Thursday Notes
Wait, Forever Together might not be done yet. Trainer Jonathan Sheppard, who said after the champion finished sixth in the Flower Bowl, “It’s no fun watching her run like that,” and suggested the...
View ArticleFriday Notes
There have been retirements, defections, and unexpected announcements, but the recent Breeders’ Cup news that’s most interested me is that Theyskens’ Theory is now a probable for the Juvenile Fillies....
View ArticleConflict of Interest
Will dirt’s return trump horseplayers’ takeout rage when Santa Anita opens? Bill Finley, writing in support of an organized players’ boycott, notes: Santa Anita might actually get off to a good start....
View ArticleSpeed Up, Handle Down
So, was the horseplayers’ boycott a success before it even began? I was among those who thought that anticipation for the first day of racing at Santa Anita in eight months and pent-up dirt demand...
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In the Red
How the pool totals looked through the card at Santa Anita on Wednesday: Edited screenshot from an anonymous player forwarded by Pull the Pocket. Player’s figures vary in amount, not trend, from the...
View ArticleThe Disconnect
From Matt Hegarty’s must-read on the state of the racing business: But continuing to fatten purses is a solution that directly serves horsemen, not bettors. In a macroeconomic sense, it’s hard to argue...
View ArticleMeetings Taken
Santa Anita and Del Mar executives recently met with horseplayers to discuss the January 1 takeout increase and other concerns. Art Wilson reports: A HANA-backed boycott of California races is believed...
View ArticleSave Horses! Mug Horseplayers!
Let’s stop this idea in its tracks now: Violette said there has been discussion about dedicating one-tenth of one percent of New York’s handle to retirement programs, which would need legislative...
View ArticlePricing
Tom LaMarra on simulcasting fees and Churchill’s recent takeout hike: I’m no math whiz, so correct me if I’m wrong. In the case of Churchill, if its host fee remains the same, a rebate shop and its...
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Saturday’s Suffolk Return
For the first time in almost a year, horses were training over the Suffolk Downs track on Friday, September 4. Racing will be held on Saturday, September 5. Live horse racing returns to Suffolk Downs...
View ArticleIncreased Purses, Reduced Takeout
Citing the success of their September 5 program, Suffolk Downs announced the addition of a stakes race, purse increases for Mass-bred stakes, and promoted reduced takeout of 15% for all wagers on the...
View ArticleWhy Not?
Steven Crist on extending the Pegasus World Cup concept: The central idea of the Pegasus is to raise purse money from owners rather than through an extraction from the parimutuel handle. Horseplayers...
View ArticleConflict of Interest
Will dirt’s return trump horseplayers’ takeout rage when Santa Anita opens? Bill Finley, writing in support of an organized players’ boycott, notes: Santa Anita might actually get off to a good start....
View ArticleSpeed Up, Handle Down
So, was the horseplayers’ boycott a success before it even began? I was among those who thought that anticipation for the first day of racing at Santa Anita in eight months and pent-up dirt demand...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In the Red
How the pool totals looked through the card at Santa Anita on Wednesday: Edited screenshot from an anonymous player forwarded by Pull the Pocket. Player’s figures vary in amount, not trend, from the...
View ArticleThe Disconnect
From Matt Hegarty’s must-read on the state of the racing business: But continuing to fatten purses is a solution that directly serves horsemen, not bettors. In a macroeconomic sense, it’s hard to argue...
View ArticleMeetings Taken
Santa Anita and Del Mar executives recently met with horseplayers to discuss the January 1 takeout increase and other concerns. Art Wilson reports: A HANA-backed boycott of California races is believed...
View ArticleSave Horses! Mug Horseplayers!
Let’s stop this idea in its tracks now: Violette said there has been discussion about dedicating one-tenth of one percent of New York’s handle to retirement programs, which would need legislative...
View ArticlePricing
Tom LaMarra on simulcasting fees and Churchill’s recent takeout hike: I’m no math whiz, so correct me if I’m wrong. In the case of Churchill, if its host fee remains the same, a rebate shop and its...
View ArticleSaturday’s Suffolk Return
Live horse racing returns to Suffolk Downs this Saturday, the first of three days scheduled this fall at the East Boston track, with a 13-race card worth $507,500 in purses that drew 111 entries. One...
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