Twinspires

The official betting tournament of the 'Run for the Roses'--the Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge (KDBC)--is returning to TwinSpires.com with a guaranteed prize pool of $250,000, Churchill Downs said in a presser on Thursday. The first official KDBC Qualifier Tournament will take place on Sunday, Oct. 27 featuring the opening day card of the fall meet at Churchill Downs and a series of feeder tournaments will begin on Saturday, Oct. 12. Leading up to the Kentucky Derby Day program, the schedule will include 24 KDBC qualifier events, with each qualifier supported...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has reached a contractual resolution with Churchill Downs, Inc. that allows for TwinSpires customers to regain immediate access to all NYRA content, including pari-mutuel wagering, live video and race replays from the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, the organization said in a release on Friday. In addition, all Churchill Downs content will be immediately available to NYRA Bets customers. The impasse between the pair was reignited on Wednesday, July 31 when NYRA said that it was cutting off pari-mutuel wagering, live video...

New York Racing Association content is no longer available on TwinSpires due to an ongoing contractual dispute between NYRA and the advance deposit wagering platform owned and operated by Churchill Downs, Inc., according to a NYRA release. "Pending a contractual resolution between the two parties, pari-mutuel wagering, live video and race replays from the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course will be unavailable to TwinSpires customers," the release said. "NYRA is seeking financial terms from TwinSpires similar to those currently in place with all national advance deposit wagering platforms offering...

It was déjà vu all over again at June's California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) meeting. Three months after a contentious meeting that saw board members vote unanimously to give race dates to Pleasanton Racetrack for a Thoroughbred meet this fall (in opposition to the wishes of Southern California track operators), the CHRB wrestled with another weighty conundrum: How to fund horse racing in California for the next fiscal year. Ultimately, the board approved what was termed a "compromise" funding model that will see each racing association cover the "direct costs"...

Throughout the nation, the horse racing industry is under both increased scrutiny and pressure to reduce the number of equine fatalities and breakdowns. While progress has been made at many tracks, in recent years, i.e. Turfway, Woodbine, Golden Gate, and Gulfstream, there is less of a tolerance than ever for equine injuries and fatalities, as doping scandals have marred our most cherished events and as advocates and animal rights groups such as PETA have gained momentum. Horse racing is under real pressure to enhance safety, with many critics seeking to...

Between Saturday, Apr. 23 and Wednesday, May 4, Churchill Downs will be open free-of-charge daily from 7-10 a.m. so visitors can watch GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks hopefuls train. Beginning Saturday, there will be an exclusive training window for Derby and Oaks participants only from 7:30-7:45 a.m. Derby horses will use yellow saddle towels, and Oaks contenders will bear pink saddle towels. Visitors should enter the track through the Paddock Gate and can park for free in White Lot. Morning workouts can be viewed between Sections 115-117 of...

Bill Carstanjen, the chief executive officer of Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), said during a quarterly conference call with investors Feb. 24 that after only a brief foray into online sports betting, the gaming corporation plans to phase out operating in that sector by mid-2022. "When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports betting in May of 2018, we had high hopes for the potential to build a profitable business in this space," Carstanjen said. "Our initial strategy was to leverage a variable cost technology model and be...

Churchill Downs Incorporated named Ben Murr as the new President of TwinSpires and Online Gaming. In this role, he will be responsible for the overall strategy and operations of these businesses. During his 14 years with CDI, he has served in multiple leadership roles including President of United Tote, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer and, most recently, as interim President of TwinSpires and Online Gaming. Prior to joining CDI, Murr worked in information technology leadership roles at General Electric. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and a...

Edited Press Release The organization representing owners and trainers at FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing (formerly known as Fairmount Park) is withholding consent for the TwinSpires betting platform to accept wagers from Illinois residents. The board of the Illinois Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association cites the closure of suburban Chicago's industry icon Arlington Park by Churchill Downs Inc., TwinSpires' parent corporation, as a prime motivation for withholding consent. With CDI not owning a functioning racetrack in Illinois in 2022, TwinSpires must under state law have a contract with another duly...

Summerly (Summer Squall--Here I Go, by Mr. Prospector), winner of the 2005 GI Kentucky Oaks for Winchell Thoroughbreds, passed away earlier this year after suffering a bout of colic, The Twinspires Edge reported. Acquired by the Winchells for $410,000 at the 2003 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the mare was purchased by WinStar Farm for $3.3 million at the 2006 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. "She was one of the prettiest mares we had on the farm," WinStar's Elliott Walden told Twinspires' Ed DeRosa. "While she didn't reproduce herself, she always was a...

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Bankroll: $5480 - Pegasus Result - Skyscanner made no impact at a big price. GI Kentucky Derby - Tiz the Law is my pick to win the GI Kentucky Derby. He is the most likely winner,...

Predictably, Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), on Wednesday reported 2020 first-quarter revenue drops because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has shut down racing and gaming throughout the nation since mid-March. But CDI noted within those results that it experienced "strong performance" from its TwinSpires advance-deposit wagering platform, with handle growth of 8.3% over the prior year's quarter. "For the first quarter of 2020, net revenue increased $4.3 million from the prior year quarter primarily due to a $3.7 million increase at TwinSpires," CDI reported in its Apr. 29 United States Securities...