Journalists Wandering Eyes Posted 2 hours ago Journalists Posted 2 hours ago What will racing look like in 10 years? We asked some of racing's best and brightest to give us their predictions. Want to submit an answer? Email suefinley@thetdn.com Louisiana Downs Racing Secretary Stuart Slagle: My 2036 Racing Travelogue DATE: Jan 25, 2036 10:00 PM EST CITY: HAVANA Wow, what a year! I kicked things off in Havana, where the legendary Oriental Park made its comeback with Hong Kong Jockey Club's assistance following the successful launch of Chongua Racecourse. The Gran Premio Laz Barrera Internacional was a huge draw, even luring recent Florida Derby champs. The Friday night post of 10 o'clock allowed for simulcasting at Sha Tin. The Friday night races were wild, and winning jockey Zac Purton partied so hard at the Havana Jazz Festival that he missed his flight the next morning. DATE: Jan 26, 2036 6:00?PM EST CITY: Hallandale Beach FanDuel Sportsbook was relieved of its liability because Purton-Purton's jockey prop parlay wasn't going to bankrupt them. The Computer Assisted Wagering teams successfully crushed the winning payoff on Derek Ortiz's first stakes win, as Purton's pickup mount. His dad, Jose, was the favorite until the gates opened, but the real surprise was a China Horse Club runner from Royal St. Lucia that paid $3.80. DATE: Feb 23, 2036 6:00 PM MST CITY: PHOENIX Phoenix was buzzing for the GI Luke Kruytbosch Derby. The city's grown huge (now the 3rd largest in the country), and the Rocky Mountain Breeders Cooperative has made Turf Paradise the place to be. Both purses and field sizes skyrocketed with the early adoption of the Equibase Ratings Handicaps. A full gate is now the norm for the Kruytbosch with the $1-million bonus for Rocky Mt.-breds that start in the Kentucky Derby. Trainers like Bob Baffert, Todd Fincher, and Steve Asmussen dominated, and Steve even posed with the WY-bred winner. DATE: Mar 15, 2036 6:00 PM EDT CITY: NEW KENT Once the decade-old Delmarva Racing Consortium negotiated a Preakness entry of the best-finishing DE-, MD-, or VA-bred in the race, the Virginia Derby was on every sophomore's dance card. Capitalizing on the stakes' popularity among horse people in the entry box, CDI increased starters to 20 in Colonial Downs' premier dirt race five years ago, DATE: Apr 6, 2036 6:00 PM EDT CITY: OCALA In its partnership's third year, the FTBOA and World Equestrian Center presented the Ocala Derby Spectacular, during which eventing, showjumping, and racing are interspersed throughout the day. The story of the week was Karl Cook winning a show jumping medal on the same day as scoring a surprise upset in The Ocala Oaks on a Michael Matz trainee. DATE: May 3, 2036 9:45 PM EDT CITY: LOUISVILLE After a decade of negotiating with the UFL, Churchill agreed to have the Kentucky Derby's post time during halftime of the championship game (Louisville Kings vs. Ocala Storm). A long post-time drag was necessitated following a controversial defensive pass interference call. Peacock7 boasted the largest Derby viewership ever. A $450-million Derby Day handle was reached despite bettors crashing ADWs, transferring funds between gaming wallets. DATE: May 26, 2036 9:00 PM EDT CITY: BALTIMORE Under enormous pressure for another Triple Crown, last seen with Justify, The Maryland Jockey Club moved the Preakness Stakes to Memorial Day so that more Derby runners would run in the Preakness. To maximize the television audience, Pimlico paid the Baltimore Orioles to play a day game so the second leg of the Triple Crown would own the Monday prime time slot. The Cygames-sponsored Umamusume: Pretty Preakness was a battle of the ages between granddaughters of Swiss Skydiver and Rachel Alexandra. DATE: Jun 21, 2036 9:00 PM EDT CITY: ELMONT After 95% of the 2035 Belmont Stakes wagers arrived in the last seconds, NYRA booked all fixed odds win, double, and exacta wagers to address CAWs. On this Belmont Day alone, those wagers handled $300 million. Sponsored by the World Pool, several jockeys, including Belmont winner Katie Davis, traveled on the 'New Concorde' for same-day riding engagements at Royal Ascot and Belmont Park. DATE: Jul 1, 2036 8:30 PM PDT CITY: TORFINO In cooperation with the Laytown Races, the British Columbia Teletheatre brings beach racing to the surfing and whale watching community of Torfino on Vancouver Island. Despite difficulty in obtaining Pacific Rim National Park accommodation, organizer Dawn Lupal expects that the Salish Stakes will be on everyone's bucket list. Donnacha O'Brien trained the winner and is pointing to Laytown to become the first condition to pull off the Torfino-Laytown Double. Late post time was to accommodate low tides. DATE: Jul 16, 2036 8:30 PM EDT CITY: NEW KENT Using event planning Artificial Intelligence, Colonial Downs created the Cavalier Invitational the evening after MLB's All-Star Game. Wednesday's two-mile test was with the middle turf rails down for a field of twenty-four. Barring the FIFA World Cup, no Wednesday sporting event had as much wagering. DATE: Aug 2, 2036 8:30 PM MDT CITY: JACKSON HOLE While the August standards of Saratoga and Del Mar are still popular, the Wyoming circuit is now the summer place to be. As a condition of Taylor Sheridan filming a documentary, the biggest fan of the Yellowstone series, Ben Huffman, was hired. Jackson Hole is now the summer hotspot, with Hollywood stars flocking to The Grand Teton Stakes. The purse hit $2 million, and the racing scene is booming. DATE: Aug 18, 2036 84:30 PM MDT CITY: LEHI California's population shift to Utah led to the demand for Sundance Downs, built near the American Fork train station in Lehi. The track's signature race, The Sting, is a period piece dress occasion for patrons on what would have been Robert Redford's 100th birthday. DATE: Sep 7, 2036 5:30 PM CDT CITY: BOSSIER CITY The Super Derby thrives at Louisiana Downs, which is now the most popular stop on Amtrak's recently completed Atlanta- Dallas high-speed rail link. They thank Woodbine for the inspiration for the track adjacent depot. Winning owner/breeder of the Bullet Train (GB) descendant, Sean Feld, used the purse to fund the rebirth of the 'Kids To The Cup.' DATE: Sep 10, 2036 5:30 PM EDT CITY: FRANKLIN Kentucky Downs got a makeover, with new barns and a backstretch grandstand over the old Interstate-65 rest stop, which was funded by the state. Historical Horse Racing keeps the excitement going. DATE: Oct 24-25, 2036 CITY: HOUSTON The Breeders' Cup at Sam Houston Race Park was a trophy bonanza for Michael Maker, who won all seven turf championships. Thanks to Penn Entertainment and Tilman Fertitta for championing HHR and sports betting. DATE: Nov 13, 2036 1:30 PM EDT CITY: CHEROKEE On Harrah's Cherokee Casino's 39th anniversary, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians expands with the addition of parimutuel racing to North Carolina. The fans from Knoxville, Chattanooga, Charlotte, and Atlanta packed the grandstand for a lively nine-day meet. DATE: Dec 11, 2036 5:30 PM HST CITY: HONOLULU Honolulu hosted a pop-up racing festival at Kapi'olani Park, and ESPN revived the Diamond Head Classic. A Yoshito Yahagi-led investor group funded the King Kamehameha birthday celebration. It was a treat to see Coaches Calipari and Pitino at the races before their big game. I am grateful to TQ for getting me tickets for both. There are now rumors that Hawai'i is a future Breeders' Cup host site. DATE: Dec 26, 2036 12:30 PM PST CITY: ARCADIA Finally, I wrapped up the year in Arcadia at Clocker's Corner, celebrating the Great RIP's 102nd birthday. The two-week holiday break between Honolulu and Arcadia was the perfect way to end the season with friends and family. The post Racing in 2036: Stu Slagle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article Quote
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