Tuesday Briefs

Snow is in the forecast for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast later today and tonight, so let me save you the trouble.  Yonkers Raceway will almost certainly be closed this evening.


The Asbury Park Press reports the NJRC is investigating the January 10 mishap at Freehold Raceway involving the starting car.  This can only be viewed as a positive for as far as I am concerned, it is not a question of assigning blame, but determining when conditions mandate the cancelling of racing for the protection of all.


Those who wager on New York races can easily see the takeout rates for the various tracks here.  Of the harness tracks, Tioga Downs has the lowest takeout rates but for those playing wagers like the Superfecta, and Pick-X wagers, beware of Yonkers Raceway's 25% takeout rate.  With many tracks these days offering 15% or 16% takeout rates on these wagers, there are better places to invest your money.


Being there are few outlets, if any, offering wagering on the Prix d'Amerique this Sunday from Vincennes Racetrack in Paris, it is understandable if you have not been paying attention.   Twenty five horses are eligible for one the eighteen starting places in the 2,700 meter race where the winner goes home with a nice 500,000€ payday.  Could you imagine us having an 18 horse field in a 1.667 mile event?  Of course not as we are stuck in maintaining a tradition which has gotten stale.  Anyway, if you want to read more about the Prix d'Amerique, visit the English version of the Prix's website.


Racing at Cal Expo continues on under Watch and Wager's management.  While they race two days a week, it is better than nothing.  Now, looking back at the minutes from the November meeting of the CHRB, it seems storm clouds may be beginning to gather regarding Watch and Wager's continued operation of the Cal Expo meet.  It seems Watch and Wager acquired the rights to the Cal Expo meet partially to set up an ADW.  While they have hub agreements in place with the quarter horse industry and harness, it seems being able to get a hub agreement with a California thoroughbred track which would allow Watch and Wager to offer thoroughbred wagering to California residents has been elusive.  At the November meeting, Watch and Wager indicated they would have to rethink operating Cal Expo if an agreement can not be finalized.