March 7th Updates

Origin of where the Aminorex came from is questioned. I don't think all these trainers are using the drug knowingly. It must be in something they thought was safe.

Veteran Ben Wallace latest trainer to get a positive for Aminorex

Dave Perkins article in the Toronto Star about cheating and a drop in wagering.
He states handicapping is made tougher by cheats, but this has been a growing concern way before the current wave of suspensions. The drop in wagering mostly has to do with the waking up of the gambler.....the game is unfair because of ridiculously high take outs. Sorry to sound like a broken record. Lets face it, wagering on horse racing has been made so much easier with phone betting and computer betting, yet the numbers are dwindling instead of going up exponentially....illegal drugs aren't the problem, though they don't help.

Runaway Groom pensioned at 28
I was 21 when I was at home watching the 1982 Travers. By then I was already a major horse racing fan and bettor. For some reason I can't remember why I was home that day and not at Woodbine. This was probably the second biggest national pride moment I had in my life. The biggest was when Paul Henderson scored the goal that beat the Russians.


OK, here is the number one National Pride moment I had:

I was 11, and watched it in my Jr. High School's gymnasium with a bunch of other students. The game was so important, the school closed early that day to give everyone a chance to go home and watch it.

West Virginia OKs Table Games at Racetracks


Fun Technologies announces that it has over 30 million players worldwide

Youbet stock downgraded on news of Magna and Churchill deal

Why were Bill Robinson's horses scratched? I guess we will find out soon enough

March 5th Update: And More Twilight Zone

I remembered another classic Twilight Zone. Back in 1964, when this one with Mickey Rooney playing a jockey was made, race fixing and horse doping were the biggest issues tainting the sport. Times haven't changed much:

Twilight Zone - Last Night of a Jockey
Uploaded by asteve001

Ontario based jockey Rui Pimentel charged with internet luring a girl under 14

Magna And Churchill Announce Customer Focused Agreements
1. Foster an open and competitive business environment where horse racing content is readily available to customers through a wide variety of distribution points and wagering platforms
2. Create an innovation-based environment of sustainable growth for the North American horse racing industry domestically and internationally;
3. Enhance wagering integrity and security to address horse racing signal piracy and ensure content creators are compensated; and
4. Benefit the horsemen and racetracks that together create racing content through new industry growth.
Magna Posts Large Loss for 2006

HOW SOME US CUSTOMERS ARE BYPASSING THE POKER BAN
Disclaimer: This is not an endorsment and it should not be seen as an endorsement by Cangamble.
In order to bypass the US poker ban you will first need to hide your ip address so that instead of showing up as an American citizen you will be now shown as a Canadian. This is important as the ban only affects American citizens and not Canadians, who can freely register on all the various poker sites.

Step 1: Go To Canada411.Ca
Find someone with a common last name in either Ontario or Quebec province.

Step 2: Get Address
Pick one of these real addresses and phone numbers as your gaming account information.

Step 3: Signup at findnot.com
Findnot.com is a ip redirecting service that will forward your US ip address through Canadian servers located at Ontario and Quebec.

Step 4: Install findnot software
Now whenever you are going to log into your favourite poker site, you will first need to connect to one of findnot’s Canadian servers. The servers are fast and you will hardly notice the difference.

Step 5: Signup With Neteller, Click2pay, Epassporte Or Citadel
Sign up at the sites using your real name and the Canadian address that you came up with. The US Internet Gambling Enforcement Act makes it illegal for online gambling sites to accept electronic fund transfers, however, you are free to deposit money from your bank or credit card into a third party pay site in this case Neteller, Click2pay, Epassporte or Citadel.

HT: Midas Oracle.org


Call for nominations for 2007 Canadian Hall of Fame

Elderly owners of trotting mare Meconopsis interrogated by ORC

Neteller US Client Money May Never Go Back To The Players

Headlines For March 2nd

Since Horse Racing is starting to become something out of the Twilight Zone when it comes to drug charges, here is a classic episode with a horse racing theme. Enjoy:)

Twilight Zone - A Most Unusual Camera
Uploaded by mg217

Rick Zeron and 6 other trainers willing to take lie detector test to prove innocence. Claiming complete ignorance of where Aminorex comes from. Considering multi million dollar lawsuit. He also says ORC stopped the investigation and will just act on the positives.

Harness Racing losing credibility with the bettors in Ontario Willmot states that he has seen double digit drops in betting over the last 18 months. Cites drugs for the drop.
Sorry David, it is also the high take out. Bettors have woke up. They have no chance to win in today's climate.

OHHA and Georgian Downs reach agreement

Presque Isle Downs opens for slots
Horse racing expected to begin there later this year

How slots have saved horse racing....at least temporarily

Bill Finley writes that NYRA should do what Ontario does when it comes to dealing with casinos at racetracks

Magna Entertainment looking to expand via the internet

Tioga and Vernon announce purse increases thanks to slots

Headlines For February 28th

Important Rule Changes For Harness Racing Announced by ORC

Mark MacDonald told he looked fatigued and to take some time off. Chris Christoforou Jr. takes vacation for "personal" reasons.

Magna Entertainment Announces New CEO

John Simmonds back in charge of Trackpower

More about investigation of Rick Zeron and the drug Aminorex

Casino Nova Scotia workers to unionize

Canadian bred Buffalo Man to miss the Triple Crown due to injury


Trainers Anthony Montini, Jeff Gillis, Anthony Haughan, Kevin O’Reilly and Rick Zeron barred by Woodbine indefinitely. Horses trained by them can't be entered for 30 days.

Names of horses who tested positive for Aminorex named

North Dakota betting hub suing NYRA. Owed 1.6 million for payoffs owed from wagering pools.
Interesting discussion on the subject here



Pro poker player Isaac Haxton talks about having 800k tied up with Neteller in the USA:

Headlines For February 26th

Indiana approves slots at tracks

Rick Zeron becomes 7th Trainer in one week suspendeded by ORC; not allowed to drive either while the investigation results are pending

David Wilmott's bookkeeper for Kinghaven Farm, Christiane Kohn, charged in fraud


US to exempt some youths on passports


NYRA banning some shippers due to herpesvirus concern

Funny Commercial:

Headlines For February 23rd

Three more harness trainers get positives for Aminorex


Ray Farmer, a trainer at Windsor gets a year's vacation for a positive

Prominent Canadian harness breeder shuts down operation; blames drugs and high purses

Magna Entertainment opening the door for more financing

Anthony Montini, Jeff Gillis and Anthony Haughan banned "temporarily"

Study shows that Seneca Casinos have positive impact on Western New York economy

Buffalo casino still in limbo

Gelding dead in freak van accident

Fewer dates and smaller purses in store for 2007 Fort Erie

Instant Racing going strong in Arkansas

Headlines For February 20th

ORC Charge 3 Harness Trainers for Allegedly Using Class 1 Drug

Former Track Caller Rankin's Death Being Investigated; Possibly Linked To Rash of Drug Charges. He Was Outspoken About The Use of Drugs In Horse Racing

EPO use rampant at Monticello; Probably most tracks too

Magna Entertainment Books Writedown on Austrian Racino


Betting On the Father of Anna Nicole's baby
Larry Birkhead -500
Howard K Stern +400
Test will be inconclusive +500
Other +1000
Test will not be administered by 12-31-07 +400

*All odds subject to change without notice.

California pulls Beulah's signal; track owner wants to cut purses 20%

Canadian Lotto Numbers Posted By Mistake

Headlines For February 17th

ORC investigates 20 positive tests

Revenues Rise Sharply For Seneca Gaming

NYRA reports losses of 3.9 million for January

Cryptologic Shows Drop In Profit

Jockeys In Britain Keep Getting Banned For Race Fixing

NETeller to cut 250 Canadian jobs

WEG orders 4 trainers to race out of the detention barns

Blast From The Past
Here is Northern Dancer and the 1964 Preakness:

Headlines For February 13th

$250,000 Bison City moved from Fort Erie to Woodbine

Buffalo casino facing more legal hurdles

Former Rideau Carleton track announcer Randy Rankin, shot dead.


Highly successful Canadian born horse owner Trudy McCaffery dies

Polytrack kickback thought to be dependant on track temperature

Mountaineer hoping Erie slots will open by the end of this month

Alberta denies they are considering on-line gambling


Frank Stronach makes sure his retired horses are well taken care of

Widespread drug use may be reason for high rate of deaths in US horse racing


MTR Gaming sells Speedway Casino

Michigan racetracks look for 2008 slot ballot

Instant Racing dead in North Dakota

Malcolm Lynn's appeal denied, and ORC increases fine and suspension

Headlines For February 8th

Corey Johnson resigns from Magna to join group of investors buying unnamed racetrack

Canadian Thoroughbred Ratings for 2006 announced

Alberta considering internet gambling
Alberta Native Indian Internet Gambling Scheme Investigated

Magna announces disposal of non-core real estate

Two top executives leave Senaca Gaming


2000 Canadian Horse of the Year Quiet Resolve Dies


OTB fixes machine that gave "free" bets


Horse racing in trouble in New Jersey without slots

Plans submitted for U.K.'s first racino

$350 million possible for Virginia if they let Instant Racing in

Woodbine Harness Pick 7 Up to $150k for tonight

Pennsylvania Slots pass $1 billion in handle since they started November 14th

Neteller announces US Funds seized

THOUGHTS ON THE TRACK TAKEOUT/SUPER BOWL PREDICTION

Brisbet's Ted Mudge really let David Willmot have it on a radio show last week. Willmot wasn't there, but his ears must still be burning. Mudge called Willmot a beggar, who without slots, would have driven Woodbine into the ground. Listen here, the attack happens at the 6 minute mark (But the entire interview with Mudge is well worth listening to).

The point Mudge was addressing is Willmot's constant whining about other on-line gambling that is available, which he feels is hurting his corporations bottom line.
What Willmot is denying, either wilfully or deceptively, is the fact that the horse racing gambling industry has been in trouble for ages, even before on-line poker, rebate sites, and exchange betting sites arrived. The younger generations did not replace the older generations loyalty and addictiveness to horse racing. The younger generations gamble, and even more so than before, but they do so on games of chance that have a much smaller takeout.

Willmot, unrealistically thinks that if you ban the competition, you will get the
younger crowd. WRONG. The way to get the younger crowd is to give the gambler a chance to win. Right now, the way the game is set up with it's ridiculously high takeouts and lack of marginal to bad handicappers adding to the pools, all that is left is backstretchers and knowledgable handicappers (who are too lazy to wake-up and open up a Betfair account or rebate account).

To make things worse, with the slot explosion, the unsophisticated gamblers have put their gambling money to work on the one armed bandits and out of the horse racing betting pools. It is now sharks against sharks.

Back in "the old days," if someone wanted to bet, they had to go to Vegas, or the track. In the 60's, a typical Woodbine or Greenwood card had 8 races, which included only one daily double, and one or two exactors. People left the track usually with at least some money most of the time. The 70's were the same, except more exotic bets were being introduced. Exactors showed up in most races, and then triactors appeared as well (this caused less people to leave the track with some money, but it was still OK) There was no simulcast wagering. You could only bet on horse racing 5 times a week, and there were only 40 to 50 races one could bet on. The crowds were large, and families would go to the track, because there was little competition, especially on weekends. The track takeouts were less significant, because it is much easier to leave a track a winner when you had a bankroll of say $100 to $200 and only had 8-10 races to play. People who leave the track with money, tend to want to come back and sometimes even bring friends next time.
What killed all this, was simulcast wagering. Now, players were impelled to play 10-50 races a day. The track takeout remained the same, so this bled to death the player in a much quicker fashion, making those who left the building with money an endangered species.

The way it is today is similar to blackjack. Except horse racing's takeout is equivalent to a blackjack game where the player would need an 18-21 to win even if the dealer goes bust and ties go to the house. If those were the blackjack rules, the tables would be close to empty, except for the Yahoos that just don't get it.
Gamblers love action. They only have X amount of dollars to lose each year. The lower the takeout, the longer they can last, and the more likely they are to play.
Just look at Betfair. Even with a $6 minimum (actually it is much lower if you are booking a show bet), the action is great. With a $200 bankroll you can all day, and most likely have money left to play the next day, thanks to the low takeouts.

Shutting down the competition won't work. Besides being unfeasible, players don't like guaranteed losses, so they won't go to the track regardless.

Horse racing and football is much more fun to play than slots, blackjack, and poker for most gamblers, and it should be promoted as such. It is easy to make the horse race handicapping part less intimidating too.

What is needed is a complete change in thinking by the entire industry. Change the track takeouts to 4-8 % everywhere. Embrace the idea of low takeout online exchange betting: The industry in North America should do it themselves, instead of letting a third party take a good chunk of the profits.

The racetrack industry must understand that their customer has only a certain amount of money he or she can lose gambling during the course of the year. Eventually, they will get that money, no matter what the takeout is. And a lower takeout will attract many, many more players, and some will actually win. There is no better form of advertising than a professional handicapper who plays all day long and has his house paid for thanks to winning consistantly at the track.
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SUPER BOWL PREDICTION

I can't believe Indy is 7 points. Normally, this would indicate the bookies are expecting Indy to blow out da Bears. Sure, the AFC was much tougher than the NFC, but a good defense usually beats a good offense in big games. The high point spread too is a head scratcher.

Anyway, here is my prediction:

Headlines For February 1st

Barbaro's life ended peacefully

Sungold announces it has acquired an exclusive license on patents for the first ever lottery to be based on actual live horse racing.

World's largest study of online gambler revealed
Research of 11,000 players from 96 countries.

Revenue Canada testing program to uncover internet tax cheats

Gambling stocks showed strong rise in January

NYRA cuts signal to two dozen wagering outlets

Beulah Six returns over 350k

Banned jockeys asked about a race one year ago at Tampa Bay

State of The Game (3 hours of the current horse race betting climate)

Hour One

Hour Two: Steven Crist

Hour 3 with Andy Beyer

Georgian Downs still closed


Frank Salive to return to Woodbine for a few days of calling

New Brunswick Racino one step closer to reality