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THS: Malibu Stakes 2011

Tom, Ian and Les from Twinspires.com handicap the Malibu Stakes on opening day of the Santa Anita winter/spring meet.

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Handle Down, But Purses Up in September

For the month of September, pari-mutuel handle continued to decline, but a considerable increase in purses provided a silver lining, according to the latest Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators.

Economic Indicators: Handle Down, Purses Up

Wagering on United States races declined slightly to 2.86% during the month of July, according to figures released Aug. 4 by the Equibase Company.

Lone Star Unveils Two New Wagering Options

Bettors will have two new wagering options to consider--the 10-cent Super Hi-5, and the 10-cent Fortune 6--when Lone Star Park in Texas kicks off its Thoroughbred meet April 14.

Economic Indicators: Good News and Bad News

There was good news and bad news March 4 when Equibase released its monthly report on Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators.

Pope: Reward Horses Generating Handle

Thoroughbred industry marketer Fred Pope outlines a plan to reward the owners of the most popular horses with bonus purse money.

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Wagering Fell 7.3%, Purses Down 6.1% in 2010

Wagering on Thoroughbred racing in the United States fell 7.3% and purses declined 6% in 2010, continuing the trends seen in recent years as the industry remains mired in recession.

TVG Posts Record Breeders' Cup Wagering

Interest in super mare Zenyatta and this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships second day Nov. 6 propelled TVG to a record day, with more than $7.8 million in wagering.

Fornatale Attempts Betting Marathon

On Friday, Sept. 3 professional writer and horseplayer Pete Fornatale will attempt a day-long effort to wager on every race and every track around the world offered through TwinSpires.com to benefit the Race for Education.

Racing's June Economic Indicators Decline

Total handle for June is down 5.82% while purses and race days fall 1.21% and 3.23%, respectively.

Track Wagering Marks Set at Indiana Downs

The most money ever was wagered June 30 on a single race, $379,220, and on a single race card, $2,140,490.

U.S. Wagering Declined by Nearly 10% in 2009

Wagering on U.S. racing in 2009 declined by 9.9% to total $12.3 billion, compared with $13.7 billion the previous year, according to figures released Jan. 6 by Equibase Company.

On-Track Down, Simulcast Up at Keeneland

A rainy October in Kentucky led to much lower on-track business for the Keeneland fall meet, but good racing at the track helped the simulcast wagering, and the combined off-track and on-track betting increased.

Official Breeders' Cup Race Order, Wagering

The Breeders' Cup has released the official race order and wagering menu for the 26th Breeders' Cup World Championships, to be held Nov. 6-7 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

Rachel Alexandra Heavy Preakness Choice

If the payoffs for the daily double involving the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II) and Preakness (gr. I) are any indication, the filly Rachel Alexandra will be the big favorite for the middle leg of the Triple Crown.

Laurel Meet Suffers Handle Drop-Off

All-sources handle for the recently-concluded Laurel Park winter-spring meet fell 25.5%, Maryland Jockey Club officials have reported.

Questions Raised on California Rebating

Here's a fact: Some domestic advance deposit wagering outlets are openly offering cash rebates to customers that wager on California racing signals.

Total U.S. Handle Lowest in a Decade

Hampered by a 20.3% drop in total handle in December, wagering in the United States declined 7.2% in 2008 to record the lowest overall total in a decade.

Players' Group Seeks Wagering Task Force

A grassroots coalition of horseplayers is calling for an end to outstanding disputes involving Internet and telephone wagering, and is asking for the formation of a task force to help settle the differences.

No Early Issue with Breeders' Cup Signal

Early handicapping on signal distribution of the Breeders' Cup World Championships shows the prestigious event will be available to a wide variety of outlets and bettors, at first glance calming fears of any "signal wars" fallout evident in other revenue-sharing disputes involving advance deposit wagering.

Preakness Handle Suffers Heavy Decline

After four straight years of handle topping $87 million, wagering on the Preakness program declined 15.8% in a year-over-year comparison with the 2007 card.

Big Brown Big Favorite

The early Preakness (gr. I) wagering is no surprise, with Big Brown an overwhelming favorite. The winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) is the heavy 1-9 choice to win the Preakness and have a shot at the Triple Crown three weeks later.

TVG: Record Handle for First Quarter

TVG processed $108.8 million in total wagering during the first quarter of 2008, the highest first quarter total in the company's history and a 32% increase over the first quarter of 2007.

Total Wagering Up in New Zealand

The unaudited figures from the New Zealand Racing Board for the first six months of the 2007/08 season show that despite the challenges imposed by the equine influenza outbreak in Australia, business has continued to deliver strong turnover growth.

Youbet: Restructuring Plan in Place

Youbet.com said April 1 it had put a restructuring plan in place to recover from last year's $27.4-million loss, and is looking forward to a turnaround in 2008.

Keeneland to Simulcast Dubai World Cup

Keeneland Race Course will offer simulcast wagering on the $21 million Dubai World Cup Day races, held Saturday, March 29, at Nad al Sheba Race Course in Dubai.

TOC: Partial Signal Consent Given

The Thoroughbred Owners of California has given limited consent to New York's off-track betting corporations to accept wagers on California races, but is holding firm on its stance against allowing wagers from the companies'out-of-state account deposit wagering customers.

Wagering Down, Purses Up in 2007

Overall wagering declined slightly in the United States in 2007 while purses increased, according to "Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators" data released Jan. 15.

Commentary: Past Posting

By Ed Martin - Sometimes it's good that racing does not command the front page of USA Today's sports section as often as it should.

Officials Blame Weather for Breeders' Cup Wagering Declines

Just as severe weather played havoc with many facets of the 2007 Breeders' Cup, the blustery, sloppy conditions hit the bottom line of handle figures at Monmouth Park during the first-ever two-day World Championships.

Wagering Declines on 2007 Breeders' Cup

A total of $111,903,685 was wagered from all sources on the 11-race Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships card at Monmouth Park Oct. 27, according to preliminary data, a decline of 20.3% from the all-time record set at Churchill Downs last year.

Trial Begins for Fallon, Others in Alleged Fraud Case

Six-time British champion jockey Kieren Fallon, 42, and two other riders were involved in plot to cheat in 27 races, a court in London, England, was told Oct. 8.

Wagering Records Topped at Hollywood Park Meet

Hollywood Park closed its 63-day spring meet July 15 with a record average in all-sources handle, fueled by increases in on-track and advance deposit wagering, the Inglewood, Calif. racetrack reported.

Fabian Speaks on Jockey Bans; Houghton to Attend Hearing

Frank Fabian, president of the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau, addressed last year's banning of several jockeys while one of the riders, Terry Houghton, is scheduled to appear before the Michigan Racing Commission June 28 for an investigatory hearing.

Commentary: Back Into The Hole

By John McEvoy - I have been caught in the squeeze between aggressive corporations battling for monopolistic control of "the product" while turning a frigid shoulder to the people who purchase the product.

TrackNet Takes Another Shot from Youbet

Youbet.com directed more criticism at the controversial content alliance of Churchill Downs and Magna Entertainment May 8, with one executive telling analysts during an earnings conference that the partners in TrackNet Media Group "ended up shooting not only themselves, but an entire industry."

Rewarding Innovation

By T.D. Thornton -- North American racing has a widely acknowledged economics problem. Its chief funding mechanism, pari-mutuel wagering, is failing after serving the sport well for decades. What was once an efficient method of extruding profits is now an anachronism whose constraints are choking back betting growth.

Portland Meadows Expands Card, Ups Ante

Portland Meadows has expanded its Dec. 19 program and will offer two guaranteed pick four wagers each worth $15,000.

Handle, Purses Up through First Quarter of 2006

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and Equibase Company released the "Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators" for United States and Canadian pari-mutuel wagering on U.S. Thoroughbred racing during the first quarter of 2006, as well as for U.S. purses and race days, with prior-year, first-quarter comparisons.

Youbet.com Completes United Tote Acquisition

Youbet.com, Inc., announced Monday that it completed its previously announced acquisition of privately-held United Tote Company for approximately $31.9 million, which is $2 million less than the previously announced purchase price.

RCI to Create Wagering Monitoring Service and Security Database

The Board of Directors of Racing Commissioners International voted Wednesday to partner with some of the leading technology suppliers for independent monitoring systems to provide a national monitoring service and database for pari-mutuel wagering.

Emerald Downs to Take Canadian Wagers

Emerald Downs will become the first Thoroughbred track in the United States to conduct common pool pari-mutuel wagering with Canada on Thursday evening.

TVG Wagering Tops $100 Million in Second Quarter

TVG Network processed $114 million in wagers during the second quarter, marking the first time that quarterly wagering went over the $100 million mark and resulting in a 29% increase in wagering over the second quarter of 2004.

Breeders' Cup Race Order to be Announced When Pre-Entries Released

In an effort to provide its fans with the most attractive wagering program, officials of Breeders' Cup Limited and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Thursday that, for the first time, the complete race order for the 22nd Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, will be announced on Wednesday, Oct. 19, when the Pre-Entered fields for all eight races are released.

Woodbine Gains Limited Access to U.S. Pools

Woodbine Entertainment Group announced July 2 that Canadian wagers on Balmoral Park, a Chicago-based harness track, will for the first time be combined with the U.S. host track's pools, giving customers in both countries the same winning payout prices.

Keeneland to Offer Ten-Cent Superfecta Wager

Bettors will be able to wager as little as 10 cents on superfectas during the upcoming Keeneland spring race meeting that opens April 8. The dime option will be available on all races in which a superfecta wager is offered. Previously, Keeneland's superfecta minimum was $1.

Dish Network Launches TVG Interactive

After years of promises and disappointments, true two-way interactivity for horse-race wagering will reach 10 million TV sets nationwide this month through the Dish Network's launch March 2 of the TVG Interactive Horseracing channel.

'Players' Pool' Strikes Again With Pick Six Hit

AmericaTab followed the success of its first Players' Pool on the Breeders' Cup Ultra Pick 6 with its second hit in a month. Bettors had one winning pick six ticket and 28 consolation tickets Nov. 28 at Hollywood Park.

Britain to Step Up Betting-Exchange Restrictions

More people connected with racehorses in Great Britain will be banned from betting them to lose effective Dec. 1, the British Jockey Club has ruled.

Keeneland Makes Changes to Wagering Menu: Some Takeouts Lowered

Keeneland will implement several changes to its wagering menu this fall. There will be a guaranteed Pick Four, lower takeout on all Pick Three, Pick Four and Pick Six wagers and changes to the Pick Three rules.