08 December 2010
NYRA Online Video Banned
The ultimate irony is that while video of horse racing is illegal within New York other perversions -including video of crushing animals to death-are protected as "free speech". On the federal level the supreme court ruled that watching small animals being murdered with high heel shoes is protected by freedom of expression-- yet in the same country watching a horse race in the home is prohibited. What a disordered system-completely divorced from all forms of reason- democracy can be. It is no wonder that this regressive system of government died in 3rd century B.C. Greece only to be resurrected 2,000 years later in the new world.
Now with NYC OTB out of the way Albany must abolish the law that bans the streaming video of NYRA horse racing in New York. With few places to watch horse racing around New York City- racing is a game depending on fans watching and wagering from home. It is also a game built for the internet. The state must clear the artificial barriers that prevent racing from realizing it's potential as a web 2.0 product. The increased betting handle generated by streaming video may help close the multi-billion dollar deficit in New York- that is if they are truly interested in closing that deficit instead of fattening the bulge in their pockets.
NYC OTB Shuts Down
Unfortunately this afternoon, the NYS Senate chose not to pass the bill passed by the Assembly that would have saved NYC OTB. Therefore, due to a lack of unrestricted funds to continue in business, NYC OTB will be ceasing all pari-mutuel wagering operations today, Tuesday, December 7, 2010 as per our Board of Directors vote, and will proceed to the orderly winding down of its business affairs.
Three branches will remain open in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan for six calendar days after the last day of operations so that customers can cash tickets/vouchers and make account withdrawals. Thereafter, these transactions can be conducted at NYCOTB’s customer service center located at 1501 Broadway in Manhattan for up to six weeks. The locations that will remain open temporarily are:
107-40 QUEENS BLVD, FOREST HILLS, NYCross Street- Continental Ave
515 SEVENTH AVE, NEW YORK, NYCross Street- West 38th Street
6719 BAY PARKWAY, BROOKLYN, NYCross Street-West 8th Street
The hours of operation will be from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the six calendar days following the last day of operations.
The corporation's website, www.nycotb.com will be updated constantly to keep our customer abreast of all events.
05 December 2010
04 December 2010
Special Woodbine Pick 3
Woodbine Race 9... the Ontario Lassie
It was hard not to be impressed by #3 Inglorious last out. This one broke last in a short field- found herself at the back of the pack yet rallied impressively to score. This was a first out stakes win not a maiden special weight. The win pool I fear will be short on this filly so lets work the pick 3s surrounding inglorious.
Race 7 pick 3... 4,6,8,10 / 4,8,10,12 / 3
Race 9 pick 3... 3 / ALL / 6,14
The Clear Solution To The OTB Drama
The state should issue franchises to private operators to run bet parlors like they do in the British isles. The unprofitable parlors should be closed and the profitable units could be optimized to maximize profits. New York is not middle America-the local men like horse racing and not TV college sports or tractor pulls. It may not be a fashionable market and it may not be the same market that has supported the 5,000 Starbucks that have opened up in New York over the last ten years but there still is a working class niche for OTB. For a talking class that likes to talk about diversity it seems like pari-mutual wagering does not fit into grand mosaic of Starbucks, Target, Whole Foods and Starbucks that New York has become.
My relatives could run a bet parlor and it all starts with some basic customer service. The right operator is kind enough to offer the patron a beverage and a lunch box along with your exacta box. OTB never could get this right. The right kind of OTB would offer patrons something like "powers cap's play of the day" to ensure they are winners and not part of the masses of loser cappers.
This is not the time to just close OTB, we can not leave all the dedicated handicappers of OTB out in the street. Yet this is what Albany is doing, it is like if their patronage mill can't succeed, there are no other options. Since the media does not discuss any other options no other options are discussed while the best option -private franchise ownership- is never discussed.
The patrons of OTB have lived with a 6% rake on winnings yet have persisted to make NYC OTB the largest bet taker in the United States -if that is not dedication I don't know what is- making them some of the most prized and dedicated customers in the world. We can not just leave these OTB patrons to find new hobbies. It is time to transition into a private owner-- one who will take care of the customer and grow the sport of racing. Let the local people run it; a great choice would be a local operator who knows how to do gambling right. The people from DRF or NYRA may be a good place to start. The wrong people have been running OTB and it shows. To just let the largest parimutuel operation in the country die would be a waste of a resource.
26 November 2010
'Tis The Holiday Season
Cigar Mile
First a little more history, this race was started in 1988 and is still the only other grade one dirt mile race on the schedule for handicap males other than the Metropolitan Handicap. Only one horse has captured both of these races and it wasn’t in the same year, Sir Bear won the 1999 Met Mile and the 1998 Cigar Mile. This year Bribon is trying the same feat as Sir Bear, the 2009 Met Mile winner is coming into this race off of a win in the Bold Ruler that was run on a slightly slower than usual surface.
A few of Breeders’ Cup returnees are entered in this race as well. Haynesfield is looking for a good bounce-back effort from his Classic flop and Musket Man is also coming back off a flat effort from that same race. Girolamo’s backers in the Sprint get a chance to make back the money they lost on him in early November and his stable mate Vineyard Haven is here after a stale performance in the Dirt Mile. It is like a convention of Breeders’ Cup duds who happen to earn their paychecks in New York.
Remsen Stakes
28 minutes before this race the Demoiselle takes place and it is not part of the pick four sequence. There is a $250,000 guaranteed pool that has three stakes races and the last leg is a claiming race. The fact that there is no all stakes pick four scheduled is a bit odd. Other racing days like the Belmont Stakes, Wood Memorial, Travers, and Jockey Club Gold Cup where there is four or more stakes in a row they have this wager, yet it is no where in sight for this late November sequence. An all stakes pick four followed by the sequence they have set up was could have been done very easily, at least they have a grand slam linking up all four stakes races.
The Remsen has had an unfortunate recent history of producing Derby flops, since Thunder Gulch won the 1994 renewal there hasn’t been a winner of the race to go on to Derby glory. The last two winners didn’t even reach the post position draw for the big race and the two winners before that went on to greater glory on turf rather than dirt. This year we get To Honor and Serve as the probable heavy favorite, his last race was visual masterpiece, but looking at the race a bit closer shows two things. The first is that he got an easy pace to wire the field and the second is he faced four overmatched rivals. It may be worthwhile to look around for a price in this race.
Marylou Whitney and Nick Zito must be kicking themselves after letting go of Mountain Town in a maiden claiming race for $75,000 back in August. He may go on to bigger and better things after running decently against the division leader Uncle Mo. He gets a weight break dropping six pounds off of that last race and is a major threat to win the Remsen.
Here today, gone tomorrow
Churchill wraps up its month long meet on Saturday with tons of juvenile action headlined by the Golden Rod for fillies and the Kentucky Jockey Club for colts and geldings. The juvenile showcase day has had a very good recent history of producing at least one noteworthy racehorse the following year. In 2009 Super Saver won the Kentucky Jockey Club on the way to the Kentucky Derby. Rachel Alexandra was the winner of the 2008 Golden Rod, which was her first of eleven stakes wins that included the Preakness and Haskell.
20 November 2010
Horse Of The Year Takes Down GIII
More from DRF.COM
Stormy's Majesty, the lone New York-bred in the field, rolled to a two-length win over Not Abroad Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Discovery Handicap for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct. Edgar Prado was aboard for trainer Dominic Galluscio as Stormy's Majesty ($9.10) improved to 5 for 8 with his first win in open company. A homebred for Majesty Stud, Stormy's Majesty had captured the Albany Stakes for statebreds in August at Saratoga. Prior to Saturday, he ran last in the Empire Classic against older New York-bred foes. In the Discovery, Stormy's Majesty was well in command. He battled Golden Moka for the early lead before dispatching that rival with a quick burst at the top of the final turn. "In the Empire Classic he got behind and didn't seem to catch his stride or breathe as well," Galluscio said. "I was surprised he was on the lead because it looked like there were horses with more speed, but I was very comfortable when they showed the fractions and saw the way Edgar was sitting." Stormy's Majesty was on cruise control the rest of the way, needing only minimal encouragement from Prado. The time was 1:50.02 for the 1 1/8 miles on the fast track. Teaks North was third followed by Overcommunication, Golden Moka, Al Muhtasib, and Dominant Jeannes.
Big-A Handicapping Challenge Report
The first day was a near disaster and a huge disappointment. There is nothing worse than entering a contest, capping for 8 hours and having nothing to show for it for the first nine selections. Tough decisions were fumbled. My big regret-horse betting is filled with them- is betting Daveron to win in the Long Island in the contest but betting her to show with $20 real cash. I spotted the bridgejumper action but elected to just bet against the bridgies for real cash and bet an orthodox win bet in the contest. This was totally foolish. Daveron ran second and paid over $15 to show. I was 0 for 9 going into the nightcap at AQU and hit a modest $8 winner (Broken Home) to get off the duck. That was it for day one only one small hit and was in 103th place out of 220 players after day one. Two horses I picked ran last as I was shooting for the moon with outrageous bombs hoping for form-turnarounds on surface switches that never happened.
Day two also started off slow with chalk beating my first two contest selections. Then in Churchill my luck turned. The first winner on day two was in a $50K maiden claiming race; I noticed that most of the horses were stretching out and were speed and fade types. Channeling was the only closer in the race with positive stretch comments and he was cutting back from two turns to one. Closers cutting back from two turns to one is a profile I fancy. To my delight Channeling rolled and payed a generous $31.20. Just this one winner elevated me to 20th place in the contest.
Then two races later I popped a first time starter in a $30K maiden claimer at Churchill that paid $20. What I liked about this horse was that he was working well over the course and the trainer had great first time starter stats listed in the form. To my surprise just these two hits propelled me right into contention for the championship.
Calabrese was listed all over Aqueduct in 3rd place and I felt like I was on top of the world. 3rd would be the closest I would get to winning. I continued my aggressive play but could not get lucky the rest of the day. Maybe I should have adjusted my approach and keyed on live 5-2 to 5-1 shots. Fortunately the total from my three winners was good enough for 15th at the end of two long days. It turns out the Daveron show bet mistake cost me $4300 but mistakes will happen in this game. In the end I walked away with $700. Not bad considering I had a horrible weekend only hitting with three of my twenty contest wagers -yet it was good enough to contend for the title. Next time with a contest under my belt I feel like I will be a live contestant; someone with the potential to walk away with more than $700. My advice to others is to enter these tournaments. They can be very rewarding and introduce new points of view to your handicapping approach. There is no reason to be intimidated as it really doesn't take all that much to win one. If going a miserable 3 for 20 is enough to contend for the title imagine what could be done if a capper has a good luck and live selections.
Aqueduct Handicapping Challenge Results
FINAL STANDINGS
| Name | Player | Rank | Winnings | Wagers |
| Ragab | 213 | 1 | 862 | 20 |
| Clements | 212 | 2 | 849 | 20 |
| DiFusco | 96 | 3 | 798 | 20 |
| HOM | 189 | 4 | 760 | 20 |
| Elam | 85 | 5 | 749 | 20 |
| CONTE | 19 | 6 | 720 | 20 |
| Fitzpatrick | 176 | 7 | 665 | 20 |
| Henry | 39 | 8 | 657 | 20 |
| Summers | 118 | 9 | 645 | 20 |
| MICHAELS | 136 | 10 | 623 | 20 |
| Mark | 164 | 11 | 611 | 20 |
| Florides | 201 | 12 | 603 | 20 |
| Malangone | 190 | 12 | 603 | 20 |
| LEIBMAN | 125 | 14 | 599 | 20 |
| Calabrese | 97 | 15 | 593 | 20 |
| Famularo | 104 | 16 | 589 | 20 |
| Weber | 92 | 17 | 588 | 20 |
| Longobardi | 41 | 18 | 585 | 20 |
| NOLAN | 60 | 19 | 567 | 20 |
| De Sena | 178 | 20 | 564 | 20 |
| Civelin | 196 | 21 | 545 | 20 |
| Rippey | 28 | 22 | 540 | 20 |
| Couvaris | 120 | 23 | 532 | 20 |
| Johnson | 81 | 23 | 532 | 20 |
| Valeriani | 73 | 25 | 521 | 20 |
| Racenstein | 185 | 26 | 520 | 20 |
| ZIMMER | 24 | 26 | 520 | 20 |
| WINICK | 132 | 28 | 506 | 20 |
| RENDINO | 180 | 29 | 499 | 20 |
| CARSON | 23 | 30 | 481 | 20 |
| Templin | 137 | 31 | 474 | 20 |
| Jordan | 199 | 32 | 459 | 20 |
| Cox | 140 | 33 | 458 | 20 |
| Perry | 110 | 34 | 449 | 20 |
| FOTI | 6 | 35 | 448 | 20 |
| Ferraro | 48 | 36 | 440 | 20 |
| Lods | 1 | 37 | 437 | 20 |
| Olsson | 10 | 38 | 435 | 20 |
| RITTER | 133 | 39 | 432 | 20 |
| LEVINE | 66 | 40 | 426 | 20 |
| Cornelia | 197 | 41 | 423 | 20 |
| Kiss | 177 | 42 | 422 | 20 |
| Korman | 131 | 42 | 422 | 20 |
| Engelhard | 121 | 44 | 419 | 20 |
| ZIMMER | 25 | 45 | 416 | 20 |
| Berg | 144 | 46 | 415 | 20 |
| FOTI | 5 | 46 | 415 | 20 |
| Mohamed | 45 | 48 | 414 | 20 |
| Shuman | 139 | 49 | 408 | 20 |
| Russo | 127 | 50 | 403 | 20 |
| Henry | 38 | 51 | 400 | 20 |
| WILLIAMS | 79 | 52 | 392 | 20 |
| Schwartz | 147 | 53 | 390 | 20 |
| Rowlands | 111 | 54 | 389 | 20 |
| SPINELLO | 49 | 55 | 387 | 20 |
| Rippey | 29 | 56 | 380 | 20 |
| Brooks | 165 | 57 | 377 | 20 |
| DELIA | 52 | 58 | 373 | 20 |
| MAYS | 65 | 59 | 370 | 20 |
| HARRIS | 89 | 60 | 361 | 20 |
| Faello | 130 | 61 | 360 | 20 |
| Felt | 46 | 62 | 354 | 20 |
| Teicht | 150 | 63 | 342 | 20 |
| Sterio | 71 | 64 | 335 | 20 |
| Kelly | 86 | 65 | 330 | 20 |
| Moscatelli | 214 | 66 | 329 | 20 |
| TILLES | 88 | 67 | 326 | 20 |
| Natale | 43 | 68 | 324 | 20 |
| Bamberger | 15 | 69 | 320 | 20 |
| DARRON | 4 | 69 | 320 | 20 |
| GARRITON | 64 | 69 | 320 | 20 |
| Lawless | 102 | 69 | 320 | 20 |
| ODonnell | 119 | 69 | 320 | 20 |
| Reese | 191 | 69 | 320 | 20 |
| Smith | 204 | 75 | 316 | 20 |
| McCruden | 129 | 76 | 314 | 20 |
| MAGNETTI | 105 | 77 | 312 | 20 |
| MANCARI | 61 | 77 | 312 | 20 |
| Surmick | 37 | 77 | 312 | 20 |
| Amendola | 142 | 80 | 304 | 20 |
| Smith | 128 | 80 | 304 | 20 |
| Zukaitis | 69 | 82 | 302 | 20 |
| Wecker | 75 | 83 | 299 | 20 |
| WOLFSON SR | 186 | 84 | 296 | 20 |
| Harris | 141 | 85 | 295 | 20 |
| Majkowski | 195 | 86 | 292 | 20 |
| McLaughlin | 126 | 87 | 291 | 19 |
| KLICH | 62 | 87 | 291 | 20 |
| Murray | 112 | 87 | 291 | 20 |
| Falcone | 40 | 90 | 290 | 20 |
| JOHNSON | 215 | 91 | 285 | 20 |
| Streiff | 209 | 91 | 285 | 20 |
| Gutfreund | 12 | 93 | 284 | 20 |
| Neuburger | 124 | 94 | 282 | 20 |
| Flanagan | 109 | 95 | 269 | 20 |
| Wankmiller | 106 | 95 | 269 | 20 |
| Fasola | 202 | 97 | 268 | 20 |
| MICHAEL | 183 | 98 | 267 | 20 |
| WELSH | 58 | 99 | 262 | 20 |
| Gianquitti | 51 | 100 | 260 | 20 |
| MC CLYMENT | 68 | 100 | 260 | 20 |
| MC CLYMENT | 67 | 100 | 260 | 20 |
| NACE | 123 | 100 | 260 | 20 |
| Seeman | 13 | 100 | 260 | 20 |
| Leone | 168 | 105 | 251 | 20 |
| Sorenson | 84 | 106 | 237 | 20 |
| Burke | 198 | 107 | 231 | 20 |
| Padgett | 134 | 108 | 228 | 20 |
| Zmich | 211 | 108 | 228 | 20 |
| Tsui | 2 | 110 | 226 | 20 |
| Lochansky | 87 | 111 | 214 | 20 |
| Pallidine | 163 | 111 | 214 | 20 |
| DAMBRA | 152 | 113 | 201 | 20 |
| Downie | 216 | 114 | 200 | 20 |
| GREENVALD | 53 | 114 | 200 | 20 |
| Fasola | 170 | 116 | 188 | 20 |
| Filoso | 205 | 116 | 188 | 20 |
| Hamer | 93 | 118 | 187 | 20 |
| Hamer | 94 | 118 | 187 | 20 |
| Reuben | 167 | 120 | 175 | 20 |
| Garofalo | 34 | 121 | 171 | 20 |
| CARSON | 22 | 122 | 170 | 18 |
| Kandias | 210 | 123 | 166 | 20 |
| Hilado | 161 | 124 | 159 | 20 |
| Esposito | 95 | 125 | 154 | 20 |
| Smith | 203 | 126 | 152 | 20 |
| Wolfson,Jr | 187 | 126 | 152 | 20 |
| Boyle | 80 | 128 | 151 | 20 |
| DAVIS | 33 | 129 | 139 | 20 |
| Pellegrino | 217 | 130 | 124 | 20 |
| Weber | 91 | 131 | 120 | 19 |
| Cettina | 83 | 131 | 120 | 20 |
| Isolano | 3 | 131 | 120 | 20 |
| Powers | 114 | 131 | 120 | 17 |
| Conte | 56 | 135 | 111 | 20 |
| BRICE | 21 | 136 | 110 | 20 |
| Festa | 158 | 136 | 110 | 20 |
| Stewart | 172 | 136 | 110 | 20 |
| Deicke | 155 | 139 | 104 | 19 |
| Girardi | 157 | 139 | 104 | 20 |
| Hopkins | 17 | 139 | 104 | 20 |
| Ciprelli | 174 | 142 | 95 | 20 |
| CONTE | 18 | 143 | 94 | 19 |
| SPINELLO | 50 | 143 | 94 | 19 |
| AURIEMMA | 42 | 143 | 94 | 20 |
| BUSER | 8 | 143 | 94 | 20 |
| Hopkins | 16 | 143 | 94 | 20 |
| NELSON | 30 | 143 | 94 | 20 |
| Parker | 166 | 143 | 94 | 20 |
| Sultan | 192 | 143 | 94 | 20 |
| Dunkel | 148 | 151 | 92 | 19 |
| Engelhard | 122 | 152 | 90 | 20 |
| McClenin | 99 | 153 | 85 | 20 |
| Powers | 113 | 153 | 85 | 20 |
| STATH | 90 | 153 | 85 | 20 |
| Streiff | 208 | 153 | 85 | 20 |
| Richardson | 107 | 157 | 84 | 10 |
| Gutfreund | 11 | 157 | 84 | 15 |
| Jackson | 188 | 159 | 81 | 10 |
| Arsenault | 116 | 159 | 81 | 20 |
| Herman | 138 | 159 | 81 | 20 |
| Russo | 171 | 159 | 81 | 20 |
| Salierno | 184 | 159 | 81 | 20 |
| Surmick | 36 | 159 | 81 | 20 |
| GIORDANO | 181 | 165 | 80 | 20 |
| Garofalo | 35 | 166 | 76 | 19 |
| BUSER | 7 | 167 | 67 | 20 |
| Gallagher | 160 | 168 | 57 | 10 |
| Mooney | 54 | 168 | 57 | 20 |
| Fooden | 27 | 170 | 55 | 20 |
| Teicht | 151 | 171 | 50 | 20 |
| DAVIS | 32 | 172 | 45 | 20 |
| Scanio | 74 | 172 | 45 | 20 |
| Visco | 207 | 174 | 22 | 20 |
| OConnell | 146 | 175 | 0 | 10 |
| Rowlands | 169 | 175 | 0 | 7 |
| Sidor | 98 | 175 | 0 | 10 |
| CLEMENTS | 220 | 175 | 0 | 17 |
| BROOKS | 218 | 175 | 0 | 19 |
| Fotias | 20 | 175 | 0 | 19 |
| GROSE | 154 | 175 | 0 | 19 |
| HOUSTON | 219 | 175 | 0 | 19 |
| Houston | 206 | 175 | 0 | 19 |
| Shurman | 101 | 175 | 0 | 19 |
| ALBANO | 55 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Arsenault | 117 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Berg | 200 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Berg | 143 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| CLARK | 173 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Caputo | 44 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Dantonio | 194 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| De Orio | 108 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| ENGLER | 57 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Elliott | 175 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| FELRICE | 153 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Ferraro | 47 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Fooden | 26 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Gianquitti | 70 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| HEALY | 182 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Kingsbury | 149 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| LAM | 156 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| LEVY | 78 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| MICHAELS | 135 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| NELSON | 31 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| NOLAN | 59 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Olsson | 9 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Parisi | 145 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| RENDINO | 179 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Riccobono | 82 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| SCANIO | 63 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Seeman | 14 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Shurman | 100 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Smith-Lawless | 103 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Stair | 159 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| WOLFSON SR | 115 | 175 | 0 | 19 |
| Weber | 193 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Wecker | 76 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Yarwood | 162 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Yee | 77 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
| Yee | 72 | 175 | 0 | 20 |
