Horse Racing

DEL MAR - Corey Nakatani passed his idol, Laffit Pincay Jr., and moved into second place on the all-time list for Del Mar stakes victories Saturday.

But he's hungry for more.

Nakatani, a Covina native, now is setting his sights on Chris McCarron's record 134 stakes victories at the seaside track.

"I'm 38 years old," Nakatani said after guiding 14-1 long shot Global Hunter to a one-length victory over Awesome Gem in the $350,000 Grade I Eddie Read Stakes. "I'm not that old, so I feel like I'm in my prime. I know what I'm doing on the horse's back, and hopefully I can get the horsemen on my side and give me the opportunity to break that record of McCarron's. I think I can do it."

Nakatani tied Pincay with a win in the CTBA Stakes for 2-year-old fillies Friday, and it took him less than 24 hours to record No. 96 and give trainer A.C. Avila the first Grade 1 win of his career since coming to the U.S. from Brazil in 1973.

Now that he's healthy and fixed an admitted attitude problem, Nakatani hopes he can return to winning jockey titles and winning the top Southland stakes races on a regular basis.

While he was sitting atop Global Hunter in the winner's circle, track announcer Trevor Denman informed the on-track crowd of 20,379 it was Nakatani's third win of the afternoon, something that hasn't happened with great frequency since his last Del Mar riding title in 2004.

For more, check out Bet on Horses at SPORTSBETTING.COM.

It's funny to think that up until the 1950s, the Galway meeting lasted a mere two days! Some would say that a week is too long and I do admit to getting a little weary by the time Friday comes around. Nonetheless, it's a great social occasion and a great excuse to have a few pints and a bet - so I'm looking forward to next week immensely.


Wednesday sees the first of the big races; The Galway Plate (a handicap chase) where the Paul Nicholls trained Roby De Cimbre has shot to the top of the betting and now trades at 5.0. Nicholls took this race last year with Oslot and when you consider Nicholls' strike-rate when sending horses to Ireland (48% in the last six years), it's not hard to see why punters have latched on to the six-year-old.

For more, check out Bet on Horses at SPORTSBETTING.COM.

While designed to thrash out issues relating mostly to New South Wales racing, several Victorians will attend the meeting on Friday week.

Moonee Valley Racing Club chairman Bob Scarborough, Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners' Association chairman David Moodie and multi-millionaire owner and breeder Jon Munz will join a host of prominent NSW breeders who called the meeting.

Arrowfield Stud principal John Messara, Coolmore's Tom Magnier and Gerry Harvey, one of the country's biggest owner-breeders, are among the NSW-based signatories.

The meeting will focus on the issues that are potentially threatening racing's future, with corporate bookmakers' fees to the industry pivotal.

Corporate bookmakers and Racing NSW are embroiled in a legal battle over what is a fair and equitable payment method: turnover, as Racing NSW insists, or gross profits, as corporate bookmakers claim.

A court decision is not expected until November, but its ramifications will flow to Victoria, where corporate bookmakers pay a product fee of 10 per cent of gross profits -- a figure bumped up to 15 per cent during the spring carnival.

According to the invitation, the reductions in prizemoney recently announced in NSW could spread to other states if the issue is not addressed.

For more, check out Horse Betting at SPORTSBETTING.COM

Horse racing is synonymous with betting. Many people bet purely for the fun of it; looking at the name of the horse, the name of the jockey, or even obtuse ideas such as the birthday of the jockey. Some people take the betting on races a lot more seriously though, and many earn a living doing it. The top tipsters often have a horse betting system they follow religiously.

Here are some of the essential things you should consider if you want to create a successful horse racing betting system:

Distance

The distance when referred to horse racing is how far the horses have to run in order to reach the finishing line. The distance is a crucial factor that you have to weigh up before you pick out the horse that you will lay a bet on. Horses are no different to people. Some are blessed with great stamina and can run for miles and miles. Some have great speed, but can only keep the speed up for short distances. Each horse will have a preferred distance, and it will be your job to know what a particular horse's favoured distance is. before laying a bet on it.

For More Check out Racebook Betting Online at SPORTSBETTING.COM

Does a genuine winning horse racing system really exist?

Unlike casinos, where long-term playing is guaranteed to benefit the house, horse-racing betting can be favorable to the player. However, only a very small percentage is also profitable long-term. Why is that?
Like every sport betting, people are getting excited and they just keep betting without being entirely sure of the result. If you want to win at horse racing betting you have to restrain yourself from placing unreasonable bets.

There are many online systems that promise to be "winning horse racing systems." But only a few are genuine. But only a very few of them can be considered genuine.

Whether you decide to follow any of those online systems or not, I would like to share some advice with you.
Collect as much past data as possible, and try to find some online databases. This way you can determine yourselves who the favorite is, which is pretty much what the bookmakers do.

If you don't have a lot of spare money, please do not get addicted to horse racing. Like any other similar systems, playing desperately will almost certainly lead to economic disaster. Play systematically and methodically. Don't let your feelings and your rushes overtake you.

For More Checkout Horse Betting at SPORTSBETTING.COM

As a native of New Jersey, I had the displeasure of witnessing a once-proud horse racing industry deteriorate. The third-biggest circuit in the country in terms of quality and pari-mutuel handle didn't go away overnight; it took about 25 years.

New Jersey racing is doing that now, minus a one-time showplace that's now a strip-mall and condo haven, and another crumbling track that races only six days a year. But politics, and the Atlantic City casino lobby, have thus far stymied racing industry proaction.

I don't care for slot machines. I can remember putting a few dollars into one at Mountaineer several years ago. I ended up walking over to the simulcast area a few minutes later. Enough of that.

When it comes to gambling, I've always leaned toward the "social" games--blackjack, for instance, and of course, pari-mutuel wagering.

Slots don't do it for me, but I don't have a problem with them. If people are entertained by them, have at it. I do derive some benefits, however, in the form of nicer surroundings and upgraded food and beverage service at racetracks that have the money to make such improvements because of slots.

While I'm pretty sure I understand why New Jersey racing can't gain any traction, I'm at a loss when it comes to Kentucky, where horse racing and breeding are deeply imbedded in the fabric of the state. Is it really possible one legislator and a few Wizard of Oz types that call shots from behind a curtain really control the industry's destiny? I try, but I just can't fathom it.

Opposition to gambling is fine--if you are truly opposed to gambling. If so, why isn't legislation introduced to ban the lottery, charitable gaming, and yes, even pari-mutuel wagering?

Let's take it one step further. Why doesn't the Kentucky legislature ban tobacco? They'd be keeping me, an "addict," from continuing to make a stupid decision--smoking cigarettes. How about banning alcohol? We all know that, like gambling, it's dangerous when abused.

I lean heavily conservative in my views, but I don't put gambling on the same level as abortion. I also believe party-line voting flies in the face of reason and democracy.

Gaming at racetracks is far from a panacea. I've seen and written about the negative far too many times. One thing I've noticed, however, is it never has been done properly in my view. Slots revenue can be really beneficial in a state that truly values its horse racing and breeding industry. I'm a skeptic, but I still haven't gotten the impression racing would take a back seat to slots in Kentucky given current ownership of the tracks and the way they are operated.

Leading three-year-old filly Rachel Alexandra, heads a field of five females for Saturday's $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park. The three-year-old fillies will fight it out over 1 1/8 miles on Belmont's main track.

Owned by Jess Jackson and Harold McCormick, the Preakness Stakes winner will start from post three with Calvin Borel returning for the ride. Three weeks ago Borel was aboard Mine That Bird in the Belmont Stakes when the gelding finished third.



Rachel Alexandra destroyed the competition in the Kentucky Oaks this year by better than 20-lengths. Currently on a six race winning streak, the three- year-old has career earnings of $1,618,354 with eight wins in 11 starts. In 2009 alone the filly has won more than $1.4 million.

"She gave a brilliant race last time," Jackson noted. "She's tested, healthy and ready to run." During a teleconference on Wednesday, Jackson hinted at some of the possible races his filly could compete in after Saturday.

A total of 62 races have been scheduled as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" program for this year. Racetracks in seven countries will participate in the program where winners of designated races gain automatic entry into Breeders' Cup races.

"In our continuing efforts to maximize the global popularity and competition of the World Championships, we have expanded this year's Breeders' Cup Challenge series to more racing venues for our horsemen and fans," said Breeders' Cup president and CEO Greg Avioli.

"The Breeders' Cup Challenge creates increased international awareness on a weekly basis from July through October for the world's great horse races and for the outstanding horses that will be competing in the Championships." Foreign races from England, Ireland, France, Australia and Hong Kong are now included in the Breeders' Cup Challenge. The first of the 12 overseas events was the Champions Mile in Hong Kong in April won by Sight Winner. The win earned Sight Winner a starting spot in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile on the turf.

This year's Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held November 6 and 7, during the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita Park, the first time a track will host the event two straight years.

A historic Florida racetrack known for its flock of flamingos could open again as soon as December, the son of the park's owner said Monday.

Hialeah Park, which was built in the 1920s and had its last live race in 2001, will begin quarter horse racing in December if possible or in early 2010, said John Brunetti Jr.

The park's planned reopening is a result of a gambling bill Florida's governor signed Monday and a change from two years ago when the park's owner said racing would likely never return.

The blame game has begun following Saturday's Belmont Stakes in which Mine That Bird and jockey Calvin Borel finished third to Summer Bird and Kent Desormeaux. People are piling on Borel for what is being perceived as a poor ride.

Since there has not been a Triple Crown winner since 1978 special attention must be given to the 1 1/2 mile Belmont Stakes betting. Borel was going after his own personal Triple Crown this year with victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness on two different horses.

It's justified to blame Borel for not having a mount earlier in Saturday's Belmont Park program.

It would have been helpful for him to get the feel of the track prior to the $1 million event. However, no preliminary race gives any rider an insight into the extra-long Belmont Stakes.

These days 1 1/2 mile races are extremely rare in thoroughbred horse betting racing. The horses that ran in the Belmont Stakes never had a race that long and probably never will again.

Also, Belmont Park is 1 1/2 miles in circumference. meaning it poses an unusual configuration compared to the normal one-mile oval.

Preakness Stakes winner Rachel Alexandra is currently stabled at Churchill Downs while her owners and trainer contemplate her next start.

The three-year-old filly will be held out of Saturday's Belmont Stakes with no definite race on her schedule. This year she is perfect in five starts winning along with the Preakness, the Kentucky Oaks, Fair Grounds Oaks, Fantasy and Martha Washington Stakes.

She has a record of 8 career wins in 11 starts and has earned $1,618,354.

Listed as the odds-on favorite to win the 135th Kentucky Derby this Saturday, I Want Revenge will be running from the 13th post position.
Post positions were drawn today and Dunkirk and Pioneerof the Nile–both +400 faves–are running in the 15 and 16 spots respectively.