by Ed Meyer 2q161j
The other day I got to thinking about all of the negative things I have been reading lately. Injuries, the state of racing as a whole, and date / purse cuts at tracks. I decided that enough was enough, and it was time for some positive news. Some names you will know, others won’t be mentioned […]
Buoyed by increased wagering last season and steadily climbing casino revenue during the year, Gulfstream Park decided to hike purses for 3-year-old stakes in 2011. The 60th Florida Derby was bumped up $250,000 back to $1 million and scheduled nearly two weeks closer to the Kentucky Derby. The Grade 1 at 1 1/8 miles will […]
Every time a rider leaves the paddock, there is a chance that they may not return. They may be injured in a spill, or sustain a career-ending injury in the matter of milliseconds. All today, and gone in blip…. Tough game. Jockey Michael Martinez is a rider at Golden Gate Fields. He left the paddock […]
Every spring brings hopes of things to come. It was Derby time a few years ago that I met a gent who caught my attention. He was engaging, funny, and best of all, a “Happy Handicapper.” It was in our office at River Downs that my cohort and friend John Engelhardt, introduced me to a family friend, Mr. […]
The declining U.S. economy has impacted the horse racing industry in many areas, especially when it comes to breeding. Stud fees that began falling in 2007 continued this year. Citing the economic situation that face breeding and sales in North America and Europe, Sheikh Mohammed’s operation at Darley, Ky., recently announced fees for 37 of […]
My dad used to take me long before I was able to drive; usually on Derby Day, when we would go to a VFW and bet with a local bookmaker in the basement. These were simple times. The time that I was introduced to a small harness track in Lebanon, Ohio. A half mile oval, […]
This week actually began with quality racing on Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) through Sunday. We will give you a glimpse of some of the best races that the tracks had to offer. We will begin our national recap with Aqueduct. Thursday – The Fall High Weight Handicap / G-3 – Cherokee Country made a strong finish […]
This sounds like a Western movie doesn’t it? It actually can be the behind the scenes for casino voting in some states. I will not name any parties, but I have heard from WONDERFUL sources that politicians in VLT seeking states have been swayed by the ol’ mighty dollar. I know, it sounds hard to […]
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Wouldn’t you think that Kentucky would have helped the horse industry before any other state? Wouldn’t you have thought that tourism and a signature brand would be important to that state? Well, the answer is still no, and the price of poker just went up. Just ten miles away from Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky […]
It was 1938, and the owners of the track were the moguls of the film world. An oval that was only fit to be in the land of the stars, had taken its rightful place. The same year saw Seabiscuit take the inaugural Gold Cup. It would be an innovator with the “binocular patrol” which […]
