Golden Gate Fields in Northern California has alerted its horsemen that the track may close if regulators do not allow the establishment of account-wagering “cafes” and for the track to stop sending its simulcast signal to off-track betting outlets in the state, according to the chief operating officer of the track's owner, The Stronach Group.
After seven years of legal wrangling, the battle to legalize sports betting in New Jersey came to fruition at Monmouth Park on Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m. when Gov. Phil Murphy placed two $20 wagers. He bet Germany to win the World Cup and the New Jersey Devils to win the 2019 Stanley Cup.
Winx remains the highest-rated horse in the world, and despite capturing the Triple Crown, Justify did not have his ranking increased in the latest release of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.
Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., was granted a license for sports betting on Wednesday afternoon, paving the way for the racetrack to take the first sports wager in New Jersey since the state began efforts to legalize the practice seven years ago.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday signed into law a bill passed last week authorizing sports betting at the state’s racetracks and casinos, and Monmouth Park in Oceanport plans to take its first sports bets on Thursday, track officials said.
Four years after California Chrome's unsuccessful quest for the Triple Crown shattered handle records and produced stratospheric television ratings, and three years after American Pharoah ended a 37-year Triple Crown drought and was draped with the blanket of carnations awarded to the Belmont Stakes winner, this year's Triple Crown win by Justify underwhelmed, at least when considering the raw business numbers.
Despite the unanimous endorsement Thursday of legislation authorizing sports betting in New Jersey and the state's years-long effort to implement the practice, it could be several weeks before Monmouth Park on the Jersey Shore offers sports bets to its customers, according to the top official at the track.
The New Jersey legislature approved a bill on Thursday that will enable racetracks and casinos in the state to take sports bets, but it is not yet clear when Gov. Phil Murphy will sign the bill.
The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association has contributed $15,000 toward the funding of a study that will assess helmet designs and concussions, the association announced on Thursday.
All five entities in the ownership of Triple Crown hopeful Justify along with trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Mike Smith have pledged to donate a percentage of any earnings from Saturday's Belmont Stakes to the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program.
