Horse Racing Is Still Kicking
Posted August 27, 2010 – 5:46 am in: Horse Racing News
Over the past month the horse betting industry has come under a lot of scrutiny from experts and outsiders alike. The main argument is that because online horse betting has become the norm, actual race tracks are losing attendance numbers. Although there may be a decline in attendance, horse racing and betting is still alive and well.
Horse racing is not what it once was in the hearts and minds of many sports bettors. The crowds at the track are older and the wagering is slowly declining. Essentially the industry is not what it once was back in the peak era of the Triple Crown from the end of the 1930s to the end of the 1970s.
Nevertheless, horse racing is alive and well, as there are different peak seasons where attendance rises. For instance in a five week span from the beginning of May to the second week of June, over a million spectators combined in person and at home watching on TV take in the Triple Crown of America. Later in the year around the end of November to middle of December, horse racing fans pack the race tracks again for qualifiers and the actual Breeder Cup races.
It’s ironic that in horse racing’s quieter months comes all of the criticism from the outside community. As we noted above the spring and fall are America’s peak times for horse racing. Although horse racing is quiet in the summer in the United States, it remains an integral money maker for tourists and locals alike in Canada.
During the summer, Canada has its own version of the American Triple Crown, with the Queen’s Plate and a few other races making up the Canadian Triple Crown. As well, the Breeder’s Cup is a mainstay in Canadian horse betting enthusiasts hearts, since horses from Canada also take part in the race. Horse racing may not have the same level of importance it did from the 30’s to 70’s but it is far from dead.
No Comments | Tags: horse betting, Horse Racing, online horse bettingAmerican Triple Crown
Posted August 4, 2010 – 12:12 am in: Horse Racing NewsThe American Triple Crown is one of the biggest horse betting spectacles in the world. For five weeks in May and June, fans from other sports get to enjoy betting on the biggest three stages in the history of sports gambling.
Since 1978 no horse has been able to capture the Triple Crown. Affirmed in 1978 became the 11th horse to ever win the Triple Crown. Recently however, Big Brown in 2008 came the closest to a Triple Crown by winning the first two stages, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
Although the first known winner of the Triple Crown was Sir Barton in 1919, the Triple Crown was not actually recognized as such until the beginning of the 1930s. In 1931, the Triple Crown was recognized in the order of, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Prior to the stages of the Triple Crown being set, the Preakness was run before the Derby. As well in 1917 and again in 1922, the Derby and Preakness were run on the same day.
As noted before the Triple Crown is a five week race. In the first week of May on the Saturday, the Kentucky Derby is raced out of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Two weeks later the Preakness Stakes are run at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Finally on first Saturday in June, the Belmont Stakes are run at Belmont Park, in Elmont, New York.
Of the three races which make up the Triple Crown, Belmont has been operated the longest, as it was established in 1867. Nevertheless, the Belmont tends to be the least viewed, because the potential Triple Crown winner rarely wins at Pimlico.
In 1995, trainer D. Wayne Lukas became the only person to ever win a Triple Crown using three different horses. At the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, Lukas was the trainer for Thunder Gulch. Conversely, he was also the trainer for Timber Country who won the Preakness.
No Comments | Tags: American Triple Crown, Belmont Stakes, horse betting, Kentucky Derby, Preakness StakesAlways Different Options For Horse Betting
Posted July 7, 2010 – 3:12 pm in: Horse Racing Betting 101
When making any wager with a sports betting source, there are always plenty of options for the players to choose from. That is no different when horse race betting, for which there are at least ten different types of wagers that you can choose from. The first three types of bets are the simplest, including betting on a horse to win, place, or show. The first option is self-explainatory, as players simply choose the horse they think will win. The next two are to place, which means betting the horse to finish second, and show, which is betting the horse to finish third. The two other simple options are betting “across the board”, which is betting the horse to simply come in the top three, and the “win-place”, which is betting your horse to win and place.
The more complicated types of wagers for betting on horses include the Exactor, the Quinella, the Triactor, and the Superfecta. Betting the Exactor requires choosing the horses that will finish first and second in that exact order. Sometimes referred to as an Exacta, this is a more difficult type of wager, but also offers a bigger jackpot. The Quinella is similar to the Exactor, however in this case the player just needs to choose the top-two horses, not in any particular order. The Trifectagoes back to the same concept as the exactor, except in this case the player has to not only bet on the horses that will finish first and second in that order, but the one that will finish third as well. Finally, the Superfecta follows the same guidelines, except now players must pick the top-four horses in the exact order they will finish.
No Comments | Tags:Choosing A Race Book Online
Posted June 23, 2010 – 4:09 pm in: Horse Racing Betting 101
Often referred to as a Race book when it comes to betting on horses, the sports book is where players can go to wager on various online sports betting events. In years past players would have to travel to casinos or call in their wagers, however with the Internet becoming much more mainstream in recent years, a variety of Race books, or sports books, are now available online.
Most of the Race books online offer a wide range of sign up options, with players needing to give their information to become registered on give sites. The Race books provide players with full track odds for multiple tracks locally, as well as across North America and even across the world. Players can bet all options, including betting the win, place, and show. Exacta, Quinella, and Trifecta are other exotics available to players once they have registered with an online Race book, in addition to the options to buy points, and make parlay wagers. Most Race books offer contests that players can join in for fun, and there are special bonus payouts that are made for those that meet certain criteria.
One such Race book is offered by the sports book Betonline.com, which also offers odds on a variety of other sporting events from across the world, as well as an online casino where classic games such as black jack and poker can also be played by those registered.
No Comments | Tags:Uptowncharlybrown’s Dismissal Accounted For By Trainer
Posted June 9, 2010 – 5:44 pm in: Horse Racing News
The trainer for the horse Uptowncharlybrown, which originally placed fifth in last weekend’s 142nd running of the Belmont Stakes but was disqualified, has taken the blame for the horse’s failure to keep its record. Uptowncharlybrown was disqualified for not carrying the correct amount of weight throughout the entire course of the horse betting race, resulting in the three-year old Thoroughbred being placed last on the final ledger. All 12 starters in the 2010 Belmont Stakes were assigned 126 pounds to carry through the race, and given that the jockey that rode Uptowncharlybrown weighed only 118 pounds, the difference was supposed to be made up by an eight pound piece of padding that is slid under the saddle. With just seven furlongs left to run in the race, that weighted padding fell from underneath jockey Rajiv Maragh and on to the track, meaning the horse finished carrying only the 118 pound weight of Maragh, resulting in its disqualification.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin took accountability for the mishap, saying that the responsibility to ensure that the padding is secure is ultimately the responsibility of the trainer. McLaughlin noted that she was disappointed the such an unfortunate circumstance kept Uptowncharlybrown from finishing fifth, but said that she was also relieved that the horse didn’t suffer any severe injuries. The sports betting race was won by 13-1 long shot Drosselmeyer, followed by Fly Down in second, and First Dude in third. Belmont Stakes favorite Ice Box finished a terrible sixth place.
No Comments | Tags:First Dude Will Run In Belmont
Posted May 26, 2010 – 3:22 pm in: Sports
It will be a case for steady improvement for at least one horse entering the upcoming online betting Belmont Stakes, as First Dude looks to make it three straight Triple Crown races with demonstrated improvement two weeks from now. After finishing third in the Kentucky Derby at the opening of the month, First Dude moved up a spot at the finish by placing second at the Preakness Stakes. Now trainer Dale Romans is hoping his horse can finally make it to the top at the Belmont Stakes.
First Dude will be one of the horse betting favorites for the Belmont, especially considering that both of the winners from the first two legs of the Triple Crown will not run. Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver struggled at the Preakness, and will not run. Meanwhile, after struggling at Churchill Downs after drawing the inside rail position under harsh conditions, Lookin At Lucky bounced back with a win at the Preakness, but also will not run at the Belmont Stakes.
It will be interesting to see how First Dude is able to respond to the difference in race type between the first two legs of the Triple Crown, and the final one. The Belmont is the longest of the three races, and relative success at the shorter races may not necessarily translate.
First Dude returned to Churchill Downs on the weekend, but Romans noted he will likely move to Belmont Park by the end of this week.
No Comments | Tags:Kentucky Derby Odds – Last-Minute News At Churchill Downs
Posted April 30, 2010 – 2:17 pm in: SportsKentucky Derby odds are looking at a two-horse race, but there’s a group of about nine horses who could make some noise, and after Mine That Bird’s historic 2009 run, you can’t discount any horse.
The forecast for Saturday is calling for severe thunderstorms, which will make for a sloppy track at Churchill Downs, and some think that will favor some horses, like the trainer of Awesome Act (+1015). Lookin At Lucky (+385) has assumed the mantle of favorite with the injury to Eskendereya, while Sidney’s Candy (+735) is next. This could set up a rematch of the Santa Anita Derby, in which Sidney’s Candy came out on top. They’ll be starting at the opposite ends of the gate as Lookin At Lucky drew the rail, while Sidney’s Candy is on the outside, which gives him an edge at Lookin At Lucky will have to get out to a fast start to beat the field to the first turn.
The rail may even belong to Super Saver (+1415), who will be jockeyed by Calvin Borel, who has steered two of the last three winners to victory. In sloppy conditions, the rail may be the best place to be as it saves the horses some ground, and there is no one better at rail-riding than Borel, who dropped Mine That Bird to the back of the pack, and then appeared out of nowhere. If you’re looking for a sports betting “darkhorse” to ride, Super Saver is the one.
No Comments | Tags:Here’s to Zenyatta
Posted December 2, 2009 – 2:17 pm in: Sports
One of the best female mares to ever grace the racetrack will head into the sunset soon, as Zenyatta was retired on Saturday at Hollywood Park, where she won twice in 2009 and six times in her legendary career.
Zenyatta, a daughter of Street Cry, will retire a perfect 14-of-14 in her career, which started as a three-year-old at Hollywood Park. She capped her career off with a thrilling ride in the $5 million Breeders Cup Classic at Santa Anita (who also may have a retirement ceremony for her as she won five times there), becoming the first horse to win two Breeders Cup races (she won the Breeders Cup Ladies Classic in 2008), and she was the first female to win the Breeders Cup Classic, overcoming the likes of Mine That Bird and Summer Bird, who won two of the three jewels in the Triple Crown this year, which include Kentucky derby, Belmont and Preakness Stakes Betting Races.
She also ended her career as a massive money-earner. Zenyatta earned over $5 million for owners Jerry and Ann Moss, and she was one of the most-loved horses in the history of California. Her retirement even brought out Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to make some remarks about Zenyatta. She was usually steered by jockey Mike E. Smith, who rode Zenyatta to 11 of her 14 wins and called her the “Horse of the Decade”. We may never see anything like Zenyatta again, although Rachel Alexandra may make a run at her mark. Still, we must salute one of the greatest horses of our time, Zenyatta.
No Comments | Tags:Online Racebook – If Football teams were horses…
Posted July 28, 2009 – 8:29 am in: Sports
OK, so it’s weird to have an online racebook blog and talk football, but there’s nothing wrong with broadening our horizons, is there? I’ve been thinking about the NFL and the horse racing season, which is winding down. If the sportsbook were an online racebook, which horses would the top football teams be?
I’m thinking that the Minnesota Vikings are Mine That Bird. Remember, Mine That Bird didn’t open the year as a top contender, and neither did the Vikings last year. Now, Mine That Bird is something special and the Vikings, with their devastating run defense and great rushing offense, are gaining traction among Super Bowl picks. The Vikes aren’t perfect and neither was Mine That Bird, as shorter tracks weren’t good to him since he likes to hang back and make a late push.
Who could be this year’s Rachel Alexandra? Many people want to say the Texans, but I like Seattle. They’ll be written off since they sucked last year but they play in a ridiculously weak division in the NFC West. The Cardinals are getting all the hype after their improbable Super Bowl run but they only won eight games last season. The Seahawks are a good online racebook surprise horse pick because they’ll be healthier, they added a good wideout in T.J. Houshmandzadeh and they drafted a defensive standout in Aaron Curry. They could be that surprise Triple Crown/Super Bowl online racebook/sportsbook pick this season!
Comments Off | Tags:Online Racebook – Rachel Alexandra Still Cruising
Posted July 20, 2009 – 9:29 am in: Sports
If you thought that Rachel Alexandra, the Kentucky derby odds filly who came out of nowhere to win The Preakness, but then was pulled out of The Belmont Stakes, would be taking a break from racing, you’re wrong.
The owners and trainers of Rachel Alexandra, the first filly to win the Preakness since 1924, pulled her out of the Belmont because they probably didn’t think she had a great shot to win. With a longer track and a new horse, they felt that it wasn’t worth the risk – and maybe the entry fee – to race her. As it turned out, the way the race turned out, it looked like it was probably a good decision.
She’ll keep racing though and she’s going to take on the Belmont Stakes winner, Summer Bird, in the $1 million Grade I Haskell Invitational on Aug. 2 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.
1 1/8-mile race would be perfect for the filly, who has won twice at nine furlongs this year.
And after hearing trainer Steve Asmussen talk about her – and the length of the track, it makes sense that they would keep her out of the Belmont and let her race in all the smaller tracks that she can dominate.
Summer Bird will be her competition but don’t be surprised if Rachel Alexandra with this one – again.
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