Jockey Christophe Soumillon sets new European mark with 306 winners

January 2, 2018 by Leave a Comment

jockey riding a horse raceTwo-time Arc de Triomphe winning jockey Christophe Soumillon set a new European mark for winners in a calendar year with 306 on Thursday. The 36-year-old Belgian-born France-based star achieved both his goals this year of winning a ninth French jockeys title and breaking Pierre-Charles Boudot’s record of 300 winners set in 2016. Soumillon rode almost daily… [Read more…]

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2017 November U.S. Handle Rises 6.39% Due to New Tax Rules

December 27, 2017 by Leave a Comment

New tax rules regarding withholding and the reporting of pari-mutuel wagers have driven total U.S. wagering above $890.8 million for November. The average handle per race day is up 9.7% for the month compared with a year ago, according to Equibase.

Source: November U.S. Handle Up 6.39% Due to New Tax Rules

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2017 Breeders’ Cup Analysis, Spot Plays & Wagers

November 1, 2017 by 6 Comments

13x NHC Qualifier Offers up Pace Scenarios, Spot Plays w/ Wagers, Top Selections and Analysis

Rich Nilsen, who has absolutely been on fire with his major race selection sheets, is back for both days of this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar.   Included in Nilsen’s report are top selections for all 4 stakes on Friday and all 9 stakes on Saturday (all 13 Breeders’ Cup races).

You receive Nilsen’s expert pace analysis, which is often the key to selecting the winner.   Nilsen has 3 Spot Plays with wagering strategies to attack these races.  He has also included wagering strategies both day’s feature events – the Distaff (Friday) and the Classic (Saturday).

Get every Breeders’ Cup race for BOTH days (Friday & Saturday) in one sheet!  Download instantly to any type of device. Only $18.97

Highlights from Previous Breeders’ Cup Spot Play Winners!

$29.40 Sprint Spot Play Winner Trinniberg with Cold $203.40 Exacta!

$15.80 Turf Sprint Spot Play Winner Mizdirection, keying $1,757.65 Pick-4 wager!

$40.40 Spot Play Winner Work All Week with $1,064.70 Trifecta!

$13.00 F&M Turf Spot Play winner Dayathespa

$16.40 Turf Sprint Winner Bobby’s Kitten

$64.80 Exacta with Main Sequence over Flintshire in the Breeders’ Cup Turf

The list goes on and on!

Download today to any device 
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rich Nilsen caught the horse racing bug at a young age when his father took him to the racetracks in New York. He eventually attended the University of Louisville Equine Business Program with the goal of making a career in the horse racing industry.

Nilsen has worked the past 25 years in the equine industry, serving most of those years as the Marketing Director for Brisnet.com and TwinSpires.com, the Official Wagering Site of the Kentucky Derby.

During his long tenure at the Churchill Downs-owned properties, Nilsen managed the successful Players’ Pool syndicate, which pooled funds from the account wagering members to go after large Pick-6 carryovers. During Nilsen’s leadership, the Players’ Pool produced a significant profit for the members over the course of seven years. One of the best hits was when the Players’ Pool took down half of the Pick-6 pool on Kentucky Derby Day 2007, with a gross return of over $500,000.  The Pool had several other hits over $250,000.

The $2.8 Million National Handicapping Championship (NHC) is the premier horse racing tournament in the nation. It is basically horse racing’s version of the World Series of Poker, with the main difference being that players cannot buy their way into the NHC. Players can only win their way in via tournaments held throughout the country. Nilsen is one of the top participants in the history of the event, having qualified 13 times. He was the first player, and one of only two, to finish in the top 10 at the NHC twice.

Nilsen is now the founder and editor of AGameofSkill.com, a site devoted to horse racing education and promotion.

About Nilsen’s Analysis

In this comprehensive yet concise report, I provide selections for all 13 Breeders’ Cup races for both days, as well as pace scenario analysis which is absolutely vital for predicting the outcomes of these events.

Spot Plays are my best bets and key wagering horses for the big weekend. Picking your spots is key to profiting on the races, especially when it comes to the Breeders’ Cup. The opportunities are plentiful but you improve your chances by selecting key spot plays and focusing most of your bets on those plays.

Set aside a budget for these two days and be sure to have plenty of ammunition for the bigger of the two days, Saturday. Best of luck!

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2017 Breeders’ Cup World Championships Post Times

October 9, 2017 by Leave a Comment

The Breeders' Cup horse racingThe Breeders’ Cup has released post times for the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships, consisting of 13 Grade 1 races and purses and awards totaling more than $28 million, which will be held on November 3-4, for the first time, at the Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, Calif.

The official race order and wagering menu for both days of the Championships will be announced on Wednesday, October 25.

The 34th Breeders’ Cup begins on Friday, November 3 with a total of 10 races, four of them Breeders’ Cup World Championships races. There will be five undercard races preceding the first Breeders’ Cup race, with post time of the first race at 11:25 a.m. PT. The first Breeders’ Cup race will be Race #6 and will have a post time of 2:25 p.m. PT (5:25 p.m. ET). The $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff will be the ninth race on the program, with a post time of 4:35 p.m. PT. Post tme for the 10th race will be 5:17 p.m. PT.

All of Friday’s Breeders’ Cup races will be televised live on NBCSN.

There will be 12 races on the Saturday, November 4 program, featuring nine Breeders’ Cup World Championships races. There will be three undercard races preceding the first Breeders’ Cup race, with post time for the day’s first race at 10:10 a.m. PT. The first Breeders’ Cup race will be Race #4 and will have post time of 12:00 p.m. The first eight Breeders’ Cup races will be televised live on NBCSN.

Post time for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, Race #12, will be 5:35 p.m. PT (8:35 p.m. ET), and will be televised live on NBC.

 2017 BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS POST-TIMES

BOLD are Breeders’ Cup World Championships races (All Times Pacific)

Friday, November 3  
Race 1 11:25 AM
Race 2 12:00 PM
Race 3 12:35 PM
Race 4 1:10 PM
Race 5 1:45 PM
Race 6 2:25 PM  
Race 7 3:05 PM  
Race 8 3:50 PM  
Race 9 4:35 PM  Breeders’ Cup Distaff
Race 10  5:17 PM

 

Saturday, November 4 
Race 1 10:10 AM
Race 2 10:45 AM
Race 3 11:20 AM
Race 4 12:00 PM  
Race 5 12:37 PM  
Race 6 1:14 PM  
Race 7 2:00 PM  
Race 8 2:37 PM  
Race 9 3:19 PM  
Race 10  3:58 PM  
Race 11  4:37 PM  
Race 12  5:35 PM  Breeders’ Cup Classic 
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Is Horse Racing Dead? Tremendous 2017 Del Mar Meet

September 8, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Press Release

Del Mar closed out a stellar 78th summer season that featured competitive cards and full fields throughout its 36-day stand when Bolt d’Oro came roaring through the stretch to capture a thrilling edition of the Grade I Del Mar Futurity.

The track’s handle and attendance numbers were again the tops of any meet in California and – in a run that now stretches back more than a generation – among the top figures of any meeting in America.

Average daily handle moved ahead of last year by 5.1%. Attendance, which started slowly and was down double digits at one point, moved up steadily to the point where average daily attendance was just 1.5% below last summer. Field size rose yet again during the five-days-a-week stand. And safe racing prevailed throughout the summer, a key element in all the positives stated above.

“In many ways,” said Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s president Joe Harper, “you might call this one of the very best meets we’ve ever had here.”

Kudos were eligible to be passed around on many fronts, but none more so than to the track’s racing department and its maintenance crews. Executive vice president for racing Tom Robbins and racing secretary David Jerkens presented winning card after winning card throughout the summer. They also worked in concert with the track maintenance crew headed by veteran turf and landscape superintendent, Leif Dickinson, and the track’s new director of track maintenance, Dennis Moore, in ensuring one of the safest racing seasons in track history.

“If you remember the circumstances coming into this meet,” noted Robbins, “there was real concern about how we’d be able to perform. Filling a five-day race week with high-end product is a challenge on any circuit these days. But our horsemen rallied, our racing proved to be top quality and safe and we were able to put on a first-rate show for fans around the country.”

Metaboss at Del Mar
copyright Gary Tasich

Robbins added that the track’s field size numbers – the ones that most people tie directly to the rise or fall in handle – jumped up this summer from 8.3 per race in 2016 to 8.6, solidly above the national average. Additionally, the track’s “Ship & Win” program drew 110 new runners to the track over the 36 days, almost exactly comparable to the 120 it drew for 39 days last year. “S & W,” which has been in effect at Del Mar since 2011, has now drawn more than 900 horses from out of state. These new runners boost field size, add spice to the handicapping stew and often stick around permanently to become part of the Southern California racing scene.

The track’s wagering pools were robust once again, notably its weekend exotic bets where Saturday and Sunday Pick Four pools routinely topped $1-million. It’s Pick Six pools, enhanced this summer by the addition of the “Jackpot Carryover” element, also showed strong returns as Pick Six pools on non-carryover days increased 34% over 2016.

Total handle for the season projects at $451.5 million for a daily average of $12,542,000, up 5.1% above the 2016 average. Total attendance for the session was 476,628 for an average of 13,240, off 1.5% from the 2016 average.

“We gave up a weekend this year to allow for a safer and stronger start for our horses and horsemen,” stated Del Mar’s executive vice president and chief operating officer Josh Rubinstein. “It proved more than worth it. We sacrificed a few dollars, but we were able to put on one of our best race meets in recent memory. Working with all our partners in this business — the California Horse Racing Board, the Thoroughbred Owners of California, the California Thoroughbred Trainers and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association – we were able to produce a sporting and entertainment package that sets the tone for everyone in our business.”

Del Mar now looks ahead to its first presentation of the Breeders’ Cup championship races at the seaside track on Friday and Saturday, November 3 and 4. Its fourth fall meet will get underway on Wednesday, November 1 and continue through to Sunday, November 26.

Filed Under: Horse Racing Promotion | Marketing, Horse Racing Survival, Is Horse Racing Dead Tagged With: , , , ,

Handicapping Tip of the Day #40 – Thoroughbred Race Horses are Not Machines

July 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment

See Arrogate July 22, 2017 at Del Mar.

 

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Premium Giveaway Days for Saratoga Racecourse 2017

July 10, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Press Release

The New York Racing Association, Inc. will continue its tradition of premium giveaways with four giveaway days scheduled for the summer 2017 meet at Saratoga Race Course.All giveaways are free with paid admission, while supplies last.The 2017 Saratoga Race Course premium giveaway schedule is as follows:

SARATOGA BASEBALL CAP: Sunday, July 23

The first giveaway of the 2017 season will pay tribute to the theme of opening weekend – Hats! Racing fans gather to receive a red and white Saratoga baseball cap, presented by Saratoga Casino Hotel. In addition to the Saratoga hat giveaway, the day’s festivities will include the 26th annual Hat Contest, presented by Hat Sationa! By DEI.

SARATOGA SHORT-SLEEVE T-SHIRT: Monday, August 7

Racing fans will take home the second giveaway of the 2017 meet, a gray short-sleeve t-shirt featuring a red Saratoga Race Course logo. The giveaway corresponds with the weekly Berkshire Bank Family Mondays series, which features free children’s activities and entertainment at the Berkshire Bank Saratoga Pavilion.

SARATOGA COOLER BAG: Monday, August 21

The season’s penultimate premium giveaway – a red and black Saratoga cooler bag – will kick off the countdown to the $1.25 million Travers, which will be run for the 148th time on Saturday, August 26.

SARATOGA CLOCK: Sunday, September 3

Fans will celebrate closing weekend of the 2017 Saratoga meet with the final giveaway of the 2017 season – a Saratoga wall clock, presented by Foxwoods Resort Casino. The clock features an image of thoroughbreds racing down the stretch against the iconic Saratoga grandstand and clubhouse roofline.

Guests will be able to redeem up to three vouchers at Saratoga Race Course’s giveaway redemption areas, including the one they receive with paid admission and the two additional vouchers they are able to purchase at the multiple admissions line beneath the grandstand.

Saratoga canopy walk throughSeason pass and season ticket plan holders will be guaranteed a Saratoga premium giveaway item on the day of the giveaway contingent on the following: Season pass or season ticket plan holders must be in attendance at Saratoga Race Course, enter through the designated season ticket and pass holder lines and redeem the giveaway by 3 p.m. Redemptions will begin when gates open to the general public.

Season passes do not include reserved seating and are valid for one admission, which is valid for one giveaway item.

Saratoga season admission passes are currently available for purchase online at www.NYRA.com/Saratoga and in-person at nearly 160 Stewart’s Shops locations in the following counties: Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady and Warren.

The summer racing season will begin on Friday, July 21 and continue through Labor Day, Monday, September 4.

For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit www.NYRA.com/Saratoga.

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Is Horse Racing Dead? Handle Up on 3-Day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival

June 17, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Belmont Park horse racingAll-source handle for the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Belmont Park was $124,740,193, eclipsing 2016’s all-source handle of $122,816,359.

All-source total on Saturday, which saw Tapwrit win the 149th edition of the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, was $93,666,832. Saturday’s on-track handle was $11,594,599, virtually unchanged from 2016’s on-track handle of $11,694,897.

All-source wagering on the Belmont Stakes itself was $47,163,773.

This year’s Belmont Stakes also featured betting in Japan, in a non-commingled pool. The total Belmont Stakes handle from Japan, which is not included in the all-source handle figure, was $4,698,525.

Paid attendance for Belmont Stakes Day was 57,729.

 2017 Handle:

Thursday all-source handle = $10,309,891

Friday all-source handle = $20,763,469

Saturday all-source handle = $93,666,832

Belmont Stakes Racing Festival all-source handle = $124,790,193

Belmont Stakes all-source handle = $47,163,773

Belmont Stakes Japan handle = $4,698,525

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Kentucky Derby Preps Feature Lots of Contenders

March 29, 2017 by Leave a Comment

KY Derby Logo 2017Lexington Herald Leader

Kentucky Derby contenders bunched tightly entering stretch run of prep races Lexington Herald Leader Quietly biding his time in second place with 64 points is Peacock Racing Stables’ Gunnevera, who stormed to victory by 5 3/4 lengths in the Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 4 and has remained at Gulfstream in training for the Florida Derby this weekend.

Source: Kentucky Derby contenders bunched tightly entering stretch run of prep races

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Crush Keeneland with the Best Trainer Pattern Book

March 15, 2017 by 2 Comments
Rich Nilsen 13x NHC Qualifier

One score will more than pay for this book.  Our AGOS contributer Art Parker has a one-of-kind database on all the Keeneland trainers.  No one understands how these horsemen win better that Art. This year's guide is better than ever and now in a more user-friendly format.  It's a wealth of information for players wanting to attack the upcoming Keeneland meets.

Completely revamped. The 2017 Keeneland Winning Trainer Patterns by Art Parker is now available.

Over 50 Trainers covered with a detailed summary of how they win!

Longshot horsemen identified for easy reference.

KEENELAND WINNING TRAINERS taps into Art Parker’s personal database and gives you the detailed pattern summaries on the 51 trainers, explaining exactly how they win at this prestigious meet.

Keeneland Winning Trainer Patterns bookHow do they win? What handicapping patterns do they use?

How do they work their horses prior to victory?

Do they bring home horses at a price?

Do they score off the layoff?

What owners & jockeys do they team up with?

and much more.

Author and Agameofskill.com contributor Art Parker has taken a hard look into his comprehensive personal database to uncover the trainers that win the majority of races at the meet – the 51 Kings of Keeneland – with a close look at how they accomplish this.

This one-of-a-kind handicapping book includes three bonus handicapping articles written by veteran turf writers Art Parker and Rich Nilsen

The 2017 Annual Edition of “Keeneland Winning Trainers” is published by All Star Press LLC.
Buy Now

Handicapper Art ParkerQUICK & EASY DOWNLOAD TO ANY DEVICE

You can put this comprehensive trainer guide on any PC or Mobile Device, and then easily look up the Kings of Keeneland when you are ready to handicap or play a race! Only $14.97 for the complete 33-page, jam packed book.

THAT’S LESS THAN 30 CENTS PER TRAINER

The Kindle version on Amazon is available here

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