thoroughbred | Horse Racing Free Tips

Free Triple Crown Fantasy Contest Now Online, Available To Fans

The following press release was distributed to media by Thoroughbred Racing Challenge:

The Thoroughbred Racing Challenge game is a free online horse racing fantasy contest tracking the 3-year-old horses, trainers and jockeys in their journey to the 2021 Triple Crown through our website at www.DerbyDuel2000.com The game is absolutely free with some great racing collectibles as prizes — plus all important bragging rights!

Until launching online in 2020, the Thoroughbred Racing Challenge contest was a private family game conducted for more than 20 years by the Ball family.

The game was the brainchild of John W. Ball Sr., creator of the Kentucky Derby, Breeders' Cup, and Jockey Trading Card collections in the 1990s. He has generously donated a number of trading card items from his personal collection as prizes.

“The 2020 Thoroughbred Racing Challenge was a tremendous success,” said TRC commissioner John Ball. “Our players really enjoyed the competition that ended with a nose decision as the top-2 players ended up with a difference of only $1.40 in virtual winnings after 30 races. Even the players finishing off the board enjoyed the contest which provided a fun distraction during a very difficult COVID19 plagued year.”

The Thoroughbred Racing Challenge game puts you in the position of being the best jockey in the nation — you will have your pick of the best horse to “ride” in any of the prep races anywhere in the country. Your choices will be graded with “virtual payoffs” of a “$2 Win-Place-Show” mythical wager on your choice in each of the races. Competition will begin in Louisiana at the Fairgrounds with the Lecomte Stakes on Jan. 16 at Fair Grounds and end in New York with the Belmont Stakes on Saturday June 5, 2021.

With 30 races in the competition (including races from Europe, the Middle East and Japan) there's plenty of time to see the contenders for the 2021 Triple Crown in action. Not a racing fan? No worries. Thoroughbred Racing Challenge's mission is to be easy, fun and educational about all things related to the “Sport of Kings.”

Every player in the 2021 Thoroughbred Racing Challenge will have the opportunity to win two of the first-ever Secretariat “Rookie” trading cards. During the approval process for the printing of the cards in 1989 Churchill Downs would not approve the design that featured the Kentucky Derby Festival logo. Packs of three cards (one each from the three series) were already printed and ready for distribution to the media and the retail supply chain as samples. A stop presses and change in the design was the order of the day back in January of 1989. Only recently were these promotional Kentucky Derby Festival cards discovered in storage for more than 30 years. Every player in the Thoroughbred Racing Challenge 2021 will have a chance to win the cards.

To enter the competition simply login at: www.DerbyDuel2000.com and signup on the game homepage. Players can also find additional information on the Thoroughbred Racing Challenge Facebook Group page located at https://www.facebook.com/ThoroughbredRacingChallenge/ and on Twitter @DerbyDuel2000. Join today to enter the Thoroughbred Racing Challenge and enjoy the ride.

The post Free Triple Crown Fantasy Contest Now Online, Available To Fans appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Economic Indicators: Average Wagering Per Race Day Increased In 2020 Despite Pandemic Challenges

Equibase, LLC released its year-end report on Economic Indicators in Thoroughbred Racing on Tuesday, Jan. 5. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Equibase has been providing monthly economic indicators advisories, but this one is for the entire year.

Equibase has provided comparisons between 2019 and 2020 as a whole as well as comparisons between certain portions of 2019 and 2020. The average wagering per race day went up by 32.69% in 2020, which could be linked to more people participating in online wagering. As expected, there was on overall decline in U.S. races, race days, and starts due to a number of tracks having to shut down throughout the year due to COVID-19 safety measures.

Alex Waldrop, President and CEO, National Thoroughbred Racing Association released the following statement:

“The horse racing community is extremely resilient as borne out by the fact that despite the widespread and negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, pari-mutuel wagering on U.S. races held steady in 2020 at nearly $11 billion. We thank both our customers and all of our essential participants on the backside and beyond for keeping the sport going and supporting the industry during what continues to be an unprecedented and challenging period, not only in the United States but around the world.”

YTD 2020 vs. YTD 2019
Indicator	YTD 2020	YTD 2019	% Change
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$10,925,226,444	$11,033,824,363	-0.98%
U.S. Purses	$869,774,080	$1,167,920,667	-25.53%
U.S. Race Days	3,302	4,425	-25.38%
U.S. Races	27,700	36,207	-23.50%
U.S. Starts	220,006	272,553	-19.28%
Average Field Size	7.94	7.53	+5.51%
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$3,308,669	$2,493,520	+32.69%
Average Purses Per Race Day	$263,408	$263,937	-0.20%

1st Half 2020 vs. 1st Half 2019
Indicator	1st Half 2020	1st Half 2019	% Change
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$5,055,522,519	$5,672,774,271	-10.88%
U.S. Purses	$324,168,648	$544,002,132	-40.41%
U.S. Race Days	1,301	2,104	-38.17%
U.S. Races	10,906	17,457	-37.53%
U.S. Starts	88,074	130,239	-32.38%
Average Field Size	8.08	7.46	+8.25%
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$3,885,874	$2,696,185	+44.12%
Average Purses Per Race Day	$249,169	$258,556	-3.63%

2nd Half 2020 vs. 2nd Half 2019
Indicator	2nd Half 2020	2nd Half 2019	% Change
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$5,869,703,925	$5,361,050,092	+9.49%
U.S. Purses	$545,605,432	$623,918,535	-12.55%
U.S. Race Days	2,001	2,321	-13.79%
U.S. Races	16,794	18,750	-10.43%
U.S. Starts	131,932	142,314	-7.30%
Average Field Size	7.86	7.59	+3.50%
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$2,933,385	$2,309,802	+27.00%
Average Purses Per Race Day	$272,666	$268,815	+1.43%

4th QTR 2020 vs. 4th QTR 2019
Indicator	4th QTR 2020	4th QTR 2019	% Change
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$2,576,411,336	$2,439,642,344	+5.61%
U.S. Purses	$240,537,331	$274,053,649	-12.23%
U.S. Race Days	793	910	-12.86%
U.S. Races	6,805	7,653	-11.08%
U.S. Starts	55,530	61,576	-9.82%
Average Field Size	8.16	8.05	+1.42%
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$3,248,942	$2,680,926	+21.19%
Average Purses Per Race Day	$303,326	$301,158	+0.72%

December 2020 vs. December 2019
Indicator	December 2020	December 2019	% Change
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$751,865,995	$707,728,171	+6.24%
U.S. Purses	$57,535,084	$66,315,581	-13.24%
U.S. Race Days	229	252	-9.13%
U.S. Races	2,008	2,169	-7.42%
U.S. Starts	16,884	17,561	-3.86%
Average Field Size	8.41	8.10	+3.85%
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$3,283,258	$2,808,445	+16.91%
Average Purses Per Race Day	$251,245	$263,157	-4.53%

* Includes worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races.

Charts Courtesy Equibase

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‘It Was Like Me And My Own Shadow’: Birdstone Finds Comfort In Former Stablemate Sun King

2004 Belmont and Travers Stakes winner Birdstone recently retired from his stud duties at Gainesway Farm in August to live the simple life at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, Ky. After 15 years at stud, the son of Grindstone had some trouble getting adjusted to his new life of leisure.

Old Friends founder Michael Blowen told America's Best Racing that all Birdstone needed was the comfort of a familiar face.

“Birdstone was really nervous; he was anxious and sweaty. He calmed down a little, but not a lot, in the first week. Then, I noticed that he wouldn't take his eyes off Sun King,” Blowen said. “It was like me and my own shadow, almost like a stalker. When he went to get hay, Birdstone would go get hay; when Sun King would get a drink of water, Birdstone got water.”

A quick phone call to Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito revealed that Birdstone and Sun King had been stalled right across from each other for a time while training with Zito. Although the two, as intact stallions, can't be turned out in the same paddock, they are within sight of each other whenever Sun King isn't in his run-in shed. Birdstone has since relaxed as long as he has eyes on his buddy.

It's not the first friendship Blowen has seen between notable horses. Stormy Liberal and Patch bonded immediately and Game On Dude and Little Mike hate to be separated even for overnights in the barn.

Cheveley Park Stud Owner/Breeder Thompson Dies At 84

David Thompson, owner of Cheveley Park Stud in Newmarket, England, has died due to renal failure at the age of 84, according to The Blood-Horse.

Cheveley Park Stud has been home to multiple influential stallions since Thompson purchased the property in 1975. The most notable was Pivotal, winner of the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes and sire of 150 black type winners, who is still breeding today.

Thompson also found success on the track with Russian Rhythm, Echelon, Red Bloom, Integral, and 2016 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner, Queen's Trust, to name a few.

“David Thompson was a very generous, meticulous, sometimes unpredictable man, who always had a certain charm,” said Chris Richardson, the stud's managing director. “He inspired everyone with his insatiable enthusiasm for business which, thankfully, included a love of racing and breeding, alongside his wife, Patricia, and their family.”