NEW YORK, N.Y. – America’s Best Racing (ABR), a multimedia fan development and awareness-building platform designed to increase the profile and visibility of North America’s best Thoroughbred racing events, and Woodbine Entertainment (Woodbine) today announced a cross-promotional marketing partnership. As part of the partnership, ABR and Woodbine Entertainment will work together to create and distribute content across digital channels to fans across North America, sharing stories from Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park and promoting wagering opportunities on Woodb
Queen’s Plate: 61 Canadian-Bred Sophomores Remain Eligible For Sept. 12 Contest
Sixty-one of the finest Canadian-bred three-year-olds remain on target for the 161st running of the $1 million Queen's Plate, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12.
The connections of 58 Queen's Plate hopefuls made the July 1 sustaining payment with an additional three supplementing to the 1 1/4-mile opening leg of the Canadian Triple Crown for a fee of $5,000.
Recent Queenston Stakes winner Halo Again is among the top contenders after his triumphant return to Woodbine on July 4 when he defeated a field of fellow Queen's Plate hopefuls in the seven-furlong prep. Bred by Anderson Farms, the son of Speightstown and Halo's Verse has won three of his first five career starts, including last year's Coronation Futurity, while banking almost $260,000 for owners Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing. The bay colt will aim to pull off the rare Coronation Futurity and Queen's Plate double, last accomplished by Norcliffe in 1976. He is conditioned by top American trainer Steve Asmussen, whose first foray in the Canadian Triple Crown yielded a third-place finish in last year's Queen's Plate followed by a pair of victories in the Prince of Wales Stakes and Breeders' Stakes courtesy of Tone Broke.
Halo Again is the 8-1 fourth choice in the 2020 Queen's Plate Winterbook. Nine of the top 10 Winterbook selections remain eligible including pre-season favourite Malibu Mambo, trained by Kevin Attard and owned by Stronach Stables.
The list of nominees includes 10 of the 36 fillies that remain eligible to the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser, which will be contested on August 15.
Canadian Triple Crown-winning trainer and new Hall of Fame inductee Mike Keogh has a pair of contenders including Dr. Green, one of the three supplements. Other supplements include Canadian Pharoah, an unraced colt sired by the U.S. Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and Ennis the Menace.
An additional $10,000 payment or supplementary fee of $25,000 is due upon entry to the Queen's Plate on Wednesday, Sept. 9 by 8:30 a.m.
Ninety-two horses, including 14 fillies, were originally nominated to the 2020 Queen's Plate.
To view the full updated list of three-year-olds nominated to the Queen's Plate, visit Woodbine.com.
The post Queen’s Plate: 61 Canadian-Bred Sophomores Remain Eligible For Sept. 12 Contest appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
America’s Best Racing, Woodbine Entertainment Announce Marketing Partnership
America's Best Racing (ABR), a multimedia fan development and awareness-building platform designed to increase the profile and visibility of North America's best Thoroughbred racing events, and Woodbine Entertainment (Woodbine) today announced a cross-promotional marketing partnership. As part of the partnership, ABR and Woodbine Entertainment will work together to create and distribute content across digital channels to fans across North America, sharing stories from Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park and promoting wagering opportunities on Woodbine's Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing.
As part of the expansive collaboration, Woodbine will license US broadcast rights to Racing Night Live on TSN every Thursday evening (6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET) to ABR for distribution on ABR's YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/americasbestracing. Racing personalities and analysts from ABR will make in-show appearances during each Thursday night telecast to promote content offered at www.AmericasBestRacing.net and to highlight upcoming big races across America. Simultaneously, ABR will live stream a “Woodbine Live” handicapper's show on its Twitter and Facebook channels to promote wagering on races at Woodbine every Thursday night.
“We're thrilled to partner with Woodbine Entertainment and are excited to leverage our social media channels, video production, second screen live video show promotions, and digital content team to help amplify Canadian horse racing across America,” said Stephen B. Panus, President of TJC Media Ventures, Inc. “This is a tremendous opportunity to reach and attract a new demographic to the best of Canadian horse racing, including via the innovative, AI-powered app 'Dark Horse.' Additionally, we're pleased to have the opportunity to showcase Racing Night Live via the TSN broadcast every Thursday across our YouTube channel. American horse racing fans and sports bettors will enjoy wagering on and watching the live racing experience at Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park, respectively.”
“As our content strategy continues to evolve and we look to engage our fans and attract a new generation of fans across North America, ABR is an excellent partner,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “We have always been big fans of how ABR reaches and engages fans through their channels, so we are naturally excited about how we can partner with them to distribute more Woodbine content as well.”
Among the other highlights of the multi-faceted partnership agreement:
· ABR will produce and stream Woodbine-sponsored Live Shows (2 hours per show) and Mini-Live shows (45 minutes per show) in 2020 featuring handicappers, sports bettors and various influencers betting Woodbine races on key dates during the 2020 Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing seasons:
Saturday, August 15 — Woodbine Oaks Day
Saturday, August 29 – Pepsi North America Cup (Woodbine Mohawk Park)
Friday, September 11 — Day before The Queen's Plate
Saturday, September 12 — The Queen's Plate
Friday, September 18 — Day Before Woodbine Mile
Saturday, September 26 – Mohawk Million (Woodbine Mohawk Park)
Saturday, October 24 — Breeders' Stakes Day
· To complement ABR's stream of Racing Night Live on its YouTube channel, ABR will produce a weekly 2-hour live show, secondscreen experience streamed on ABR's Facebook & Twitter channels every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET, through September 10. Each show will be hosted by ABR's Dan Tordjman and will also feature leading handicappers Emily Gullikson and Ashley Mailloux, focusing on Woodbine Thoroughbred and Standardbred analysis respectively.
· ABR will distribute regular Woodbine content that focuses on handicapping of Woodbine racing, big wins from Woodbine racing and more.
Launched in 2012, America's Best Racing continues to reach and attract a new and younger demographic to the sport, with a focus on the gambling, racing and lifestyle. A significant majority of the users (61% men and 39% women) to America's Best Racing are under the age of 50 while over 80% of ABR's social media audience falls under the age of 44. ABR has national distribution via NBCSports.com and CBSSports.com, hosts a weekly radio show on SBNation Radio every Saturday which broadcasts in more than 105 national markets, and is the title sponsor of national television coverage of live horse racing on both Fox Sports and NBC Sports.
The post America’s Best Racing, Woodbine Entertainment Announce Marketing Partnership appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Ghaiyyath Tops Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings; Tiz The Law Highest-Ranked Dirt 3-Year-Old
International galloper Ghaiyyath (IRE) [127], who has been a perfect three-for-three in his races this year, leads the first edition of the LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2020.
Ghaiyyath started his season with an eye-catching performance in the Dubai Millennium Stakes Sponsored by Jaguar (G3), which he won by 8 ½ lengths at Meydan. The 5-year-old completed the 2000 metre contest in 2:00.33, setting a new track record in the process.
He returned to Europe for his next start and continued his winning ways, taking the Hurworth Bloodstock Coronation Cup (G1) over Anthony Van Dyck (IRE) [121] and Stradivarius (IRE) [125]. Ghaiyyath then earned his rating of 127 in his most recent race, a 2 ¼-length win over Enable and Japan (GB) [122] in the Coral-Eclipse (G1).
Stradivarius was making his 2020 debut in the Coronation Cup. His next start came at Royal Ascot, and he turned the Gold Cup (G1) into a runaway, as he posted a 10-length victory to get his rating of 125. It was the third time Stradivarius, who ended 2019 as the highest rated stayer in the world, claimed the famed race.
Ranked co-third are Japanese champion Almond Eye (JPN) [124] and Australia's Nature Strip (AUS) [124]. Almond Eye made her first start of the year in the Victoria Mile (G1) and won by four lengths to earn her rating. Nature Strip received his 124 after sprinting to a two-length score in the TJ Smith Stakes (G1), which he won after taking the Hyland Race Colours Challenge Stakes (G2) earlier in the year.
Lord North (IRE) [123] and Tom's d'Etat (USA) [123] are in the co-fifth position. Lord North started his year with a victory in the Betway Brigadier Gerard Stakes (G3) before impressing 10 days later with a 3 ¾ length win over Addeybb (IRE) [122] in the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot. Addeybb came into that contest off of victories in the Ranvet Stakes (G1) and LONGINES Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) in Australia. Tom's d'Etat, meanwhile, is the highest rated dirt horse in the world after his 4 ¼ length victory in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs.
In addition to Addeybb and Japan, three other horses are ranked as co-seventh with an equal rating of 122. Hong Kong's champion Beauty Generation (NZ) [122] added the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (G1) and Chairman's Trophy (G2) to his list of accomplishments this year; Contrail (JPN) [122] is the highest rated 3-year-old colt in the world after winning the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (G1) and Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (G1) to remain undefeated; and LOVE (IRE) [122] is the highest rated 3-year-old filly in the world after conquering all to win the Investec Oaks (G1) by nine lengths following her 4 ¼-length victory in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas Stakes (G1).
The highest rated 3-year-old on dirt is Tiz the Law (USA) [121], who won the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) by 3 3/4 lengths after wins in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) and Holy Bull Stakes (G3).
The post Ghaiyyath Tops Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings; Tiz The Law Highest-Ranked Dirt 3-Year-Old appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
