Tag: The Biz

Wyoming Horse Racing will hold opening day at Sweetwater Downs on Saturday, Aug. 19, when its 2023 horse racing season gallops into action at the Sweetwater Events Complex.

In its 13th year, races at Sweetwater Downs will draw horses and their jockeys from all over the western United States. The 2023 race season will continue on weekends through Sunday, October 1, 2023, and will again offer more than $1.1 million in total purse payments for horsemen during the meet. The season will feature intense rivalries as racing at Sweetwater Downs will determine year-end honors for the Wyoming-bred racehorses. Additionally, Sweetwater Downs will hold numerous festivities and events throughout the season, including family-friendly activities, food and drinks.

“The 2023 horse racing season at Sweetwater Downs will feature fierce competition with an impressive lineup of horses and skilled jockeys from all over Wyoming and our western state neighbors,” said Eugene Joyce, Wyoming Horse Racing Partner and General Manager of Wyoming Horse Racing's Horse Program. “As the horse industry grows in Wyoming, we are pleased to play an important role in its prosperity and continue this rich racing tradition in Sweetwater County. There is no doubt, this sport is unlike any other, and we always bring the thrills and fun at the races.”

Fans will be able to wager on up to nine races daily, including the $10,000 Horse Palace Stakes and enter the Derby Hat Festival. Daily pony stick races will be held for kids, and the traditional season highlights will include the Governor's Handicap and the John Schiffer Memorial Race.

Wyoming Horse Racing has committed to invest more than $1 million in extensive renovations and enhancements to improve the racing facility, including the yearly renovation of the racing surface.

Gates open at noon on Saturdays and Sundays, with post times set for 1 p.m. Races will also be held on Friday, September 8th, and Friday, September 15th. Post times for both Fridays is 4 p.m. Sweetwater Downs is located within the Sweetwater Events Complex at 3320 Yellowstone Road in Rock Springs. Tickets cost $5 per person.

For those unable to join the horse races in person, Wyoming Horse Racing offers betting at any of the eight Horse Palace locations, including sites in Casper, Cheyenne, Evanston, Gillette, Green River, Rock Springs and Sheridan.

Wyoming Horse Racing LLC, proud sponsor of Sweetwater Downs races, has deep roots in Wyoming and operates eight Horse Palace locations throughout the state. The company spearheaded the foundation of Historical Horse Racing (HHR) terminals in Wyoming which has significantly grown Wyoming's horse industry and meaningfully contributes to the state's tax revenues since the Joyce family revived racing in 1989 and 2011. The company is committed to a responsible approach, a dedication to horse racing and continued stewardship and investment in the hospitality and agri-business sectors in Wyoming.

For more information on live racing at Sweetwater Downs, visit: horsepalace.win/live-racing

The post Wyoming: 2023 Live Racing Season At Sweetwater Downs To Open Aug. 19 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board has issued a suspension of 50 race days to jockey Robbie Geoghegan after he failed to pull up his injured mount, Sole Pretender, in the Lord Hemphill Memorial Handicap Chase at Galway Downs on Sunday, Aug. 6. Sole Pretender had to be euthanized after the race due to the extent of his injury, reports racingpost.com, a broken back fetlock, below his fetlock joint.

According to the post-race report, “evidence was heard from the rider concerned who stated that he felt his mount was not moving correctly at the time but was unaware the injury was as serious as it turned out to be.”

IHRB rules 216(ii)a and 216(iii) require a rider to pull up and dismount a lame or injured horse as soon as it is reasonably possible to do so.

Sole Pretender, a 9-year-old with 10 lifetime wins, was trained by Norman Lee. Lee told racingpost.com he did not agree with the penalty imposed on Geoghegan.

“I thought it was harsh on Robbie,” Lee said. “It wasn't Robbie's fault. He just didn't realize the extent of the injury. He didn't know what was happening underneath him and didn't realize he was so injured. He didn't go very wrong straight away.”

Read more at racingpost.com.

The post Ireland: Stewards Suspend Jockey 50 Race Days For Failure To Pull Up Fatally Injured Mount appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Hambletonian Day handle established a new record in the 10-year history of the new grandstand at The Meadowlands, as a total of $7,805,779 was pushed through the windows on the 16-race program Saturday, by far a 2023 industry high.

“We are so pleased and proud of this milestone,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “The handle, the crowd that we had at the track, the national television exposure we got from being shown on FOX SPORTS, all of these things made for yet another great Hambletonian Day at The Meadowlands.”

A year ago, total handle was $7,656,055. All betting numbers shown reflect North American wagering only.

Betting on The Hambletonian itself was up considerably from a year ago as $1,099,034 was put in play, a 12 percent increase over 2022.

Betting for the year is ahead of 2021, when average daily handle was just a hair more than $3 million per card. Thus far this year, a total of $203,794,252 has been bet on Meadowlands' races, good for an average per card of $3,234,829.

A LITTLE MORE: Yannick Gingras' 104 wins and Ron Burke's 85 led the driver and trainer standings, respectively, at the Winter-Spring Championship meet, which began on Jan. 6. … The Meadowlands will go dark for three weeks before resuming with live harness racing on Friday, Sept. 1. … Simulcasting will continue daily.

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The FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs is adding another big-money race to its seven-day all-turf meet with the $500,000 National Thoroughbred League Handicap on Sunday Sept. 3.

The mile race for 3-year-olds and older horses will have a base purse of $300,000 and another $200,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) available only to registered Kentucky-breds.

The handicap is named after Kentucky Downs' day sponsor. The National Thoroughbred League is an evolving concept based on teams of horses representing different owners and markets. The idea is to sell the excitement of horse racing, combined with a high-end social experience, to celebrities and the general public.

The jockeys in the race will wear NTL silks, regardless of ownership.

“We want to encourage new ideas and innovation, especially concepts created with the goal of bringing more people into horse racing,” said Ron Winchell, the co-managing partner in Kentucky Downs along with Marc Falcone. “The way you get better is to try something different or see if there is a way to tinker with with an old idea to bring it back. We also like the idea of having a handicap race, allowing horses of slightly different levels of ability to compete against each other for a lot of money.”

There are no nomination, entry or starter fees, though horses must be nominated by Aug. 21 so they can be weighted. Weights will be announced Aug. 24.

“We ran a handicap last year, and it was well-received,” said Kentucky Downs racing secretary Tyler Picklesimer.  “After reviewing our overall program, and knowing the popularity of our stakes, we decided to bring it back. With the Grade 3 Mint Millions now worth $2 million and held the day before, a handicap worth $500,000 is a great spot for horses who didn't get into the Mint Millions as well as improving horses that aren't quite ready for graded stakes.”

Downloadable nomination form

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