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High Rollers Handicapping Contest Jan. 9 At Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla., will turn into a proving grounds for top handicappers on Saturday, Jan. 9, during the third annual High Rollers Handicapping Contest, which features a potential first-place prize of $20,000.

The contest is open to anyone willing to put up a $1,000 stake to compete (participants may bankroll up to two entries). Each entry requires a $1,000 deposit, of which $500 serves as the player's wagering bankroll and $500 goes to the prize pool. Any dollar amount remaining in a player's bankroll at the conclusion of the contest goes directly to them, meaning all of the prize money is returned to the entrants.

Wagers will be limited to win, place and/or show, with each player required to bet $100 on five separate races on the card. Anyone wagering on less or more than five races will be disqualified. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top five finishers, with $20,000 to the winner, or 50 percent of the prize pool if there are fewer than 100 entrants; $8,000/20 percent to the second-place finisher; $6,000/15 percent to third; $4,000/10 percent to fourth; and $2,000/5 percent to fifth.

Only races at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 9 will be included in the contest, and players must wager at the contest site. The first and second-place finishers will also claim a seat in either of the next two National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Horseplayers Championships (NHC) in Las Vegas (this year's event is currently scheduled Aug. 27-29 at Bally's Las Vegas Hotel & Casino).

Players can enter online the High Rollers Handicapping Contest at www.tampabaydowns.com . The entry deadline is noon on Jan. 9; players should plan on meeting in the VIP Room before noon for final instructions. For additional details, call (813) 855-4401, extension 1368.

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‘It’s Not The 1800s Anymore’: Davis Calls For Rule Coupling Married Riders To Be Dropped

Newlywed jockeys Trevor McCarthy and Katie Davis were made aware of a unique rule earlier this week stating that if a husband and wife are riding against each other in the same race, their horses have to be coupled as one betting interest, according to published reports.

McCarthy and Davis, who were married in mid-December, were both upset to find out about this little known rule. While Davis says that the trainers she rides for will not let the rule stop them from using her, the couple is worried that the rule could have a negative impact on McCarthy's business.

“Trevor is worried it might affect his business, and if it does it could come down to me choosing to make a living or not, and that's not fair,” Davis told Bloodhorse.com's Bob Ehalt. “It's not the 1800s anymore. The rule needs to be changed. We are very competitive. We don't give each other a shot. We're both trying 150% when we ride against each other.”

Davis has reached out to the Jockeys' Guild for help combatting the rule, but she has been told by sources that it could take six months for the rule to be dropped. New York Racing Association (NYRA) senior vice president of racing operations Martin Panza says that NYRA has no power to change the rule even if they do not agree with it.

Opinion: Dismissing Research Can Be Harmful To Horses

Though it can seem like some studies that are done repeat a foregone conclusion, it's important not to dismiss them as a known quantity. Some equine enthusiasts don't hesitate to express their feelings that an institution is “wasting” funds researching a topic they feel no longer needs to be examined.

Often this blatant dismissal of research indicates that the person doesn't truly understand how scientific research is done. In the long term, this mindset can end up hurting horses. Researchers design their studies so that any other group can conduct the same research and have the same results. This confirms the conclusions that were drawn.

It's important to scientifically confirm what is “known,” as sometimes what is known is wrong—even when it's common practice, reports EQUUS. Withholding water from hot horses was common until research was completed for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, which showed that, though often done, not allowing horses to drink after exercise was harmful to them.

Even if research confirms observations made by horse owners, it's still valuable–it increases the body of knowledge available. Studies collect data that can be used to better understand an issue and form the basis for more research—which can lead to better diagnosis and treatments, a win for both horses and their owners.

Friday’s Stronach 5 Turns Into $196.30 ‘Chalkfest’ With Five Short-Priced Winners

Short prices resulted in 863 winning tickets in Friday's Stronach 5 with each ticket worth $196.30.

The Stronach 5 featured races from Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park and Laurel Park as well as an industry-low 12-percent takeout and two stakes races.

The sequence started with Laurel's eighth race and Belle Tapisserie ($7) winning off the claim for trainer Kieron Magee. The $2.50-1 Belle Tapisserie turned out to be the largest-priced winner of the day.

The $75,000 Janus, run as Gulfstream's ninth race and the second leg of the sequence, was won by 4-5 favorite Imprimis ($3.60), coming off a horrible trip in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) in which he was stopped and steadied down the stretch.

The third leg of the sequence was Laurel's ninth race and 2-5 favorite Lady Fox ($2.80) won as easy as she pleased for the Claudio Gonzalez barn. The fourth leg of the Stronach 5 moved to Santa Anita and its third race. Translate ($3.40), a 4-year-old who had finished second in all three of her previous starts at Belmont Park, broke through and made it to the winner's circle.

The Stronach 5 wrapped up at Gulfstream with the $75,000 Cash Run. Gulf Coast ($6.40), second last out in the Sandpiper at Tampa Bay and a $300,000 yearling, rolled to his second win in three starts.

Friday's races and sequence

Leg One – Laurel Park 8^th Race: Belle Tapisserie $7
Leg Two –Gulfstream Park 9th Race: Imprimis $3.60
Leg Three –Laurel Park 9^th Race: Lady Fox $2.80
Leg Four – Santa Anita Park 3^rd Race: Translate $3.40
Leg Five –Gulfstream Park 10^th Race: Gulf Coast $6.40

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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