999 as director of human resources and safety. Seven years later he was named director of operations. In that capacity he oversaw all day-to-day track activities including racing, mutuels, admissions, facility, grounds, customer service and horsemen relations.
The hiring of Bach coincides with Turfway Park beginning its 37th holiday meet. It's 2013 racing season will again feature the $500,000 Spiral Stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday, March 23.
Read more here: New General Manager at Turfway Park | Horse Racing | The Sun Herald
"Turfway and the Kentucky horseracing industry have undergone significant change over the past decade," said Kevin Kline, Caesars Entertainment senior vice president and Horseshoe Cincinnati general manager. "Chip's industry experience, strong leadership, operational expertise and dedication to customer service make him an excellent candidate to navigate and grow Turfway's future."
A graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, Bach came to Turfway in 1999 as director of human resources and safety. Seven years later he was named director of operations. In that capacity he oversaw all day-to-day track activities including racing, mutuels, admissions, facility, grounds, customer service and horsemen relations.
The hiring of Bach coincides with Turfway Park beginning its 37th holiday meet. It's 2013 racing season will again feature the $500,000 Spiral Stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday, March 23.
Read more here: New General Manager at Turfway Park | Horse Racing | The Sun Herald
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
On a recent Wednesday evening, most of the 40 high definition TVs at the Manhattan sports bar Tavern on Third were, oddly, not tuned to the NBA game. Instead, the screens streamed grainy video from horse racing stadiums in Louisiana and Connecticut, and the bar patrons watched thoroughbreds with names like "Hot Sixes" and "A Lil Bit O Game" sprint down the tracks.
The shift from basketball to the markedly less popular sport of horse racing was thanks to Derby Jackpot, the startup that had taken over the bar for a party. Derby Jackpot is an online game that translates horse racing into the language and imagery of the social games which have become popular on social networks and smartphones. Think FarmVille or Draw Something, but with players betting on live races. Because it’s built around horse racing, it’s legal in 29 states. The federal government shut down the three biggest online poker sites last year in a sweep known as "Black Friday," wiping out the popular and lucrative industry. Online poker is out of commission until a significant number of states legalize it or Congress passes a federal law permitting it, leaving a big hole in the market that Derby Jackpot hopes to fill. "I think it's definitely as fun as poker," cofounder Tom Hessert said. "I think Derby Jackpot is way more fun than poker," countered his brother and cofounder Walt.
Gambling on horse races is one of the few forms of online betting that is unequivocally legal in most states in the US. While poker, bingo, and most sports betting is verboten, the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 made it legal to gamble on racing at "off-track betting" parlors, where bookies would call in the bets to the track. Online betting followed naturally, and the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act has an exception for horse racing.
Most horse racing betting sites, however, are full of statistics and inscrutable jargon — ever hear of a "superfecta" bet, a trixie, or a double carpet? Instead, Derby Jackpot has cute animations, a chatroom, and other features designed to make the game fun, and habit-forming for your average mom on Facebook. It seems silly to talk about gamifying gambling, but that’s what Derby Jackpot is doing. No prior knowledge of the sport required. "It's 80 percent gambling and 20 percent horses," Tom told me back in April before the site had launched. Derby Jackpot has now been in closed beta for five months, and will open to the public in 2013.
Tom, Walt, and their brother Bill are the cofounders of Derby Jackpot. (They're actually the oldest of six brothers.) Between them they have experience in ecommerce, entrepreneurship, and horse racing. Derby Jackpot’s advisors are also an eclectic bunch: a veteran lawyer from the horse racing industry, a former Zynga designer, and Steven Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics, who worked on horse-picking strategies with Bill Hessert.
The Hesserts have started playing down the "80 percent gambling" part of the game and talking up the horsey parts, in order to avoid making it seem like the game is a gimmick to get around laws prohibiting internet gambling.
When asked where the idea came from, Tom now tells a story about when the brothers went to the Preakness Stakes, the second leg in the Triple Crown, and he won a thrilling $25 on his first bet. "I’m always thinking of ideas," he explained on a recent office visit. "We realized there was no easy, fun way to place my bet online."
Derby Jackpot is certainly easy. Players deposit money from a credit card, prepaid card, or via the payments service Dwolla. They can then place bets on the horses in the next live race, which are represented by identical avatars with different-colored masks. There is no information about the jockey, for example, or the horse's history, or even its age — just the horse’s name and its odds. Bets are as low as $2 and can pay out as much as $2,000. Once the results come in, the site encourages players to tweet their winnings.
Derby Jackpot may have as much to do with horse racing as FarmVille has to do with agriculture, but casual fans are exactly what the horse racing industry needs. Horse racing is going the way of Latin — to put it bluntly, it appeals mostly to old white aristocrats. The average age of a horse racing fan is 51, expected to increase to 57 by 2020, according to a comprehensive industry report released in 2011. And with recent crackdowns on many of the major poker websites, there is a hole in the market for a new breed of online gambling. "Online betting is definitely the future," said Mike Salvar, an entrepreneur who worked on that report for the consulting firm McKinsey and Company. "Demystifying it for a casual fan is the number one priority, and making online channels accessible to new fans."
New York’s city-owned off-track betting houses closed at the end of 2010 due to unprofitability. By the end, they’d devolved into sadness repositories where smatterings of unemployed men went to drink before noon.
By contrast, more than 300 guests passed through the Derby Jackpot party. The average age was around 35. They were chatting and drinking, betting on races via the provided iPads, and occasionally watching the screens — the definition of casual fans. And of course, they were tweeting.
Gambling with friends: Derby Jackpot bets horse racing will be the new online poker | The Verge
The shift from basketball to the markedly less popular sport of horse racing was thanks to Derby Jackpot, the startup that had taken over the bar for a party. Derby Jackpot is an online game that translates horse racing into the language and imagery of the social games which have become popular on social networks and smartphones. Think FarmVille or Draw Something, but with players betting on live races. Because it’s built around horse racing, it’s legal in 29 states. The federal government shut down the three biggest online poker sites last year in a sweep known as "Black Friday," wiping out the popular and lucrative industry. Online poker is out of commission until a significant number of states legalize it or Congress passes a federal law permitting it, leaving a big hole in the market that Derby Jackpot hopes to fill. "I think it's definitely as fun as poker," cofounder Tom Hessert said. "I think Derby Jackpot is way more fun than poker," countered his brother and cofounder Walt.
Gambling on horse races is one of the few forms of online betting that is unequivocally legal in most states in the US. While poker, bingo, and most sports betting is verboten, the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 made it legal to gamble on racing at "off-track betting" parlors, where bookies would call in the bets to the track. Online betting followed naturally, and the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act has an exception for horse racing.
Most horse racing betting sites, however, are full of statistics and inscrutable jargon — ever hear of a "superfecta" bet, a trixie, or a double carpet? Instead, Derby Jackpot has cute animations, a chatroom, and other features designed to make the game fun, and habit-forming for your average mom on Facebook. It seems silly to talk about gamifying gambling, but that’s what Derby Jackpot is doing. No prior knowledge of the sport required. "It's 80 percent gambling and 20 percent horses," Tom told me back in April before the site had launched. Derby Jackpot has now been in closed beta for five months, and will open to the public in 2013.
Tom, Walt, and their brother Bill are the cofounders of Derby Jackpot. (They're actually the oldest of six brothers.) Between them they have experience in ecommerce, entrepreneurship, and horse racing. Derby Jackpot’s advisors are also an eclectic bunch: a veteran lawyer from the horse racing industry, a former Zynga designer, and Steven Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics, who worked on horse-picking strategies with Bill Hessert.
The Hesserts have started playing down the "80 percent gambling" part of the game and talking up the horsey parts, in order to avoid making it seem like the game is a gimmick to get around laws prohibiting internet gambling.
When asked where the idea came from, Tom now tells a story about when the brothers went to the Preakness Stakes, the second leg in the Triple Crown, and he won a thrilling $25 on his first bet. "I’m always thinking of ideas," he explained on a recent office visit. "We realized there was no easy, fun way to place my bet online."
Derby Jackpot is certainly easy. Players deposit money from a credit card, prepaid card, or via the payments service Dwolla. They can then place bets on the horses in the next live race, which are represented by identical avatars with different-colored masks. There is no information about the jockey, for example, or the horse's history, or even its age — just the horse’s name and its odds. Bets are as low as $2 and can pay out as much as $2,000. Once the results come in, the site encourages players to tweet their winnings.
Derby Jackpot may have as much to do with horse racing as FarmVille has to do with agriculture, but casual fans are exactly what the horse racing industry needs. Horse racing is going the way of Latin — to put it bluntly, it appeals mostly to old white aristocrats. The average age of a horse racing fan is 51, expected to increase to 57 by 2020, according to a comprehensive industry report released in 2011. And with recent crackdowns on many of the major poker websites, there is a hole in the market for a new breed of online gambling. "Online betting is definitely the future," said Mike Salvar, an entrepreneur who worked on that report for the consulting firm McKinsey and Company. "Demystifying it for a casual fan is the number one priority, and making online channels accessible to new fans."
New York’s city-owned off-track betting houses closed at the end of 2010 due to unprofitability. By the end, they’d devolved into sadness repositories where smatterings of unemployed men went to drink before noon.
By contrast, more than 300 guests passed through the Derby Jackpot party. The average age was around 35. They were chatting and drinking, betting on races via the provided iPads, and occasionally watching the screens — the definition of casual fans. And of course, they were tweeting.
Gambling with friends: Derby Jackpot bets horse racing will be the new online poker | The Verge
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The North Dakota Horse Park here could have up to nine days of horse racing in 2013.
The state Racing Commission granted nine days to the Fargo track last week in Bismarck but deferred an award of funding until a February meeting, Racing Director Winston Satran said.
Wes Heinert, president of Horse Race North Dakota, which operates the Fargo track, is pleased with the number of days allowed for a 2013 meet, which is expected sometime between July 26 and Aug. 18.
“When they do determine the amount of funding they are going to give us, then we can go ahead and determine how many of the nine days we can use,” Heinert said.
Horse Race North Dakota requested 12 days of racing for 2013, $220,000 in purse money and $300,000 in promotion funds.
Satran said a funding decision was delayed until February, when final deposits from tax funds are known.
Funding for the state’s two horse-race tracks is generated by taxes on account deposit wagering and then divided into purse money or promotions for the tracks.
Account deposit wagering is when someone deposits money in an account using a wagering hub licensed by the commission. The money in each account is then used to pay for race bets that can be made in person, by telephone or online, and companies operating the hubs are taxed.
“We’ll see how much money we can fund per day or they can raise money to fund each day themselves,” Satran said.
Before a four-day meet in July, the Fargo track was shuttered for two years due to mounting debt that included nearly $2 million still owed to the city of Fargo for construction of the track.
A 2013 assessment payment of about $135,000 was scheduled to be due in 2013.
The racing commission is allowed to contribute funding for meet operation and purse money but not track debt.
Horse Race North Dakota received a break last Monday when the Fargo City Commission agreed to defer 2013 and 2014 assessment payments.
Heinert said he has yet to receive official word from the city but believes the delay will allow HRND to build a savings for future payments.
“We could make the (2013) payment to them, but what it would do is thwart our ability to run a meet,” he said. “Any meet we run, we’ll have to start out with $100,000 in the bank.”
The racing commission allocated $89,000 for the 2012 Fargo meet, which generated a $120,000 profit. The majority of operation funding was received as donations from out-of-state gambling companies.
Heinert said the Fargo track will likely benefit in 2013 from similar donations.
The horse park is considered a nonprofit organization.
The racing commission also awarded Chippewa Downs in Belcourt nine race days in 2013, Satran said.
The race track asked for 10 race days and about $371,550 in funding.
Fargo horse track could have nine days of racing | INFORUM | Fargo, ND
The state Racing Commission granted nine days to the Fargo track last week in Bismarck but deferred an award of funding until a February meeting, Racing Director Winston Satran said.
Wes Heinert, president of Horse Race North Dakota, which operates the Fargo track, is pleased with the number of days allowed for a 2013 meet, which is expected sometime between July 26 and Aug. 18.
“When they do determine the amount of funding they are going to give us, then we can go ahead and determine how many of the nine days we can use,” Heinert said.
Horse Race North Dakota requested 12 days of racing for 2013, $220,000 in purse money and $300,000 in promotion funds.
Satran said a funding decision was delayed until February, when final deposits from tax funds are known.
Funding for the state’s two horse-race tracks is generated by taxes on account deposit wagering and then divided into purse money or promotions for the tracks.
Account deposit wagering is when someone deposits money in an account using a wagering hub licensed by the commission. The money in each account is then used to pay for race bets that can be made in person, by telephone or online, and companies operating the hubs are taxed.
“We’ll see how much money we can fund per day or they can raise money to fund each day themselves,” Satran said.
Before a four-day meet in July, the Fargo track was shuttered for two years due to mounting debt that included nearly $2 million still owed to the city of Fargo for construction of the track.
A 2013 assessment payment of about $135,000 was scheduled to be due in 2013.
The racing commission is allowed to contribute funding for meet operation and purse money but not track debt.
Horse Race North Dakota received a break last Monday when the Fargo City Commission agreed to defer 2013 and 2014 assessment payments.
Heinert said he has yet to receive official word from the city but believes the delay will allow HRND to build a savings for future payments.
“We could make the (2013) payment to them, but what it would do is thwart our ability to run a meet,” he said. “Any meet we run, we’ll have to start out with $100,000 in the bank.”
The racing commission allocated $89,000 for the 2012 Fargo meet, which generated a $120,000 profit. The majority of operation funding was received as donations from out-of-state gambling companies.
Heinert said the Fargo track will likely benefit in 2013 from similar donations.
The horse park is considered a nonprofit organization.
The racing commission also awarded Chippewa Downs in Belcourt nine race days in 2013, Satran said.
The race track asked for 10 race days and about $371,550 in funding.
Fargo horse track could have nine days of racing | INFORUM | Fargo, ND
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Australia's racing industry has been rocked by a wide-reaching police probe into race-fixing in the southern state of Victoria that has swept up prominent jockeys and cast doubts over the sport's integrity in recent months.
Racing Victoria, which overseas the country's richest race in the Melbourne Cup among other marquee events, said it would add two full-time stewards to its integrity unit and push for harsher penalties for race-fixing offenders.
"Deterrence and detection are the platforms of our integrity program and the additional stewards will ensure an even greater presence in the field," RV chief executive Bernard Saundry said.
"We are undertaking an extensive review of the introduction of minimum and maximum penalties which would serve as a further deterrent for those considering breaching the rules.
"The introduction of harsher penalties definitely has merit and will be given very strong consideration."
Racing Victoria is itself under scrutiny over the handling of a betting scandal involving Damien Oliver, one of the country's most prominent jockeys.
Oliver, who rode Media Puzzle to victory in the 2002 Melbourne Cup, was banned for a total of 10 months last month after admitting to placing a $10,000 (£6,500) bet via a third party on a rival horse in 2010.
Despite being under investigation, Oliver was permitted to ride throughout the state's high-profile Spring Carnival, including last month's $6.2 million (£4 million) Melbourne Cup, sparking a storm of criticism from local media following reports the 40-year-old had already confessed his guilt to investigators.
Victoria's racing minister has demanded a probe into the handling of the case, which cast a pall over the running of the country's most famous race.
Oliver's ban, which will still allow him to participate in the most lucrative races during next year's Spring Carnival, had opened up new lines of enquiry for other potential breaches in the betting scandal, Racing Victoria said.
At least two other races are currently being probed for betting-related misconduct by police and racing investigators.
Horse Racing - Australia ramps up crackdown amid fixing scandals - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Racing Victoria, which overseas the country's richest race in the Melbourne Cup among other marquee events, said it would add two full-time stewards to its integrity unit and push for harsher penalties for race-fixing offenders.
"Deterrence and detection are the platforms of our integrity program and the additional stewards will ensure an even greater presence in the field," RV chief executive Bernard Saundry said.
"We are undertaking an extensive review of the introduction of minimum and maximum penalties which would serve as a further deterrent for those considering breaching the rules.
"The introduction of harsher penalties definitely has merit and will be given very strong consideration."
Racing Victoria is itself under scrutiny over the handling of a betting scandal involving Damien Oliver, one of the country's most prominent jockeys.
Oliver, who rode Media Puzzle to victory in the 2002 Melbourne Cup, was banned for a total of 10 months last month after admitting to placing a $10,000 (£6,500) bet via a third party on a rival horse in 2010.
Despite being under investigation, Oliver was permitted to ride throughout the state's high-profile Spring Carnival, including last month's $6.2 million (£4 million) Melbourne Cup, sparking a storm of criticism from local media following reports the 40-year-old had already confessed his guilt to investigators.
Victoria's racing minister has demanded a probe into the handling of the case, which cast a pall over the running of the country's most famous race.
Oliver's ban, which will still allow him to participate in the most lucrative races during next year's Spring Carnival, had opened up new lines of enquiry for other potential breaches in the betting scandal, Racing Victoria said.
At least two other races are currently being probed for betting-related misconduct by police and racing investigators.
Horse Racing - Australia ramps up crackdown amid fixing scandals - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Plans for a horse racing track in Balzac have been resurrected on a smaller scale by a group of local businessmen.
The United Horsemen of Alberta has reached a $13 million agreement with Century Casinos Inc. for a race track and racing entertainment centre beside CrossIron Mills.
“In southern Alberta the history is the horse, so not having a racing facility has just been a real missing spot in the economy, and just in general people love horses,” said Darcy Marler United Horsemen of Alberta President.
Right now, there are a handful of barns on the property but in a couple of years there will be a track, grandstands, slot machines and off track betting facilities.
The revised plans also include a restaurant, bar and facilities for group events.
A much larger project was scheduled to open in 2007, but financing problems and the recession stalled those plans.
Approval of the UHAs plans is still needed from Rocky View County and the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.
“We're hoping four to six months for those approvals so we're hoping around June of 2013 to be able to go in the ground and we’ll be 12 to 15 months after that for construction cycles, so optimistically the summer of 2014 is when we'll be racing horses,” said Reeve Rolly Ashdown. “Well they still have to go through a development permit and they have to do a master site development plan, has to go before council. There's a few steps left.”
Reeve Ashdown says he does not have any concerns about the traffic from the facility because the area has been designed well and can easily handle additional vehicles.
Read more: Horse racing venue back on track | CTV Calgary News
The United Horsemen of Alberta has reached a $13 million agreement with Century Casinos Inc. for a race track and racing entertainment centre beside CrossIron Mills.
“In southern Alberta the history is the horse, so not having a racing facility has just been a real missing spot in the economy, and just in general people love horses,” said Darcy Marler United Horsemen of Alberta President.
Right now, there are a handful of barns on the property but in a couple of years there will be a track, grandstands, slot machines and off track betting facilities.
The revised plans also include a restaurant, bar and facilities for group events.
A much larger project was scheduled to open in 2007, but financing problems and the recession stalled those plans.
Approval of the UHAs plans is still needed from Rocky View County and the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.
“We're hoping four to six months for those approvals so we're hoping around June of 2013 to be able to go in the ground and we’ll be 12 to 15 months after that for construction cycles, so optimistically the summer of 2014 is when we'll be racing horses,” said Reeve Rolly Ashdown. “Well they still have to go through a development permit and they have to do a master site development plan, has to go before council. There's a few steps left.”
Reeve Ashdown says he does not have any concerns about the traffic from the facility because the area has been designed well and can easily handle additional vehicles.
Read more: Horse racing venue back on track | CTV Calgary News
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
CAFRE’s Enniskillen Campus presents a unique ‘Race Day’, which will give young people an exciting opportunity to gain an insight into how the industry works.
The ‘Race Day’ will be held at Enniskillen Campus on Wednesday 12 December 2012, commencing at 10am.
Attendees will be given a tour of the Campus racing facilities, get an opportunity to see how race horses are tacked up for training and observe a short schooling demonstration. Guest speakers, including Cathal Beale and Jack Cantillon from the YITBA, will explain the role of the YITBA, how to get involved, outline different events the YITBA runs and describe different career options that are available.
This event is free to attend but places are limited so if you want to reserve your space please call Louise on 07594 502 517 or Amy on +353860616236.
The ‘Race Day’ will be held at Enniskillen Campus on Wednesday 12 December 2012, commencing at 10am.
Attendees will be given a tour of the Campus racing facilities, get an opportunity to see how race horses are tacked up for training and observe a short schooling demonstration. Guest speakers, including Cathal Beale and Jack Cantillon from the YITBA, will explain the role of the YITBA, how to get involved, outline different events the YITBA runs and describe different career options that are available.
This event is free to attend but places are limited so if you want to reserve your space please call Louise on 07594 502 517 or Amy on +353860616236.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Jimbo, from jockey-turned trainer Malesh Narredu’s stable, should prevail over the others in a strong field of ten contenders, for the Mayor’s Trophy, the feature event on the sixth day of the Mumbai meeting to be held at the Mahalaxmi race course on Thursday.
Selections
1. The Deepali Plate (1000m): 1. Winchester (5), 2. Stella (6), 3. Captain Smart (9); 2. The Vox Populi Plate (2000m): 1. Divine Inspiration (4), 2. Hurricane Wind (1), 3. Set Ablaze (5); 3. The Snow Plate Div II (1200M): Octopaul (1), 2. Unknown Rebel (3), 3. Minute To Win It (9); 4. The Beautiful Stranger Trophy (1200m): Step Up (5), 2. Coccinella (3), 3. Incoginito (4); 5. The Mayor’s Trophy (1200m): 1. Jimbo (1), 2. Macedonian (4), 3. Home Factor (10); 6. The Etna Plate (1400m): 1. Zambezi (6), 2. Twittillator (10, 3. Quando Quando (2); 7. The Snow Plate Div I (1200m): 1. Follow Me (7), 2. Masterofthesky (4), 3. Smooth Operator (5)
Selections
1. The Deepali Plate (1000m): 1. Winchester (5), 2. Stella (6), 3. Captain Smart (9); 2. The Vox Populi Plate (2000m): 1. Divine Inspiration (4), 2. Hurricane Wind (1), 3. Set Ablaze (5); 3. The Snow Plate Div II (1200M): Octopaul (1), 2. Unknown Rebel (3), 3. Minute To Win It (9); 4. The Beautiful Stranger Trophy (1200m): Step Up (5), 2. Coccinella (3), 3. Incoginito (4); 5. The Mayor’s Trophy (1200m): 1. Jimbo (1), 2. Macedonian (4), 3. Home Factor (10); 6. The Etna Plate (1400m): 1. Zambezi (6), 2. Twittillator (10, 3. Quando Quando (2); 7. The Snow Plate Div I (1200m): 1. Follow Me (7), 2. Masterofthesky (4), 3. Smooth Operator (5)
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
ON SATURDAY the entire Texas community will flock to the racecourse for the annual Texas Cup race day.
Starting at 1.30pm, fully equipped with a bar, canteen and 10 book makers, the grounds will be full of horse racing action.
Texas Jockey Club president David Thompson says he is "very happy with the number of nominations".
With a live band from Brisbane at 6pm and playing until midnight, Thompson said the "whole community is looking forward to a great time".
The main event of the day is the Jeff Hannaford Texas Cup, which is a 1200m open handicap.
The four other races of the day will be two more 1200m races and two 900m.
For the past decade, the cup meeting has been held once a year, but the new Racing Queensland Limited board has allocated another meeting, which will be held on March 16.
The price of entry is $15 and Thompson expects a "massive crowd" of about 1500.
He said the track would be "good and fast."
Top horse racing action at Texas Cup event | Warwick Daily News
Starting at 1.30pm, fully equipped with a bar, canteen and 10 book makers, the grounds will be full of horse racing action.
Texas Jockey Club president David Thompson says he is "very happy with the number of nominations".
With a live band from Brisbane at 6pm and playing until midnight, Thompson said the "whole community is looking forward to a great time".
The main event of the day is the Jeff Hannaford Texas Cup, which is a 1200m open handicap.
The four other races of the day will be two more 1200m races and two 900m.
For the past decade, the cup meeting has been held once a year, but the new Racing Queensland Limited board has allocated another meeting, which will be held on March 16.
The price of entry is $15 and Thompson expects a "massive crowd" of about 1500.
He said the track would be "good and fast."
Top horse racing action at Texas Cup event | Warwick Daily News
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The Florida Senate's new Gaming Committee soon begins its crucial work. Chairman Garrett Richter and all legislators should be aware that counties throughout the state will be rushing to hold slot machine referendums. But for the most part, what fuels that effort over the past year has been phony, contrived horse-related events such as "parimutuel barrel racing" and other copycat endeavors deliberately designed to skirt both state and federal law at the expense of Florida's $2.2 billion horse-racing industry.
Because Florida lacks a legal definition of a "horse race," certain rogue parimutuel permit holders have been given regulatory carte blanche to leverage these phony events into other lucrative types of gambling, including those involving card rooms and even slot machines (which Florida may ultimately allow outside of Miami-Dade and Broward counties). Hence the statewide rush by counties like Gadsden, Hamilton and Washington to hedge their bets with speculative slot-machine referendums.
During 2012, other counties, including Palm Beach, Volusia, Brevard and Lee also either passed or contemplated slot referendums at non-horse parimutuel venues located within their boundaries.
Because Florida law requires actual live racing (not just video links with race tracks) in order to hold ancillary gaming activities, facility owners — some of them out-of-state tribal gaming corporations — see Gretna Racing LLC's "parimutuel barrel racing" model as an opportunity to avoid the expense of jobs that would normally be created by legitimate horse racing.
This model also permits them to hoard resulting profits they otherwise would have to distribute as purses to winning competitors, through independent horsemen's associations.
While legitimate races regularly attract thousands of thoroughbred, quarter horse or standardbred horses as well as handlers and fans, various phony events like "parimutuel barrel racing," with its house-controlled riders and foreordained outcomes, draw much lower interest. Wagering per attendee can be as little as $24 a day.
Some have even used no more than two horses — hardly the kind of races that might attract many viewers, never mind the sort of international interest to which Florida's real horse racing industry is accustomed.
The consequences? As rogue racing permit holders continue this sham — one going so far as to dupe an elderly horseman into unwittingly "renting" accredited quarter horses to stage a phony event as state officials blithely looked on — jobs in the legitimate industry disappear. And so does the economic impact all those horses and people create, as well as Florida's horse-breeding operations that might have been grown and prospered.
In short, Florida's $2.2 billion horse-racing industry is disintegrating.
Meanwhile, though, the poker and card rooms such gaming has spawned have been allowed to stay open 365 days a year, even though many of the phony horse events have been canceled due to lack of interest.
If, instead, the state had required legitimate racing, Florida might now have been enjoying the positive economic impact of this additional associated gambling. In addition, our agricultural community might have prospered more through growth in the horse-breeding industry.
Florida horsemen — including many who have spent decades here as family-owned businesses — applaud the move by Florida Senate President Don Gaetz to give the state's dizzying gambling laws a long-overdue housecleaning.
They hope legislators will take heed of the vicious hidden costs and get-rich-quick scheme behind successful slot-machine referendums based on phony horse events that have already cost Florida thousands of jobs and could cost billions in economic impact.
Because Florida lacks a legal definition of a "horse race," certain rogue parimutuel permit holders have been given regulatory carte blanche to leverage these phony events into other lucrative types of gambling, including those involving card rooms and even slot machines (which Florida may ultimately allow outside of Miami-Dade and Broward counties). Hence the statewide rush by counties like Gadsden, Hamilton and Washington to hedge their bets with speculative slot-machine referendums.
During 2012, other counties, including Palm Beach, Volusia, Brevard and Lee also either passed or contemplated slot referendums at non-horse parimutuel venues located within their boundaries.
Because Florida law requires actual live racing (not just video links with race tracks) in order to hold ancillary gaming activities, facility owners — some of them out-of-state tribal gaming corporations — see Gretna Racing LLC's "parimutuel barrel racing" model as an opportunity to avoid the expense of jobs that would normally be created by legitimate horse racing.
This model also permits them to hoard resulting profits they otherwise would have to distribute as purses to winning competitors, through independent horsemen's associations.
While legitimate races regularly attract thousands of thoroughbred, quarter horse or standardbred horses as well as handlers and fans, various phony events like "parimutuel barrel racing," with its house-controlled riders and foreordained outcomes, draw much lower interest. Wagering per attendee can be as little as $24 a day.
Some have even used no more than two horses — hardly the kind of races that might attract many viewers, never mind the sort of international interest to which Florida's real horse racing industry is accustomed.
The consequences? As rogue racing permit holders continue this sham — one going so far as to dupe an elderly horseman into unwittingly "renting" accredited quarter horses to stage a phony event as state officials blithely looked on — jobs in the legitimate industry disappear. And so does the economic impact all those horses and people create, as well as Florida's horse-breeding operations that might have been grown and prospered.
In short, Florida's $2.2 billion horse-racing industry is disintegrating.
Meanwhile, though, the poker and card rooms such gaming has spawned have been allowed to stay open 365 days a year, even though many of the phony horse events have been canceled due to lack of interest.
If, instead, the state had required legitimate racing, Florida might now have been enjoying the positive economic impact of this additional associated gambling. In addition, our agricultural community might have prospered more through growth in the horse-breeding industry.
Florida horsemen — including many who have spent decades here as family-owned businesses — applaud the move by Florida Senate President Don Gaetz to give the state's dizzying gambling laws a long-overdue housecleaning.
They hope legislators will take heed of the vicious hidden costs and get-rich-quick scheme behind successful slot-machine referendums based on phony horse events that have already cost Florida thousands of jobs and could cost billions in economic impact.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The world's top racehorse Cirrus des Aigles has withdrawn injured from Sunday's Hong Kong International Races in a major blow to the competition, one of the richest meetings on the global calendar.
The French gelding was set to headline a stellar line-up for the 2,000-metre Hong Kong Cup and was seeking to make it fourth time lucky at the meet, where he has failed to scoop a prize in his last three appearances.
But it seems that he was unable to shake off his Hong Kong curse after sustaining what Jockey Club vets described as a "soft tissue injury" in his left front tendon, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
He has now been scratched from Sunday's race card so that his injury can be treated.
"It is a relatively mild injury but it would be very unwise to run him in a race," said Dr Chris Riggs, the head of veterinary clinical services at the club, according to the newspaper.
However, executive director of racing Bill Nader remained optimistic that Sunday would still be a great race day.
"Obviously, it's disappointing to lose the world's top-rated horse," he said in the SCMP.
"I think the depth of talent remaining right across our four international races gives us some top-quality compensation," he added.
Cirrus des Aigles became the top-ranked racehorse in training after British champ Frankel retired in October to go to stud.
His withdrawal leaves last year's surprise victor Hong Kong-based California Memory the front-runner for the title, having raced to a late win at the Jockey Club Cup in November on the same Sha Tin course as Sunday's meet.
Other favourites include two more French raiders -- Giofra, who won the Falmouth Stakes against the odds in July, and Saonois who had a surprise win at the Prix du Jockey Club French Derby in June.
This year for the first time one of Queen Elizabeth II's horses will also join the field -- Carlton House came in second to So You Think at the Prince of Wales Stakes at Ascot in June and competes for the Cup in the British monarch's Jubilee year.
The Hong Kong Cup has a prize purse of US$2.8 million and is the world's richest turf race over 2,000m.
It is one of four Group One contests that will take place at Sunday's Longines Hong Kong International Races and offers the largest pot of money. Total prize money at the meeting is US$9.2 million.
The 2,400-metre Hong Kong Vase will see last year's winner Dunaden defending his title after failing to do so at the Melbourne Cup in November.
Britain's Sea Moon looks set to be the French horse's biggest challenger in the US$1.9 million race, having beaten him into second at the Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot.
Also featuring at the meet are the 1,200-metre Hong Kong Sprint and the 1,600-metre Hong Kong Mile, both usually dominated by the home team but with strong international challengers this year.
As well as providing top-flight racing, organisers hope to up the glamour stakes with Oscar-winning British actress Kate Winslet making an appearance in her role as ambassador for Longines, the Swiss watch brand, which is sponsoring the race for the first time.
Horse Racing: World's top horse pulls out of Hong Kong Cup - Channel NewsAsia
The French gelding was set to headline a stellar line-up for the 2,000-metre Hong Kong Cup and was seeking to make it fourth time lucky at the meet, where he has failed to scoop a prize in his last three appearances.
But it seems that he was unable to shake off his Hong Kong curse after sustaining what Jockey Club vets described as a "soft tissue injury" in his left front tendon, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
He has now been scratched from Sunday's race card so that his injury can be treated.
"It is a relatively mild injury but it would be very unwise to run him in a race," said Dr Chris Riggs, the head of veterinary clinical services at the club, according to the newspaper.
However, executive director of racing Bill Nader remained optimistic that Sunday would still be a great race day.
"Obviously, it's disappointing to lose the world's top-rated horse," he said in the SCMP.
"I think the depth of talent remaining right across our four international races gives us some top-quality compensation," he added.
Cirrus des Aigles became the top-ranked racehorse in training after British champ Frankel retired in October to go to stud.
His withdrawal leaves last year's surprise victor Hong Kong-based California Memory the front-runner for the title, having raced to a late win at the Jockey Club Cup in November on the same Sha Tin course as Sunday's meet.
Other favourites include two more French raiders -- Giofra, who won the Falmouth Stakes against the odds in July, and Saonois who had a surprise win at the Prix du Jockey Club French Derby in June.
This year for the first time one of Queen Elizabeth II's horses will also join the field -- Carlton House came in second to So You Think at the Prince of Wales Stakes at Ascot in June and competes for the Cup in the British monarch's Jubilee year.
The Hong Kong Cup has a prize purse of US$2.8 million and is the world's richest turf race over 2,000m.
It is one of four Group One contests that will take place at Sunday's Longines Hong Kong International Races and offers the largest pot of money. Total prize money at the meeting is US$9.2 million.
The 2,400-metre Hong Kong Vase will see last year's winner Dunaden defending his title after failing to do so at the Melbourne Cup in November.
Britain's Sea Moon looks set to be the French horse's biggest challenger in the US$1.9 million race, having beaten him into second at the Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot.
Also featuring at the meet are the 1,200-metre Hong Kong Sprint and the 1,600-metre Hong Kong Mile, both usually dominated by the home team but with strong international challengers this year.
As well as providing top-flight racing, organisers hope to up the glamour stakes with Oscar-winning British actress Kate Winslet making an appearance in her role as ambassador for Longines, the Swiss watch brand, which is sponsoring the race for the first time.
Horse Racing: World's top horse pulls out of Hong Kong Cup - Channel NewsAsia
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
FRONTIER DANCER goes in search of consecutive victories in today's 2m5½f handicap chase at Fakenham for in-form trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies.
Numerically at least the top weight's task has been made easier with the field size down to five from 16 last year.
Twiston-Davies, who enjoyed a popular success with 14-year-old Hello Bud at Aintree on Saturday, said: "He had a pleasing first run of the season at Wetherby where he looked the winner until a late mistake knocked the stuffing out of him and although it will be softer than it was last year that will be in his favour."
The ground at the track, which will deploy trestles in a bid to prevent a repeat of last month's fiasco when Brendan Powell jnr took the wrong course with the race at his mercy, is soft, good to soft in places.
Having passed an inspection, Musselburgh will race on ground good to soft, good in places, while it's standard for Lingfield's all-weather card.
TODAY'S RACING Frontier back for more Fakenham glory - Horse Racing News | Racing Post
Numerically at least the top weight's task has been made easier with the field size down to five from 16 last year.
Twiston-Davies, who enjoyed a popular success with 14-year-old Hello Bud at Aintree on Saturday, said: "He had a pleasing first run of the season at Wetherby where he looked the winner until a late mistake knocked the stuffing out of him and although it will be softer than it was last year that will be in his favour."
The ground at the track, which will deploy trestles in a bid to prevent a repeat of last month's fiasco when Brendan Powell jnr took the wrong course with the race at his mercy, is soft, good to soft in places.
Having passed an inspection, Musselburgh will race on ground good to soft, good in places, while it's standard for Lingfield's all-weather card.
TODAY'S RACING Frontier back for more Fakenham glory - Horse Racing News | Racing Post
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority will hold a special meeting to discuss horse racing at Fair Meadows again.
At a meeting on December 6th, the Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority voted to accept the Amended Naming Rights and Sponsorship Agreement between TCPFA and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation "MCN". The agreement included a term to cease live horse racing at Fair Meadows beginning in 2013.
In a release sent on Monday the TCPFA said information learned during the public comment portion of the meeting on the 6th included two agreements with the Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred Associations.
Officials say these two agreements, previously signed by the Fair Meadows Race Director in October 2012, without the knowledge or consent of the TCPFA Board or legal counsel, outlined the terms for conducting the 2013 race meet at Fair Meadows.
Ron Shotts, Fair Meadows Race Director, stated, "The TCPFA Board and legal counsel had no knowledge of the signed agreements. I apologize to all parties for any inconvenience and take full responsibility for my actions. The agreements, which I have executed for many years, were commonplace for receiving the annual racing licenses. I will work with the associations and my staff to conduct the 2013 race meet to the best of our ability."
Commissioner Fred Perry, 2012 TCPFA Chair stated, "when confronted with this new information, it was imperative to take aggressive and timely action. I believe it is appropriate to follow the terms of the Agreements regarding the 2013 race meeting, which is why I have requested a Special Meeting to address the issue."
A special meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, December 12, 2012, at 4pm, to consider the continuation of live racing for 2013, and a new Naming Rights Agreement with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The new Naming Rights Agreement will not include provisions regarding cessation of horse racing.
"We regret the unfortunate situation; the prevailing circumstance is between TCPFA and the horse associations. Our sincerest apology is extended to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. We are pleased to have a strong relationship with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, a committed community partner, we appreciate their willingness to consider a
new Naming Rights Agreement for the anchor facility at Expo Square," stated Commissioner Fred Perry.
At a meeting on December 6th, the Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority voted to accept the Amended Naming Rights and Sponsorship Agreement between TCPFA and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation "MCN". The agreement included a term to cease live horse racing at Fair Meadows beginning in 2013.
In a release sent on Monday the TCPFA said information learned during the public comment portion of the meeting on the 6th included two agreements with the Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred Associations.
Officials say these two agreements, previously signed by the Fair Meadows Race Director in October 2012, without the knowledge or consent of the TCPFA Board or legal counsel, outlined the terms for conducting the 2013 race meet at Fair Meadows.
Ron Shotts, Fair Meadows Race Director, stated, "The TCPFA Board and legal counsel had no knowledge of the signed agreements. I apologize to all parties for any inconvenience and take full responsibility for my actions. The agreements, which I have executed for many years, were commonplace for receiving the annual racing licenses. I will work with the associations and my staff to conduct the 2013 race meet to the best of our ability."
Commissioner Fred Perry, 2012 TCPFA Chair stated, "when confronted with this new information, it was imperative to take aggressive and timely action. I believe it is appropriate to follow the terms of the Agreements regarding the 2013 race meeting, which is why I have requested a Special Meeting to address the issue."
A special meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, December 12, 2012, at 4pm, to consider the continuation of live racing for 2013, and a new Naming Rights Agreement with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The new Naming Rights Agreement will not include provisions regarding cessation of horse racing.
"We regret the unfortunate situation; the prevailing circumstance is between TCPFA and the horse associations. Our sincerest apology is extended to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. We are pleased to have a strong relationship with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, a committed community partner, we appreciate their willingness to consider a
new Naming Rights Agreement for the anchor facility at Expo Square," stated Commissioner Fred Perry.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Connecticut has told the operator of 15 off-track betting locations that it can launch online wagering for horse racing, ushering in the era of state-approved and -taxed Internet gambling even as lawmakers debate its broader future.
Sportech Venues Inc., based in London, England, said Tuesday that it's aiming to begin offering online betting in April. Wagers would be limited to registered, adult Connecticut residents, for parimutuel betting on horse racing only.
Sportech, with its North American headquarters in New Haven, holds the exclusive right to run parimutuel betting in Connecticut on horse racing, jai alai and dog racing at tracks around the world. That right includes bets taken in person and over the telephone — which is crucial, because the state's approval of the Internet platform is an extension of the phone operations. The approval by the state Department of Consumer Protection, which regulates legal gambling, will add a relatively small amount of revenue to the state's coffers, as the state collects about 3.5 percent of all in-state wagers from Sportech — in person at the 15 Winners locations, by telephone and starting soon, online. In fiscal year 2009, the state and towns netted $7.6 million; there's no estimate of the expected amount with online betting added. In sharp contrast to the hotly debated expansion of legalized poker and other games on the Internet, the online extension for Sportech required no legislation, no public hearings, no vetting by the state attorney general. It was, as Consumer Protection Commissioner William Rubenstein said, already allowed under state law and his department needed only to approve the systems that will make it happen.
Rubenstein and other state officials portrayed the move as far from a legalization of Internet gaming, which, they say, would be a major policy shift if and when it happened. And that won't be in 2013 if Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has his way.
"The governor has no interest in pursuing Internet gambling," said his spokesman, Andrew Doba.
Still, there can be no denying that when the first local customer places the first bet on Sportech's system, legalized Internet gambling will be underway in Connecticut.
"It clearly may start people talking about expansion in other areas, but horse racing has a separate legal regime," Rubenstein said.
Some lawmakers at the Capitol in Hartford are, indeed, talking about expanding Internet gambling, for three main reasons: The federal government is moving toward clarifying the rules, and that will spur online gambling in surrounding states; many illegal websites already entice Connecticut residents to gamble on desktop and mobile devices; and, not least, the state needs the money.
Foxwoods Resort Casino also has parimutuel betting on horse races around the nation and the world, but that's not regulated by the state because it's on sovereign Mashantucket Pequot tribal land — and the tribe has no license for telephone betting. But Foxwoods and nearby Mohegan Sun have both made it clear that they want in on the action if and when Connecticut does adopt legalized gambling.
The horse-betting business in person, by telephone and online is legally different from broader betting games because of a federal exemption that allows it. Founded in the 1970s as state-run Off-Track Betting, or OTB, the enterprise was sold to a private firm, Autotote Corp., in the early '90s. It was rebranded in 2009 as Winners, with large "teletheater" locations in New Haven and near Bradley International Airport.
Sportech bought the Connecticut betting franchise from Autotote in 2010, and moved its North American headquarters to New Haven. It does not have direct-to-consumer operations in other states, but it provides gaming systems and support to racetracks such as the Meadowlands in New Jersey, and to off-track companies in other states, spokeswoman Jennifer Conning said.
Online customers "will be able to see streaming video of the race in real time," Conning said, in addition to information about each race and replays of previous races. Each customer will have to apply for and receive a registration to bet, in a system that assures compliance and safety, state and company officials said.
Among other benefits, the extension of Sportech's platform to the Internet should help the state prevent legal online parimutuel companies from illegally taking bets from Connecticut residents, said William Ryan, head of the gaming division in the state Department of Consumer Protection. He named two such firms, TwinSpires, which is owned by Churchill Downs, and Xpressbet.
There might be some confusion about the state's approval, said Rep. Stephen D. Dargan, D-West Haven, co-chairman of the legislature's public safety committee, which oversees gaming and the state lottery, because Internet gaming is such a controversial issue. "When I first heard about it," he said of the Sportech approval, "I thought, 'How the hell are they going to do this without federal approval?'"
Although the horse racing exemption is clear, states are awaiting a ruling by the U.S. Department of Justice on how and whether they may move forward with Internet gambling, Dargan said.
"If the feds have some clarification of it, we as a state should look at it," Dargan said. As for his own support, he added, "I'd look at it. I'm not opposed or totally onboard with any of this."
Sportech, which operates in 30 countries and said it processes $13 billion in wagers a year, has 300 employees in Connecticut, including at its offices in New Haven and the 15 off-track locations.
"We are confident that our customers will appreciate the convenience and additional services that will be made available to them online," said David Schreff, the company's chief operating officer for the Americas. "More importantly, they can be confident and assured that the service is secure and fully licensed, and that a portion of every dollar they wager
Sportech Venues Inc., based in London, England, said Tuesday that it's aiming to begin offering online betting in April. Wagers would be limited to registered, adult Connecticut residents, for parimutuel betting on horse racing only.
Sportech, with its North American headquarters in New Haven, holds the exclusive right to run parimutuel betting in Connecticut on horse racing, jai alai and dog racing at tracks around the world. That right includes bets taken in person and over the telephone — which is crucial, because the state's approval of the Internet platform is an extension of the phone operations. The approval by the state Department of Consumer Protection, which regulates legal gambling, will add a relatively small amount of revenue to the state's coffers, as the state collects about 3.5 percent of all in-state wagers from Sportech — in person at the 15 Winners locations, by telephone and starting soon, online. In fiscal year 2009, the state and towns netted $7.6 million; there's no estimate of the expected amount with online betting added. In sharp contrast to the hotly debated expansion of legalized poker and other games on the Internet, the online extension for Sportech required no legislation, no public hearings, no vetting by the state attorney general. It was, as Consumer Protection Commissioner William Rubenstein said, already allowed under state law and his department needed only to approve the systems that will make it happen.
Rubenstein and other state officials portrayed the move as far from a legalization of Internet gaming, which, they say, would be a major policy shift if and when it happened. And that won't be in 2013 if Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has his way.
"The governor has no interest in pursuing Internet gambling," said his spokesman, Andrew Doba.
Still, there can be no denying that when the first local customer places the first bet on Sportech's system, legalized Internet gambling will be underway in Connecticut.
"It clearly may start people talking about expansion in other areas, but horse racing has a separate legal regime," Rubenstein said.
Some lawmakers at the Capitol in Hartford are, indeed, talking about expanding Internet gambling, for three main reasons: The federal government is moving toward clarifying the rules, and that will spur online gambling in surrounding states; many illegal websites already entice Connecticut residents to gamble on desktop and mobile devices; and, not least, the state needs the money.
Foxwoods Resort Casino also has parimutuel betting on horse races around the nation and the world, but that's not regulated by the state because it's on sovereign Mashantucket Pequot tribal land — and the tribe has no license for telephone betting. But Foxwoods and nearby Mohegan Sun have both made it clear that they want in on the action if and when Connecticut does adopt legalized gambling.
The horse-betting business in person, by telephone and online is legally different from broader betting games because of a federal exemption that allows it. Founded in the 1970s as state-run Off-Track Betting, or OTB, the enterprise was sold to a private firm, Autotote Corp., in the early '90s. It was rebranded in 2009 as Winners, with large "teletheater" locations in New Haven and near Bradley International Airport.
Sportech bought the Connecticut betting franchise from Autotote in 2010, and moved its North American headquarters to New Haven. It does not have direct-to-consumer operations in other states, but it provides gaming systems and support to racetracks such as the Meadowlands in New Jersey, and to off-track companies in other states, spokeswoman Jennifer Conning said.
Online customers "will be able to see streaming video of the race in real time," Conning said, in addition to information about each race and replays of previous races. Each customer will have to apply for and receive a registration to bet, in a system that assures compliance and safety, state and company officials said.
Among other benefits, the extension of Sportech's platform to the Internet should help the state prevent legal online parimutuel companies from illegally taking bets from Connecticut residents, said William Ryan, head of the gaming division in the state Department of Consumer Protection. He named two such firms, TwinSpires, which is owned by Churchill Downs, and Xpressbet.
There might be some confusion about the state's approval, said Rep. Stephen D. Dargan, D-West Haven, co-chairman of the legislature's public safety committee, which oversees gaming and the state lottery, because Internet gaming is such a controversial issue. "When I first heard about it," he said of the Sportech approval, "I thought, 'How the hell are they going to do this without federal approval?'"
Although the horse racing exemption is clear, states are awaiting a ruling by the U.S. Department of Justice on how and whether they may move forward with Internet gambling, Dargan said.
"If the feds have some clarification of it, we as a state should look at it," Dargan said. As for his own support, he added, "I'd look at it. I'm not opposed or totally onboard with any of this."
Sportech, which operates in 30 countries and said it processes $13 billion in wagers a year, has 300 employees in Connecticut, including at its offices in New Haven and the 15 off-track locations.
"We are confident that our customers will appreciate the convenience and additional services that will be made available to them online," said David Schreff, the company's chief operating officer for the Americas. "More importantly, they can be confident and assured that the service is secure and fully licensed, and that a portion of every dollar they wager
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
YOGI Breisner admits it is unlikely Kauto Star will develop into an Olympic-class dressage horse following his retirement from racing.
The 12-year-old left the care of trainer Paul Nicholls on Tuesday after owner Clive Smith decided to let his star performer try a new discipline after bowing out of the National Hunt arena.
Smith’s plan was not popular with the Ditcheat team and the trainer asked the owner to remove the horse, with Kauto Star now being cared for by new rider Laura Collett. The 22-year-old is a decorated event rider at junior levels and aspiring Olympian for 2016, and she will work with the gelding alongside long-time British manager and coach Breisner.
He admits his top priority is the horse’s welfare and, while he has yet to evaluate Kauto Star’s dressage attributes, he believes any talk of an Olympic outing is premature.
Breisner said: “He’s had a fantastic racing career, he’s been brilliantly trained and looked after by Mr Nicholls and his staff, so this is just a matter of getting to see if he will settle into a different type of routine in life.
“If he does that comfortably, then maybe there’s an alternative thing he can do, but we don’t know that until we have started to work with him.
“If a horse is going to reach Olympic level, they really need to start their education when they are young, sort of four or five-year-olds. So it would be a tremendous exception if a horse could come out of retirement from racing and then go into an alternative career that was going to lead to Olympic level, never mind a medal, in any of the three disciplines.”
Eventing legend Mark Todd also believes Kauto Star will struggle to be a top-level dressage horse, but expects the veteran to thrive on a new activity.
Todd said: “He’s not old at 12, and it’s nice he will be able to do something, as horses don’t want to be bored. I retired Charisma [a double gold medal winner at the Olympics in the 1980s] at 16, and he didn’t want to be just stuck out in a field. I’ve seen Kauto Star racing, he was an exceptional horse. I think it’s unlikely he’ll hit the heights at dressage, but he’s in good hands.”
Breisner was put in touch with Smith by Di Arbuthnot, chief executive of the Retraining of Racehorses charity, which is affiliated with the British Horseracing Authority.
Arbuthnot said: “The Retraining of Racehorses is all about life after racing. A lot of people do take these horses on and give them a second career, whether it’s in the show ring, or the polo field or eventing or hunting or simply just happy hacking.”
“Neptune Collonges has been doing some dressage and Monet’s Garden has been in the show ring up in the north.
“The Tatling appeared at a show class in Wales in the summer and is going to be doing a bit more and Straw Bear reached the championship at Hickstead but it’s not just about the well-known horses.
“He [Kauto Star] is a very fit, healthy horse and looks magnificent. He’ll be reassessed and retrained as any other horse would be. I’m sure they’ll know fairly quickly what he will and won’t be able to do, but it won’t be done any more easily than any other horse that goes through the retraining process.
“Let’s hope he has a nice life and enjoys himself.”
Collett herself had a first taste of riding Kauto Star yesterday morning and she thoroughly enjoyed the experience. She tweeted: “I am officially the LUCKIEST girl in the world right now.... I have just ridden Kauto Star... He is a truly amazing horse... Felt like a fresh 4yo which is all credit to @PFNicholls and his team.”
The 12-year-old left the care of trainer Paul Nicholls on Tuesday after owner Clive Smith decided to let his star performer try a new discipline after bowing out of the National Hunt arena.
Smith’s plan was not popular with the Ditcheat team and the trainer asked the owner to remove the horse, with Kauto Star now being cared for by new rider Laura Collett. The 22-year-old is a decorated event rider at junior levels and aspiring Olympian for 2016, and she will work with the gelding alongside long-time British manager and coach Breisner.
He admits his top priority is the horse’s welfare and, while he has yet to evaluate Kauto Star’s dressage attributes, he believes any talk of an Olympic outing is premature.
Breisner said: “He’s had a fantastic racing career, he’s been brilliantly trained and looked after by Mr Nicholls and his staff, so this is just a matter of getting to see if he will settle into a different type of routine in life.
“If he does that comfortably, then maybe there’s an alternative thing he can do, but we don’t know that until we have started to work with him.
“If a horse is going to reach Olympic level, they really need to start their education when they are young, sort of four or five-year-olds. So it would be a tremendous exception if a horse could come out of retirement from racing and then go into an alternative career that was going to lead to Olympic level, never mind a medal, in any of the three disciplines.”
Eventing legend Mark Todd also believes Kauto Star will struggle to be a top-level dressage horse, but expects the veteran to thrive on a new activity.
Todd said: “He’s not old at 12, and it’s nice he will be able to do something, as horses don’t want to be bored. I retired Charisma [a double gold medal winner at the Olympics in the 1980s] at 16, and he didn’t want to be just stuck out in a field. I’ve seen Kauto Star racing, he was an exceptional horse. I think it’s unlikely he’ll hit the heights at dressage, but he’s in good hands.”
Breisner was put in touch with Smith by Di Arbuthnot, chief executive of the Retraining of Racehorses charity, which is affiliated with the British Horseracing Authority.
Arbuthnot said: “The Retraining of Racehorses is all about life after racing. A lot of people do take these horses on and give them a second career, whether it’s in the show ring, or the polo field or eventing or hunting or simply just happy hacking.”
“Neptune Collonges has been doing some dressage and Monet’s Garden has been in the show ring up in the north.
“The Tatling appeared at a show class in Wales in the summer and is going to be doing a bit more and Straw Bear reached the championship at Hickstead but it’s not just about the well-known horses.
“He [Kauto Star] is a very fit, healthy horse and looks magnificent. He’ll be reassessed and retrained as any other horse would be. I’m sure they’ll know fairly quickly what he will and won’t be able to do, but it won’t be done any more easily than any other horse that goes through the retraining process.
“Let’s hope he has a nice life and enjoys himself.”
Collett herself had a first taste of riding Kauto Star yesterday morning and she thoroughly enjoyed the experience. She tweeted: “I am officially the LUCKIEST girl in the world right now.... I have just ridden Kauto Star... He is a truly amazing horse... Felt like a fresh 4yo which is all credit to @PFNicholls and his team.”
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
You can read the article from the Paulick Report in its entirety here.
Now to be honest, I love sports betting. The dynamic between giving or getting points versus using the moneyline to pick a straight up winner certainly fascinates me. Additionally, I love blackjack. But when it comes down to it all, I'd much rather lay my dollars on the line on any horse race than any other gambling proposition.
Here's my reasoning: every race is a puzzle that is just waiting to be unlocked. Additionally, where else can you find 7-1 odds where there is a realistic chance to actually make money in the long run? Each race is a unique combination of hundreds of factors where even if you're not exactly right, you can still make some money. How do you effectively hedge a bet in the Eagles-Bengals game tonight? Unless you're knee deep in all kinds of exotic, ridiculous wagers, you can't. How do you do it on the track? Two win bets = bet hedged. Wanna Dutch two runners you like? Easy.
I think the real issue, like has been brought up here hundreds of times, is not that the spread of gambling is taking away from the horsemen's action, but instead the newer wagering opportunities attract newer gamblers that understand slots or poker or sports betting, but have never been educated as to how horse racing works. Like I've said before, show me one person who has been to the races with an experienced horse player that didn't have an absolute blast. Bet you have to look pretty hard. Adding to that, Gambling is not an absolute zero sum game. A dollar wagered on a point spread in college football is not a dollar taken out of the pari-mutuel pools. Horse racing's woes are not 100% correlated with the spread of legalized gambling, but instead due to the apathy and lack of exposure by the general public.
Does the industry have deep issues? No doubt. Could the presentation of information be done more simply to allow new players better and quicker access to the sport? Absolutely.
But the ultimate question is will new bettors find thoroughbred racing interesting? I honestly believe the answer is yes. Take a look at this Wall Street Journal article from May of this year (2012). The head of the Hong Kong Jockey Club discusses his initiaitives on how to grow horse racing in East Asia.
Mr. Engelbrecht-Bresges: For Hong Kong people, racing isn't a chance game, it's a mind game.
Get to it, American racing.
So what does this lowly observer think? Three things:
Information. The form is great, once you learn how to read it. But check out this free (HKJC Form) spreadsheet that details all of the past performances for every runner in the field at Happy Valley in Hong Kong. It has all works, vet reports, past performances (with usable trip notes) and more. Simple to read, free to download. (*note: there are tons of macros and embedded links in the excel sheet, but due to some issues with uploading, it was way easier to not upload all of the macros, so most of the functionality of the sheet doesn't work, but it still is a good example)
Communication. HIGH DEFINITION. Enough said. Get NBC (or whomever hold the TV rights) to talk about wagering strategies, and payoffs, and handicapping (aka THE RACE), and ADW opportunities, and not 100% about human interest crap that has little or nothing to do with actual racing. AND I DON'T CARE ABOUT HATS OR CELEBRITIES (caveat: except for Jerry O'Connell. He's always hammered and actually funny at the Derby. Keep interviewing him)
Marketing. Quit focusing on the bets that have huge pools (Pick 6) and instead focus on the individual race. Yes, lots of people bet into the large carryover pools. But no one ever hits the Pick 6, or Rainbow Pick 5, or whatever. The idea is to have bettors cash tickets to get them interested, not play the lottery. Even cashing a ticket where you take a net loss ($5 back on a $2 across bet, for example) still feels kinda good, since you got something. Then let the bettor develop their wagering strategy to include vertical and horizontal bets but don't encourage them to jump right into the deep end where expected payoffs are statistically near zero.
So what do you think? Does widespread sports wagering pose an imminent and dire threat to the survival of horse racing? Or is it an opportunity to expose a larger section of the American public to gambling and thusly an opportunity to get more people interested in wagering on horses?
Now to be honest, I love sports betting. The dynamic between giving or getting points versus using the moneyline to pick a straight up winner certainly fascinates me. Additionally, I love blackjack. But when it comes down to it all, I'd much rather lay my dollars on the line on any horse race than any other gambling proposition.
Here's my reasoning: every race is a puzzle that is just waiting to be unlocked. Additionally, where else can you find 7-1 odds where there is a realistic chance to actually make money in the long run? Each race is a unique combination of hundreds of factors where even if you're not exactly right, you can still make some money. How do you effectively hedge a bet in the Eagles-Bengals game tonight? Unless you're knee deep in all kinds of exotic, ridiculous wagers, you can't. How do you do it on the track? Two win bets = bet hedged. Wanna Dutch two runners you like? Easy.
I think the real issue, like has been brought up here hundreds of times, is not that the spread of gambling is taking away from the horsemen's action, but instead the newer wagering opportunities attract newer gamblers that understand slots or poker or sports betting, but have never been educated as to how horse racing works. Like I've said before, show me one person who has been to the races with an experienced horse player that didn't have an absolute blast. Bet you have to look pretty hard. Adding to that, Gambling is not an absolute zero sum game. A dollar wagered on a point spread in college football is not a dollar taken out of the pari-mutuel pools. Horse racing's woes are not 100% correlated with the spread of legalized gambling, but instead due to the apathy and lack of exposure by the general public.
Does the industry have deep issues? No doubt. Could the presentation of information be done more simply to allow new players better and quicker access to the sport? Absolutely.
But the ultimate question is will new bettors find thoroughbred racing interesting? I honestly believe the answer is yes. Take a look at this Wall Street Journal article from May of this year (2012). The head of the Hong Kong Jockey Club discusses his initiaitives on how to grow horse racing in East Asia.
Mr. Engelbrecht-Bresges: For Hong Kong people, racing isn't a chance game, it's a mind game.
Get to it, American racing.
So what does this lowly observer think? Three things:
Information. The form is great, once you learn how to read it. But check out this free (HKJC Form) spreadsheet that details all of the past performances for every runner in the field at Happy Valley in Hong Kong. It has all works, vet reports, past performances (with usable trip notes) and more. Simple to read, free to download. (*note: there are tons of macros and embedded links in the excel sheet, but due to some issues with uploading, it was way easier to not upload all of the macros, so most of the functionality of the sheet doesn't work, but it still is a good example)
Communication. HIGH DEFINITION. Enough said. Get NBC (or whomever hold the TV rights) to talk about wagering strategies, and payoffs, and handicapping (aka THE RACE), and ADW opportunities, and not 100% about human interest crap that has little or nothing to do with actual racing. AND I DON'T CARE ABOUT HATS OR CELEBRITIES (caveat: except for Jerry O'Connell. He's always hammered and actually funny at the Derby. Keep interviewing him)
Marketing. Quit focusing on the bets that have huge pools (Pick 6) and instead focus on the individual race. Yes, lots of people bet into the large carryover pools. But no one ever hits the Pick 6, or Rainbow Pick 5, or whatever. The idea is to have bettors cash tickets to get them interested, not play the lottery. Even cashing a ticket where you take a net loss ($5 back on a $2 across bet, for example) still feels kinda good, since you got something. Then let the bettor develop their wagering strategy to include vertical and horizontal bets but don't encourage them to jump right into the deep end where expected payoffs are statistically near zero.
So what do you think? Does widespread sports wagering pose an imminent and dire threat to the survival of horse racing? Or is it an opportunity to expose a larger section of the American public to gambling and thusly an opportunity to get more people interested in wagering on horses?
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Animal Kingdom, the 2011 Kentucky Derby champion and runner-up to Wise Dan in last month's Breeders' Cup Mile, will begin his stud career in Australia after the 2013 racing season, his owner said Friday.
The colt, trained by Graham Motion and owned by the Team Valor group led by Barry Irwin, is set to return to racing at the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap in February and the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 31.
After a possible race in England, Animal Kingdom will journey to Arrowfield Stud in Australia, whose owner John Messara purchased a majority interest in the colt's breeding rights.
"Animal Kingdom excites us as a rare kind of athlete with a truly international pedigree who is able to express his class on a range of surfaces," Messara said.
"He is already rated among the world's elite turf milers and has the potential to become a global superstar in 2013."
While the stud plan might cut short Animal Kingdom's career, it will bring a return for his investors and begin a breeding legacy expected to be a strong one.
"Originally it was our intention to race Animal Kingdom for the entire 2013 season," Irwin said.
"However, the prospect of getting the support of John Messara's Arrowfield Stud was so meaningful that I advised my partners to sublimate their fun and take the deal.
"It's critically important to get a history-making stallion master behind a new prospect and in John Messara we have that. He has developed two of the world's most successful sires in Danehill and his son, Redoute's Choice.
"No way I was going to pass up this opportunity."
Animal Kingdom, who was idle for seven months before his Breeders' Cup run, had an easy workout this week in Florida.
Animal Kingdom won the 2011 Derby in only his fifth career start, doing so as a 20-1 longshot and after a six-week layoff.
Not since Exterminator in 1918 had a horse won the Derby after so few career starts and not since Needles in 1956 had a horse won the Derby after a six-week layoff.
Horse Racing: Animal Kingdom going to stud in Australia
The colt, trained by Graham Motion and owned by the Team Valor group led by Barry Irwin, is set to return to racing at the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap in February and the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 31.
After a possible race in England, Animal Kingdom will journey to Arrowfield Stud in Australia, whose owner John Messara purchased a majority interest in the colt's breeding rights.
"Animal Kingdom excites us as a rare kind of athlete with a truly international pedigree who is able to express his class on a range of surfaces," Messara said.
"He is already rated among the world's elite turf milers and has the potential to become a global superstar in 2013."
While the stud plan might cut short Animal Kingdom's career, it will bring a return for his investors and begin a breeding legacy expected to be a strong one.
"Originally it was our intention to race Animal Kingdom for the entire 2013 season," Irwin said.
"However, the prospect of getting the support of John Messara's Arrowfield Stud was so meaningful that I advised my partners to sublimate their fun and take the deal.
"It's critically important to get a history-making stallion master behind a new prospect and in John Messara we have that. He has developed two of the world's most successful sires in Danehill and his son, Redoute's Choice.
"No way I was going to pass up this opportunity."
Animal Kingdom, who was idle for seven months before his Breeders' Cup run, had an easy workout this week in Florida.
Animal Kingdom won the 2011 Derby in only his fifth career start, doing so as a 20-1 longshot and after a six-week layoff.
Not since Exterminator in 1918 had a horse won the Derby after so few career starts and not since Needles in 1956 had a horse won the Derby after a six-week layoff.
Horse Racing: Animal Kingdom going to stud in Australia
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
HEREFORD hosts what is likely to be the final meeting in its 241-year history today with racing professionals expressing sadness and frustration at the venue's demise as talks to resurrect it under its present management or a new group appeared no nearer to fruition. It was announced in July by Arena Racing Company (Arc) that Hereford, along with Folkestone, would be closing at the end of the year with managing director Tony Kelly citing the need for investment at the council-owned track as a reason for not renewing the existing 17-year lease.
Interest in taking over th e running of Hereford by two new groups - one headed by former clerk of the course John Williams and the other by the company that runs Bangor and Chester racecourses - has so far come to nothing, while negotiations between Arc and Herefordshire Council continue, with both parties remaining a long way from agreement.
Williams said: "It's a disappointment which is pretty unnecessary but there is nothing anybody can do. It's the end of an era.
"Our position is no different to the end of July as we have not heard from anyone. We're waiting in the wings, we're fully capitalised and ready to go. The council wants racing to continue and it doesn't make any sense.
"It looks to me as if there won't be racing before 2015 unless Arc comes back or a third party is approved in time. We don't mind who runs the racecourse as there are others who have expressed an interest, but they should let somebody have it."
Interest in taking over th e running of Hereford by two new groups - one headed by former clerk of the course John Williams and the other by the company that runs Bangor and Chester racecourses - has so far come to nothing, while negotiations between Arc and Herefordshire Council continue, with both parties remaining a long way from agreement.
Williams said: "It's a disappointment which is pretty unnecessary but there is nothing anybody can do. It's the end of an era.
"Our position is no different to the end of July as we have not heard from anyone. We're waiting in the wings, we're fully capitalised and ready to go. The council wants racing to continue and it doesn't make any sense.
"It looks to me as if there won't be racing before 2015 unless Arc comes back or a third party is approved in time. We don't mind who runs the racecourse as there are others who have expressed an interest, but they should let somebody have it."
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The latest actions of the Tulsa County fair board don't exactly inspire confidence - that is, if you can even understand what's going on. It's getting to the point we need a program to keep the players and the proposals straight.
Suffice to say that any deal to rename fairgrounds facilities that affects horse racing at the Fair Meadows racetrack needs a good bit more study before any final decision is made.
The fair board took action for the third time on Wednesday on a new naming rights agreement for what is now the QuikTrip Center. This time, the board deferred a decision to allow the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, which has been pursuing naming rights, to take a new proposal to its leaders.
This action comes on the heels of the fair board rescinding two previous votes that approved naming rights agreements with the tribe. Those two votes also included provisions that would end live horse racing at the fairgrounds race track, a decision that outraged horse-racing groups in this region.
The original naming rights agreement that has been rescinded called for the Creeks to pay $1.44 million a year for those rights. It also called for the end of live horse racing.
The proposed new naming rights agreement that has yet to be acted on has the Creek Nation paying only $140,000 a year - one-tenth of what was included in the original agreement - and even less than the $240,000 a year QuikTrip is now paying.
Um, we're no financial experts, but shouldn't we be trying to increase the public's share, rather than head the other direction?
It gets even more complicated. It turns out the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission approved two licenses earlier this year allowing Fair Meadows to hold live races in 2013, but those licenses never were signed and returned to the commission. But a racetrack official did ink deals with quarter horse and thoroughbred associations promising to hold races in 2013.
On Wednesday, the fair board voted to sign the licenses and send them on to the commission. It's expected the horse racing commission will approve those licenses, which means it appears horse racing will be back at Fair Meadows next year.
Also at issue is periodic payments that several Oklahoma Indian tribes make that benefit horse racing in the state, in exchange for keeping casino-style gaming out of racetrack facilities.
What's behind this flurry of confusing activity is the issue of costs. County leaders say horse racing is too expensive, and that a new naming rights agreement will help build financial stability. They also argue that whatever replaces racing would more than offset any economic loss that would result from halting racing. One has to wonder how they know that when we don't even know what would replace racing.
They may genuinely believe they're making good decisions, but the rest of us aren't convinced. Let's give all parties the chance to make their case, evaluate all options thoroughly, and then take a little time to make an informed decision. How's that idea for handling the public's business?
Suffice to say that any deal to rename fairgrounds facilities that affects horse racing at the Fair Meadows racetrack needs a good bit more study before any final decision is made.
The fair board took action for the third time on Wednesday on a new naming rights agreement for what is now the QuikTrip Center. This time, the board deferred a decision to allow the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, which has been pursuing naming rights, to take a new proposal to its leaders.
This action comes on the heels of the fair board rescinding two previous votes that approved naming rights agreements with the tribe. Those two votes also included provisions that would end live horse racing at the fairgrounds race track, a decision that outraged horse-racing groups in this region.
The original naming rights agreement that has been rescinded called for the Creeks to pay $1.44 million a year for those rights. It also called for the end of live horse racing.
The proposed new naming rights agreement that has yet to be acted on has the Creek Nation paying only $140,000 a year - one-tenth of what was included in the original agreement - and even less than the $240,000 a year QuikTrip is now paying.
Um, we're no financial experts, but shouldn't we be trying to increase the public's share, rather than head the other direction?
It gets even more complicated. It turns out the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission approved two licenses earlier this year allowing Fair Meadows to hold live races in 2013, but those licenses never were signed and returned to the commission. But a racetrack official did ink deals with quarter horse and thoroughbred associations promising to hold races in 2013.
On Wednesday, the fair board voted to sign the licenses and send them on to the commission. It's expected the horse racing commission will approve those licenses, which means it appears horse racing will be back at Fair Meadows next year.
Also at issue is periodic payments that several Oklahoma Indian tribes make that benefit horse racing in the state, in exchange for keeping casino-style gaming out of racetrack facilities.
What's behind this flurry of confusing activity is the issue of costs. County leaders say horse racing is too expensive, and that a new naming rights agreement will help build financial stability. They also argue that whatever replaces racing would more than offset any economic loss that would result from halting racing. One has to wonder how they know that when we don't even know what would replace racing.
They may genuinely believe they're making good decisions, but the rest of us aren't convinced. Let's give all parties the chance to make their case, evaluate all options thoroughly, and then take a little time to make an informed decision. How's that idea for handling the public's business?
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
After coming to a tenuous agreement last year to allow 146 days of live racing at the state’s two thoroughbred tracks, the racing industry is back with a long-term plan.
Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) announced a 10-year agreement Friday. The deal provides for 146 days of live racing at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and Laurel Park for 2013 and then slides into a 100-day minimum that will be enhanced through a revenue-sharing program for the duration of the agreement.
“Today is a great day for Maryland’s racing industry,” O’Malley said in a statement. “I applaud the incredible work of all the parties in reaching a deal that retains racing industry jobs and preserves the future of racing in Maryland for years to come.”
The deal provides track owner Frank Stronach, who owns the Maryland Jockey Club, which manages Laurel Park and Pimlico, with the long-term assurance that the horsemen share Stronach’s goal of profitability, said Alan Foreman, general counsel for the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, referring to Stronach’s need for a reliable funding method.
Through the deal, Stronach guarantees 100 live racing days from 2014 through the 2023, with the subsidies for more days coming from revenue-shared aspects such as betting revenues and casino money. Foreman anticipates a minimum of 146 days each year going forward.
Under the agreement, Bowie Training Center will be closed, with additional stables being built at Pimlico to allow for 1,900 stalls between the two tracks throughout the length of the deal. The General Assembly must approve the center’s closure, which is expected to occur gradually during the next year.
Foreman said the hope is to accommodate as many people from Bowie as possible and create a smooth transition.
The deal also allows Stronach to invest in capital improvements for the tracks, especially Pimlico, he said. Stronach must present a capital improvement plan by Feb. 1.
“We created a plan that benefits everyone and develops a sustainable model for the future,” Tom Chuckas, president of the jockey club, said in a statement.
Mike Rogers, president of The Stronach Group, was not available for comment, but Stronach issued a statement that he was pleased. “This shows our commitment to Maryland racing and the long-term future of the industry,” he said.
“This essentially protects year-round live racing in the state for the next decade,” Foreman said. “We’re pleased at knowing we won’t have to have the annual battle over the number of racing days and the fight to keep the tracks open.”
The racing industry, which employs about 15,000 people at the tracks, has faced ongoing uncertainty throughout the years, as revenues declined. In many cases, arguments about how to fund the tracks have come close to the last possible moment that a racing schedule could be approved. Last year’s agreement required the horsemen’s association to pay the jockey club $4 million through monthly installments in 2012. The money came from the association’s purse account.
At the time, Foreman said the 2012 deal was so everyone could have additional time to develop a more stable plan. The industry has done this, he said Monday.
Members of the racing industry, including those with the horsemen’s association, Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Maryland Racing Commission met with each other and state government liaisons for 11 months to broker a deal. During that time, the horsemen’s association saw the resignation of both its president, Richard J. Hoffberger, and executive secretary, Wayne W. Wright. Both men, however, remained through the negotiations.
“The best thing about the whole thing is it gives the framework, structure and basis we need and gives us a stability to build from,” said racing commissioner Bruce Quade, who was part of the negotiations. “It’s a cool thing.”
He praised O’Malley’s administration and the General Assembly for their work in getting all those involved “to where we can strike this deal.”
The long-term stability is particularly critical to Maryland’s horse breeders, because breeding can require a commitment of at least four years, said Cricket Goodall, executive director of the horse breeders association.
“This deal is unprecedented. We’re getting congratulations from other states,” she said. “We’re looking forward to a positive future.”
The deal will go before the racing commission for approval Tuesday afternoon at Laurel Park.
Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) announced a 10-year agreement Friday. The deal provides for 146 days of live racing at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and Laurel Park for 2013 and then slides into a 100-day minimum that will be enhanced through a revenue-sharing program for the duration of the agreement.
“Today is a great day for Maryland’s racing industry,” O’Malley said in a statement. “I applaud the incredible work of all the parties in reaching a deal that retains racing industry jobs and preserves the future of racing in Maryland for years to come.”
The deal provides track owner Frank Stronach, who owns the Maryland Jockey Club, which manages Laurel Park and Pimlico, with the long-term assurance that the horsemen share Stronach’s goal of profitability, said Alan Foreman, general counsel for the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, referring to Stronach’s need for a reliable funding method.
Through the deal, Stronach guarantees 100 live racing days from 2014 through the 2023, with the subsidies for more days coming from revenue-shared aspects such as betting revenues and casino money. Foreman anticipates a minimum of 146 days each year going forward.
Under the agreement, Bowie Training Center will be closed, with additional stables being built at Pimlico to allow for 1,900 stalls between the two tracks throughout the length of the deal. The General Assembly must approve the center’s closure, which is expected to occur gradually during the next year.
Foreman said the hope is to accommodate as many people from Bowie as possible and create a smooth transition.
The deal also allows Stronach to invest in capital improvements for the tracks, especially Pimlico, he said. Stronach must present a capital improvement plan by Feb. 1.
“We created a plan that benefits everyone and develops a sustainable model for the future,” Tom Chuckas, president of the jockey club, said in a statement.
Mike Rogers, president of The Stronach Group, was not available for comment, but Stronach issued a statement that he was pleased. “This shows our commitment to Maryland racing and the long-term future of the industry,” he said.
“This essentially protects year-round live racing in the state for the next decade,” Foreman said. “We’re pleased at knowing we won’t have to have the annual battle over the number of racing days and the fight to keep the tracks open.”
The racing industry, which employs about 15,000 people at the tracks, has faced ongoing uncertainty throughout the years, as revenues declined. In many cases, arguments about how to fund the tracks have come close to the last possible moment that a racing schedule could be approved. Last year’s agreement required the horsemen’s association to pay the jockey club $4 million through monthly installments in 2012. The money came from the association’s purse account.
At the time, Foreman said the 2012 deal was so everyone could have additional time to develop a more stable plan. The industry has done this, he said Monday.
Members of the racing industry, including those with the horsemen’s association, Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Maryland Racing Commission met with each other and state government liaisons for 11 months to broker a deal. During that time, the horsemen’s association saw the resignation of both its president, Richard J. Hoffberger, and executive secretary, Wayne W. Wright. Both men, however, remained through the negotiations.
“The best thing about the whole thing is it gives the framework, structure and basis we need and gives us a stability to build from,” said racing commissioner Bruce Quade, who was part of the negotiations. “It’s a cool thing.”
He praised O’Malley’s administration and the General Assembly for their work in getting all those involved “to where we can strike this deal.”
The long-term stability is particularly critical to Maryland’s horse breeders, because breeding can require a commitment of at least four years, said Cricket Goodall, executive director of the horse breeders association.
“This deal is unprecedented. We’re getting congratulations from other states,” she said. “We’re looking forward to a positive future.”
The deal will go before the racing commission for approval Tuesday afternoon at Laurel Park.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
.jpg?v=1.014689139)
.png?v=1.014689139)
The six-year-old was a talented but quirky performer over hurdles but has been a revelation since switching to bigger obstacles last term.
He won his three starts by an aggregate of 74 lengths, with his last two victories coming at Sandown.
Although he is facing his toughest task to date against Arkle Trophy hero Sprinter Sacre, unbeaten in five starts over fences, Nicholls is bullish about his charge’s prospects.
“Sprinter Sacre is an extremely talented horse, but so is Sanctuaire,” said the champion trainer, who has won the Tingle Creek eight times.
“They are only 3lb apart so I have no idea how it will pan out, but I know that it is going to be an interesting race.
“When he won at Sandown in April, I knew he’d run well before the race, but it really was awesome the way he won.
“Sandown is the perfect course for front-running two-mile chasers and so it was obvious for us to come back with him for the Sportingbet Tingle Creek Chase.
“We’ve had a little trouble with him in the past at the start of races, but since he has been going over fences he has been grand at the start so I am not too worried about him in that respect.
“The trick with him is to run him when he is very fit and very fresh and he will certainly be both those next Saturday.”
Meanwhile, Nicky Henderson is set to be double-handed in the Hennessy Gold Cup after deciding to let Roberto Goldback take his chance at Newbury on Saturday. Henderson already has ante-post favourite Bobs Worth in the handicap feature.
Read more: Wales Online www-walesonline-co-uk/sports/racing-news/2012/11/29/horse-racing-sanctuaire-camp-not-scared-of-sprinter-sacre-91466-32327583/#ixzz2Dau5V6cf