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As last-second shots fly, setting off celebrations or disappointment during this weekend's men's college basketball tournament, every fan understands what's on the line: a trip to the NCAA Tournament. In recent years, horse racing's biggest events have done a decent job of providing similar clarity for fans through such tools as the Road to the ...

Welcome to March, when the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) field begins to take shape thanks to increased prep race qualifying points that essentially ensure winners of races like the Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth (G2), San Felipe (G2), and Rebel (G2) stakes a spot in the Derby gate. This year, Turfway Park's top Derby ...

In a refreshing move, Kentucky Horse Racing Commission vice chairman John Roach listed a number of horseplayer concerns at a Jan. 16 rules committee meeting. Roach, who serves on the rules committee, wasn't to the point of taking a position on the issues forwarded to the KHRC by professional horseplayer Mike Maloney, but Roach wanted to get the ...

A look at Gun Runner's Equibase Speed Figures for 2017 adds a bit more evidence of the consistently brilliant season enjoyed by the son of Candy Ride. In winning five of six starts, including four straight grade 1 wins to close out the season, Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm's runner not only registered the top ESF of the season ...

Just as the big purses of the Breeders' Cup World Championships catch the attention of the owners of top horses, the big money available in the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge attracts interest from top horseplayers. This year's total prizes are expected to exceed $1 million with a first-place prize of $300,000. While entries continue to be ...

A few days after new standards for tax reporting and withholding of big wins in pari-mutuel wagering were put in place Sept. 28, professional horseplayer Mike Maloney hit a Pick 6 that returned $46,000. Even though he was well aware of the new standards—he's been pushing for the changes for 15 years—he recalls an odd feeling when the ticket ...

This is a recent Dollars and Sense column, which appears weekly in BloodHorse Daily, typically Friday. The success enjoyed on opening weekend at Keeneland by horses who made their previous start at Kentucky Downs serves as the latest example of the improving quality of horses competing at the lucrative September meet in Franklin, Ky. Horses who ...

The Challenge, sponsored by Darby Dan Farm appears each week through Breeders' Cup, typically Saturday, in BloodHorse Daily. Of active, United States-based stallions, Malibu Moon leads the group of 2017 Breeders' Cup Challenge winners. A look at this year's Challenge, which concluded Oct. 11, shows Malibu Moon was the only active U.S. ...

As money from added gaming has flowed into the industry, providing a boost for purses, most racetracks have missed a golden opportunity to fully take advantage of the stability provided by that added revenue by trying new approaches-namely lowering prices--with their pari-mutuel product. With that new revenue from added gaming ...

Since California lawmakers approved a takeout hike effective for the 2011 racing season, the price increase on horseplayers has failed to deliver projected purse increases and has been followed by reduced handle and race days. After an initial small bump in purses that fell well short of predicted increases, purses have declined the past ...