Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Victorian bookmakers again be able to offer punters
Posted on Friday, June 16th, 2006
Victorian bookmakers will again be able to offer tote odds services, possibly from as early as this weekend. Allowing Victorian to be competitive with interstate corporate bookmakers.
Racing Victoria (RV) reversed its position on the issue after revisiting its race fields legislation when CEO Robert Nason left to take a position with Tabcorp. Nason and the RV stewards’ department were behind the move to stop bookies from offering the services, citing integrity concerns over pools being manipulated by bookmakers or punters.
RV chief steward Des Gleeson said "As soon as that is fixed, bookmakers will be able to bet tote odds and that could be as early as June 1." adding "While there are risks with the manipulation of the pools, as has happened at a dog and trot meeting, we believe the size of pools in Victoria can be managed and mitigated."
certain risk management strategies would be worked through with the Victorian Bookmakers Association, and following that, bookmakers will be able to offer tote odds.
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Youbet.com and Harrah’s Louisiana Downs joint forces for the track’s online marketing , handle
Posted on Friday, June 16th, 2006
California-based online horse race betting and content provider Youbet.com and Harrah’s Louisiana Downs Racetrack Casino are joining forces to help build the online segment of the track’s pari-mutuel wagering business.
The multi-year marketing partnership breaks new ground for both companies, making Youbet.com the official account wagering provider for Louisiana Downs, a designation that the Harrah’s facility will promote aggressively.
"We believe we can grow our business by leveraging our content in the online channel," said Mark Midland, Vice President of Racing Operations for Harrah’s Louisiana Downs. "Youbet is where the largest share of the online market is congregating to watch and wager on horse racing. So it makes a lot of sense for us to use their channel to target handle growth from new, young and active racing fans from all over the country. We’re excited about the prospects."
"We’ve said all along that Youbet is a conduit to growth markets for tracks that want to seize the opportunity to mine our customer base for new and sustainable sources of handle," said Youbet CEO Charles F. Champion. "We’re delighted to have the opportunity to prove the point by putting our online marketing expertise to work for a highly respected content provider like Harrah’s Louisiana Downs.
"With this agreement, Youbet will be taking Louisiana Downs content and presenting it to customers not as a passive broadcast option," Champion continued, "but rather as a powerful, fully integrated marketing proposition that offers a true horse racing experience with handicapping, wagering, live broadcasts, instant replays and attractive player rewards."
Track patrons will be encouraged to sign-up for Youbet accounts through on-track signage and videos, ads in daily racing programs, point-of-sale promotions and online programs staged from the track’s own website.
On the flip-side, Youbet will promote the Bossier City oval’s racing cards to its database of customers with double Youbet Advantage points for wagers placed on races every Thursday and Friday at the Harrah’s track this year and in 2007. The points can be redeemed for prizes ranging from large screen TVs to trips to sporting events such as the Kentucky Derby, The Masters, the NCAA Final Four and, for high volume players, cash.
In addition, Youbet will feature Louisiana Downs’ content in targeted customer e-mails and mobile phone text messages. Youbet will deploy marketing resources to help promote Louisiana Downs’ on-track business, and the two companies intend to produce a series of online handicapping contests with cash prizes culminating on Super Derby Day, the track’s marquee annual racing event.
Related: Horse Racing News and Updates, Horse Racing Picks and Betting Tips
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An RFP for new N.Y. racing operator has been approve
Posted on Thursday, June 15th, 2006
The Committee on the Future of Racing approve a request for proposals for a new company to operate thoroughbred racing in New York.
The RFP was a July 15 deadline. Louisville-based Churchill Downs Inc. and rival Magna Entertainment and other bidders long-awaited the request.
By Sept. 15 the committee would be sending a recommendation about the bidding to New York Gov. George Pataki and the state legislature, though it is expected that a final decision will be deferred to 2007, when a new governor takes over in Albany, the Albany Business Review reports.
The Committee on the Future of Racing is charged with reforming the business model for New York’s thoroughbred racing industry and determining whether the New York Racing Association, or some other organization, should run the Saratoga, Belmont Park and Aqueduct race tracks.
The NYRA as a nonprofit association said that neither it nor any other organization can hope to turn a profit at the tracks with the current state of the industry. The tracks pay $100,000 in tax dollars every day they hold racing. Competition is also getting ever tougher from the lottery, off-track betting parlors, casinos and other forms of gambling. The association also has said that any successful business must be able to borrow money to make capital improvements and to help finance its operations.
The NYRA’s agreement to run the tracks expires at the end of 2007. It has held the agreement since 1955. The association, which was on the brink of bankruptcy last year, has been trying to stabilize its finances in order to retain control of the tracks.
Filed under Aqueduct, Belmont Park, Horse Racing Industry, Race Tracks News, Saratoga, USA Horse Racing | No Comments »
Youbet wagering handle for 138 Belmont Stakes jumps to 17.6%
Posted on Thursday, June 15th, 2006
Youbet’s subsidiary United Tote scored high with the merged Belmont Stakes wagers that added more than $81.3 million.
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–June 14, 2006–Youbet.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBET - News) said today that its online and phone wagering handle improved 17.6% over last year to nearly $2.1 million for the race card at Belmont Park last Saturday, the day of the 138th running of the Belmont Stakes. The total was another Triple Crown record for Youbet’s advanced deposit wagering service, which previously handled record betting for both this year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
In addition, Youbet’s United Tote subsidiary, which processes wagers from all sources for Belmont Park, handled $81.3 million in merged Belmont wagers for the day, the second highest for a non-Triple Crown contending day. United Tote processed $9.5 million of Belmont’s on-track wagers Saturday, the highest ever for a non-Triple Crown contending day. The company processed $41.1 million in merged wagers for the race itself.
Youbet’s International Racing Group (IRG) subsidiary, the only domestically licensed phone rebate provider, does not carry races from Belmont Park.
On the day of the Belmont Stakes, Youbet customers wagered more than $3.8 million, 14% higher than 2005. Wagers for the Belmont Stakes race itself were up 24% at Youbet.
"The improvement in Youbet’s handle is on par with what we have come to expect from our growing online and phone segments," said Youbet CEO Charles F. Champion. "We’re effectively marketing the Triple Crown product to young adult racing fans and the results are showing up in the numbers as we see greater fan interest, higher deposit levels, and more wagering."
During the week preceding the Belmont, Youbet signed-on nearly 1,100 new customers, 53% of whom came from the company’s play-for-points racing education website, Youbet.net. Deposits to Youbet wagering accounts during the week rose to $3.3 million compared to $3.1 million in 2005.
Filed under Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, Horse Racing Industry, Race Tracks News, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing | No Comments »
No Pennsylvania Derby for 2006
Posted on Thursday, June 15th, 2006
Philadelphia Park announced on Wednesday that the $750,000 2006 Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II)scheduled for Sept. 4 (Labor Day), has been cancelled. Track spokesman said that construction inside the grandstand that began this week was the prime reason the Derby was scrapped.
Read full story: "No Pennsylvania Derby for 2006"...
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Campbell, Manzi and Miller: Youbet exclusive spokespersons
Posted on Wednesday, June 14th, 2006
"Team Youbet" features harness racing’s greatest contemporary horsemen: Campbell, Manzi and Miller
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–June 13, 2006–Youbet.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBET - News) announced today that three of harness racing’s greatest contemporary horsemen will act as exclusive spokespersons for the online wagering company’s standardbred content. Drivers John Campbell, Catello "Cat Man" Manzi and David Miller will be featured as "Team Youbet" in programs and publications promoting harness racing to Youbet’s nationwide audience of advanced deposit wagering customers.
"Our online network has experienced a substantial increase in harness wagering over the past two years," said Youbet CEO Charles F. Champion. "That’s testimony to the quality and online popularity of the standardbred product we offer and to the powerful role played by the sport’s top performers. It’s an honor to be represented by the Campbell-Manzi-Miller team — a trio of men who are among the sport’s most productive, popular and successful figures.
"Our mission is to bring excitement and value-added information and perspective to our customers," Champion continued, "and these drivers do it on the track with their racing skills and off the track with their passion for the sport."
The three stars will wear Youbet logos on their driving silks and at personal appearances. They will regularly appear in online promotions at the company’s wagering website and they will offer harness bettors exclusive "driver-side" comments in Youbet’s Harness Racing Insider.
The Insider is an online magazine for Youbet subscribers that features wagering strategies from veteran harness handicappers and journalists as well statistics, promotions and other exclusive harness racing content. The perspectives of Campbell, Manzi and Miller will give Youbet customers rare and valuable insights into harness events, race cards, horses and venues.
John Campbell, who has been a Youbet spokesperson since 2004, is the sport’s all-time money-earner with more than $233 million in purses. He became the first harness driver in history to reach $100 million in earnings at a single racetrack (the Meadowlands) and the first to top $14 million in single-season earnings. Campbell has won 16 driving titles at the Meadowlands and over 9,600 races, including at least one of each major stakes race on the standardbred calendar. Many consider him to be the most well-known personality in the sport today.
Catello Manzi, known to fans as the "Cat Man," was voted 2005 Driver of the Year by the United States Harness Writers Association. Manzi, like Campbell, is a member of the sport’s Hall of Fame. He is second in career North American wins with more than 11,700, trailing only the legendary Herve Filion. On the all-time earnings list, he is third behind Campbell and Mike Lachance with more than $110 million.
David Miller was a dominant force on the Buckeye State circuit for nearly a decade before coming east. He drove pacing triple crown-winner No Pan Intended to all of the colt’s crown victories in 2003. Miller set up tack at the Meadowlands and has earned more than $30 million in purses at the New Jersey track. Between his years in Ohio as a top driver and his successful efforts in the East and on the Grand Circuit, Miller has won almost 8,000 races.
"Adding Cat and David as endorsers with John to create Team Youbet shows a lasting commitment to a strong relationship with the fans and the sport," says Chuck Geffen, CEO of Branding Rights, LLC, agent for the drivers.
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Barbaro’s Cast Replaced, Shows Good Sign of Recovery
Posted on Wednesday, June 14th, 2006
Kentucky Derby winner, Barbaro, had his cast replaced on his shattered right hind leg Tuesday, another huge stride in the recovery of the “undefeated” colt who suffered a life-threatening injury at the Preakness Stakes.
Read full story: "Barbaro’s Cast Replaced, Shows Good Sign of Recovery"...
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