Thanks in part of the lessons instilled by his former boss, trainer Todd Pletcher is nothing is not his own man now, with the enviable problem of constantly trying kick his own bar of success up to ever higher levels.
Monthly Archives: May 2017
Course Change for Hit It A Bomb, Shuttling to Argentina
Son of War Front will stand at perennial leading Argentine breeder Haras Firmamento
Four Juveniles Share Fastest Times in Under Tack Finale
It was another hot, sticky day in the Baltimore area May 18 as the three-session under tack show in preparation for next week’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training came to an end.
Payment processing exec Ronald Ehli nabbed in Nicaragua
The alleged head of Costa Rica-based online sportsbook Sportsbetting.com has been forcibly returned to the United States to face nearly decade-old illegal gambling charges.
On Thursday, Washington state media outlet The Chronicle reported that Ronald Ehli (pictured) had made an appearance in Lewis County Superior Court to face charges of second-degree professional gambling and unlawfully transmitting or receiving gambling information.
Ehli was originally charged way back in 2008 after an agent from Washington State Gambling Commission’s Criminal Intelligence Unit placed bets on Sportsbetting.com. When the agent withdrew his winnings, the check he received was signed by Ehli and drawn on an account belonging to Ehli’s check-writing outfit EZPay Financial Services.
The agents paid a visit to EZPay’s offices in the little town of Chehalis, WA, where they interviewed a couple staffers and seized a computer. After studying the digital data, police seized a total of $4.9m from EZPay accounts based on their belief that the money was the proceeds of illegal sports betting.
2017-18 WSOP Circuit Schedule Released, with Record 26 Stops
The 2017-2018 World Series of Poker Circuit schedule has been announced. A record 26 stops are planned beginning Aug. 2 in Cherokee, North Carolina. The season will wrap up May […]
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Litfin at Large: Favored Always Dreaming Tough to Beat
They’re running 15 stakes worth a combined $3.7 million at Pimlico Race Course May 19 and 20, but in terms of weather, what a difference a day will make.
Three Rules, Recruiting Ready Top Preakness Undercard
The six-furlong Chick Lang is one of two stakes for 3-year-olds on the 142nd Preakness Stakes (G1) undercard. The $100,000 LARC Sir Barton Stakes to benefit the TAA is contested at 1 1/16 miles later in the day.
Former Underdog Chases Preakness Conquest
When he enters the gate May 20 at Pimlico Race Course for the Preakness Stakes (G1), just how well Conquest Mo Money can run will be put to its toughest test.
Bellavais, Lady Alexandra Meet Again in Soaring Softly
After finishing fifth in her graded stakes debut, Phillips Racing Partnership’s Bellavais will try to return to her stakes-winning form when she faces an expected seven other 3-year-old fillies in the Soaring Softly Stakes May 20 at Belmont Park.
IOA Official Insurance Provider for NTRA
Insurance Office of America, one of the fastest-growing independent agencies in the United States with more than 1,200 associates throughout the country, is the new official insurance provider of the NTRA, the two entities announced today.
World Approval Brings Form Into Dixie Stakes
Having started his 2017 campaign off in smashing fashion last month, World Approval will try and duplicate that top-level form when he headlines a field of 10 in the $250,000 Longines Dixie Stakes (G2T) at Pimlico Race Course May 20.
Curlin's Approval Favored in Relocated Matron Stakes
Already a winner of two graded stakes wins this season, Curlin’s Approval will try for a third against an expected dozen other fillies and mares in the $100,000 Matron Stakes (G3) May 20 at Churchill Downs.
US fantasy operators push the boundaries of legal sports betting
As New Jersey waits to learn if the US Supreme Court will consider its bid to overturn the federal ban on sports betting, gaming operators continue to offer consumers pseudo-betting options to fill the void.
On Monday, WinView Inc announced that it had raised $12m in financing to further develop its WinView Games free-play in-play sports betting mobile app. The funding round is a tenfold bump on the $1.2m the “second-screen gaming” company raised back in 2015.
Among the deep-pocketed investors who contributed to WinView’s latest funding round are Ted Leonsis, who owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals. Leonsis previously participated in funding rounds led by daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings.
The ad-supported WinView app offers fans the ability to enter contests in which they predict a variety of in-play outcomes for a chance to win virtual credits in the form of WinCash, which can be redeemed for real cash. WinView says its contests are legal in all 50 states since they don’t require players to ante up an entry fee.
Doug Polk Sounds Off on Salomon Ponte and WSOP 2017 Changes: CardsChat Exclusive Interview
Doug Polk is arguably one of the top players in the game today, having just missed making the 100 top American pros by one on the Hendon Mob listings, with […]
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Always Dreaming Ready to Roll, Multiplier Gallops
Todd Pletcher is taking a cue from Always Dreaming in that he, like his high-energy charge, have about had it with the minutiae leading into the May 20 Preakness Stakes (G1) and are ready to just run the race.
Two-thirds of Australian betting turnover is done digitally
Online wagering accounts for nearly two-thirds of Australia’s sports betting market, according to new research.
A new report by UBS analyst Matt Ryan estimates that desktop and mobile wagering were responsible for 65% of all betting turnover in Australia in the six months ending December 31, 2016. The digital turnover share was up 23% from the same period last year, while retail wagering fell 6% over the same span.
The digital gains are all the more impressive considering Australian-licensed operators were forced to suspend their online in-play sports betting services last September. The in-play apps had been extremely popular with bettors, with some operators claiming that in-play turnover had tripled following their app’s launch.
Paddy Power Betfair’s Sportsbet brand remains the betting app king, accounting for 31% of all betting app downloads. Runner-up Tabcorp was well back at 20%, while William Hill ranked third with 15%.
Bullards Alley Seeks Repeat in Louisville Handicap
A dozen long-winded turf runners will go 1 1/2 miles in the Louisville Handicap over the Churchill Downs lawn, with Danish Dynaformer holding a recency and class edge over warriors Twilight Eclipse and Kaigun.
LatAm multi-jurisdictional lottery is on the agenda at Juegos Miami
The prospects of developing and implementing a multi-jurisdictional lottery for the LatAm region will be one of the key topics debated amongst thought leaders and stakeholders at the forthcoming Juegos Miami (May 31st – June 2nd, The Biltmore, Miami). Described by Tiburcio Perdomo, commercial director for the National Lottery of the Dominican Republic, as being of ‘transcendental importance,’ such an initiative would serve to unite a region which has a population of more than 550 million and, thanks to a common protocol of systems and regulations, help in the battle to combat illegal gambling and money laundering.
The concept of a multijurisdictional lottery can be traced back nearly a decade as Tiburcio Perdomo explained: “In December 2008, I moved to Spain to begin negotiations with the authorities of SELAE (Lottery of the State of Spain) that allowed us to develop and market different games in the country, with the “Gordo de la Primitiva” Lotus type attracting us most.
“Discussions with the Spanish lottery authorities, led by its then-President Gonzalo Fernández and Commercial Director Juan Gallardo, revolved around the creation of a multi-jurisdictional game to be marketed from the Dominican Republic, where SELAE would put the technology and the initial float. The game began on February 18, 2013, with a guaranteed minimum pot of five million euros and bets at 1.5 euros. For reasons beyond our control, a change of authorities in the Spanish lottery aborted this beautiful project after a year of initiation.”
Whilst subsequent discussions have centred around cooperation between countries whose lottery sectors are at different stages of development and which are travelling at different speeds, Tiburcio Perdomo believes in the importance of agreeing a strategic plan for the region that allows the updating of gaming systems to new technologies and social networks in order for lotteries to become an instrument for economic advancement. He said: “Speaking in my personal capacity at Juegos Miami, I believe it is important to discuss how the industry can harness technological advances for the improvement of the gaming industry in the region, so we can develop advanced lottery systems that will benefit bettors and achieve greater development for the peoples of the region.”
Play’n GO victorious at 8th Women in Gaming Awards
Leading slots supplier takes home Diversity Award at London ceremony
18th May, 2017 – Award-winning slots specialist Play’n GO has won the Diversity Award at the Women in Gaming Awards 2017 (WIGs).
Play’n GO personnel were in-attendance to receive the distinguished award at a ceremony held at the Savoy Hotel, London last week, where they were also nominated for four other awards.
The judging panel were impressed by the supplier’s commitment to diversity within the company, with 46% of its management positions currently occupied by women and all employees rewarded solely for their job acumen and success, as opposed to any other factor.
PAGCOR looks at POGOs for revenue growth
State-run Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) will rely on the strength of the online gambling industry as it disposes off its casino assets before the yearend.
The Manila Bulletin reported that the online gambling industry has already generated PHP3 billion (US$60.23 million) for this year alone, making it a rapidly growing business in the country.
Jose S. Tria Jr., special assistant to Pagcor’s chairman and chief executive, expressed optimism that online gambling operators catering to offshore players are poised to become major catalysts for growth in the country’s gaming industry despite the implementation of stringent policies.
“We are estimating that Pagcor’s revenues from online and land based will balance in the future, particularly now that the Philippine government has put in place its regulations on online gambling,” the official said.