1/ST Racing

Guests Andrew Offerman of NYRA, Cathy Shircliff of Churchill Downs, Del Mar's David Jerkens and 1/ST Racing's Jodie Vella-Gregory, joined the latest installment of the OwnerView webinar series Apr. 8 to discuss how they ensure owners take center stage in their operations, according to a Friday press release from The Jockey Club of America who serves as one of the hosts. The panel discussed a myriad of topics related to how to improve an owner's experience at the racetrack, and the group addressed the all-important issue of how to attract...

Thoro-Graph, the creator of North American handicapping products, and 1/ST TECHNOLOGY, operator of the online betting platforms 1/ST BET and Xpressbet, have partnered to bring the Thoro-Graph Player Services program to horseplayers around the country, the Stronach Group said via a release Thursday. Thoro-Graph Player Services is a free, membership-based online portal that links users to wagering with the online platforms. "By partnering with Thoro-Graph, we have created a powerful alliance for horseplayers," said 1/ST TECHNOLOGY President, Keith Johnson. "By linking these great brands, Thoro-Graph Player Services members can maximize...

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) will be onsite during Florida Derby Week as they partner with 1/ST RACING and are designated the beneficiary of a golf tournament, according to a press release from the non-profit on Thursday. TAA will be honored with a named race on the Mar. 29 Derby undercard. Following the running of the race, a presentation will be made to the winning connections including a TAA gift bag. A representative from Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be host the winners of the "Off to the Races" VIP Experience online...

After nearly two hours of debate and testimony, Florida's House Commerce Committee on Monday passed bill HB 105, which would eliminate a requirement that Florida's two remaining racetracks hold races in order to offer alternative forms of gambling, such as slot machines, card rooms and casinos. The bill, sponsored by Republican Representative Adam Anderson is now positioned to go to the full house. A similar bill has been filed in the Senate but has yet to be heard in committees. "Today's vote in the House Commerce Committee was disappointing," said...

Florida's polarizing decoupling legislation, which would remove a statutory requirement that Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs run a minimum number of live Thoroughbred races in order to operate the respective casino and card room at each venue, recently had its first reading in the House of Representatives and remains pending at the committee level in the Senate. The bill has the backing and was launched at the impetus of Gulfstream's corporate owner, The Stronach Group (TSG). But in a solidarity twist that supersedes his family's business ties, 92-year-old Frank...

Watch out for the "Little Guy." Sold for just $70,000 at a yearling sale in Texas, owned by a grocery store owner from Alabama who has had just a few horses and trained by a veteran who had never won a graded stakes race before last weekend, Coal Battle (Coal Front) isn't exactly your typical GI Kentucky Derby horse. But the son Coal Front did it again last week, winning the GII Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn. Having also won the Smarty Jones Stakes, he is obviously for real. To talk...

The Horse Racing Women's Association (HRWA) has scheduled its first event of the season, which will take place beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET on Friday, Mar. 28 at Gulfstream Park, according to a press release from the group on Friday. The day includes opportunities for networking, learning, and sports some friendly competition for all attendees. Local guest speaker Sheri Holmes Stirling, Vice President of Administration at the track, will offer remarks. Participants will have the opportunity to enhance their handicapping skills through a seminar led by Samantha Perry and Claudia...

Breeders and horsemen aiming to fight Florida's decoupling bills launched the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative (TRI) Tuesday, billed as "an industry collaboration created to fight for live horse racing in Florida and elsewhere in the United States," according to a release from the new organization. Thayer Communications & Consulting's Damon Thayer, a 22-year veteran of the Kentucky State Senate and Majority Floor Leader for 12 years, has been picked as senior adviser of the group. Decoupling has been an issue at the forefront of the sport for the past month, when...

With an economic impact of more than $3.2 billion to the state, the importance of the Thoroughbred industry in Marion County, and Florida as a whole, cannot be overstated. Any action that threatens the viability of our racing and breeding operations is deeply troubling and unacceptable. Ocala Breeders' Sales Company, Inc. (OBS) is proud to be the leading seller of two-year-olds in training in the world and while the sales attract a broad group of domestic and international buyers, it is critical that OBS along with the Florida horsemen and...

Officiated by 1/ST Racing under a new deal which was struck last year with the Maryland Racetrack Operating Authority, this year's 150th running of the GI Preakness Stakes is featured alongside 15 stakes--seven of them graded races--which will be worth $4.3 million in purse money on Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17 at Pimlico Race Course, the Stronach Group said via a Thursday release. The second oldest of the Triple Crown races, the Preakness will anchor a May 17 program of 10 stakes worth $3.25 million in purses including...

Florida's controversial decoupling legislation took an ominous step forward Wednesday when a House subcommittee not only advanced a bill that would remove the requirement that Gulfstream Park run a minimum number of live Thoroughbred races in order to operate its casino, but also amended the bill to say similar terms would apply to cardroom gaming license-holders, too, meaning Tampa Bay Downs would also have the option to cease racing if the bill got signed into law. The House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee reported HB 105 as "favorable" by a...

As relief for all the talk of impending track closures, take a look inside my crystal ball for a glimpse of what racing could look like in New York, Maryland and Florida three years from now... Imagine the year is 2028. A newly reconstructed Belmont Park, thanks to a massive $455 million capital infusion, has secured the future of racing in New York for another half-century. The last time Belmont underwent wholesale reconstruction was in 1968, when Nelson Rockefeller was governor. Belmont's new grandstand, designed by stadium architect Populous in...