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New Mexico Authorities Investigating Past-Post Betting On Zia Park Race

An apparent tote company equipment failure led to pari-mutuel wagering being open until several minutes after Monday's third race at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M., had been run.

As first reported at Horseracingnation.com, the stop-wagering command did not shut down betting when it was supposed to, permitting on-track, off-track, and advance-deposit wagering to continue for 3 1/2 minutes after the one-mile, 70-yard race began. According to Horseracingnation, the start came at 1:03.39 p.m. Mountain Time and betting did not stop until 1:07.09. (The Equibase chart lists the race's start time of 1:07 p.m.) The race was run in 1:41.72.

The race was won by 4-5 favorite Playthemaker (2-1 on the morning line), with Henry On the Run finishing second at 6-5 odds (he was 9-5 favorite on the morning line).

Izzy Trejo, executive director of the New Mexico Racing Commission, said the commission has requested a written report from both Zia Park and the tote company, Global Tote, a New Jersey-based division of Betmakers.

Trejo said on-track bets placed on the winning horses at Zia Park prior to the mistake being realized were honored. The vast majority of wagers were made at out-of-state, off-track betting facilities or with ADW companies. “All ADW companies were notified,” Trejo said. He added that ADW companies should be able to confirm whether bets were made before or after the start of the race.

“Nothing stood out whatsoever as far as (betting) volume goes,” Trejo said of the race. A total of $24,388 was bet in the win, place, and show pools, with $23,015 wagered on exactas, $19,457 on trifectas, and $11,487 on superfectas.

Trejo said he received a preliminary statement from Penn Entertainment, owner of Zia Park, which read: “There was failure on the main tote-locking system…and the track back-up mechanism at the main Global Tote hub in New Jersey.”

At Zia Park, Trejo said, the stop-betting command is made via computer keyboard by a placing judge situated next to the stewards.

The post New Mexico Authorities Investigating Past-Post Betting On Zia Park Race appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Roy Smith Honored With Superintendent Innovator Award

Roy Smith, who inaugurated the racetrack superintendent field day in 2001, was honored with the Racetrack Superintendent's Innovator Award during last week's University of Arizona Race Track Industry Symposium.

A second-generation race tracker, Smith served as assistant  track superintendent to Blackie Chobanian at Suffolk Downs in 1977 and he took charge after Chobanian's passing in 1981. He moved to Philadelphia Park in 1984 and worked at the Pennsylvania track for 31 years before moving to Indiana Grand in 2014.

Smith was selected for the 2023 superintendent's innovator award for his work in professionalizing the career of racetrack superintendent and introducing the concept of continuing education to the community. The idea of continuing education is now part of the Regulations of the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority. His vision of a collaborative profession focused on the safety of the horse and rider is embodied in the Superintendent's Field Day and more recently with the new version of the Dirt Panel that has been held at RTIP since 2021.

The Racetrack Superintendent's Innovator Award is given to recognize the critical professionals who maintain racing surfaces for safety and fairness.

The post Roy Smith Honored With Superintendent Innovator Award appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Levy Releases Annual Report: Income Hits 100M, Betting Turnover Declines

The Horserace Betting Levy Board's (HBLB) 2022/23 Annual Report outlined that statutory Levy income to the Board was £100 million, the highest since the Levy collection reforms of 2017. The last two months of Apr. 1, 2022 through Mar. 31, 2023 term saw bookmakers' gross profits increasing significantly on the Board's projections taking into account the actual results to that point and historic comparisons.

Over the 12-month period, the Board reports of a continuing decline in turnover (amount staked) which was being partially mitigated by improved margins and gross win (amount retained by bookmakers), the basis on which Levy is paid. The trends have continued into 2023/24.

“Whether or not these trends in turnover and gross win will be sustained will become clear with time,” said Chief Executive Alan Delmonte. “While the short-term position provides reassurance in terms of income projection, the Board must however remain cautious because the underlying position is that turnover has declined over a sustained period. Ultimately, whatever the cause, falling turnover is unlikely to prove a positive for the sport's long-term health.”

Also outlined in the reports:

  • The achievement of a small operating surplus in the year, in part due to the Board receiving from the Racing Foundation the second £3m of the £6m over two years generously contributed towards the Board's grants for people training and education initiatives.
  • The publication of the Board's first three-year Business Plan, during 2022/23.
  • The updated and enhanced processes for inviting, assessing and monitoring grant applications.
  • The decision to increase transparency with the publication of the Board's race by race prize money contribution, providing greater visibility for the sport's participants about where the Board's prize money funds are directed.
  • Saving an ongoing £100,000 per annum on administrative costs with the move to smaller office premises.

To view the Annual Report, click here.

The post Levy Releases Annual Report: Income Hits 100M, Betting Turnover Declines appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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