Purses | Horse Racing Free Tips

Wagering Essentially Flat, Purses Up in July

Wagering essentially stayed the same in July compared to the same month from 2020 while still showing marked improvement over corresponding 2019 numbers, according to the latest economic indicators released by Equibase. Purses continued to rise over last year's pandemic-affected levels and eclipsed 2019 numbers for July.

Overall, $1,101,617,446 was wagered on U.S. races in July 2021, compared to $1,098,021,143 in 2020, a slight uptick of 0.33%. In July of 2019, $942,243,633 was wagered, making last month's numbers a 16.91% increase over that figure. With the number of race days up, however, average wagering per race day fell 10.27% from $2,758,847 in July 2020 to $2,475,545 in July 2021. That number is still 27.16% higher than July 2019, when $1,946,784 was bet per race day.

Purses totaled $110,489,273 this July, a 22.47% increase over the sum of $90,220,894 paid out in July 2020. That figure is also 6.92% above the $103,342,574 purses totaled in July 2019.

Field size dipped below seven in July 2021, to 6.95 per race after averaging 7.62 in July 2020. The number was 7.11 in July 2019.

The post Wagering Essentially Flat, Purses Up in July appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Pacific Classic Purse Returns To $1 Million; Del Mar Derby Boosted To $250,000

Building on its pre-meet enhancements and the sparkling success of its current racing season, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club today announced a pair of major increases to key stakes races on its 2021 schedule.

The Grade 1 TVG Pacific Classic, the shore track's centerpiece since it was introduced in 1991, has been raised back to its original level of $1,000,000 for its Aug. 21 renewal. Additionally, the track's conclusion to its 3-year-old grass series – the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby slated for September 4 – has had its purse increased to $250,000 for its 77th edition.

The TVG Pacific Classic was scheduled to be presented this year for the 31st time with a purse of $750,000, which was an increase from its COVID-affected 2020 running when the mile and one quarter was dropped to $500,000. The Del Mar Derby ran with a $200,000 purse in 2020 and was designated to do so again this year prior to this current boost for the nine-furlong turf test.

Both raises put the races on equal footing with their 2019 levels. Prior to the meet, Del Mar had increased the values of virtually all of its other stakes from 2020 to equivalent – or in some cases higher – purse standards than the ones that existed in 2019.

“We had fairly aggressive projections going into the meet and I'm pleased to say our business has exceeded those numbers,” said Tom Robbins, a Del Mar executive vice president and its director of racing and industry relations. “We are thrilled to restore our signature race back to its $1 million level, where it had been and certainly belongs.”

Since 2010, Del Mar has joined with its broadcast partner TVG to augment the TVG Pacific Classic and keep it at the forefront of major races nationally.

“We have a spectacular partnership with Del Mar and the TOC and our team at TVG is very excited that our sponsorship of the Pacific Classic is one of the reasons for this purse increase,” said Kevin Grigsby, SVP and executive producer of TVG & FanDuel. “Over the last decade TVG has become one of the largest sponsors of horse racing in the U.S. Along with our investments in distribution and technology, it is part of our commitment to reinvest in the sport.”

The track always works in accord with the Thoroughbred Owners of California in setting and maintaining both its stakes schedule and its overall purse structure. Their chairman of the board, Gary Fenton, addressed the stakes purse increases:

“Thanks to our members, horsemen and horsewomen and the hard work from DMTC we're off to a tremendous start. With added purse account funds we felt returning all stakes, such as Del Mar's signature race, back to their pre-COVID purse levels was appropriate. The momentum of continued purse increases in 2021 with hopefully more to come in 2022 is a great sign of the health of Southern California racing.”

The TVG Pacific Classic is a “Win and You're In” race entitling its champion a guaranteed spot in this year's $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic, a race that will be run at a mile and a quarter at Del Mar on Saturday, Nov. 6.

The Del Mar Derby follows the Oceanside Stakes and the Grade 3 La Jolla Stakes to make up the longstanding trio of turf test for soph runners at the seaside oval. The La Jolla will be run on Sunday, August 8.

Del Mar's 82nd season will continue to race on a Thursday-to-Sunday schedule through to its closing day, Labor Day Monday, Sept. 6.

The post Pacific Classic Purse Returns To $1 Million; Del Mar Derby Boosted To $250,000 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Maryland Boosts Overnight Purses 15 Percent Effective July 2

Overnight purses in Maryland will increase 15 percent across the board for the remainder of 2021 effective July 2, the next live racing at Pimlico Race Course. The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association Board of Directors unanimously approved the increase during its June 29 meeting.

The idea was to devise a higher purse schedule that Maryland can sustain through the end of the year.

The MTHA Board of Directors also voted to restore overnight purse distribution levels effective July 2. First place will be 60%, up from 57%; second place is 20%, down from 21%; third place is 10% rather than 11%; and fourth place will be 5% instead of 6%. Fifth place will be 3% (plus 1% for the fifth-through-last place bonus) and sixth place will be 2% (plus a 2% for the fifth-through-last place bonus). The 4% bonus remains in place for horses that finish seventh through last.

The Pimlico summer meet runs through Aug. 22 and Laurel is scheduled to begin its fall meet Sept. 10. In between, the Maryland State Fair at Timonium will race seven days from Aug. 27-Sept. 6. The increased purses will be in effect for the State Fair meet as well.

The post Maryland Boosts Overnight Purses 15 Percent Effective July 2 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Keeneland Announces Record Stakes Purses For Fall Meet

While Keeneland celebrates its 85th anniversary during the 2021 Fall Meet in October, the track will offer a race meet record $6 million in stakes purses and an expanded stakes schedule of 22 races. The Fall Meet, which covers 17 days of racing from Oct. 8-30, will open with the signature Fall Stars Weekend, feature 10 Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” races, offer two new $150,000 stakes for 2-year-olds and reposition several stakes to create a total of six race cards with multiple stakes.

Keeneland opened Oct. 15, 1936, for a nine-day Fall Meet.

“The Keeneland Fall Meet is incredibly important, and 85 years of racing at Keeneland is a testament to the uncommon vision of our founders, who tirelessly worked to create an entity that would take a leadership role in the global Thoroughbred industry and in the Central Kentucky community,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “This summer, as we look forward to welcoming back fans and the superstars who will compete here, we feel the anticipation building for the Fall Meet and we look forward to celebrating the anniversary.”

Keeneland will release information about 2021 Fall Meet ticketing along with the timeline for purchases in early July.

All existing stakes for the 2021 Fall Meet have been restored to 2019 purse levels except for the Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3), which received a boost from $125,000 to $150,000, and the Keeneland Turf Mile (G1) and Bourbon (G2), which remain at 2020 levels of $750,000 and $200,000, respectively.

“After thoughtful review by our racing team and input from horsemen, we made adjustments to our fall stakes program that will further elevate the quality of racing throughout the meet,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said. “We feel the lucrative purse money and expanded racing opportunities, including two new stakes for 2-year-olds, now in place will broaden Keeneland's appeal to horsemen and fans alike.”

During Fall Stars Weekend, nine stakes are included in the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Presented by America's Best Racing. Each winner receives an automatic starting position and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Nov. 5-6 World Championships at Del Mar:

· $400,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1) (Juvenile Fillies-G1) and $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) (Sprint-G1) on Friday, Oct. 8;

· $750,000 Keeneland Turf Mile (G1) (FanDuel Mile-G1), $500,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) (TVG Juvenile-G1), $400,000 First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare (G1) (Maker's Mark Filly and Mare Turf-G1) and $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) (Filly and Mare Sprint-G1) on Saturday, Oct. 9; and

· $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1) (Distaff-G1), $200,000 Bourbon (G2) (Juvenile Turf-G1) and $200,000 Indian Summer (L) (Juvenile Turf Sprint-G2) on Sunday, Oct. 10.

The fifth stakes on Fall Stars Saturday, Oct. 9, is the $200,000 Woodford (G2) Presented by TVG.

On Wednesday, Oct. 13, Keeneland will present its 10th Breeders' Cup Challenge race, the $200,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) (Juvenile Fillies Turf-G1).

The Fall Meet's sixth Grade 1 stakes is the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana, an invitational turf race for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles, to be run Saturday, Oct. 16.

For the season, Keeneland has shifted the dates of several stakes. The first is the $150,000 Sycamore (G3), a 1½-mile turf event for 3-year-old and up, which has been moved from Thursday to Friday, Oct. 22.

To enhance the final days of the Fall Meet, Keeneland has introduced two new $150,000 juvenile stakes, the Myrtlewood and Bowman Mill; revived the Perryville and Bryan Station, both fixtures for 3-year-olds, and scheduled the Valley View (G3) and Hagyard Fayette (G2) to create multiple stakes cards:

· Joining the $250,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2) on Saturday, Oct 23 is the $150,000 Perryville, a 7-furlong race for 3-year-olds. Keeneland ran the Perryville from 1999-2009 and revived the race in 2015 and 2020 as a 6-furlong event that was part of the undercard stakes for the Breeders' Cup here.

· The $150,000 Valley View (G3) will be run Friday, Oct. 29 alongside the new $150,000 Myrtlewood for 2-year-old fillies at 6 furlongs.

· The $200,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2), for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles, resumes its traditional role as the Fall Meet's closing-day feature. Joining the Hagyard Fayette on Saturday, Oct. 30 are the $150,000 Bryan Station for 3-year-olds at 1 mile on the turf and the new $150,000 Bowman Mill for 2-year-olds at 6 furlongs.

Keeneland previously ran the Bryan Station from 1993-2009 and revived the race as a 1 1/8-mile stakes on the turf for 3-year-olds in 2015 and 2020 as part of the Breeders' Cup undercard.

Keeneland 2021 Fall Meet Stakes Schedule: Oct. 8-30

Date	Stakes	Division	Distance
Oct. 8	$400,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1)*	2YO Fillies	1 1/16 Miles
Oct. 8	$250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2)*	3YOs & Up	6 Furlongs
Oct. 9	$750,000 Keeneland Turf Mile (G1)*	3YOs & Up	1 Mile (T)
Oct. 9	$500,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1)*	2YOs	1 1/16 Miles
Oct. 9	$400,000 First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare (G1)*	3YOs & Up, F&M	1 Mile (T)
Oct. 9	$250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2)*	3YOs & Up, F&M	6 Furlongs
Oct. 9	$200,000 Woodford (G2) Presented by TVG	3YOs & Up	5½ Furlongs (T)
Oct. 10	$500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1)*	3YOs & Up, F&M	1 1/8 Miles
Oct. 10	$200,000 Bourbon (G2)*	2YOs	1 1/16 Miles (T)
Oct. 10	$200,000 Indian Summer (L)*	2YOs	5½ Furlongs (T)
Oct. 13	$200,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2)*	2YO Fillies	1 1/16 Miles (T)
Oct. 15	$150,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County (G3)	3YOs & Up, F&M	5½ Furlongs (T)
Oct. 16	$500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana (G1)	3YO Fillies	1 1/8 Miles (T)
Oct. 22	$150,000 Sycamore (G3)	3YOs & Up	1½ Miles (T)
Oct. 23	$250,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2)	3YO Fillies	7 Furlongs
Oct. 23	$150,000 Perryville	3YO	7 Furlongs
Oct. 24	$150,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3)	3YOs & Up, F&M	1½ Miles (T)
Oct. 29	$150,000 Valley View (G3)	3YO Fillies	1 1/16 Miles (T)
Oct. 29	$150,000 Myrtlewood	2YO Fillies	6 Furlongs
Oct. 30	$200,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2)	3YO & Up	1 1/8 Miles
Oct. 30	$150,000 Bryan Station	3YO	1 Mile (T)
Oct. 30	$150,000 Bowman Mill	2YO	6 Furlongs

*Breeders' Cup Challenge stakes

The post Keeneland Announces Record Stakes Purses For Fall Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post