Latest news with #KentuckyDowns
Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Kentucky Downs offers Richest Seven Days Of Racing In North America
If you were wondering where the greenest grass in North America resides, look no farther than the Tennessee-Kentucky state line. There is a little country horse track nestled just 30 minutes north of Nashville that has incorporated ingenuity and insightfulness while forming a fertilizer that now yields more green than anywhere on the continent. That place is known as Kentucky Downs and beginning August 28, folks from all over the world will hope to light up the lawn in Franklin, Kentucky. As the only European style race course in these United States, Kentucky Downs has always had a uniqueness about it. Positioned on a tract of land located betwixt highway 31 and Interstate 65, this undulating course with three turns has become the late summer destination spot for turf runners. Why would horsemen from all over the globe choose to ship and run on this particular grass? It simply boils down to the greenery in more ways than one. 'Kentucky Downs puts up a lot of money for the horsemen', says California-based hall of fame trainer Richard Mandella who shipped in Goliad last year and won two races and $1.4 million. 'It also offers a different environment to race in that sometimes makes a difference for horses looking to succeed.' The 2025 race meet at Kentucky Downs has seven race dates and will offer up 18 Stakes races with purse money exceeding $30 million. Of those Stakes races, 11 are worth at least $2 million and the overall paydays for horsemen are the highest in North America. Showing folks the money has attracted the best in the turf racing business in recent years. However, this place once known as the Dueling Grounds has not always made it rain Benjamins. Struggling to make things work from the mid 1990's until about 2010, the track positioned on the grounds where men had fought to defend their honor in the early 1800's found a way to change the game of Thoroughbred racing. With clearance from the state of Kentucky, gaming machines were installed and used to supplement the race purses. With only four racing dates in 2011, Kentucky Downs was able to offer a total of $769,810 for their thirty the trend-setting move to supplement racing purses with gaming machine money, the live racing meet has grown by leaps and bounds. The very next year, the total purse money tripled to over $2 million and since has moved like Secretariat up the charts. In 2024, a total of 76 races were run over a 7-day meet and offered up just over $34.6 million in payouts to the Thoroughbred teams. Establishing this blueprint for success, others have followed suit and incorporated gaming money into their Thoroughbred racing program. Beginning in 2016, in an unprecedented move, Kentucky Downs began helping supplement other tracks in the state to keep more horses running year-round in the Bluegrass State. The purse increases help generate larger fields and more betting handle for those that have been wise enough to follow the trail emblazoned by the visionaries based in Franklin, Kentucky. The game has greatly benefitted from these innovations with Kentucky Downs enjoying the largest amount of growth and notoriety. The green at Kentucky Downs has not just been limited to the horsemen. The speculating public has also enjoyed a heyday over the past decade or so as well. In 2024 over $90 million was wagered during the seven-day meet. The predictable unpredictability has been magnified on this turf because of the field sizes (76 races averaged 10.89 entrants) and nature of the course. In 2024 the average payoff for a $2 win wager was $14.86. The average 50 cent pick 4 yielded $2,237.19, the 50 cent pick 5 a whopping $22,825.78, and the 10 cent superfecta generated $292.85 as an average return. 'I love Kentucky Downs because the payouts are fantastic', says Rick Broth, an 11-time National Handicapping Challenge participant and Kentucky Derby betting challenge champion. 'We love to play there because the field sizes are always full and it's a great place to make money if you are guessing right.' The 2025 live racing meet kicks off on August 28 with races also run on August 30, 31, September 4, 6, 7, and 10. Major facility improvements by the current ownership group and the Louis Vutton-like purses and payouts make this the place to be. The biggest day of racing is Kentucky Turf Cup Day on September 6 which features six Stakes events headlined by the Breeders' Cup win and you're in Turf Cup. Will there be plenty of green during those seven days in the Bluegrass State? As they say at Kentucky Downs…'You bet'.
Forbes
18-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Ten-Cent Superfecta Is An Investor's Dream
Goliad was part of a !0 cent superfecta that returned $736.62 in the 2024 Mint Millions Stakes at ... More Kentucky Downs One of the many things we love about the Thoroughbred racing game is of course the wagering aspect. There is a plethora of ways to speculate on the ponies, but let's take a moment and elaborate on one of our favorite wagers. What's the best ticket when playing this game of chance?... The simple answer is a winning one…But if we are going to be real, the low-risk, high-yield is what we are really after. Enter the 10-cent superfecta. Most tracks and wagering platforms allow this bet to be placed. The goal is to select the first four finishers in the race. The best thing to do here is box that 10-cent bet which means no matter how the horses finish, as long as you have the top four on your ticket you are cashing. This raises your ticket price as it is 10 cents for every combination which will total $2.40. Now, why is this one of our favorites? The 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic returned $202.56 on that $2.40 investment. The Chorleywood Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 14, 2025 paid $204.41. Last year's Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs rewarded those who made the correct selections with $691.64. Last year's Mint Millions Stakes also at Kentucky Downs cashed for $736.62 on yes, a $2.40 get the idea, low risk, high yield. Of course, as is the case with all wagers, they all do not pay quite that well. Depending on the odds of those horses finishing in the top four, the payout can vary greatly, but it will usually be more than $2.40. For basically the cost of a king-size candy bar you can potentially enjoy double and triple digit returns on a Hershey's with almonds. A popular theory when chasing a ticket like this is of course have some longer shots in your top four. Including the race favorite is usually good too as cashing is the main objective. You root for the longshot to win of course, but if the favorite finds glory, at least you are covered and cashing, provided you have the top four finishers. Races with larger fields are always good for this type of speculation as the money is more evenly spread and that bumps up the reward. Turf sprint races can be especially nice for a big superfecta score as they usually have lots of entrants and can be ripe with upset winners and longer shots in the top four. Kentucky Downs is one of the best tracks for the 10-cent super as it usually has large fields and lots of long shot winners. There have been 10 cent superfecta payouts in excess of $10,000 at this Franklin, Kentucky track. The superfecta is not an easy wager to nail, but for those that guess right it can be extremely rewarding for a couple of reasons. First of all, you were right about something and secondly, you may have just turned a Snickers into a night on the town.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nominations Now Open For 2025 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards
The nominations for the 2025 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards in North America, now in its 10th year, are now open with nominations being accepted through midnight, Monday, July 14. Katie LaMonica, Charities Manager of Godolphin USA, commented, 'It's hard to believe that we are in the 10th year of these wonderful awards. We are so thankful to the entire Thoroughbred industry who have graciously embraced the TIEAs since day one and have been so helpful in recognizing our hardworking industry employees. Please make sure to help us celebrate 'Ten Years of TIEA' and nominate today!' Godolphin, the global racing and breeding operation founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is the principal sponsor of the awards in association with The Jockey Club, the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, and the Breeders' Cup. Godolphin also sponsors equivalent awards in Ireland, Australia, Great Britain, and France. Advertisement Cash prizes totaling $124,000 will be awarded to winners and two finalists in a total of seven categories as well as monetary awards going to two runners-up. The awards are the Dr. J. David "Doc" Richardson Community Award, Katherine McKee Administration Award, Dedication to Breeding Award, Dedication to Racing Award, Newcomer Award, Support Services Award and Managerial Award. TIEA is also pleased to announce that our category sponsors, which have supported the program the last few years, will all be returning for 2025. They are Keeneland, Churchill Downs, 1/ST Racing, Hallway Feeds, the NTRA, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, along with our newest sponsor, NYRABets who will be taking the baton from NYRA itself, a previous sponsor. TIEA is also very excited to announce the addition of Kentucky Downs/KHBPA as the Travel Sponsor for the program. This sponsorship will assist in covering the costs of transportation and accommodation of the finalists to Kentucky in October. The program has grown geographically over the years with the majority of finalists now coming from outside Kentucky. We are excited to welcome Kentucky Downs and the Kentucky HBPA to the program and are grateful for their support. TIEA is also extremely thankful for the support of our industry's media outlets who have been very instrumental in providing both editorial and advertising support over the past decade. Our appreciation goes out to Agentes 305, BloodHorse Publications, The Boundless Podcast, Daily Racing Form, DRF En Espanol, FanDuel, Fox Sports, Real Players Inside the Backstretch, and The Thoroughbred Daily News. To nominate, go to today! Or, for more information, please contact the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards on (859) 977-4655 or email info@
