Owner/breeder Gigi Chiandussi bought the third-crop sire and 12-year-old son of Empire Maker.
Monthly Archives: February 2021
Redatory Edges Sunlit Song for Texas Horse of the Year
James Wessel’s homebred Redatory has been named the 2020 Texas-bred Horse of the Year by the Texas Thoroughbred Association, the organization announced Feb. 10.
Super Bowl 56 early odds: Bucs second favorites
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
Is Tom Brady the greatest team athlete of the modern sports era? It’s hard to argue that fact after Brady won his record seventh Super Bowl title, now more than any single franchise has – and record fifth Super Bowl MVP Award – in leading a 31-9 upset of the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl 55 on Sunday night in Tampa.
Can Brady make it eight titles next February at Super Bowl 56 in Los Angeles? The Bucs are +850 second-favorites behind Kansas City (+500), but also consider that Tampa Bay was priced +6000 at this point last year to win the Super Bowl. Obviously, Brady signing with the Bucs changed that price dramatically right away. Many free agents are going to want to chase a ring with Brady next season as well.
The last team to repeat as Super Bowl champion? Brady’s former New England Patriots following the 2004 season. How perfectly ironic was it that Brady stopped Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs from joining that exclusive repeat club? Kansas City probably will be the early Super Bowl favorite for the next decade or so as long as Mahomes is healthy (he is having offseason surgery for turf toe), even if that Bucs defense made him look pretty bad Sunday. It was the first time as an NFL player that Mahomes lost a game by double digits.
'Win and You're In' Series Goes Lasix-Free in 2021
Breeders’ Cup announced Feb. 10 that races as part of its 2021 “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series will be run without the race-day treatment of Lasix, a diuretic whose use is being phased out in leading racing jurisdictions.
Australian Open sees some shocks as Djokovic scrapes through
It took some time to arrive, but now that it’s here, the 2021 Australian Open is the first tennis Grand Slam of the year and the action has begun Down Under.
With Serbian sledger Novak Djokovic the favourite in the Men’s Singles, we’ve taken a look at the routes to the final and how the opening matches can guide us towards making the right bets.
Big Names Survive Scares in Early Rounds
Rafael Nadal may have made light work of the opening round match he had against Serbian player Laslo Djere, but the ease with which the Majorcan made the 2nd round wasn’t shared by some others.
Sports betting reclaims Denmark’s gambling revenue crown in Q4
Sports betting reclaimed its role as Denmark’s top revenue vertical in the final quarter of 2020, despite online casino apparently having the devil in its corner.
Figures released Wednesday by Denmark’s Spillemyndigheden regulatory agency show locally licensed gambling operators generated revenue of DKK1.72b (US$281.2m) in the three months ending December 30, up 6.6% from the final quarter of 2019 and 12.5% better than the market reported in Q3 2020.
Sports betting led Q4’s charge with DKK724m, up 16.6% year-on-year and a damn sight better than the DKK558m reported in Q3 2020. In fact, Q4 was betting’s best quarter last year, which otherwise suffered from pandemic-related shutdowns that began in the latter part of Q1.
Online casino revenue ranked second with a devilish return of DKK666m, up 16.2% year-on-year and a slightly higher sequential gain from Q3. But Q4’s total was slightly below the DKK673m peak in Q2, when the absence of major sports pushed Danes to explore other gaming verticals. Slots claimed a nearly three-quarter slice of Q4’s casino pie.
Oaklawn Cancels Racing Feb. 13-15 Due to Winter Weather
Due to the predicted winter weather expected in Hot Springs, Ark. over the next few days, Oaklawn Park has canceled racing during its extended Presidents Day weekend, which would have included the Southwest Stakes (G3) and Bayakoa Stakes (G3).
Canada to Run 41 Graded Stakes in 2021
The Jockey Club of Canada announced Feb. 10 a slight reduction in the country’s graded stakes after its Graded Stakes Committee held its annual review.
Justin Bonomo wins Super MILLION$ title for $430,646
The latest GGPoker Super MILLION$ final table saw Justin Bonomo take down the nine-man final table, winning a massive top prize of $430,646 and getting the better of some modern poker legends in the process.
As we told you yesterday, it was Russian player ‘RRomashka’ who went into the final table with the chip lead, with Swedish online superstar Niklas Astedt bringing up the rear.
There was to be no reprieve for Astedt, who was the first man to bust, earning $53,381 when his ace-jack was shot down by Nick Petrangelo’s king-queen, despite many kings and queens being folded. A queen on the flop and a king on the river confounded the commentators to send Astedt home and prove yet another final table couldn’t provide the win.
Next to go was ‘Face-O’, who busted for 12 big blinds when his pocket tens were outrun by ‘OscarBrown’, whose ace-jack managed to hit a four-flush when runner-runner spades sent home the Mexico-based player.
Justin Bonomo wins Super MILLION$ title for $430,646
The latest GGPoker Super MILLION$ final table saw Justin Bonomo take down the nine-man final table, winning a massive top prize of $430,646 and getting the better of some modern poker legends in the process.
As we told you yesterday, it was Russian player ‘RRomashka’ who went into the final table with the chip lead, with Swedish online superstar Niklas Astedt bringing up the rear.
There was to be no reprieve for Astedt, who was the first man to bust, earning $53,381 when his ace-jack was shot down by Nick Petrangelo’s king-queen, despite many kings and queens being folded. A queen on the flop and a king on the river confounded the commentators to send Astedt home and prove yet another final table couldn’t provide the win.
Next to go was ‘Face-O’, who busted for 12 big blinds when his pocket tens were outrun by ‘OscarBrown’, whose ace-jack managed to hit a four-flush when runner-runner spades sent home the Mexico-based player.
Early Nominations for KY Oaks, Turf Classic Due Feb. 13
Early nominations for the Grade I, $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks and $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (GI), held annually on Kentucky Derby Weekend at Churchill Downs, are due Saturday.
New York-Bred Filly First Foal for Disco Partner
World record-holding turf sprinter Disco Partner has sired his first foal. Born at Disco Partner’s home of Rockridge Stud near Hudson, N.Y., the filly is a daughter of the winning mare Plenty of Chrome and was bred by John Graziano Sr.
Discreet Lover Retired to Stud in Indiana
The son of Repent will stand at R Star Stallions near Anderson, Ind., for $2,000.
Four Stakes on Fritchie, General George Undercard
With purses of $250,000 apiece, the Barbara Fritchie Stakes (G3) and General George Stakes (G3) headline Laurel Park’s race card Feb. 13, though they represent just a third of the day’s stakes.
Keeneland to Host Seven Digital Sales Auctions in 2021
The Keeneland Digital Sales Ring, the stand-alone online auction platform that debuted in 2020, has scheduled seven mixed sales for 2021.
Four Stakes on Barbara Fritchie, General George Card
With purses of $250,000 apiece, the Barbara Fritchie Stakes (G3) and General George Stakes (G3) headline Laurel Park’s race card Feb. 13, though they represent just a third of the day’s stakes.
Evolution Gaming 2020 profit soars on pandemic online casino boost, NetEnt deal
Online casino technology suppliers Evolution Gaming’s profits nearly doubled last year, a feat that was achieved largely before the company absorbed rival NetEnt.
Figures released Wednesday show the Stockholm-listed Evolution generated revenue of €177.7m in the final quarter of 2020, a 68% rise over Q4 2019. Earnings shot up 72% to €96.2m on a gaudy 54.2% margin, while profit was up a similar percentage to €80.6m.
Evolution’s game-changing acquisition of RNG casino tech provider NetEnt was completed on December 1, but Evolution said NetEnt’s Q4 revenue contribution of €17.8m was up only 5% year-on-year. In other words, Evolution largely achieved its stellar quarterly results on the strength of its market-leading live casino offering.
Geographic expansion helped push Evolution’s operating expenses up 62% to €92.8m, although €12.4m of this relates to NetEnt, while restructuring and acquisition costs combined for €19.4m.
PokerStars Michigan Strikes Hard and Fast with $1 Million COOP Festival
PokerStars Michigan is laying down a marker in the Wolverine State with the first in what’s likely to be a string of big-money festivals.
PokerStars Michigan is striking hard and fast with a $1 million guaranteed festival known as MICOOP. (Image: MelissaMN/Adobe Stock)
Just 12 days after launching in Michigan, PokerStars is setting the bar high with one of its famous COOP events.
The inaugural Michigan Championship of Online Poker (MICOOP) will get underway on February 20 and feature a $1 million guaranteed prizepool.
First Reported Foal a Colt for Divisidero
Divisidero, a millionaire son of Kitten’s Joy, was represented by his first reported foal, a colt born at Airdrie Stud.
Charles Town Cancels Feb. 10 Card
Due to the winter weather expected to move through the region the evening of Feb. 10, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races has canceled its live racing program for Wednesday. The property will remain open for limited simulcasting.