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Report: NYRA Board Intact Through Saratoga
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/71279/report-nyra-board-intact-through-saratoga

Despite Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s stinging criticism of its abilities, the New York Racing Association’s board of directors will not be replaced before the start of NYRA’s financially crucial Saratoga Racecourse meet. The governor, according to a published report July 16, will wait until September¬¬—nearly four months after a deal at the state Capitol to have the state take over NYRA—before appointing his members to the reconstituted board during a three-year restructuring period. Many industry insiders had expected Cuomo to name his eight members—giving him control over the new 17-member panel—before the Saratoga meet, which provides NYRA with a surge of revenues and relatively good publicity.

Posted via email from Michael Pizzolla On ValueCapping™, Horse Racing, And Technology

Eight days of State Fair horse racing starts today – Sacramento Bee
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/12/4625464/eight-days-of-state-fair-horse.html

Enjoy it while you can. Today, horse racing returns to Cal Expo for the annual State Fair meet.

It’s a brief flurry of summertime competition before the track goes dark again. After two weeks of thoroughbred action, it will be more than three months until the standardbreds return to Cal Expo – if a new operator receives approval from the state racing board.

For the State Fair, Cal Expo scaled back its schedule to eight days, Thursdays through Sundays, concluding July 22. The meet had 11 racing days in recent years, but there are too few horses available on the Northern California circuit to fill more programs.

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Handle, Attendance Declines at Lone Star Park | BloodHorse.com
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/71144/handle-attendance-declines-at-lone-star-park

Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie concluded its 2012 Thoroughbred meet July 8 with a 7.6% decline in average daily all-sources wagering, a 4% drop in average daily attendance. The Texas track reported wagering for the 53-day meet totaled $74.1 million for a daily average $1,398,113, compared with an average $1,513,461 from a total $78.7 million during the 52-day meet a year ago. Attendance totaled 388,248, an average of 7,325 per day, compared with a daily average 7,620 from total attendance of 396,281 in 2011.

Posted via email from Michael Pizzolla On ValueCapping™, Horse Racing, And Technology

This is a very interesting article about horseracing in Turkey. There is a 50% take out, and yet the sport thrives! A great quote from Atatürk: “Horse racing is a social need for modern societies

Posted via email from Michael Pizzolla On ValueCapping™, Horse Racing, And Technology

A grim reminder of just how dangerous this sport can be.

Alameda County Fair: Horse racing jockey dies in fall – San Jose Mercury News
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_21016610/alameda-county-fair-horse-racing-jockey-dies-fall

PLEASANTON — A jockey was killed when he fell off his horse Thursday during a race at the Alameda County Fairgrounds.

Jorge Herrera, 33, a jockey from Jalisco, Mexico, died from a massive brain injury when he was thrown from his mount shortly after the start of the eighth race.

A video of the incident on the website www.equibase.com shows Herrera riding far back in the race when his horse, Morito, appeared to clip the leg of the horse in front of it. Herrera then flipped over his horse and may have been hit by another horse going by, as well.

Posted via email from Michael Pizzolla On ValueCapping™, Horse Racing, And Technology

Seriously, what are they thinking?

Unlocking Winners | NYRA: Eight is enough | BloodHorse.com Blog Stable
http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/unlocking-winners-handicapping/archive/2012/07/05/NYRA_3A00_-_2200_Eight-is-enough_2200_.aspx

The list of challenges the sport of horse racing faces is long. Not appearing on that list of problems: “Field sizes are too big!”

The correlation between field size and handle is proven. The more horses in a race, the higher the payoffs and the more attractive the betting propositions.

But that didn’t deter the New York Racing Association from its upside-down world decision to limit field sizes in juvenile maiden races at the upcoming Saratoga meeting.

Posted via email from Michael Pizzolla On ValueCapping™, Horse Racing, And Technology

Heat forces cancellation and changes – Horse Racing – MiamiHerald.com
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/05/2882888/heat-forces-cancellation-and-changes.html

The week long heat wave that has engulfed the east coast continues to force racetracks to cancel programs or change post times.

Delaware Park has canceled Saturday’s race card on the recommendation of Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission Chief Veterinarian Dr. John T. Peters. The National Weather Service has predicted a high temperature of 101 degrees, with a heat index of up to 109.

Racing is expected to resume Monday, July 9 at Delaware Park and the races scheduled for Saturday, including the Par Four Overnight Stakes, will be brought back as extra races and redrawn next week.

Penn National is changing first post from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. (ET) for both Friday and Saturday.

Posted via email from Michael Pizzolla On ValueCapping™, Horse Racing, And Technology

This is great news for racing!

Racing enjoys sharp increase in June wagering
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2012/07/05/racing-enjoys-sharp-increase-in-june-wagering.aspx

A nearly 10% upsurge in race days in June helped racing register sharp increases in both pari-mutuel wagering and purses during the month.Compared with June 2011, wagering in June 2012 was up 6.99% to $948,859,061 while purses surged 13.1% to $109,507,231. The improved economic indicators came in a month that saw a 9.78% increase in race days, according to statistics released by Equibase.For the year, wagering is up 2.38% to $5,657,286,019, purses are up 8.31% to $522,557,128, and race days are up 1.89% to 2,528

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ESPN has been slamming the current state of horse racing lately. 

Gary West: Chaotic state of horse racing – ESPN
http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/8122864/chaotic-state-horse-racing

If rules and regulations changed from state to state for each sport, havoc would ensue. Or to look at it another way, the result would be horse racing.

For just a moment, allow your imagination to wander into such a chaotic world. It wouldn’t go there willingly, of course. You would never banish your imagination to such a place, but send it there for just a moment, for a glimpse. Imagine, for example, an NFL in which each team’s state regulatory agency, its football commission, made its own rules, handed out penalties and determined eligibility.

Imagine an NFL in which each team’s state regulatory agency … made its own rules, handed out penalties and determined eligibility.

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This is remarkable given all the ‘doom and ,gloom in the media about horse racing. 

Penn National Handle Up Fourth Straight Month

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/70985/penn-national-handle-up-fourth-straight-month

Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course reported double-digit increases in pari-mutuel handle on and off track for the fourth consecutive month in June.

Handle generated on site on live races was up 15.07% from the comparable 17 racing dates in 2011, while export handle on the Penn National product jumped 39.3% ($14.38 million from $10.3 million) from June 2011, officials said.

Posted via email from Michael Pizzolla On ValueCapping™, Horse Racing, And Technology