Pegasus Cup 2019: Big Brown’s Owner is Back in the Game

January 22, 2019 by Leave a Comment

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – After watching a Santa Anita turf stakes on New Year’s Day, 2018, Michael Iavarone got the itch again.

And he’s soothed it in a big way with the purchase of Next Shares, who will start in the inaugural running of the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

One of the principles of the IEAH Stables syndicate that campaigned 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown and a slew of other Grade 1 winners, Iavarone was out of the horse ownership for five years following IEAH’s financial implosion. He was dabbling into re-entry when he saw a horse close from well back to finish second in a $100,000 stakes over Santa Anita’s downhill turf course.

Iavarone immediately called his friend Nick Sallusto, the bloodstock agent who helped IEAH buy many of its stars, including Big Brown. With Next Shares a 6-year-old gelding with no breeding future, Iavarone was simply looking for a good horse who could run in good races. His owners had the same idea, having just purchased Next Shares for $190,000 at Keeneland’s 2017 November sale after the horse had won an Aqueduct allowance race.

“He hadn’t run in a while, and I saw he’d changed ownership and trainers,” Iavarone said. “This horse is kind of a big heavy horse. He closed just unbelievably fast, ran some really fast fractions. I said ‘Wow, this horse is really eager. I think if they can get this horse to go a little more ground that they’ve got something.’”

Iavarone and his wife, Jules, bought 50-percent interest in Next Shares last March not long after the horse finished a close second in Santa Anita’s Frank Kilroe Mile (G1)…

Filed Under: Horse Racing News, Industry Profiles Tagged With: ,

What a Birthday for the Defending BetPTC Handicapper of the Year

November 14, 2018 by Leave a Comment

John F. and his much better half, wife Cheryl

John F., defending BetPTC Handicapper of the Year (2017), celebrated his birthday in horseracing style. John overcame an almost insurmountable lead from Day One leader Scott C. ($5,875; +2250%) to win the 2018 BetPTC Cash is King X Finals.

Besides retaining his Handicapper of the Year title by finishing first for the second consecutive year, John garnered the coveted $12,000 Pegasus Cup Betting Challenge entry.  That event is held Jan 25-26, 2019 at Gulfstream Park (and Santa Anita).  John also keeps the $9,007 in cash he won plus receives travel reimbursement ($500) and perks at the Pegasus Cup.

Although John was a respectable 2nd after Day One ($2,457; +810.19%), Carson’s +2,250% ROI score was imposing. With a big hit at Gulfstream Park West on Sunday, John concluded his weekend with a 2-day total of $9,007; a +1632.12% ROI that put him narrowly on top.

As a 9 time-NHC qualifier, John is looking forward to not only the exciting and challenging Pegasus contest hosted by the Stronach group in late Jan, but also participating again in the $3M NHC contest in Las Vegas in early February.

For his second-place finish, Scott C. earned the $2,000 cash prize plus kept his $8,555 in winnings for a tremendous weekend of handicapping and betting.  3rd place went to Albert T. ($3,304, +278.47%), good for $1,000 in prize money. 4th place was Peter M. ($1,320, +161.41%) and 5th place was Ellis S. ($1,489, +45.75%).  Both Peter and Ellis won $500 cash.  6th place finisher was Andrew W. ($740, +32.62%), and 7th went to David V. ($1,211, +21.42%).  Each received $250 cash.

Congratulations to all 39 contestants who qualified and competed in this year’s 15-week Cash is King contest and Nov Finals.  To learn more about BetPTC and how you can receive a Custom Rewards Schedule via AGOS, click here.

A bonus contest event is being held this Friday for the 7 participants who finished in the top 3 three or more times during the 15-week contest.  An additional $3,000 in prizes will be awarded in that special event.

 

Real Money contestAbout Premier Turf Club (BetPTC)

Premier Turf Club is a U.S. based pari-mutuel account wagering provider that has been in business over 10 years.  BetPTC is regulated in the state of Oregon by the Oregon Racing Commission.

The company provides legal telephone and online betting services, safely and securely handling over $350 million in wagers.  In the summer of 2017, BetPTC released a mobile-friendly wagering platform at BetPTC.mobi.

Unlike the non-pari-mutuel off-shore bookmakers, BetPTC pays the tracks for the right to accept simulcast wagers on their races and co-mingle those wagers with the on-track pari-mutuel pools. Unlike the off-shore ADWs, a portion of all monies wagered through Premier Turf Club go to the horsemen and the local racetracks. It’s these payments that allow horsemen to run meets at Portland Meadows, country fairs and various racetracks throughout the United States.

The owner of Premier Turf Club started out in the racing industry as a horse owner and bettor. The BetPTC staff includes horse owners, bettors and industry professionals that have been involved in advance deposit wagering and simulcasting since their inceptions. The site is designed by horseplayers for horseplayers.

 

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