1/ST Racing Considering Moving Date of the Preakness; NYRA Not on Board with Move

1/ST Racing & Gaming is ready to shake up the Triple Crown.

The company, which operates Pimlico Race Course, has confirmed to the TDN that it is giving strong consideration to moving the date of the GI Preakness S. so that it is run four weeks after the GI Kentucky Derby.

“We have discussed it internally and believe it's in the best interests of horses and horse safety to move the race four weeks after the Kentucky Derby,” said Aidan Butler, Chief Executive Officer of 1/ST Racing & Gaming. “This would give horses more time to recover between races to be able to run in the Preakness. Horse safety is more important than tradition. NYRA is aware and considering how this would impact the Belmont. Stay tuned.”

Butler said there would be no further comment at this time.

Should the date of the Preakness get changed, the next move will be up to NYRA, which hosts the GI Belmont. If the Preakness is moved to four weeks after the Derby that would mean that, unless NYRA also shifts the date of the Belmont, the Belmont would be run just one week after the Preakness. That may be exactly what happens.

“NYRA has concerns about fundamental changes to the structure of the Triple Crown. We have no plans to move the date of the Belmont Stakes,” said NYRA spokesperson Pat McKenna.

The current structure of the Triple Crown works far better for the Belmont than it does for the Preakness. With five weeks between the Derby and Belmont, a number of trainers pass the Preakness and go next in the Belmont.

Traditionally, the Triple Crown is run over a five-week period, with two weeks between the Derby and the Preakness and three weeks between the Preakness and the Belmont. While that may be a long-standing tradition, it has clearly become an impediment to drawing horses to the Preakness because modern trainers are very reluctant to run their horses back within two weeks. In 2022, Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) skipped the Preakness and waited for the Belmont. This year, Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) was the only horse from the Derby to run back in the Preakness.

These developments have led to added support for changing the spacing of the races. Just last month, Tom Rooney, the president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, penned an editorial calling for the races be spread further apart. “The time has come in Thoroughbred racing for our own change, to modernize the timeline of the Triple Crown,” he wrote.

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Quinella Wagering at Gulfstream Dropped after Manipulation

1/ST Racing and Gaming has issued a statement regarding an irregularity in the Quinella betting pool for a maiden claiming race, won by Glass Star (Gormley), at Gulfstream Park Nov. 11. The Quinella wager is a marginal bet which generates smaller pools, making it easier to manipulate. Due to manipulation, the Quinella wager on the race in question returned a higher price than it traditionally would have paid. The $2 Quinella in the race paid $42.40, while the $1 Exacta paid $9.30.

Gulfstream Park has removed the Quinella from the betting menu effective immediately.

1/ST's statement reads as follows:

1/ST Racing and Gaming is aware of an irregularity of the betting pools for the Quinella on the first race on Nov. 11 at Gulfstream Park. The account from which this wager was played has been identified and that account has been closed. Our team is working with the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau (TRPB) and other agencies to investigate the full impact of the manipulation of the pools, which appear to involve offshore betting sites.

“Integrity and safety are the two cornerstones of 1/ST's foundation, and we are continuing to thoroughly review all actions associated with this incident,” said Aidan Butler, CEO of 1/ST Racing and Gaming. “Ensuring the protection of our stakeholders, including the important constituency who wager on our races, is of paramount importance.”

“TRPB's Wagering Integrity Unit is assisting the investigation into the betting,” said Curtis Linnell, Executive Vice President of the TRBP.  “There is no indication at this time of malfeasance by any participants in the race itself.”

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1/ST Racing & Gaming Unveiled

The Stronach Group's Belinda Stronach introduced 1/ST RACING & GAMING, an enhanced division of the company designed to position the core Thoroughbred horse racing business to fully capitalize on the future of sports wagering and gaming. According to a Wednesday evening press release from the company, the 1/ST RACING & GAMING division will continue to oversee racing operations at 1/ST tracks and training centers while working to expand the company's gaming footprint in collaboration with 1/ST TECHNOLOGY led by the divisions' Chief Executive Officer, Paul Williams.

“The shifting landscape of sports wagering, digital platforms and interest in high-quality content presents an opportunity for 1/ST to innovate to meet the demands of our modern consumers,” said Stronach. “An enhanced 1/ST RACING & GAMING business unit will enable us to move faster and more efficiently to deliver our unique, industry-leading Thoroughbred horse racing, gaming and sports entertainment content to the next generation audience.”

Stronach has appointed Aidan Butler as Chief Executive Officer and Craig Fravel as Executive Vice-Chairman of the newly formed division.

Butler has appointed Rikki Tanenbaum as Chief Commercial Officer and President of Gaming, and Stephen Screnci as President of Racing and Business Development.

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