Month: December 2021

Waldrop Honored with Clay Puett Award

Alex Waldrop, who will retire at year's end as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), was honored with the 2021 Clay Puett Award for outstanding contributions to the racing industry during last week's University of Arizona Global Symposium on Racing. The award was established in 1994 and is named after Clay Puett, an Arizona resident whose innovations, including the development of the mechanical starting gate, helped to revolutionize racing around the world.

Under Waldrop's leadership, the NTRA has focused its lobbying on legislation having a direct and material impact on its members and their business activities as they relate to horse racing, breeding and pari-mutuel wagering.

Also during Waldrop's time at the NTRA, after nearly a decade of work on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Treasury Department formally adopted modernized regulations regarding the withholding and reporting of winning pari-mutuel wagers in 2017. The new regulations resulted in dramatically reduced reporting obligations for horseplayers and practically eliminated withholding on winning wagers, allowing horseplayers to retain more of their winnings.

Waldrop also serves as President of NTRA Horse PAC, the Federal Political Action Committee of the NTRA that has raised more than $5 million through voluntary contributions to support political parties and candidates for elective office at the federal level.

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Last Race Longshot Propels John Fisher To NHC Qualifier Win

Florida-based handicapper John Fisher was all but tapped out and ready to leave Hialeah Park's Champions Simulcast Center & Sports Bar late Sunday afternoon.

He was down to $100 from his total of five entries in the second-ever National Horseplayers Championship qualifying tournament staged at this iconic South Florida landmark.

Fisher bet his last money all to win on 22-1 longshot Cryptic Creed in the 10th race at Gulfstream Park. Less than two minutes later, jockey Jesus Rios guided the two-year-old maiden to a facile victory over the all-weather surface, producing a $45.40 payout that vaulted Fisher to victory over runner-up Phil Matzat and third-place finisher Ray Arsenault.

“I had packed up and I was at the door,” Fisher recalled. “I heard a big commotion from the tournament room and '10, it's the 10!' from the other handicappers. That was Cryptic Creed!”

The big payoff gave Fisher a total of $2,400 in tournament earnings, some $900 better than Matzat's $1,500, and almost $1,500 more than Arsenault's $908.

The champion collected $4,000 in prize money, with Matzat garnering $2,600 for second and Arsenault claiming $1,600 for third.

The top two finishers both earned seats in the National Horseplayers Championship finals at Bally's Las Vegas on Jan. 28-30, 2022, including hotel and airfare.

“I'll be there,” added Fisher. “I've been to 10 finals and I'm just as excited to go back for the 11th time! Champions was a great spot for the event. The staff treated us in a friendly and professional manner, and they fed us well!”

Overall, 46 handicappers purchased a total of 64 entries in the tournament and the Hialeah Park mutuel office reported a 74% handle increase over the average Sunday.

Champions Simulcast Center & Sports Bar, opened as “the go-to location” in South Florida for full-card simulcast wagering on Thoroughbred races in early 2016, features 180 television screens, 78 betting carrels (each with a 19-inch video monitor), 42 wagering windows, and space for 200 horseplayers complemented by an aggressive menu of simulcast wagering options.

The post Last Race Longshot Propels John Fisher To NHC Qualifier Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Santa Anita-Based ‘Free Animal Doctor’ Continues To Help Financially Challenged Pet Owners

Now entering its second year, Santa Anita-based Free Animal Doctor, a non-profit that provides free veterinary services to dogs and cats, has paid out more than $300,000 in veterinary care on pets based in Southern California and throughout the United States. Additionally, Free Animal Doctor will have spayed or neutered approximately 825 dogs or cats by year's end and will have vaccinated and/or micro-chipped more than half of them.

Free Animal Doctor (FAD), conveniently located in Santa Anita's parking Lot 7, opened its doors to the public on Sept. 15, 2020. FAD utilizes Crowdfunding to raise monies for specific pets and provides itemized cost accounting which is directed by each animal's attending veterinarian.

“During the past year, our relationships with the Pasadena Humane Society and the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society have blossomed,” said Sam Bernardo, FAD co-founder. “This is in large-part due to the fact that our respective missions complement each other. Both of these organizations refer us to individuals who can't afford their pet's unexpected veterinary care.

“We are also listed as spay and neuter alternatives on their websites. In return, we offer fund raising services to both PHS and SGVHS.”

Bernardo, a practicing attorney who is based in Sierra Madre, explained that through Crowdfunding, costs are limited to each specific veterinary procedure.

“Once the money is raised for each individual animal's procedure, no additional money is accepted,” he said.

Santa Anita's backstretch community has also benefitted from FAD, as the clinic has twice provided special days on which spay and neutering is available for just $25 per pet.

“As we had hoped, our spay and neuter clinics have also become popular with (animal) rescues and other non-profits,” said Bernardo. “For example, last month, we teamed up with a rescue sponsored by Kacey Montoya, a reporter with KTLA Channel 5, to provide a free spay and neuter clinic. And we have agreed to have similar clinics with two other Southern California non-profit rescues early next year.”

For more information on Free Animal Doctor, pet owners are encouraged to visit FreeAnimalDoctor.org, or call (626) 487-7129.

The post Santa Anita-Based ‘Free Animal Doctor’ Continues To Help Financially Challenged Pet Owners appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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