Tag: #HorseRacing

Kentucky Derby Primer & New England Celebrations

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Churchill Downs Is The Center of the

Racing World This Week

The Kentucky Derby is so much more than part of horse racing’s Triple Crown. It’s one of the most famed horse races in the world, aptly named “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.” It’s step one of the famed Triple Crown in horse racing. For the state of Kentucky, “The Derby” draws an average of 150,000 visitors each year, including residents, out-of-towners, celebrities,

Churchill Downs

presidents, and even members of royal families. For the official Kentucky Derby website, go to 2019 Official Kentucky.

Here are a few interesting facts about “the Derby:”

  1. The first Kentucky Derby race occurred in 1875
  2. The Mint Julep is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. It is an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint, and a sweet syrup and is traditionally served in a commemorative Kentucky Derby glass.
  3.  The Kentucky Derby is host to some of the longest standing racetrack traditions in the U.S. Each year, you will find fans sipping Mint Juleps (drink made from whiskey, mint and sugar) and eating burgoo (a meat stew) at the racetrack. Women appear in lavish outfits with big, elegant hats. The University of Louisville marching band plays Stephen Foster’s “My Old Kentucky Home” as the horses are paraded before the grandstands.
  4. This is actually a 2-week festival – The annual two-week series of events held in Louisville beginning with Thunder Over Louisville and leading up to the Kentucky Derby.

Types of Kentucky Derby Bets Available

Mohegan Sun Racebook

  • Win – This is a bet for a single horse to win.
  • Place – This is a bet for a single horse to finish first or second.
  • Show – A bet the horse will place in the top three.
  • Across the Board (Win, Place & Show) – This is similar to a show bet, but if your horse wins second or first, the payout is much larger.
  • Exacta – This is a bet for the first and second places – in the exact order.
  • Exacta Box – This is like the exacta bet, except that the winners can be in any order.
  • Trifecta – This bet is for the top three finishers in a specific order.
  • Trifecta Box – Similar to the trifecta except the winners can be in any order.
  • Superfecta – This is the toughest bet but one with the biggest payout. It chooses the top four finishers in exact order.
  • Superfecta Box – This is the same as a superfecta except the order of the top four horses picked does not matter.

The Line as of Wednesday, May 1st at Westgate SuperBook

Kentucky Derby Celebrations at your New England Casinos.

KENTUCKY DERBY CELEBRATIONS – Foxwoods, Hollywood Bangor, MGM Springfield, Mohegan Sun, Oxford 

FOXWOODS – May 4th, 10AM, Grand Pequot Ballroom – Place a $50 wager and receive one (1) free food coupon for the Kentucky Derby Buffet, one (1) free mint julep coupon, and free Kentucky Derby T-shirt. Reserved Seating for account wagering players only in The Ultimate Race Book. Place a $25 wager and receive a free Kentucky Derby Cap.  One per Loyalty Card Holder, while supplies last, only in GPT Ballroom.  The Ultimate Race Book – Advanced Wagering begins May 2 / Kentucky Oaks Day • May 3

HOLLYWOOD BANGOR RACEWAY – May 4th. – The 135th season of racing at historic Bangor Raceway gets underway on Saturday afternoon with a day of events leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Live racing starts at 2:30 p.m. and a full slate of nine races is scheduled. Hollywood Casino will be offering prizes for the best hat and attire.Coverage of the Kentucky Derby begins at 4:30 p.m. and will be on display under the grandstand with opportunities to place wagers before the Derby post time of 6:46 p.m.Admission to the grandstand is free. Race programs will be sold at the track for $1 starting the day before each race card.

MGM SPRINGFIELD – May 3&4th – MGM Springfield will kick off a weekend of festivities on Friday, May 3, with the launch of “Food Truck Fridays” and what is billed as “Derby de Mayo Weekend” on the casino grounds.  “Derby de Mayo Weekend” kicks off Friday, May 3, at 11 a.m. with a performance by local cover band Feel Good Drift, lawn games and bites from “Food Truck Fridays” inaugural event. Guests can also enjoy TAP Sports Bar’s signature outdoor beer garden, which will open for the first time this season.On Saturday, May 4, at 4:30 p.m., the grounds off Howard Street will transform into an outdoor viewing party for the venerable Kentucky Derby race as it shown live on the 330-square-foot marquee screen. The event also will feature live music and three MGM Springfield food trucks.

MOHEGAN SUN – May 4th – Sky Convention Center And Uncas Ballroom.  Open seating for approximately 1,000 people on a “first come” basis; VIP section for invited guests; 30 Betting terminals; 9 large screen displays dedicated to the races; Special Guest Handicappers: Mike “Mut” Mutnansky – Host of Mut and Callahan from 6am to 10am on  Sports Radio 93.7 WEEI in Boston. Anthony “Big A” Stabile – Co-host of Talking Horses on NYRA and HRRN, Jim Mazur – from Progressive Handicapping; Giveaways: With $25 wager ..Commemorative Mohegan Sun Derby 2019 T-shirt. With $50 wager…A pass to enjoy the Derby Festival Buffet.; Advance Wagering:  in the Race Book available on Friday, May 3rd. Make a $50 advance wager on the Derby and receive a souvenir cap*. Windows open at 11:00am.

OXFORD CASINO (Owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated) – On Saturday, May 4 from Noon to 6:30pm – Sixth Annual Derby Dash! Pick your favorite pony in the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby and you could win a share of the Derby Dash prize pool of up to $15,000* Free Slot Play. Then watch the race at the Oxford Event Center.

Binbin

Kentucky Derby For The Beginner

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Churchill Downs Is The Center of the

Racing World This Week

Are you one of those that plan for the date set ahead of time, planning your Derby party,  making it as special as the Super Bowl? Or are you like me…. not aware until it’s the weekend of the event?

I must admit, horse racing is not my favorite form of gambling. But the Kentucky Derby is so much more. It’s one of the most famed horse races in the world, aptly named “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.” It’s step one of the famed Triple Crown in horse racing. For the state of Kentucky, The Derby draws an average of 150,000 visitors each year, including residents, out-of-towners, celebrities, presidents, and even members of royal families.

Churchill Downs

 So, here are a few facts for you beginners out there like me:

1) The first Kentucky Derby race occurred in 1875

2) The Mint Julep is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. It is an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint, and a sweet syrup and is traditionally served in a commemorative Kentucky Derby glass.

3) The Kentucky Derby is host to some of the longest standing racetrack traditions in the U.S. Each year, you will find fans sipping Mint Juleps (drink made from whiskey, mint and sugar) and eating burgoo (a meat stew) at the racetrack. Women appear in lavish outfits with big, elegant hats. The University of Louisville marching band plays Stephen Foster’s “My Old Kentucky Home” as the horses are paraded before the grandstands.

4) This is actually a 2-week festival – The annual two-week series of events held in Louisville beginning with Thunder Over Louisville and leading up to the Kentucky Derby.

Kentucky Derby Betting Rules
Depending on where and how you place your bets on the Kentucky Derby, the rules may vary a bit. Having said that, most times all bets must be made at least a few minutes before the race begins. This is why it’s important to start doing your research about the 2018 Kentucky Derby now while you still have time. Knowing the specific rules for betting on the Kentucky Derby is important, so choosing how you are going to place your bets is also something you should do as soon as possible.

Types of Kentucky Derby Bets Available

Mohegan Sun Racebook


Win – This is a bet for a single horse to win.

Place – This is a bet for a single horse to finish first or second.

Show – A bet the horse will place in the top three.

Across the Board (Win, Place & Show) – This is similar to a show bet, but if your horse wins second or first, the payout is much larger.

Exacta – This is a bet for the first and second places – in the exact order.

Exacta Box – This is like the exacta bet, except that the winners can be in any order.

Trifecta – This bet is for the top three finishers in a specific order.

Trifecta Box – Similar to the trifecta except the winners can be in any order.

Superfecta – This is the toughest bet but one with the biggest payout. It chooses the top four finishers in exact order.

Superfecta Box – This is the same as a superfecta except the order of the top four horses picked does not matter.

As you can see, there are quite a few options when it comes to horse races like the Kentucky Derby. Knowing the options and payouts is important for coming up with a good betting strategy to follow.

That’s all for now. Look for more coverage of this year’s Derby this week, including Kentucky Derby Celebrations at your New England Casinos.

Binbin

Preakness Primer – 4 Questions, 4 Answers Each

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Now that the Kentucky Derby has come and gone, let’s turn our attention to the 2017 Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.  Post time for the Preakness is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. and the race will begin shortly after. Kentucky Derby champion Always Dreaming will start the Preakness side by side with his chief rival, Classic Empire, setting up a potential duel for the ages. Lookin At Lee, a veteran of 10 races who always runs hard, will start from the No. 9 post as a 10-1 third choice.

This year’s post positions are:

1. Multiplier

2. Cloud Computing

3. Hence

4. Always Dreaming

5. Classic Empire

6. Gunnevera

7. Term of Art

8. Senior Investment

9. Lookin at Lee

4 Questions – Each With 4 Answers

What is a brief history on the Preakness? Horse Racing

  1. The Preakness Stakes is an American flat thoroughbred horse race held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.
  2. First run in 1873
  3. The 142nd Preakness Stakes will be on Saturday, May 20, 2017. (TODAY)
  4. The Preakness Stakes were run for the first time two years before the Kentucky Derby.

What makes the Preakness different from the Kentucky Derby?  images

  1. The Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, may not create quite the stir that the Kentucky Derby does, but it does bring with it some subtle differences that make the race just as compelling.
  2. It is not a great deal shorter than the Derby, but that extra 1/16 of a mile makes it easier for horses to go full speed right from the start. The Preakness Stakes plays much faster because everyone is allowed to jump right out of the gate as hard as they can.

    The start at Pimlico

    The start at Pimlico

  3. Unlike the Kentucky Derby, which is based more on power than speed, depending on the weather conditions, Pimlico plays as a faster race track.
  4. Pimlico’s surface is much more firm than what you will find at Churchill Downs. As a result, the horses are able to gain better traction with their footing.

How does this translate to BETTING DIFFERENCES?  Here are four considerations:

Inside Pimlico - Betting Windows

Inside Pimlico – Betting Windows

  1. The shorter distance means that horses that struggled to get the Derby distance might handle this one better.
  2. Horses who run in the Derby and the Preakness have to race just two weeks. While this used to be typical for racing, the “big Horses” now are used to more time between important races. The ability to handle a shorter rest is a big factor in how well they will do in the Preakness.
  3. Related to the previous difference, about half the field in the Preakness is made up of horses that did not run in the Derby. Some of these new horses are going to be much fresher than the Derby horses, and in many cases they are more familiar with running at Pimlico than the Derby horses will be.
  4. The Preakness is capped at 14 runners. The Derby has 20 horses in the field, bringing fewer potential concerns for a winning path. As a result, while in the Derby, horses are almost guaranteed to encounter trouble of some sort at one point, in the Preakness it can be easier for a horse to find a smooth trip.

Finally, Jeremy Plonk, from ESPN, lists the following differences for those attending.  It’s just not the same tourist-fest that the Kentucky Derby is, but Pimlico and the Preakness have their own quirky traditions:Preakness 1

  1. Fashion: Like the Derby, it depends on the area of the facility. Those with reserved seats will be finely fashionable to business casual. Those in the infield, well, it’s unofficially “clothing optional.”
  2. Drink: The Black-Eyed Susan is a mixture of vodka,
    The Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico.

    The Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico.

    light rum and Cointreau, along with pineapple juice and orange juice. Shake the ingredients, pour over crushed ice, garnish with lime.

  3. Traditions: The Preakness’ version of “My Old Kentucky Home” is “Maryland, My Maryland,” the state song.
  4. The black-eyed Susan, the Maryland state flower, is nearly synonymous with The Preakness. The flower has yellow leaves and is black in the middle. After the race, the Preakness winner receives an arrangement consisting of about 2000 blooms sewn on to a mesh of black rubber and decorated with a variety of greens.

There you have it.  You’re primed for the Preakness.

That’s all for now.

Binbin