Billion Dollar Bets + Turfway Park Carryovers

Kathy Hochul Bets Half a Billion on Horse Racing

New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul proposed budget would guarantee a nearly half-billion dollar windfall of public money to New York’s troubled horse racing industry. The aim of the subsidy is to boost the industry, create jobs, and help revive the horse racing sector in the state. The move is part of the state's larger effort to revitalize the industry and keep it competitive.

But the move is under heavy scrutiny as the New York Focus is reporting tons of data and statistics to suggest otherwise.Someone, please make sure Andy Serling doesn't see this.

Horse Racing in Turkey Opens Doors to help Earthquake Relief Efforts

Turkey's horse racing events have been postponed, with four racetracks being transformed into shelters for those impacted by the earthquake. The Adana, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, and Şanlıurfa tracks, located closest to the affected area, are offering temporary housing and food to those in need. The tracks are also collecting donations of necessary items for the disaster zone. The earthquakes and aftershocks have resulted in over 11,000 deaths and widespread destruction in Turkey, Syria, and the surrounding region.

Pennsylvania Subsidizes Horse Racing with $3.5B

In yet another article criticizing tax subsidy programs, Pennsylvania is under fire for subsidizing horses three times as much as it subsidizes students attending PASSHE schools,” the report noted, referring to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. You can read the full piece on The Center Square.

Turfway Late P5 Carryover of $42,000

Turfway Park kicks off an 8-race card tonight which features a Pick-5 Carryover over $42,000 which starts at 7:25 pm ET in the fourth race.

We put our sharpest tote hat on and wanted to throw out a couple of opinions for tonight...

Race 4: #7 Morning Line News - This horse looks to have finally put it together coming out of its last race and gets a healthy pace to run at in the Pick-5 opener.

Horse We're Against #1 Her World (Ire) in the 7th. We know, we know, this one looks like a world beater on paper but that's exactly how it looked in its last race over the surface where it couldn't get the job done. Ward/Corrales are nothing to mess with, but with this horse likely to be odds on, we're willing to take a shot against them EVEN with the significant scratches.

Mark Your Calendar: Keeneland Tickets on Sale Soon

Keeneland will award a season record $8.05 million for 19 stakes this spring, kicking off with the $600,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1) and the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (G1) on opening weekend. Both stakes are major targets on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks and Derby, respectively.

The 15-day event offers racing Wednesdays through Sundays, except Easter Sunday, April 9. Tickets go on sale on Feb. 14 at 9 a.m. EST so set an alarm, mark the calendar and be there.

Can Tom Brady Save Horse Racing?

Tom has always been interested in horses, but it wasn’t until recently that he became more active in horse racing. He’s been sighted at a number of horse racing events, including the Kentucky Derby, and has even been seen visiting stables to inspect the horses.

In an interview, Tom said,

One of Tom’s primary objectives is to make horse racing more accessible to a larger audience. He understands that horse racing has the potential to be a popular sport, but it is frequently overlooked by the general public.

Read the full article here.

South Carolina Gets Another Chance to Legalize Horse Bets

A bill to legalize horse racing gambling in South Carolina has been advanced by lawmakers, a year after a previous effort failed. The South Carolina Equine Advancement Act (S. 303) was passed unanimously by a state Senate subcommittee on Tuesday and would allow regulated advance deposit horse betting, overseen by a new equine commission.

The bill is aimed at revitalizing the struggling horse industry in the state, which has been facing difficulties for horse trainers trying to keep their facilities running. This new legislation hopes to bring new life to the declining equine industry in South Carolina.

Get more details from The State.