Denny Andrews and Northern Dawn Stables’ homebred Red River Rebel defied his odds in the featured CA$100,400 (US$76,806) Frost King Stakes, scoring a maiden-breaking victory Nov. 20 at Woodbine.
Monthly Archives: November 2020
'Better Lucky Than Good' Wins Tony Ryan Book Award
For the first time in its 14-year history, the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award has gone to a multi-collaborative effort. The 2019 winner is “Better Lucky Than Good: Tall Tales and Straight Talk from the Backside of the Track.”
Santa Anita Increases Overnight Purses
Santa Anita Park will raise the daily overnight purse distribution 10% for the 2020-21 season, which begins Dec. 26. The increase will bring the average daily purse money available to horsemen to over $533,000.
Grade 1 Performer Caracaro Retires to Crestwood Farm
Caracaro, a grade 1-placed 3-year-old colt by top-class sire Uncle Mo, has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Pope McLean’s Crestwood Farm in Lexington in 2021. He will stand his first year at stud for $6,500 live foal stands and nurse.
Juveniles Hope to Make the Grade in the Grey, Mazarine
Nine 2-year-olds, including impressive first-time winner Haddassah, are set to contest in the Nov. 22 Grey Stakes (G3) at Woodbine, on a card that also includes the Mazarine Stakes (G3) for 2-year-old fillies.
Doug Polk Bounces Back, Dominates Session Against Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu’s winning ways against Doug Polk came to a screeching halt on Friday. The GGPoker ambassador not only lost more than $200,000 over two hours, he lost his grip on the overall lead. Even so, he’s only down a small bit.
Doug Polk regained his lead over Daniel Negreanu on Friday. (Image: YouTube)
Negreanu opened the challenge with a six-figure win on PokerGo during the only live poker session. As soon as the competition shifted to the internet on WSOP.com, Polk took over and crushed it for a $387,000 profit over two days.
Then, the former PokerStars ambassador flipped the script. He went on to win four of the past five sessions and was up $179,363 heading into Day 9 on Friday. Heads-up poker at high stakes is a wild and crazy game, however. So, during Friday’s match, Polk flipped the momentum back in his favor with a dominating performance leading to a resounding victory.
Ghaiyyath Crowned Cartier Horse of the Year
Ghaiyyath has been crowned Cartier Horse of the Year following his scintillating flat season that included triumphs in the Coronation Cup (G1), Coral-Eclipse (G1), and Juddmonte International (G1).
Tally-Ho Stud Raises Fee on Sire Sensation Mehmas
Mehmas has sired 47 individual winners and four at stakes level, headed by Middle Park Stakes (G1) winner Supremacy.
Flashback Friday: The Beginning of the Polk-Negreanu Feud
Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk’s feud didn’t begin with the “More Rake is Better” trash talk. It actually started a few years prior, back in 2014. And it all started with a petty little dispute that turned into something much bigger.
Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk have been feuding ever since 2014. (Image: WSOP.com)
The poker masters are currently in the midst of a lengthy high-stakes heads-up battle. Perhaps, it will finally put an end to the longstanding feud that began six years ago. Or, maybe not. Time will tell.
Negreanu entered Friday’s session with a lead of more than $170,000 in the heads-up challenge. They’re still in the relatively early stages of the match. So Polk, who entered as a heavy favorite, still has plenty of time to erase that deficit and win by the massive amount most projected.
Sha Tin Hosts Final Preps for HK International Races
A trio of group 2 races Nov. 22 at Sha Tin Racecourse will go a long way toward determining the fields for the Longines Hong Kong International Races three weeks down the road.
Winx Unlikely to be Covered This Season
Part owner Peter Tighe admitted that time was running out for Winx to be served this spring, with the champion mare appearing far more likely to return to the breeding barn in 2021.
Williams to Chief Executive Officer, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY
1/ST announced today the appointment of Paul Williams to Chief Executive Officer, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and to Chief Technology Officer, 1/ST.
Peace and Justice Relocated to Blackstone Farm
The son of War Front will stand for $3,500 in 2021.
Gran Alegria Tops Deep Field for Mile Championship
In her past two starts, Gran Alegria won the Yasuda Kinen (G1) at one mile at Tokyo Racecourse in June and the 1,200-meter (about six-furlong) Sprinters Stakes (G1) at Nakayama Oct. 4.
Denmark’s online casino, betting declines as retail reopens
Denmark’s gambling market bucked the global trend in Q3 as its online casino and sports betting revenue declined while land-based gambling improved.
Figures released Friday by Denmark’s Spillemyndigheden regulatory agency show locally licensed gambling operators generated revenue of DKK1.53b (US$244.2m) in the three months ending September 30, a 4.9% decline from the same period last year but a significant improvement from the DKK1.16b generated in Q2 2020.
Land-based casinos were the only vertical to post annual growth in Q3, a healthy 6% rise to DKK87m, while the nation’s slots halls were basically flat at DKK334m. Apparently, the pandemic lockdown created some pent-up demand amongst technophobic Danes, so it will be interesting to see if this trend is more than just momentary overcompensation.
Online casino revenue slipped nearly 2% to DKK555m, with slots accounting for 74% of this sum, up around 1.6 points year-on-year. Roulette claimed nearly 10% while blackjack took a 7% slice. Desktop computers continue to fall out of favor with casino players, falling 4.5 points year-on-year to 40.4% in terms of stakes.
Simsir Lands Bahrain International
Simsir, making his first start for the local connections, barely held off a pair of top international raiders to win the second running of the Bahrain International Trophy Nov. 20 by a desperate neck.
Four Woodbine Stakes Headline Nov. 21 Racing Action
The Kennedy Road Stakes (G2) and Bessarabian Stakes (G2) share top billing.
Funny Guy Cuts Back in NYSSS Thunder Rumble
Multiple stakes winner Funny Guy will receive a cutback in distance while seeking a third stakes triumph of the year in the Nov. 22 Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series for 3 year olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Sweden’s Q3 online gambling record, XC Gaming fined for bonus offers
Sweden’s online gambling market posted only a modest revenue gain in the third quarter, while the local regulator has spanked yet another operator for violating bonus offer rules.
Figures released Friday by the Spelinspektionen regulatory body show Sweden’s overall gambling market generated revenue of just over SEK6b (US$700.5m) in the three months ending September 30, a gain of only 1.3% from the same period last year and 2% higher than Q2 2020.
Swedish-licensed online operators reported revenue rising 5.8% year-on-year to SEK3.7b, beating Q1 2020’s previous market-best by a mere SEK33m. The lottery and slot machine operations of the state-run Svenska Spel had an even better quarter, rising 7.7% to just under SEK1.5b, the segment’s best showing this year.
Spelinspektionen said it had no concrete figures for how much revenue was generated in Q3 by internationally licensed online gambling operators serving Swedish customers without local permission. However, Swedish-licensed operators believe the new pandemic limits on online casino deposits and bonuses have driven a lot of traffic to these international interlopers.
Obituary: Mejia Owned Grade 3 Winner Gladiator King
Florida-based horseman Jaime Mejia, who owned and trained last year’s Hutcheson Stakes (G3) winner Gladiator King, died Nov. 9 in his native country of Colombia. He was 70.