Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables has had success with Medaglia d’Oro, and during the April 26 final session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, the entity acquired a filly by the prominent sire for $825,000
Monthly Archives: April 2019
Byk to Receive Old Hilltop Award
Writer and broadcaster Steve Byk, host of ‘At the Races with Steve Byk’ on SiriusXM, will receive the Old Hilltop Award May 16 at the Alibi Breakfast at Pimlico Race Course.
Roadster, Game Winner Put in Final Works Ahead of Derby
Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Roadster and juvenile champion Game Winner were among those to work over the Santa Anita Park main track April 26.
Team Casse Reaches for $1.3 Million Into Mischief Colt
An Into Mischief colt from the family of grade 1 winner By the Moon brought a final bid of $1.3 million from Team Casse, agent, April 26, the final day of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
Lookin for Eight Looking for Champions Day Marathon Win
After posting a clear victory in an optional-claiming allowance race March 22 at Oaklawn Park, Lookin for Eight will take on an expected five rivals in the $115,000 Champions Day Marathon Overnight Stakes April 30 at Churchill Downs.
Stonestreet's Affinity for Medaglia d'Oro Continues
Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables has had success with Medaglia d’Oro, and during the April 26 final session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, the entity acquired a filly by the prominent sire for $825,000
Swiss casinos file online gambling license applications
Switzerland’s casino operators have begun filing applications to offer online slots and table games starting this summer.
This week, Swiss media reported that the Federal Gaming Board (ESBK) had received four online casino license applications from the operators of land-based venues Grand Casino Baden, Grand Casino Davos, Grand Casino Lucerne and Casino Zurichsee.
In February, Swiss media reported that Grand Casino Kursaal Bern had also filed an online casino application on behalf of itself and an unspecified “large technology partner.” But the latest reports indicate that the Bern casino and its sister operation in Neuchâtel have yet to formally submit their paperwork, which will likely delay their online launch until after the other four venues.
Under the new gambling law approved in a national referendum last summer, Swiss casino operators must have their online games technically certified and ensure that their technology partners have a ‘good reputation’ aka not serving Swiss punters without local permission at any point over the past five years.
Wavertree's OBS Success Continues at Final Session
Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables continued their roll at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, with a Candy Ride colt bringing a bid of $975,000 from agent Steven W. Young during the April 26 finale.
$460,000 Pioneerof the Nile Colt Rewards Partners
During the April 26 final session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, a Pioneerof the Nile colt bought for $15,000 was sold to Team Casse, agent, for $460,000.
Trio of Derby Hopefuls Work at Palm Beach Downs
Trainer George Weaver was pleased with how his somewhat unorthodox plan of shipping Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) winner Vekoma back to South Florida for Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) preparations turned out April 26.
Lyon Rides Wave of Breeding Success Toward KY Derby
Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Farm bred champion and Kentucky Derby contender Game Winner. The Kentucky owner/breeder has enjoyed extraordinary success recently, having bred four separate grade 1 winners of 2018.
Wavertree's OBS Success Continues During Final Session
Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables continued their role at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, with a Candy Ride colt bringing a bid of $975,000 from agent Steven W. Young during the April 26 finale.
Iran shuts down TV quiz shows over gambling concerns
Iran’s religious authorities are cracking down on TV game shows, apparently because their games too closely resemble gambling products.
Iranian state television recently debuted a new program called Barande Bash (Be The Winner), a shameless knockoff of the UK’s global hit Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. The show, hosted by local singer/actor Mohammed Reza Golzar (pictured, without beard), has proven a ratings winner for the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) company.
But the show’s arrival was met almost immediately by criticism from conservative cleric Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem-Shirazi (pictured, with beard), who published a fatwa (a nonbinding legal opinion) in a local newspaper declaring that such quiz shows offered “games of chance” and thus were effectively gambling, which is haram (forbidden) under Islamic law.
Other conservative media outlets quickly echoed the cleric’s claims, accusing IRIB of airing “a halal casino” and reminding Iranians of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s 2004 condemnation of such programs for eroding the nation’s “culture of hard work and productivity” by offering contestants something for nothing (other than brain power).
Litfin: A Few Stakes Picks Ahead of Derby Saturday
Pre-Derby Saturday offers a rather light stakes schedule, as the richest race in North America is the $250,000 San Francisco Mile (G3T) at Golden Gate Fields, and the only other graded event is the $200,000 Santa Margarita (G2) at Santa Anita Park.
Low Takeout Pick 6 Highlights Oaks-Derby Wagering Menu
A new two-day Pick 6 that features six Grade I races, including the $3 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve and $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks, highlights a spectacular wagering menu for the 2019 Spring Meet at Churchill Downs.
Historical Racing Provides Churchill Downs Inc. Boost
The historical racing facility at Derby City Gaming in Louisville, Ky. helped drive Churchill Downs Inc. to a successful first quarter in 2019.
Japan's Master Fencer Settles at Keeneland Before Derby
For Master Fencer (JPN)’s first track experience in Kentucky, he joined about a half-dozen other Thoroughbreds on the Keeneland training track April 26 for a leisurely gallop and walk before returning to the quiet quarantine barn.
Kee, CD Commit $100k to Grayson-Jockey Club Research
Keeneland, Churchill Downs commit $100k each to Grayson-Jockey Club Research
Federal judge wants clarity from DOJ on Wire Act opinion
The U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) flip-flopping story about its Wire Act interpretation is getting a bit old, and there’s a lot of money on the line. A federal judge wants to know if they really mean for state lotteries to be exempted from the act, because it could mean million in profits lost.
The Las Vegas Sun reports that $220 million in lottery profits, which typically go towards scholarships, senior citizen services and other government subsidies, could get wiped away by the new interpretation of the Wire Act. Their investigation with legal experts reveals that the Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries are at risk as well, meaning billions more could be lost.
Rod Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General for the DOJ, recently responded to a New Hampshire lawsuit on the topic, indicating that state lotteries were never intended to be outlawed by the new opinion. That doesn’t change the wording of the opinion though, and so a new one is needed.
The presiding judge over that case, which involved the New Hampshire Lottery Commission (NHLC) and the DOJ, wants that new opinion by the end of April. There’s no saying what he’ll do if the DOJ doesn’t respond in time.
Japanese St Leger 1-2 return for Tenno Sho (Spring)
The Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1) at Kyoto April 28 literally ushers in a new era for Japan with a rematch of the 1-2 finishers from the 2018 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1).