Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

NORTH AMERICAN NEWS: JANUARY 2012

January 30, 2012
When things get out of comptroll
Nor does it make sense to pass a charge along to horsemen when shipping is necessitated because NYRA does not have enough stall spaces to house every horse at the track that's open for racing. DiNapoli also brought up staff reductions, which in some ...

Ready Cash wins a second Prix d'Amerique
The 7-year-old French trotter Ready Cash, driven by Franck Nivard, won Europe's biggest
trotting race, the Prix d'Amerique, on Sunday afternoon at Paris-Vincennes for the
second consecutive year. Ready Cash went to post as even money harness racing ...

Lebanon Raceway looks at prison land
The property, at Ohio 63 and Union Road, is used by the Lebanon Correctional Institution. The new raceway would have video slots along with horse racing, thus becoming what is known as a “racino.” In the past, county commissioners said they would not ...

Can you remember Foxborough Raceway?
For 50 years the raceway coducted harness racing which began in 1947 and ended one
summeer's day in August, 1997. I remembere it well for I had an interview that day only to
be greeted by two state police cruisers who blocked the main entrance to the ...

Standardbred Canada Announces 2011 O'Brien Award Winners
Standardbred Canada hosted the 2011 O'Brien Awards this evening to honour and recognize
the horses and people who have made the greatest contribution to Canadian harness
racing over the past season. The awards are named for the late Hall of Famer Joe ...

January 25, 2012
Scioto Downs On Track For Video Lottery Terminals
John Kasich reached an agreement to allow for the video lottery terminals to be placed at the Ohio's seven horse racing tracks. MTR Gaming officials said that they believe the new facility at Scioto Downs will bring an additional 800 jobs in Franklin ...

San Pail is one harness racing's greatest rags-to-riches stories
Five years ago, a struggling young horse trainer walked into a feed store in Port Perry, Ont., and accepted an offer that irrevocably changed his life and harness racing ...

Harness racing drug testing in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania TV show - 'Harness Week' looks inside the rigorous testing procedures at the cutting-edge Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology & Research Laboratory in West Chester, PA that ensures a level playing field for all harness racing competitors.

The Oscars Of Harness Racing
In her latest Trot Blog entry, Kelly Spencer gives fans of harness racing a glimpse into why she loves the O'Brien Awards and a sneak peek at nominee Jody Jamieson's tuxedo fitting. To read Spencer's blog and view the video, click on the following ...

Racing and Wagering Board adopts new law that will allow cell phones in ...
Harness drivers and trainers, previously prohibited from using cell phones in the paddock, are now able to reach out and touch someone from there, too. The state Racing and Wagering Board on Wednesday adopted the new law ...

Federal Preemption is a Sure Bet in Horse Racing Dispute ...
Why does an Ohio horse racing case matter? Aside from a feel-good, philosophical no-man-is-an-island perspective, this case matters because the Sixth Circuit ...

State may remove casinos from Ohio troopers' plate
The measure sets a minimum number of live racing days at horse tracks, though Blessing said he expected additional changes to the proposal. The plan comes as the state is expanding the use of slots-like video lottery terminals at Ohio's seven horse ...

HORSEMAN'S BENEVOLENT & PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION-OHIO DIVISION, INC., v. DeWINE
For those who are not so lucky (and like horse racing), the racing industry has devised the next best thing: off-track betting. Both the Federal Government and the State of Ohio regulate the pastime. The Horseman's Benevolent & Protective Association ...

Horsemen's Simulcast Rights Upheld in OH Case | BloodHorse.com
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued an opinion Jan. 24 that states the federal Interstate Horseracing Act trumps Ohio statute in regard to horsemen having a say in where races are transmitted.

Neb. bill would allow bets on historic horse races
Bettors at Nebraska horseracing tracks would be able to wager on races that have already happened, under a bill set for a hearing in the Legislature's Judiciary Committee. Lawmakers on Wednesday will discuss whether to allow gambling machines ...

Local horse has big victory
Trainer George Teague Jr. will forever be linked with his work with the exceptional pacing filly, Rainbow Blue, and at least one of them has already earned a spot in the Harness Racing Hall of Fame. Rainbow Blue, who won 20 of 21 starts in 2004 en ...

January 22, 2012
Colonial Downs announces 2012 harness racing schedule
Colonial Downs has released its 2012 fall harness racing scehdule. On Tuesday, the track announced that the 15th annual standardbred season will last six weeks. The season begins Wednesday, Sept. 5 and runs through Sunday, ...

DAILY RACING FORM, TRACKMASTER AND THE USTA ANNOUNCE GROUND-BREAKING HARNESS ...
He continued, “We are confident that Daily Harness Program will also be readily embraced by harness fans.” “TrackMaster has served the needs of harness racing's electronic handicapping market for nearly 15 years now,” said TrackMaster President David ...

Fierce competition at Worlds - by Joe Faraldo
The day started for American Amateur harness racing driver Kelly Walker with a cruise around Auckland harbor. Auckland has eight inactive volcanoes and the suburbs are the home of 50 plus inactive volcanoes. From the tour the drivers were all escorted ...

Building a Harness Fan Base
I submit for approval the Harness Racing Scholarship fund. The fund will be supported via a 1 percent donation from all total purses at every track and every enrolling college student in the country will be eligible to receive a piece of the pie. ...

'He reminded me of Bo Jackson' - Brian Sears
When Brian Sears reflects upon the career of Rocknroll Hanover, he is reminded of another star from outside the world of harness racing. “He reminded me of someone like Bo Jackson,” Sears said, referring to the first person to be named an all-star in ...

Special guest makes breeders' awards banquet a hot ticket
What does a real estate tycoon from New York City have to do with harness racing in Ontario? Saturday at the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association's annual awards banquet in Toronto, Jeff Gural will be the guest speaker. ...

An American viewpoint on betting - NZ style
World Cup Wagering has a twist that makes an awful lot of sense for the harness racing punters in New Zealand, providing them the option to wager on any country representative they wish to win a heat or, before the start of the competition's first race ...

January 20, 2012
NJ Farm Bureau 'Horseperson of the Year'
Harness racing recipients were also amongst the winners. “Farm Bureau is an outstanding advocate for New Jersey agriculture and recognizes the equine sector's importance to the entire industry,” said Secretary Fisher. “Their hard work and perseverance ...

Kentucky's horse industry in dire trouble, legislators told
For horses bred in those states, the money is even higher. To break even on the costs of training alone, a horse would have to win six races in Kentucky or three in Indiana, he said. "I have owners who will not let me race their horses in Kentucky," ...

Major milestones loom for top Pompano pair
The countdown is on towards major harness racing milestones for two of the longest serving and most successful reinsman at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park. Joe Pavia Jr. is less than 20 wins away from reaching 5000 lifetime wins in the bike. ...

Cardoza says Sacramento trip with horse racing officials wasn't lobbying
Cardoza owns 10 racehorses and has won more than $125000 in racing purses, according to his financial disclosure reports, and he has obtained campaign donations of more than $60000 from horse racing interests. First elected to Congress in 2002, ...

More Dover Downs news with Marv Bachrad
The riches-to-rags-to-riches harness racing saga of Anders Bluestone continued last Wednesday when the six-year-old won his second-straight victory in the $23000 Open Handicap trot. A stakes winner as a juvenile, then, due to injuries, relegated to the ...

January 18, 2012
Christie signs off-track betting bill into law
North Jersey restaurants may be offering horse racing bets as a side dish by the end of the year. A bill allowing wagering in taverns and restaurants was signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday. The measure was one of about 100 ...

Teague on Rainbow Blue's Hall of Fame career
When Rainbow Blue went to the races, trainer and co-owner George Teague, Jr. was confident he was going to the harness racing winner's circle. It was an assumption that proved correct 30 of 32 times. "Most times when you go to the races you hope you ...

Hambletonian to remain at Meadowlands
Harness racing's premier event, the Hambletonian, will continue at The Meadowlands through 2014. An agreement has been reached between the Hambletonian Society and Meadowlands leaseholder Jeff Gural. ...

AZUR HAS 'PERFECT DAY' AT TATTERSALLS SALE
Fran Azur went 3-for-3 in getting the horses he wanted at Monday's (Jan. 16) Tattersalls Select Mixed Sale at Meadowlands Racetrack. He even added a fourth for ...

Guerrero testifies before Pa. Racing Commission in attempt to overturn Parx ban
... a Parx Racing employee last November and his attorney further argued that the track was looking for any reason to evict Guerrero, the leading trainer at that track in 2011 during a hearing Tuesday before the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission. ...

Law Paves Way For Horse Betting At NJ Restaurants & Taverns
Legislation intended to boost New Jersey's horse racing industry by allowing wagering in taverns and restaurants has been signed into law. The law directs the New Jersey Racing Commission to implement a pilot program for taverns, ...

Campbell 'closer' but not at finish line
For the last 31 years, the world's richest and most successful harness racing driver has lived in the same house about 40 kilometres from the Meadowlands track in New Jersey. But truth be told, John Campbell would ...

January 16, 2012
Less is more when it comes to betting on harness racing
Total wagering on Woodbine harness racing was up 4.57 per cent in 2011 compared to 2010. Even better, the average daily handle of more than $1.3 million was up more than 14 per cent and was the highest on the circuit in five years. ...

Study: Casinos would produce $1.1 billion at Kentucky racetracks ...
An executive summary said the consultants were hired by a “consortium of Kentucky horseracing interests.” Brett Hale, Churchill Downs Inc.'s senior vice ...

Large turnout of nearly 400 for Awards
A large turnout of nearly 400 horsemen, legislators and friends of harness racing turned out for the 15th annual Delaware Standardbred Owners Association (DSOA) Awards Dinner at the Dover Sheraton Hotel Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. ...

2012 Hall of Fame inductees are announced
The Living Horse Hall of Fame nominating committee of the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame has announced the results of recent balloting to determine the 2012 inductees into the Harness Racing Living Horse Hall of Fame. ...

January 14, 2012
Charters Named To Ohio Hall of Fame
Thomas A. Charters, president and chief executive officer of the Hambletonian Society, is the newest member of the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame. The native of Springfield, Ohio was elected by members of the Ohio chapter of the US Harness Writers ...

Eight For “Charlie”, Five For "Z"; Two For Peenie
A white-hot trotter kept an impressive winning streak intact, a cagey reinsman enjoyed a banner night and a hard-knocking gelding posted his second consecutive victory while knocking off one of the hottest horses in harness racing – and it all happened ...

Technology In Horse Racing - Part III: Statistics And Data
This is the third in a five-part series examining the role and implementation of technology within the horse racing industry. Part I featured a review of horse racing websites. Part II examined mobile applications. Handicapping horse races, for many, ...

Tuneariffic going to take on the sport's best
"We'll have to see how he races," said Yoder, who trains Tuneariffic at his 25-acre farm in Ohio, about 25 miles southwest of Canton. "Maybe we shouldn't (be in the series), but I've never had a good horse. He's been racing well so I decided to bring ...

HBO Takes Its Money to the Track
"Luck," HBO's new show with Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte and John Ortiz, is set in the world of horse racing and features the return of "Deadwood" writer David Milch, John Jurgensen reports on Lunch Break. Photo: HBO. The question is really on behalf of ...

Horse owners file suit over raceway fire
The Lebanon Trotting Club and Miami Valley Trotting share use of the racetrack during alternating racing seasons. Their attorneys could not be reached for comment. With the advent of VLTs at horse racing tracks the racing companies are looking to move ...

January 12, 2011
Lloyd Arnold dies at 83; helped revive harness racing in California
"He made harness racing on the West Coast," said Kirk Breed, executive director of the California Horse Racing Board. "There's never been anybody like him and probably never will be." Born Jan. 5, 1929, in Douds, Iowa, Arnold spent half a lifetime ...

Chicago honors driving-training champions
With the 2011 harness racing season in the books Balmoral & Maywood Park honored their leading driver and trainers this weekend. Youngster Marcus Miller was a runaway winner in the driver standings at both tracks while longtime conditioner Robert ...

NJ OKs sports betting, horse race wagering laws
The state Senate and Assembly adopted a bill that would let New Jerseyans place bets at the 11 Atlantic City casinos and the state's four horse racing tracks on football, baseball, basketball and other professional or college sports games. ...

Will Casino Plan End Aqueduct Horse Racing?
A push to bring a casino and convention center to the Aqueduct racetrack could mean the end of horse racing at the site. As part of its plans to ultimately build a full-service casino resort at the Aqueduct racetrack — along with a ...

Jeanne Marquis - 'Horseperson of the Year'
The Wisconsin Harness Horse Association will hold its harness racing awards banquet on January 21 in Madison, Wis., at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel on East Washington Avenue. Numerous awards will be given including the Horseperson of the Year Award. ...

Racing Returning To Assiniboia Downs?
The quote above comes from Keith Earle, President of Manitoba Harness Horseman Inc. With no major harness racing venue presently running in Manitoba, Assiniboia Downs would be a logical choice as a primary location for the province's industry that has ...

Judy's never missed a meeting in 32 years - Harness Link.com
Long-time servant of Waikato harness racing – Judy Alexander is one of those people. For 32 years Judy has been the welcoming, happy face at Cambridge Raceway. Since 1980 she has been the administration clerk at the Waikato racetrack. ...

January 8, 2021
Wagering Shows Gains On Day Two Of 2012 Meadowlands Meet
After a strong opening, the wagering momentum continued to build Saturday night at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

The live handle was $442,822, up 40 percent over the $316,205 wagered the previous year. The $2,725,660 total handle represented a 6.5 percent increase over the $2,558,273 wagered in 2011. Opening night, January 6, also produced strong numbers, notably a 55 percent increase in on-track wagering ($380,499 vs. $245,139).

The Meadowlands resumes a Thursday-Saturday racing schedule next week, with a nightly post time of 7 p.m.

Ohio Honours To Noble, Woebkenberg
Noble drove the winners of 773 races to take the title over George Brennan and Tim Tetrick. Mike Woebkenberg, a starter at Ohio tracks and county fairs, will receive the “Rambling Willie Award” for his contributions to harness racing in the Buckeye ...

Big Bad John Officially Retired
After seizing command of the pace in :27 seconds and reaching the half in :56.3, Big Bad John removed the drama in his quest to join harness racing's millionaire club on Saturday evening, January 7 at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park. ...

Italian horse racing left hanging by a thread
The future of horse racing in Italy appears to hang in the balance as protesters are set to target the government in Rome this week in an attempt to secure increased funding for the sport. Jockeys, trainers and breeders, as well as racing officials, ...

Kentucky making inroads into casino-style gambling
In tiny Franklin, near where Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston fought separate duels in the 1800s, Kentucky Downs horse racing track and simulcasting facility has offered "Instant Racing" since Sept. 1. It's the site of Kentucky's first gaming machines. ...

Cuomo's Expanded Gaming Vision Helps Horse Racing
Among the creation of 25000 new jobs expanded gaming would bring, in addition to recapturing the $3 to $5 billion New Yorkers spend at casinos outside the state, there is one other factor that would be good news for horse racing in this state, ...

A trainer's horse whispers fall on deaf ears in South Korea
For two seasons, the 47-year-old with the clipped Brooklyn accent has tried to make his mark in South Korean horse racing, a subculture famously resistant to outsiders. To succeed, experts say, foreign trainers and jockeys must conquer a rank-and-file ...

January 7, 2012
The Meadowlands Begins their New Meet With Strong Wagering
Live handle was up more than 50 percent on opening night of the 2012 harness meet at Meadowlands Racetrack.

On-track wagering was $380,499 vs. $245,139 the previous year, a 55 percent increase. The $2,166,584 total handle was on a par with 2011, despite one less race on the card. The numbers are a promising start to the Meadowlands’ first season under private management.

Silent Swing romped to victory in the $20,000 We’re Not So Young Anymore for veteran pacers, one of four victories on the card for driver Andy Miller. The 10-year-old gelded son of Northern Luck wired the field in 1:51.4, notching his 51st career win in his 200th start. Mark Ford trains and co-owns the millionaire pacer with David Shea of Campbellville, Ontario.

Driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke teamed for victories with Ginger And Fred in the $25,000 Mares Preferred and Equity in the $30,000 Invitational Trot. Ginger And Fred surpassed $1.5 million in earnings with an easy 1:52.1 score.

The 6-year-old Real Artist mare improved her career totals to 23 wins in 82 starts for owners Howard Taylor, Robert Feldman, Edwin Gold and Jerry Silva. Charalambos Christoforou and Banjo Farms’ Equity made it three in-a-row with his 1:55.2 effort.
Expanded gaming to begin paying out in hiring surge
Thousands of jobs promised by those who wanted to bring gambling to Ohio will become reality this year, when three of the state's four casinos open and video lottery terminals could debut at horse-racing tracks. Developers say as many as 4800 people ...

Elora woman completes ambitious Race Day documentary
The Hambletonian Muscle Massive drinks from the 2011 Hambletonian trophy cup after winning the Hambletonian at Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, NJ The Hambletonian capped the day in harness racing - a subject explored in a new documentary by ...

Dover Downs extra - all the very latest news
Beginning this Sunday live harness racing on Sundays switches to a 1 pm early afternoon post time. The weekly schedule for the rest of the 2011-2012 meet ending on April 12 features weekday racing - Monday through Thursday – with the usual post time of ...

Movie review: Speilberg's War Horse

The downside of internet racing forums, blogs and social media... "The problem is that not everyone chooses to utilize these sites to engage in meaningful, businesslike dialogue. There are a slew of posters who... [engage] in vindictive, salacious and usually vulgar shout-outs..."

Horse racing: Road to Kentucky Derby begins today
Well, something is starting this weekend, with stakes races for 3-year-olds scheduled at Aqueduct and Santa Anita. It's impossible to tell whether either race will produce a winner who makes it all the way through the Kentucky ...

January 5, 2012
Kentucky Trots Toward a Vote on Casinos
Churchill Downs operates slots casinos at its Calder racetrack in south Florida and Fair Grounds Race Course near New Orleans. Before Pennsylvania legalized casino gambling in 2006, horse racing was "flat on its back," said Doug Harbach, spokesman for ...

Jeff Gural, Big Bad John's Jug, voted best
It was exciting to hear the fans reaction to such a special moment then, and I am happy that by virtue of this award, it has remained such a great racing memory for them now.” Telle continued “Big Bad John is a very special horse. ...

Horse racing-Redux extends US record with win No. 22
JD Acosta rode the chestnut son of Pleasantly Perfect to a three-quarter-length victory over Awesome Rhythm in a $17000 starter-allowance race at Laurel Park. Awesome Rhythm patiently stalked Rapid Redux throughout the one-mile, five-horse race, ...

Retraining retired race horses for their second career
It's estimated that 1600 race horses retire in New York ever year. A report from the New York State Retired Horses Task Force highlights that many owners don't have the means to give their horses a quality life after racing. ...

Influx of new trainers gives hope to Maryland horse racing
Maryland horse racing may be on shaky ground, but Laurel Park in winter is still appealing to a number of trainers from outside the state. With the 48-day winter meet set to begin at Laurel Park on Jan. 4, and the weather growing colder up north, ...

2012 Meadowlands Meet Preview
In his short tenure, he has already restored the banking on the turns, revamped the wagering menu, put in motion a program to keep older horses racing, and is always looking for new ideas. Look for possible program and video improvements and a hands-on ...

January 4, 2012
Weaver Loves Canadian Harness Racing
Standardbred Canada would like to congratulate Sydney Weaver of Acton, Ont., the winner of the 'I Love Canadian Harness Racing' Fan Club's VIP O'Brien Awards package. Weaver's entry about why she loves Canadian harness racing and why this year was ...

3 to be inducted into Wisconsin Hall of Fame
The Wisconsin Harness Horse Association will hold its awards banquet on January 21, in Madison, Wis., at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel on East Washington Avenue. Numerous harness racing awards will be given including three inductions into the ...

Horse race betting in N.J. bars and restaurants would expand audience
The latest idea to help horse racing connect with a new audience would allow off-track betting in some bars and restaurants far away from the racetrack. The pending bill would permit a limited number of bars and restaurants in northern New ...

2011 remembered: A to Z
It's nice to see NYRA moving ahead with projects to bring horse racing in the Empire State into the 21st Century. It's about time. Hayward called lighting, audio, and television improvements including the purchase of 14 high-definition cameras for the ...

January 2, 2012
Bill would allow restaurants to add horse racing bets to the menu
New Jersey's move toward expansion of gambling opportunities is leading lawmakers to consider licensing a limited number of bars and restaurants to host betting on horse races. State Senate and Assembly committees on Thursday will consider ...

NBC Sports Network: An Opportunity For Horse Racing
Horse racing, a sport seemingly always in need of growing its audience, is a perfect fit for the new NBC Sports Network. The addition of telecasts from Saratoga and Keeneland last fall on the old Versus channel were a welcome addition to horse racing ...

Kentucky breeding operations worry about losing stallions to other states
The New York program's structure — which, unlike Kentucky, includes races restricted to horses bred in-state — has the effect of encouraging the breeding of horses to run in those restricted races, rather than the Triple Crown or Breeders' Cup, ...

Allowing bars, restaurants to take bets on horse racing is being considered by ...
In a year full of changes for New Jersey's horse racing industry, residents may soon be able to place bets while having a burger and a brew with friends miles away from any track. A bill allowing some bars and restaurants to install off ...

Race Day To Premiere At O'Briens
Standardbred Canada is pleased to announce that Race Day, a short documentary about harness racing, will be premiered at the 2011 O'Brien Awards Black Tie Gala on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at the Delta Meadowvale Hotel in Mississauga, ON. ...

Braden extends his winning streak to four
Harness racing driver Corey Callahan added four more wins to his meet leading total now 106. Since being acquired by trainer Bobby Glassmeyer in early November, after a second-place finish in his first start, Braden has been a convincing winner in each ...

Canada's Top Horsemen Of 2011
World driving champion Jody Jamieson enjoyed an incredible year on the Canadian harness racing scene to earn the title as top money earning driver of 2011. Victories in multiple stakes events including the nation's richest harness racing event, ...

January 1, 2012
Lebanon Raceway owners consider land purchase
Because Ohio does not permit the VLTs at its race tracks, the horse racing industry
has suffered because of larger purses and other gaming opportunities ...

Dan Noble concludes Dash Title at Pompano
The long journey endured by harness racing reinsman Dan Noble to the 2011 drivers'
dash title concluded on the New Year's Eve card at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park.
The Ohio based reinsman, who will mark his 29th birthday on January 15, ...

Dayton track, video slots could open in 2013
Race dates are set yearly by the Ohio State Racing Commission and horse racing will not
be year-round at the track. Penn National's Beulah Park near Columbus and Raceway
Park in Toledo, both are located close to voter-approved casinos currently under ...

Sparky Mark: Racing's Hottest Horse?
Over the last three months of 2011, a case could easily be made that the hottest horse
in North American harness racing was pacer Sparky Mark. The four-year-old finished
his season with another win at Woodbine Racetrack's Preferred level with a sharp ...

Gulfstream cancels Quarter Horse race
Gulfstream Park cancelled a Quarter Horse Race scheduled for Saturday morning after track officials agreed to a tentative purse agreement with the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (FHBPA), the track said on Saturday. ...