Thoroughbred Idea Foundation Forms Wagering And Integrity Issues Steering Committee

The Thoroughbred Idea Foundation (TIF) announced Tuesday the formation of the Wagering and Integrity Issues Steering Committee, which will include members from its current directors and beyond. This panel will guide TIF's approach to advocating for change within North American racing's wagering operations and topics related to improving integrity on behalf of all racing participants, but specifically horseplayers.

The members of the Wagering and Integrity Issues Steering Committee are:

Michael Beychok
Amy Brantley
Marshall Gramm (TIF Board)
Candice Hare
Jonathon Kinchen
Mike Maloney
Paul Matties (TIF Board)
Tom Reynolds (TIF Board)
Nick Tammaro
Maury Wolff

“Issues related to wagering and integrity impact all stakeholders in racing and there has been little evolution on this front in the face of major industry consolidation over the last two decades. We have assembled a tremendous group to help advance our work and I am thankful that they see the value in our vision, the past two years of advocacy, and want to help us spur action on these matters across the industry,” said Patrick Cummings, TIF Executive Director.

TIF also announced the addition of Michael Levy to its Board of Directors. Levy is the founder and president of Muirfield Insurance, a full-service equine insurance agency based in Lexington, Kentucky. Along with wife Meg, they own and operate Bluewater Farm and Bluewater Sales.

Throughout his career, Levy has served on a variety of industry boards, including the American Graded Stakes Committee, Breeders' Cup and Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

“Mike brings a lifetime of experience to our board, and with it, a willingness to think outside-the-box. He is keenly aware of the challenges of racing's business model as an owner-breeder and is also an avid horseplayer. We are fortunate to have his support,” said TIF founder and board chairman Craig Bernick.

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Gulfstream’s Rainbow 6 Pool Guaranteed At $500,000 Wednesday

Gulfstream Park's 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have a guaranteed pool of $500,000 when racing resumes Wednesday.

First race post is noon.

The Rainbow 6 will begin with the fifth race, a 5 furlong maiden special weight event for 3-year-olds and up at 5 furlongs on the turf. The race drew a field of seven including American Phenom, a $340,000 yearling purchase who was claimed for $50,000 out of his racing debut by trainer Rohan Crichton for Daniel Walters. American Phenom finished fourth March 5 in his debut. Also entered is first-time starter R Private Jet, an $82,000 purchase as a yearling in 2018 who enters the race with a bullet half-mile work for trainer Georgina Baxter.

There will be three turf races in the sequence, including the 10th and final race, a maiden claiming event at 1 1/16 mile.

This will be the last Wednesday program at Gulfstream. The track will move to a Thursday through Sunday program beginning July 23.

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TIF Lauds Keeneland For Proactively Addressing Late Odds Shift

Keeneland didn't just offer customers free programs and past performances over their recently concluded five-day summer meet, they made a highly unusual announcement on Saturday morning.

After customer complaints on Friday afternoon, Keeneland explained a late odds change from the previous day's races, assuring the public the bets were appropriately time-stamped before betting was closed.

It's a tiny, first step for an industry which has too often left the majority of its customers behind, promoting the access of a few massive wagering syndicates above the experiences of the general public.

The field for Keeneland's sixth race on Friday jumped from the stalls and #3 Early Mischief was 10-1. While it doesn't happen often, the odds for the race were still on the screen as the field broke away. The next time the odds appeared on the screen, after the race was finished and Keeneland was showing a head-on replay of the start of the race, Early Mischief was listed at 5-1.

Those who bet the race, bet racing in general or simply observed the incident, commented negatively on the situation via social media in its aftermath. Incidents such as these occur with regularity across the sport, often leading to substantial frustration from customers and, in general, silence from racetracks and bet-takers.

Needless to say, concerned customers could have a variety of questions.

Was the bet entered after the race started and Early Mischief ended up on the lead?

Why does it take the tote system so long to update?

Is there anything nefarious involved here?

These are all fair questions. Customers ask these questions because incidents like the one at Keeneland occur with regularity across North American racing. Day in and day out.

Much to their credit, Keeneland did publish a statement on Saturday morning following the Early Mischief odds shift:

“In Keeneland's 6th race on Friday, there was a significant late odds shift on the winner, Early Mischief (3). Upon request from Keeneland, the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau analyzed the wagering records. During the last cycle, 26 percent of the win pool was received ($61,000). Of this amount, $16,000 was wagered on the 3 horse, dropping his odds from 10-1 to 5-1.

“Upon examination, several large win wagers were placed on the 3 horse just prior to post and those were reflected as horses left the gate. Keeneland refreshes win odds every 10 seconds to give the customer as accurate a picture as possible.

“All wagers were time stamped properly and were placed prior to the start of the race.”

CLICK HERE to read more on Keeneland's announcement…

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Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Features Belmont, Keeneland, And Delaware Park Races

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host a Cross Country Pick 5, featuring a combined four graded stakes among Keeneland and Delaware Park, on Saturday, July 11.

Live coverage of races in the sequence on the final Saturday of the Belmont Park spring/summer meet will be available with America's Day at the Races on FS1 and MSG+.

Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.

Keeneland will start the wager with Race 6 at 3:51 p.m. with the Grade 2, $150,000 Shakertown for 3-year-olds and up going 5 ½ furlongs on turf. Wildman Jack, trained by Doug O'Neill, is listed at 5-2 on the morning line as part of an overflow 14-horse field. Wildman Jack enters off a win in the Grade 3 Daytona on May 23 at Santa Anita. In March, he set a track record at Meydan Racecourse with his win in the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, completing six furlongs on the turf course in 1:07.61.

Delaware Park will host the second leg, with the Grade 3, $125,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in Race 7 at 4:15 p.m. Gentle Ruler will be seeking a repeat victory in the 1 3/8-mile turf route, which attracted a 10-horse field. Gentle Ruler, trained by Ian Wilkes, made an appearance at Saratoga Race Couse following her 2019 victory at Delaware Park, running fourth in the Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Waya in August. She then won back-to-back stakes, including the Grade 3 Dowager in October at Keeneland to cap her campaign. She started her 5-year-old year with a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Orchid in March at Gulfstream Park before besting allowance company in June at Churchill Downs.

Action shifts back to Keeneland for the next two races, starting with the Grade 1, $350,000 Jenny Wiley for older fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on turf in Race 8 at 4:57 p.m. Rushing Fall, a four-time Grade 1-winner trained by Chad Brown, made her first start since October when she won the Grade 3 Beaugay by two lengths on June 3 at Belmont. She now enters the Jenny Wiley as the 6-5 favorite in the eight-horse field that also includes the Brazilin-bred Jolie Olimpica [5-2 morning line], who has two graded stakes wins already this year. Trained by Richard Mandella, the 4-year-old Drosselmeyer filly captured the Grade 3 Las Cienegas in January and the Grade 2 Monrovia last out on May 25, with both wins coming at Santa Anita.

Race 9, at 5:30 p.m., will showcase the Grade 2, $600,000 Blue Grass for sophomores. Offering 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the top-four finishers towards September's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, the 96th running of the Blue Grass will see filly Swiss Skydiver take on the boys in the 1 1/8-mile contest as part of a 13-horse field. Trained by Kenneth McPeek, two-time Blue Grass winner, Swiss Skydiver will look to earn her first Derby qualifying points after winning three graded stakes this year and securing a spot in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on September 4, racking up 310 points towards the “Lilies for the fillies.”

No filly has ever won the Blue Grass, but a strong showing could see Swiss Skydiver dream of running for the roses instead. To get there, she will take on a field that includes Basin, who won last year's Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga and most recently ran second in a division of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Basin is ninth on the Derby leaderboard with 50 points.

Belmont Park, on the final Saturday of the spring/summer meet, will close out the sequence with Race 9 at 5:36 p.m. A 14-horse field of New York-bred 3-year-olds and up will contest at seven furlongs on the turf and includes Uncle George, listed at 7-2 on the morning line, and Big Wonder, at 6-1.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, July 11:
Leg 1 – Keeneland, Race 6: Grade 2 Shakertown (3:51 p.m.)
Leg 2 – Delaware Park, Race 7: Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial (4:15 p.m.)
Leg 3 – Keeneland, Race 8: Grade 1 Jenny Wiley (4:57 p.m.)
Leg 4 – Keeneland, Race 9: Grade 2 Blue Grass (5:30 p.m.)
Leg 5 – Belmont, Race 9: (5:36 p.m.)

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