Charlie Davis, the charismatic exercise rider for 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, died early Feb. 7 from complications of lung cancer, reports Secretariat.com. He was 78.
Monthly Archives: February 2018
European Champion Aljabr Dies at 22
Aljabr, the 1998 Cartier champion 2-year-old colt, died Feb. 6 at Shadwell Farm near Lexington of a heart attack. The 22-year-old horse had been a pensioner at the farm since 2013.
Unique Bella Kicks Off Season in Santa Maria
Unique Bella’s connections have consistently maintained that the gray daughter of Tapit’s late season restriction to sprinting was circumstantial and they backed up that talk with an entry in the Santa Maria Stakes (G2) Feb. 10 at Santa Anita Park.
Daisy, Blonde Bomber Top Suncoast Stakes
Fox Hill Farms’ Daisy, winner of the Tempted Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack in November, will make her 3-year-old debut in the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes Feb. 10 at Tampa Bay Downs.
Steve Wynn Resigns as CEO of His Own Company Amid Allegations of Coercive Sex with Employees
It took Steve Wynn more than three decades to build a casino empire that forever changed the face of Las Vegas, and less than two weeks to see his stature […]
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Catholic Boy Heads Field for Sam F. Davis
Catholic Boy, winner of the Remsen Stakes (G2) in December, will make his seasonal debut when he faces six others in the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) Feb. 10 at Tampa Bay Downs.
Catholic Boy Heads Field for Sam F. Davis
Catholic Boy, winner of the Remsen Stakes (G2) in December, will make his seasonal debut when he faces six others in the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) Feb. 10 at Tampa Bay Downs.
March Chases Grade 1 in Gulfstream Park Turf
The 6-year-old son of Blame has evolved into an accomplished turf performer who is set to compete in the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Stakes (G1T) Feb. 10 at Gulfstream Park.
Uncle Lino's First Foal is a PA-bred Filly
Uncle Lino, a grade 1-placed, track-record setter by Uncle Mo, sired his first reported foal Feb. 7, when a filly was born at the Pennsylvania Division of Northview Stallion Station, near Peach Bottom, Pa.
Svenska Spel’s 2017 revenue slips despite online, mobile surge
Sweden’s state-run gambling monopoly Svenska Spel reported negative growth in 2017 despite surging online and mobile gambling activity.
Figures released this week show Svenska Spel generating revenue of SEK 2.48b (US$307.7m) in the three months ending December 31, 2017, a modest 1.4% year-on-year increase, although profit fell 2% to SEK1.275b. The picture was much brighter in the online realm, where revenue increased 25% and mobile revenue shot up 59%.
The full-year 2017 figures present a similar split, with overall revenue flat at SEK8.98b while profit fell 3.2% to 4.7b. But online revenue improved 18% and mobile revenue shot up 49%. Online’s share of 2017’s total revenue rose four points to 25%, with mobile’s share rising five points to 15%.
Svenska Spel credited the digital gains to a new pool betting product, Oddset Challenge, a new mobile poker platform and a nearly 300% rise in the number of live betting markets in December compared to the same month in 2016. The addition of two new online payment channels also didn’t hurt online adoption.
Ray Arsenault: Q&A with the NHC Champion
Reigning champ Ray Arsenault Feb. 9-11 will try to become the first two-time winner of the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) presented by Racetrack Television Network, Stats Race Lens, and Treasure Island Casino in Las Vegas.
Hartnell, Black Heart Bart face off in C F Orr
A month of top-class racing in Melbourne gets a flying start Feb. 10 with the likes of Hartnell (GB) and Black Heart Bart (AUS) in a field of 14 for the Ladbrokes C F Orr Stakes (G1) at Caulfield.
Stephen Chidwick Dominating US Poker Open After Back-to-Back $25K Event Wins
The eight-event US Poker Open hit the halfway mark yesterday when Stephen Chidwick bested a field of 45 entries to win USPO #04: $25,000 Mixed Game Championship for $382,500. It […]
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LeoVegas celebrates record results after acquisition spree
Swedish mobile casino operator LeoVegas boosted its Q4 revenue by two-thirds while positioning itself for entry into a regulated German online gambling market.
On Wednesday, LeoVegas reported revenue rising nearly two-thirds to €67.8m in the three months ending December 31, although earnings fell 39% to €6.1m and operating profit dipped 78% to €2.1m, which the company blamed on costs associated with its October acquisition of UK-facing online casino operator Royal Panda.
For 2017 as a whole, revenue was up 43% to €217m, adjusted earnings rose 31% to €27.9m and operating profit improved 36.3% to €19.9m. The new year has also reportedly begun well, with January’s gaming revenue hitting €24.8m, up 76% from the same month last year.
LeoVegas CEO Gustaf Hagman hailed the Q4 results as “one of our best quarters ever, with very strong underlying growth” of 82%, while the number of new depositing customers was up 50% to a record 128,409.
573 Cataloged for Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale
A total of 573 juveniles have been cataloged for the Ocala Breeders’ Sales’ 2018 March sale of 2-year-olds in training set for March 13-14, with sessions beginning at 10:30 a.m.
Kentucky State Vet Provides Turfway EHV-1 Update
The Kentucky Office of State Veterinarian on the evening of Feb. 6 provided an update on the quarantine in place at Turfway Park because of equine herpesvirus-1.
Poker Players Alliance bids farewell to John Pappas, mulls new sports betting focus
The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) lobby group is bidding goodbye to its longtime leader while looking to broaden its scope to include sports betting advocacy.
On Wednesday, the PPA announced that executive director John Pappas would be stepping down at the end of February. Pappas’ role will be assumed by PPA VIP Rich Muny, while Pappas will remain on the PPA board and will continue to serve in a strategic advisory capacity.
As the PPA’s front man for the past decade, Pappas (pictured) became a fixture at online gambling hearings in both state and federal legislatures. But the PPA is “adjusting to a significant reduction in financial support from the internet gaming industry,” and Pappas told GamblingCompliance that this funding shortfall meant that “I am unable to continue on in my current capacity.”
According to the OpenSecrets.org database, the PPA’s lobbying outlay fell to record lows in the past two years. The international online gambling operators who provided most of the PPA’s funding sharply curtailed their donations following the 2011 ‘Black Friday’ online poker indictments and this decline appears to have accelerated rapidly after 2015.
KEEP Day in Frankfort to be Held Feb. 15
The Kentucky Equine Education Project is staging its second KEEP Day in Frankfort on Thursday, February 15, 2018.
Keeneland to Reduce Takeout Ahead of Spring Meet
Well thought out customer arguments opposing Keeneland’s takeout increase ahead of the 2017 fall meet have made an impact. Keeneland officials on Feb. 7 said the Lexington track would be reduce takeout beginning with the upcoming spring meet.
What's Going On Here: Super Dreams
Success in any sport comes from teamwork