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Tag: Kentucky Derby

  • Early Kentucky Derby Favourite Uniqueness Scratched From Race

    LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The early favourite for the Kentucky Derby has been scratched hours earlier than the race.

    Uniqueness used to be declared out of the 149th Derby on Saturday, in keeping with Churchill Downs spokesman Darren Rogers. No quick reason why used to be introduced.

    It used to be the 5th scratch this week from the race.

    The colt had stumbled at the monitor all the way through a exercise Thursday, even supposing instructor Todd Pletcher had downplayed it.

    5 horses have died at Churchill Downs in fresh days, together with two educated by way of Saffie Joseph Jr. He used to be suspended by way of the monitor and had his Derby horse, Lord Miles, scratched.

    Kentucky Horse Racing Fee veterinarians have been at Pletcher’s barn early Saturday to look at and read about Uniqueness, who galloped at the monitor after which jogged outdoor the barn. Co-owner Mike Repole used to be readily available, too.

    Uniqueness had a five-race profitable streak and used to be the early 3-1 favourite. That leaves 18 horses to run within the 1 1/4-mile Derby.

    It used to be some other pre-Derby sadness for Repole.

    He owned Uncle Mo, the early favourite for the 2011 Derby who used to be scratched the day earlier than the race. The colt had a gastrointestinal an infection and used to be sooner or later recognized with a unprecedented liver illness. He resumed racing earlier than retiring in November of that yr.

    Different horses that have been scratched this week have been Sensible Transfer and Skinner, each as a result of fever, and Continuar.

    Pletcher, a two-time Derby winner, will nonetheless saddle Tapit Trice and Kingsbarns.

  • Churchill Downs Investigating 4 Horse Deaths Forward Of Kentucky Derby

    LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The dying of 4 horses at Churchill Downs over a span of 5 days has overshadowed arrangements for the Kentucky Derby.

    Two horses skilled through Saffie Joseph Jr. collapsed at the monitor and died during the last week. Two different horses additionally died as both a results of racing or coaching, together with Derby entrant Wild On Ice.

    Joseph is about to saddle Lord Miles within the first jewel of the Triple Crown on Saturday. However he has mentioned he’s not sure of plans after the 2 deaths from his barn.

    Churchill Downs Racetrack, in a remark Wednesday, expressed fear over the deaths and mentioned officers would press for solutions.

    Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., seen last year, had two of his horses collapse on the race track and die over the past week.
    Teacher Saffie Joseph Jr., observed final yr, had two of his horses cave in at the race monitor and die during the last week.

    Andy Lyons by the use of Getty Photographs

    “Whilst a sequence of occasions like that is extremely odd, it’s utterly unacceptable,” Churchill Downs mentioned. “We take this very severely and recognize that those troubling incidents are alarming and should be addressed. We really feel an incredible duty to our fanatics, the members in our game and all of the business to be a pacesetter in protection and proceed to make vital investments to get rid of possibility to our athletes.”

    The deaths taking place in numerous manners issues to elements past the racing floor.

    There used to be no reason for dying instantly to be had for both of Joseph’s horses, 4-year-old Oldsters Delight, who died after a race Saturday, and 5-year-old Chasing Artie, who died after a race Tuesday.

    Wild On Ice and 3-year-old filly Take Rate Briana broke down with musculoskeletal accidents all the way through coaching or racing and every used to be transported to Rood & Riddle Equine Health facility for evaluation ahead of being euthanized.

    Kentucky Derby hopeful Lord Miles, a horse that's trained by Joseph, is seen working out at Churchill Downs on Tuesday.
    Kentucky Derby hopeful Lord Miles, a horse that is skilled through Joseph, is observed understanding at Churchill Downs on Tuesday.

    Wild On Ice used to be skilled through Joel Marr, and Take Rate Briana through Corridor of Famer D. Wayne Lukas.

    Joseph informed journalists on the monitor Wednesday that blood paintings confirmed not anything out of the peculiar.

    “Whilst you don’t know one thing, that’s when it worries you probably the most,” Joseph mentioned. “One thing is improper. Numerous ideas run via your head, however you’ll be able to power your self insane. However I’m very uneasy at the moment. It’s no longer one thing I would need on any one.”

    Lisa Lazarus, CEO of the Horseracing Integrity and Protection Authority, mentioned in a remark despatched to The Related Press that the welfare of horses and riders is paramount.

    “When horses die all of a sudden, all of us endure, however we take convenience within the gear and practices we now have jointly evolved to analyze contributing elements and deploy the ones learnings to attenuate long run possibility,” Lazarus mentioned, including the group is involved with the Kentucky Horse Racing Fee and Churchill Downs. “HISA additionally intends to habits its personal in-depth research of the fatalities and can percentage the ones findings as soon as the whole investigation is entire.”

    The deaths introduced again ugly reminiscences of 2019, when 42 horses died at Santa Anita Park in California ahead of reforms had been instituted.

    California and New York, which hosts the Belmont Stakes, every have thorough reporting necessities and a database cataloging equine accidents and fatalities, whilst Kentucky does no longer.

  • Kentucky Derby proprietor Churchill Downs strikes clear of on-line playing, doubles down on horse making a bet

    Churchill Downs, which owns the Kentucky Derby, is converting its technique relating to sports activities wagering.

    The corporate is doubling down on horse race making a bet and transferring clear of on-line sports activities making a bet and iGaming virtual on line casino video games, CEO Invoice Carstanjen advised CNBC.

    “We noticed an atmosphere for our corporate the place we did not see certain margins at the horizon. So we switched methods we we’re concerned with working our horse racing industry,” Carstanjen tells CNBC.

    Following a Perfect Court docket determination in 2018 that allowed states to legalize sports activities making a bet, Churchill Downs entered the crowded and aggressive box. Carstanjen mentioned the corporate came upon on-line sports activities making a bet benefit margins are unattractively small. Bills too prime, in line with the CEO, particularly the large prices for the technical infrastructure and the prices to draw and retain avid gamers. Different sportsbook firms are coping with identical problems.

    Churchill Downs, which is at the back of the Twinspires racing app, is in search of doable companions for its iGaming content material and buyer database, Carstanjen mentioned.

    “Our manner is to to be ready to spouse with the ones long-term winners who’re prepared to spend the masses of tens of millions of greenbacks to construct out that industry unprofitably within the within the close to and midterm,” he mentioned.

    Carstanjen mentioned wagering on horse racing on-line has been nice industry for his corporate, with margins of round 30% traditionally. “We stay completely dedicated and eager about TwinSpires Horse Racing as its best line, base line and margins to proceed to reveal that this can be a particular on-line industry with a sustainable, scalable and distinctive industry fashion,” he mentioned all through the corporate’s contemporary profits name.

    Zandon all through the morning coaching for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Might 04, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky.

    Andy Lyons | Getty Pictures

    Nevertheless, the pandemic brought about main disruption to the pony racing trade, exacerbating contemporary declines. This yr’s “Run for the Roses” would be the first customary Derby with a complete capability crowd since 2019. Carstanjen mentioned they’re anticipating document Derby effects in response to advance reserve-ticket gross sales.

    He expects this yr’s Derby, which is scheduled for Saturday, may spoil information relating to the full quantity wagered, often referred to as the care for, so long as the elements remains dry. Wet climate continuously method horses get scratched from the race and bets get refunded.

    The Churchill Downs boss additionally shared with CNBC his technique for world expansion which is being helped partially by means of a horse from Japan, Crown Satisfaction, working on this yr’s Derby.

    Historically, Jap rules save you locals from hanging bets at the Derby, however making a bet is authorized this yr as a result of a Jap-bred horse is working.

    “The pony racing industry in Japan is massive. It is roughly thrice the dimensions of what it’s in the US,” Carstanjen says.

    He mentioned connecting with the pony racing communities the world over is helping Churchill Downs construct new earnings streams via playing, price ticket gross sales, sponsorships and content material offers.

    “It is simply construction a particular connection to our race and to our emblem and giving them get right of entry to to come back to our match,” the CEO mentioned.