Although overall wagering rose to a record level and on-track attendance improved, on-track betting at Churchill Downs continued its downward trend during the 24-day fall meet that ended Saturday.
In a pari-mutuel oddity, no money was wagered to win on either of the first two finishers in a five-horse field at Thunder Ridge Raceway in eastern Kentucky. In fact, 17 of the 43 pacers that competed on the seven-race program drew no win money.
By Ray Paulick -- Account wagering has to do more than move on- or off-track bets into California homes.
By Ray Paulick -- Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton gave Californians help in educating Gov. Gray Davis on the horse industry.
By Ray Paulick -- An 11th-hour attack of remorse fever on account wagering isn't helping California racing's image.
By Ray Paulick -- The recent agreement between the TV Games Network and Youbet.com looks like a win-win-win-win situation for the racing industry.
As the Kentucky Derby win pool grew to $6.3 million by 4:00 p.m. (EDT) Saturday, Point Given was still favored at 2-1 odds. That is a radical departure from advance wagering Friday, when Dollar Bill was favored over Point Given.
Arkansas' Oaklawn Park drew an average of 11,251 fans a day this season, down from last year's 12,428. Based on figures through the meet's April 14 close, wagering by Oaklawn patrons on races at the Hot Springs track was down 11.1%. But wagering on simulcast races was up 8%. Calvin Borel won the jockey title with 70 winners. Cole Norman won the training title by saddling 43 winners.
Fair Grounds on Saturday joined the ranks of U.S. racetracks offering its own Internet wagering system. The New Orleans track will introduce Net Bet, an integrated Internet and telephone account wagering service. Net Bet will provide real time odds, full race programs, web casts of live races, archived race replays, and online betting.
By Larry Levin -- Horseplayers are the plankton of Thoroughbred racing, and get about as much respect. Plankton are the tiny organisms at the bottom of the oceanic food chain. If they were suddenly to disappear, life in the sea would plummet, probably to the point of extinction.
Legislation that would prohibit use of credit or money transfers for Internet gambling has been introduced in the House of Representatives and referred to the Committee on Financial Services. At the very least, the measure could impact pari-mutuel operations that employ Internet wagering platforms. HR 556, titled the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act," was sponsored by Republican Rep. James Leach of Iowa and filed Feb. 12. Leach introduced similar legislation last year, but it failed to gain support.
Due to the date of Easter weekend this year, Churchill Downs has amended the schedule for the third pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Pool 1 is scheduled for Feb. 15-18; Pool 2 is set for March 8-11; and Pool 3 will run from April 5-8. The 127th renewal of the Kentucky Derby is scheduled for Saturday, May 5. Pool Three will be conducted a week earlier than in the first two years of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
Santa Anita Park has added two new wagers to its exotic betting menu and becomes one of a growing number of tracks to offer a pick four wager. Beginning Wednesday, the track will offer a daily $1 pick four and $2 rolling daily doubles.
Turfway Park will offer a daily pick four wager, beginning Thursday night. The $1-minimum wager will link races seven through 10 at the Florence, Ky track.
By Ray Paulick -- Far be it for a country bumpkin in Kentucky to understand the politics of racing in a place like New Jersey, but I try, and there are some things going on there that just do not make sense to this simple mind.
By Ray Paulick -- Magna and Churchill have a common problem with short fields in California.
The expanded wagering opportunities will be offered for the first time for the 2001 Kentucky Derby.
By G.D. Hieronymus -- Breeders' Cup Day is second to none for horseplayers, with nearly every horse having a shot.
By Dr. Curtis L. Barrett -- The NTRA and AQHA have endorsed an Employee and Patron Responsible Wagering Initiative and will urge their member and supporting organizations which conduct wagering to adopt and implement this initiative in their facilities.
By Ray Paulick -- For California's career politician, Gov. Gray Davis, it's politics as usual.
Churchill Downs is looking into expanding the number of possible wagering interests in the Kentucky Derby to 20, eliminating the need for horses to run as part of a mutuel field.
By Ray Paulick -- From New York to California and most places in between, state governments -- with few exceptions -- have not been very good friends or partners to racing.
By Ray Paulick -- Racing is in danger of letting the technology revolution pass it by.
Boosted by strong off-track simulcast wagering and stable on-track attendance and handle, total wagering on the spring meet at Churchill Downs rose 18% to an all-time high of $507,477,692.
Both houses of the New Jersey legislature approved a measure to authorize account wagering and off-track betting in the state, but Gov. Christine Whitman plans to veto it.
Special wagering will be offered as part of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's All-Star Jockey Championship Friday night at Lone Star Park.
