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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.

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Indiana Racing Commission To Consider Sale Of Tracks To Eldorado Amid Staff Concerns

The Indiana Horse Racing Commission will meet next week to consider a petition from Eldorado Resorts to purchase permits and licenses to hold racing in the state from Caesars Entertainment. Based on a redacted report released to the public this week, commission staff have expressed concern about whether the purchase would be good for racing in Indiana.

Eldorado currently owns Pompano Park in Pompano Beach, Fla., and Scioto Downs in Columbus, Ohio. It also once owned Presque Isle Downs before selling the Erie, Penn., track to Churchill Downs, Inc. and Mountaineer Park in New Cumberland, W.V., which it sold to Century Casinos last year.

While the report from executive director Deena Pitman made note of big promises made by Eldorado to the commission and horsemen about its willingness to contribute to the longterm health of racing, it also raised concerns about the company. For one thing, the report noted a decline in stock shares of Eldorado from their 52-week average and questioned whether Eldorado would continue to invest in its racing properties, particularly if new financial challenges arose as a result of COVID-19 or other factors.

More importantly though, Pitman expressed serious concern about feedback from horsemen at Pompano, Scioto and Mountaineer. Reports prepared by a third party demonstrated a poor relationship between horsemen and track management and alleged unwillingness by Eldorado to repair facilities like grandstand and seating areas and barns. At Mountaineer, the report also noted, track employees were paid far less than average before it was sold, causing staff shortages and making retention difficult. At various times, the track had been short of several assistant starters and had gone months without a track superintendent at the time of a report authored by consultant Doug Reed in February 2020, around the time the sale of the property to Century was due to close.

“Unfortunately, based on all of the information before the Commission Staff, it is not clear that ERI offers the capable leadership needed for the future of Indiana racing. This is not a conclusion that the Commission Staff reaches lightly. As stated above, the Commission Staff was impressed with the commitments that ERI offered in the March Letter. These commitments, for the first time, made Commission Staff believe that ERI was giving serious thought and consideration to its ownership of the two racing permits and its place as a steward of both racing and the Anderson and Shelbyville communities.

“On the other hand, Commission Staff cannot ignore the information in Reed's Second Report. It is difficult to reconcile the 'two sides' of ERI as an organization — one that is promising great things and making commitments to the Indiana horsemen and IHRC to be the permit holder that the Indiana industry needs. The other, an entity that is and has been clearly disinterested in horse racing since entering the industry in 2014 and seems strongly averse to spending any additional money to improve horse racing at its currently-owned properties.”

Pitman outlined a 22-item list of requirements she advised the commission require of Eldorado before approving the sale, including a racing escrow fund of $25 million to be spent over a ten-year period, application and accreditation by the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance for Indiana Grand, and more.

The commission will meet in closed executive session on Monday morning to discuss the issue, and followed by a public meeting.

Pitman's report is available here.

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Minnesota Stewards To Begin Issuing Civil Fines For Non-Compliance With COVID-19 Protocols

The Minnesota Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association posted on Facebook Wednesday the following letter from Steve May, executive director of the Minnesota Racing Commission.

July 8, 2020

Attention:
Mike Cronin
Minnesota HBPA

Attention:
Andrew Offerman
Canterbury Park

RE: COVID-19 Protocol Compliance by Minnesota Racing Commission Licensees

Dear Sirs,

It has come to my attention through communications with Minnesota Racing Commission (“MRC”) licensees, Canterbury Park and MRC staff, and through my own observations at the racetrack that numerous licensees are not complying with COVID-19 protocols while at Canterbury Park. This is after countless verbal and written communications from MRC, Canterbury Park, and Minnesota HBPA personnel as well as signage posted throughout various Canterbury Park facilities. These areas of non-compliance include, but are not limited to:

• The usage of face masks that cover the mouth and nose;
• The display of color-coded wristbands to ensure that individuals have undergone a temperature and symptom check each day at the racetrack; and
• Social distancing of at least 6 feet in areas of congregation.

Therefore, I am instructing MRC investigators and staff, Canterbury Park staff, and any licensee to report the name and badge number of any licensed individual that is not complying with COVID-19 protocols while at Canterbury Park to Board of Stewards. I have also instructed the Board of Stewards to begin issuing civil fines for non-compliance with these protocols. These fines will begin at $100 and will escalate for repeated violations.

I do not believe that I need to remind anyone that failure to adhere to COVID-19 protocols has led to the closure of at least two pari-mutuel racetracks throughout the United States that had previously been allowed to operate with protocols in place. But I still rest assured that Minnesota's pari-mutuel racetracks can continue to offer a safe, secure facility for the horsepeople, the teams at Canterbury Park and the MRC, and most importantly the patrons visiting the racetrack. This is only possible with strict compliance to the COVID-19 protocols that have been thoroughly researched and developed with all parties in mind.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about this letter.

Sincerely,

Steve May
Executive Director Minnesota Racing Commission

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Monomoy Girl’s Ruffian Start Featured On America’s Day At The Races

America's Day at the Races, produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, returns this Thursday, July 9 on FOX Sports and MSG+ for wall-to-wall television coverage of closing weekend of the 2020 Belmont spring/summer meet.

The acclaimed national telecast airs Thursday through Sunday on FS1, FS2 and MSG+ for a combined 20 ½ hours of racing and analysis of the best in thoroughbred racing from Belmont Park, which will take place just before the New York circuit shifts to Saratoga Race Course for its annual 40-day summer meet at the Spa. Highlighting the weekend action from Belmont is the Grade 2, $150,000 Ruffian on Saturday, July 11, featuring Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl, making her first graded race appearance since capturing the Breeders' Cup Distaff in November 2018.

Trained by Brad Cox, the talented 5-year-old Tapizar mare missed her entire 4-year-old season after a mild case of colic and an injury to her hamstring. She returned to action on May 16 with a 2 3/4-length win in an optional-claiming tilt contested on a sloppy Churchill Downs main track. Monomoy Girl's victory in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Distaff capped an Eclipse Award-winning season, which included G1 victories in the Ashland at Keeneland, Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, Acorn at Belmont Park and the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga.

Saturday's 42nd running of the Ruffian for 4-year-olds & up (fillies & mares) going one mile is named for the legendary filly of the mid-1970s and winner of 10 consecutive races, eight of them stakes. Foaled at Claiborne Farm, Ruffian was bred by Stuart S. Janney, Jr. and Barbara Phipps Janney, and trained by Frank Y. Whiteley, Jr. Asked for his strategy when aboard the big black filly, Ruffian's jockey Jacinto Vasquez had a simple answer: “Ruffian sets her own pace and gets (to the lead) on her own,” he said.

Weekend stakes action from Belmont Park kicks off on Friday with the 6th running of the $80,000 Gold Fever for 3-year-olds going 6 furlongs on the dirt.

Sunday's 6th running of the $80,000 River Memories for 4-year-olds & up (fillies & mares) going 1 ½ miles on the turf will be the final stakes race of the 25-day Belmont spring-summer meet. Closing Day will feature a special post time of 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

This week's America's Day at the Races schedule:

(All times Eastern)

Thursday, July 9:
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (FS2)
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (MSG+)

Friday, July 10:
1:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (FS2)
1:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (MSG+)

Saturday. July 11:
1:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (FS2)
1:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (MSG+)

Sunday, July 12:
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (FS1)
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (FS2)
12:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (MSG+)

America's Day at the Races is also broadcast on NYRA's YouTube channel, which boasts more than 40,000 subscribers. Fans can subscribe to NYRA's channel and set a reminder to watch the show on YouTube Live. NYRA's YouTube channel also hosts a number of race replays, special features, America's Day at the Races replays and more.

America's Day at the Races is presented by America's Best Racing, Runhappy, and Claiborne Farm. This weekend's broadcast team includes Greg Wolf, Andy Serling, Maggie Wolfendale, Richard Migliore, Acacia Courtney and Jonathon Kinchen.

NYRA Bets is the official online wagering platform of the Belmont spring/summer meet available to customers across the United States. In addition to a host of weekly special offers, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 deposit match bonus to new members.

NYRA Bets provides fans the opportunity to wager on racing from tracks around the world at any time. The NYRA Bets app is available for download for iOS and Android at NYRA Bets App. Watch and wager on the best racing while earning points on every bet.

For further details on the new member bonus, visit NYRABets.com/#sign-up-bonus.

Free Equibase-provided past performances are available for races that are part of the America's Day at the Races broadcast and can be accessed at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

The 2020 Belmont spring/summer meet continues through Sunday, July 12. Live racing is offered Thursday through Sunday with a first post of 1:15 p.m. from Thursday to Saturday and a special closing-day post time of 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. The 2020 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course kicks off on Thursday, July 16 and will feature 71 stakes worth $14.45 million, encompassing 39 graded stakes and 18 Grade 1s. The 40-day Saratoga meet continues through Monday, September 7.

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