Month: May 2022

Galileo’s Star of India Battles to Dee Success at Chester

Chester's May meeting, day two, status quo. Fresh off a day for the ages, Galileo extended his record tally of stakes winners to 350 when Aidan O'Brien trainee Star of India (Ire) displayed all the battling traits of his sire by finding plenty in the latter stages of Thursday's Listed Homeserve Dee S. to claim first black-type rosette in ultimately impressive style. Star of India became a 'TDN Rising Star' with a taking score over seven furlongs in his debut at Leopardstown last October, but slipped to fifth when attempting to make all upped to one mile for Newmarket's G3 Craven S. in his only other start on seasonal return last month. The well-backed 6-4 favourite required early encouragement from the inside box and occupied a slot along the fence in third after passing the judge first time in this extended 10-furlong test. Back under urging with a half mile remaining, he was guided to the outside off the home turn for his challenge passing the furlong marker and lengthened clear powered by continued coaxing to stop the clock with a 2 1/4-length buffer. Comfortably on top through the line, Star of India was a notch above Cresta (Fr) (New Bay {GB}), who outbobbed Sonny Liston (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) by a head for second.

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Poker in Spain – will it hold or fold?

Spanish residents like gambling. Spain has one of the highest proportions of gamblers in Europe. Statistics claim that 22.68 billion euros was spent on gambling last year, with illegal gambling said to be double that amount.

The El Gordo and ONCE lottery systems have also become massive industries in their own right, with billions being spent on tickets each year.

So how have the Spanish residents taken to the recent phenomenon of online gambling, now that broadband and software technology has allowed online games to progress into their country. Certainly when gambling laws were relaxed in 1977 there was a massive increase in gambling on fruit machines and such. So now, and with no restrictions to online gambling, Spain could be getting ready to experience another huge increase in gambling of a different kind.

Spain’s 468 licensed bingo halls have certainly seen a drop in recent years, but are people converting to online, or is it a sign of the times that people just do not have the money to enter bingo halls and casinos as much as in the past. Nielsen (net research statistics) claim only 10% of Spanish residents with an internet connection actually visited an online gambling site in 2004. But given the recent growth of broadband in Spain over the past year those statistics could be doubled by 2006.

Juega Poker Ya, who are part of the St Minver white label games network, operate Spanish poker dedicated to Spanish residents. Since its launch, it claims to have seen an increase in the numbers of players signing up of some 30% each month, with the average cash drop per player almost twice that for the UK.

The Poker phenomenon arrived in Spain having worked its way around Europe over the past two years, to become the fastest growing internet sensation. Similar to the popular Spanish gambling game Mus, poker is a game of great skill and psychology where players try to out fox the competition.

Over 12 million people worldwide have already played poker online this year alone with the global market continuing to grow at more than 10% every month. Thousands of budding Spanish poker players are queuing up to learn how to play the world’s greatest card game in the hope of repeating the success of Spanish poker supremo Carlos Mortenson, World Poker Champion just three years ago.

What was once the domain of smoked filled gentleman’s clubs has been transformed by the internet into a highly competitive, compelling leisure activity, where groups of players from around the world come together to play cards and chat over the Internet.

Are the Spanish more cautious

Spanish players are a little more cautious. While the numbers of players signing up are growing rapidly, the actual conversion rate (people actually making cash deposits) is lower. Players could be concerned over the security of such poker sites and perhaps they are they holding back until online game brands become more established and the confidence in them grows.

Poker sites certainly take enough precautions to ensure their sites are secure and to allow players the confidence in the sites. Juegapokerya for example has well established fraud procedures in place to monitor any fraudulent behaviour.

Cheaters pose little or not threat in online poker. No one can mark the cards, no one can peak at your exposed or holed cards and no one can stack the deck or deal from the bottom. Playing poker on line is very safe. The things that can and do happen in land based poker rooms cannot and do not happen online.

However, there is one thing that happens in land based casinos that cheaters do try to get away with online. They try to collude. That is, they try to share information and play their hands in order to help each other win. This is also known as playing partners. Customer services monitor their poker sites and track all the play in real time. Any suspected collusion is reported to the security or fraud department for a particular site. Accounts are locked immediately pending a detailed investigation. Play is checked over a period of days to find out if the players involved in the original incident have a history of playing together on the same site. Patterns of play are also studied in detail. Chat logs are continuously monitored and recorded. Colluders will have their accounts frozen and can be banned from the site and all affiliated sites. Some sites will even report to unconnected sites to warn them of potential cheaters.

So when they sign up with the many poker sites now entering into the Spanish markets, players can be assured that the sites will be well protected from all fraudulent behaviour. It may be this factor that proves to the Spanish that online gambling is a feasible prospect

So are the signs there that Spanish players will take hold of this online gambling phenomenon? Well, of the 40 million people in Spain, with 37% now having internet access, the potential for money making is there, and certainly companies will find it tempting to delve into the Spanish markets in the hope of tempting Europe’s most eager gamblers to part with their well earned cash.

Asmussen Front and ‘Center’ with Potential Derby Favorite

LOUISVILLE, KY –  As the all-time leading trainer at Churchill Downs, no one has won more races beneath the Twin Spires than Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. Just not on the first Saturday in May.

Heading into GI Kentucky Derby 148 with 7-2 morning-line second choice Epicenter (Not This Time), as expected, Asmussen's well-documented 23-0-2-2 record in the 'Run for the Roses' has been a major topic of discussion.

“I don't know if it's healthy to want anything that much,” Asmussen said. “I grew up in horseracing. We've been unbelievably blessed with some of the greatest horses of all time, yet the Derby has eluded us. Going into this year, right now, I don't want to trade places with anybody. I love our chances.”

This may arguably be Asmussen's best shot so far.

Ninth at 43-1 with his first Kentucky Derby starter Fifty Stars in 2001, the 56-year-old has never saddled the favorite. Believe it or not, neither future superstar Curlin or Gun Runner was the public's choice in the Derby and only three of his starters have gone off at single digits.

Taking a look back, Asmussen's confidence was at its highest approaching the 2007 renewal, he said.

“I never in my wildest dreams thought Curlin could lose,” Asmussen said. “I did not. You could not get any more confident than that horse made you feel when you ran him. The walk back after he got beat was… Whew.  Long. Like going across the Sahara Desert.”

Unraced at two, making just his fourth lifetime start and backed as the narrowest of second choices at 5-1 off a trio of jaw-dropping victories, the mighty Curlin had to settle for a well-beaten third behind slightly favored Street Sense after some early trouble passing the crowd of 156,635 for the first time.

“Two weeks later, he proved it [by winning the GI Preakness S.],” Asmussen said of the two-time Horse of the Year and perennial leading sire. “Sometimes, it just isn't meant to be. He proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was good enough. But it didn't happen.”

Carrying the same maroon-and-white silks of Winchell Thoroughbreds as Epicenter, the brilliant Gun Runner filled the third slot at 10-1 behind Nyquist after racing on a hot pace in the 2016 Kentucky Derby. The chestnut, of course, brought his game to an elite level as an older horse, led by wins in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. The 2017 Horse of the Year has excelled in his next career as well, setting a new record for progeny earnings as a first-crop sire last year.

“For him going into the breeding shed, and the success he's continuing, it's unbelievable to be a part of that,” Asmussen said.

Nehro and Lookin At Lee provided Asmussen with his two best placings in the Kentucky Derby so far, finishing second in 2011 and 2017, respectively.

Nehro, looking every bit a winner while looming boldly on the pacesetting Shackleford turning for home at a well-backed 8-1, couldn't withstand a devastating stretch run from Animal Kingdom. The rail-drawn Lookin At Lee enjoyed a perfect, ground-saving trip from far back and outran his 33-1 odds behind Always Dreaming.

“The visuals of those moments were goosebump exciting,” Asmussen said.

Derby also-rans like GI Belmont S. winner Creator (13th in 2016), GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. winner Max Player (fifth in 2020) and the very popular, ill-fated GI Preakness S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. runner-up Midnight Bourbon (promoted to fifth via disqualification in 2021) enjoyed their share of top-level success afterward.

Albeit while racing for different connections, Asmussen Derby alumni also includes: GI Forego S. winner Pyro (eighth at 5-1 in 2008) and GI Santa Anita H. winner Combatant (18th in 2018), respectively.

“That's extremely important,” Asmussen said of that aforementioned group's subsequent accomplishments. “Extremely proud of that.”

A Deserving Choice…

Regardless of Mike Battaglia's much-discussed morning-line or where Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale's expected $3 to $4 million wager lands, Epicenter is every bit worthy of favoritism.

In key possession of a natural, high-cruising speed–more important than ever in the points system era as detailed in this space ahead of the 2018 Derby–Epicenter's resume is topped by a gate-to-wire success in a very live renewal of the GII Risen Star S. and a visually impressive, stalk-and-pounce victory with a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure in the GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby.

Slight Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite and the very talented GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Zandon (Upstart) was back in third while making his sophomore debut in the Risen Star following an eventful journey.

A maiden winner at Churchill Downs at two, Epicenter has gradually been stretched in distance from seven furlongs on debut last September all the way to 1 3/16 miles in his final Derby prep in late March. His speed figures have improved with each and every one of his six career starts as well.

Jockey Joel Rosario, aboard 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb, has the call.

“I love where he's at–mentally and physically–and how he's getting over the racetrack,” Asmussen said. “He's had a lovely progression with a gradual stretch out. He's got nice gate speed and plenty of pace. In the Louisiana Derby, he showed that he can be more tractable and still have that burst going 1 3/16 miles. We're very fortunate to be associated with him. We have the one we want for running in the 2022 Derby.”

Bred in Kentucky by Westwind Farms, Epicenter brought $260,000 from the Winchell family on day six of the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling sale. Hailing from the second crop of leading young sire Not This Time, Epicenter is out of the stakes-winning and graded-stakes placed Candy Ride (Arg) mare Silent Candy.

It promises to be a huge weekend for Asmussen and owner Ron Winchell at Churchill Downs. North America's all-time winningest trainer will also be shooting for his third GI Kentucky Oaks win for the Winchells with unbeaten champion Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) on Friday.

“There's a lot of focus on the 0-for-23 and my pursuit of the Derby, but I've heard Ron [Winchell] in interviews recalling conversations that he had with his father [the late Verne Winchell] about his own pursuit of winning the Derby,” Asmussen said. “It's very meaningful. The association between the Winchells and Asmussens was started long before me and Ron.”

Asmussen concluded with a laugh, “We got to listen to conversations, but make no decisions.”

At 6:57 p.m. Saturday, Asmussen and Winchell will be more than happy to let Epicenter do all the talking.

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