James J. Mulvihill
Fair Grounds

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots will add a new daily jackpot carryover wager to its offerings for the upcoming 140th Thoroughbred Racing Season, opening Thanksgiving Day. The Black Gold 5 requires a bettor to hold the lone successful ticket with the winners of five consecutive races. On cards when there is no single-ticket winner, half of the pool will be paid as consolation to tickets with the most correct…

Jenny Kellner
NYRA

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – William Alexandridis of Middle Village, N.Y. topped 224 other players and took home the $40,000 first prize in the 2011 Fall Handicapping Challenge this weekend at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

Alexandridis, finished the two-day contest with a mythical bankroll of $1,135, defeating Paul Shurman of Dix Hills, N.Y., who won second prize of $15,000 with a mythical bankroll of $1,094. Third-place finisher Joel Einhorn of Flushing, N.Y. amassed a mythical bankroll of $1,072 and…

(Edited NYRA report)

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Michael Cennerazzo of River Edge, N.J., finished Day 1 of Aqueduct’s 2011 Fall Handicapping Challenge with a mythical bank roll of $1,042, good for first place halfway through the two-day contest. John Spinello of Ridgewood, N.J. ($712) was in second place with Carmine Adimando of Trumbull, Ct. ($652) in third.

The Fall Challenge attracted 225 players, all aiming to capture the first prize, expected to be approximately $40,000, and earn one of three…

(Breeders’ Cup release)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A two-day attendance total for the 2011 Breeders’ Cup World Championships of 105,820 is the second highest two-day total, seven percent less than last year’s record-setting total attendance of 114,353 that was fueled in part by the legendary race mare Zenyatta’s bid to remain undefeated, Breeders’ Cup officials announced after the conclusion of Saturday’s races.

After a two percent decrease in attendance on Friday, 65,143 were on hand Saturday for the 12-race card that…

Transcript of interview with trainer Freddy Head following Goldikova’s third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Turf

THE MODERATOR:  Live in the interview room with trainer Freddy Head.  Good of you to come and speak with us.  This one unlike the other three, but diminishes nothing as her incredible career as a race horse and as a Breeders’ Cup campaigner.  First of all, Freddy, can you express any disappointment that you may feel right now just that she wasn’t able to…

Breeders’ Cup release

LOUISVILLE, Ky.   – Coming off a year when legendary race mare Zenyatta drove record attendance and handle, attendance for Breeders’ Cup Championship Friday at Churchill Downs decreased by two percent from Championship Friday last year also at Churchill Downs as 40,677 were on hand today for the 10-race card that included six Breeders’ Cup World Championships races and finished under the lights. Attendance on Championship Friday in 2010 was 41,614.

The common-pool handle for the 10 races…

PROMOTION WITH AQUEDUCT RACETRACK, BELMONT CAFE AND 16 OTHER RACETRACKS

Breeders’ Cup release

ELMONT, N.Y. – The Breeders’ Cup announced Wednesday the launch of its $500K Pay Day promotion that will be conducted in partnership with Aqueduct Racetrack, the Belmont Cafe Simulcast Center, and 16 other racetracks across the country and culminating on Breeders’ Cup Saturday, Nov. 5.

The new digital initiative provides all registered fans with a mystery “voucher” worth at least $2, with some worth as much as $5…

(Edited Fair Grounds report)

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots has added two new handicapping contests to the schedule for its upcoming 140th Thoroughbred Racing Season, including the first-ever Fair Grounds NHC Superqualifier on Dec. 17, with an unprecedented 10 berths to the DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship on the line.

Fair Grounds will give away a grand total of 12 NHC seats in December, as two additional berths will be the top prizes in an online…

Alex Waldrop
NTRA

For many, the highlight of each year’s live racing calendar is the summer season and the annual pilgrimage to Saratoga or Del Mar to enjoy top class racing in a picturesque setting. They are journeys worth taking for a variety of reasons, and I encourage you to do so if you have never been. But now that Fall weather is here and both Saratoga and Del Mar are closed for the season, there is another slice…

Three NHC Spots Offered; All Entry Fees Returned as Prize Money

NTRA release

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that Treasure Island Las Vegas, which will host the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC) for the first time next January, is offering an NHC qualifying tournament on Saturday, October 15. The Treasure Island competition—“TI’s Wager to Win II”—will carry a $400 entry fee and offer three NHC spots, with 100% of all entry fees returned as prize…