August, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Return of King’s Plate Generates Largest Handle in Woodbine History

The 164th King's Plate generated the largest single-card handle in Woodbine Racetrack history on Sunday afternoon.

A total of $18,127,049.67 was wagered on Sunday's 13-race King's Plate card, eclipsing the previous record of $18,005,973.60 from the 2019 Queen's Plate. The record handle is also a significant increase from last year's Queen's Plate handle of $13.6 million.

“It's exciting to have ushered in a new era for the Plate in record-breaking fashion,” said Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment. “We felt good about the buzz surrounding the first King's Plate in over 70 years and that was clearly backed up on Sunday through the energy of our sold-out crowd and the wagering support.”

The King's Plate race, won by Paramount Prince (Society's Chairman), brought in $4,455,176.26 in wagering, including a new record Win Pool of $1,179,172.71. The 17-horse field for the Plate was the largest since 2011.

“Our Racing Team did a great job putting together a competitive and appealing Plate card for horseplayers,” Lawson said. “I'm very proud of our entire team behind the scenes at Woodbine for their efforts. Now we aim to carry this momentum through the remainder of the season and the upcoming major stakes in September and October.”

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Terri Mazur Joins HISA Board Of Directors

Today, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) announced that Terri Mazur, Esq. has been selected to join HISA's Board of Directors. Mazur will replace Ellen McClain, who will step down from her position to fulfill increasing professional obligations.

As determined by Congress, HISA's Board of Directors consists of nine individuals, five from outside of the equine industry (independent directors), and four selected to represent various equine constituencies (industry directors). Mazur will fill one of the independent director seats on the Board.

“Terri's legal and business expertise, as well as her life-long commitment to horses make her a natural fit for HISA's Board,” said HISA Board of Directors Chair Charles Scheeler. “We thank Ellen for her considerable contributions to HISA, and I look forward to working with Terri as we seek to expand on the critical work HISA is doing to protect horses and riders.”

Mazur is an experienced trial lawyer with more than 30 years of experience across the federal securities and financial services industry. She previously served as Partner at Mayer Brown LLP and Arnold Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, and was most recently a Shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP. Mazur is the Immediate Past Chair of the New York State Bar Association's (NYSBA) Women in Law Section, serves on the Executive Committee of NYSBA's Antitrust Section and the Task Force on Racism, Social Equity and the Law, and sits on the Antitrust and Trade Regulation Committee of the New York City Bar Association.

“I am honored to have been appointed to the Board by this outstanding group of independent and industry experts,” said Mazur. “As a life-long competitive equestrian who has owned retired Thoroughbred racehorses, I have a deep concern for the health and wellbeing of racehorses. It is a privilege to be part of HISA's work to make racing safer for horses, and to make Thoroughbred racing fair and clean.”

Mazur is an avid equestrian and has a long history in show jumping at both the intercollegiate level and in the junior and adult amateur jumper divisions on the national level. She will replace Ellen McClain, who is stepping down from her position on HISA's Board of Directors due to increasing professional responsibilities.

“It has been a great honor to support the formation of HISA and the important work being done to ensure the long-term success of Thoroughbred racing,” said McClain. “I have no doubt that HISA will continue to thrive under the leadership of my fellow Board members, Lisa, and the strong, dedicated team she has assembled.”

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Bandoroff: Visionary Anthony Manganaro Saw The Big Picture

Anthony Manganaro wasn't out to make friends. He was out to change an industry he loved. He was a street fighter, a former labor organizer, and he was willing to fight. When one idea hit a dead end he came up with another one and another one and, well, you get the idea. He never gave up in his mission to make the industry better.

I often say one of the wonderful things about my career is I've had the opportunity to be around and learn from some very smart and remarkable people. If I had to rank them Anthony might be #1 for me. He was one of those rare people who was a visionary and who flew at 30,000 feet, seeing the big picture. That's not something many of us can do. We know we should and we try but we just aren't capable of doing it. Anthony had that gift.

I first met him around 15 years ago. He introduced himself and brought me into his circle of confidants. He included me in his mission to make the sport better for everyone involved, especially the people who didn't have a voice.

I soon learned he had the ideas, the vision and the finances to change the industry. He spent millions of dollars of his own money with architects, lawyers, and consultants as he refined his ideas. He took me to meetings with former NBA commissioner David Stern, former Major League Baseball players attorney Don Fehr, and a sports business icon, Harvey Schiller. The thing each of them had in common was they recognized that Thoroughbred racing had all the ingredients to make it a major league sport again. They were truly excited about its potential and the possibilities. The ideas they had and the vision they could see for horse racing were inspiring.

There was just one problem. They didn't know our industry. They didn't know we were an industry, as Anthony always said, that refused to want to make the pie bigger. Instead, we'd rather fight over our slice of a shrinking pie.

Anthony, like another visionary, B. Wayne Hughes, worked tirelessly to make the industry he cared about better. They were both remarkable individuals who commanded enormous amounts of respect, regardless of what side of the debate you were on.

If you knew him you realize we just lost our biggest thinker. If you didn't know him then you have no idea what we lost. Trust me, we lost a lot. We lost someone we won't replace very easily. There are very few Anthony Manganaros out there, if any. And unfortunately we weren't always smart enough to listen to him. If we had, I can promise you we wouldn't be facing as many challenges as we do today.

But he can rest in peace knowing he sure tried. I'll miss him and whether you know it or not, so will you. Go in peace, friend.

Craig Bandoroff, with wife Holly, owns Denali Stud in Paris, Ky. The farm is now managed by their son, Conrad Bandoroff.

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Kentucky Downs Offering $250,000 Allowance Races For Keeneland September Grads

For the second year, Kentucky Downs is offering a pair of $250,000 allowance races restricted to 2-year-olds that went through the sales ring at the prior year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Both races – one for fillies and one for colts and geldings – are at 6 1/2 furlongs and are on the opening-day card, Thursday Aug. 31. The seven-day all-grass FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs also races Sept. 2, 3, 7, 9, 10 and 13 over America's only European course.

Horses are eligible for the lucrative allowance races if they were either sold at the 2022 Keeneland September Sale or were offered but did not reach their predetermined minimum selling price, known as an RNA (reserve not attained). Entries for the Keeneland sales races and the rest of Kentucky Downs' opening card will be taken this Saturday, Aug. 26.

Last year's male division produced G1 Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby, and Mo Stash, who finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and won Keeneland's Grade 3 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania this past spring.

“At Keeneland, we work hard to promote the success of our sales grads,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “These races are a great way to publicize sales grads who are just starting their careers, especially in a segment of the market that is growing, the turf aspect. Kentucky Downs has been a great partner and there is terrific synergy between the racing and sales operations of our two organizations. Once horses walk through the Keeneland sales ring — exiting either as a sale or an RNA — they are qualified to participate in the race.”

Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs' Vice President for Racing, said that every year he hears from owners after they win a Kentucky Downs race that they now have more money to spend at the Keeneland sale.

“That's the beauty of this: We offer some of the largest purses in the world. But no matter where those owners are from, chances are that at least a good chunk of what a horse earns will be reinvested right back into the Kentucky Thoroughbred industry,” he said.

Lacy agreed, calling the need for a strong racing product to support the sales and vice versa “a very delicate ecosystem we continually want to strengthen. Locally and indeed around the country, it's a huge economic driver.”

The Keeneland sales races were moved from later in the meet last year to opening day this year, raising the possibility that a horse could run in the allowance event and go back in one of Kentucky Downs' 2-year-old stakes. The Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile and Global Tote Juvenile Fillies at a mile are Sept. 10; the Pepsi Juvenile Sprint and Pepsi Untapable for 2-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs are Sept. 13, closing day. The four 2-year-old stakes carry a total purse of $500,000, with $250,000 coming from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund for registered Kentucky-bred horses.

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