The nationwide discussion regarding legal “sports betting” continues to evolve. In recent weeks, Indiana, Iowa, Montana and Tennessee have all legalized wagering on sports, joining eight other states that quickly acted on the option in 2018, along with the District of Columbia.
As Mathew Kredell of Legal Sports Report wrote earlier this week, “38 states representing nearly 90 percent of the US adult population have introduced more than 150 bills on the topic.
“Sports betting is arguably the most-talked about policy issue in state capitols across the country.”
And all of this has occurred in just the one full year since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Professional Sports and Amateur Protection Act (PASPA).
The discussion has not been nearly as significant as fixed-odds wagering relates to horse racing, and that’s problematic for racing industry stakeholders.
While sports betting rolls through its infancy, horse racing has rarely been discussed, either as a fixed-odds betting option or a beneficiary of some form of revenue from the wagering. Positively, Iowa’s recently passed legislation will allow four percent of net revenue on sports bets placed at Prairie Meadows to filter to purses. Monmouth Park dabbled with fixed-odds props and head-to-head bets for the 2018 Haskell Invitational, yielding handle of roughly $25,000.
Kentucky is expected to act on the topic in its 2020 legislative session which opens in January. Horse racing must be involved in some capacity – if not in Kentucky, then where?
Fixed-odds wagering on racing would be a complement to the pari-mutuel offerings already in place. Tote betting is not able to account for the engaging, customer-friendly options that fixed-odds bets can offer. Groups representing horsemen still need to engage with a pricing model, a requirement of the Interstate Horseracing Act if bets are to be taken on racing, whether they be pari-mutuel or fixed.
In a world where bettors in Maryland could enjoy fixed-odds bets on Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, what would some of the options look like? Sure, a 13-horse field provides some juicy options for bettors in the tote-based exotic pools, but what about some fixed-odds props to cover other interests, to attract interest following from those more accustomed to higher-churn sports bets?
PREAKNESS STAKES – HEAD TO HEAD
101 – Owendale
102 – Anothertwistafate
----
103 – Alwaysmining
104 – Warrior’s Charge
----
105 – Bourbon War
106 – Owendale
----
107 – Bodexpress
108 – Laughing Fox
----
109 – Anothertwistafate
110 – War Of Will
----
111 – Everfast
112 – Market King
----
113 – Laughing Fox
114 – Warrior’s Charge
----
115 – Improbable
116 – War Of Will
----
117 – Signalman
118 – Win Win Win
----
119 – Alwaysmining
120 – Anothertwistafate
----
121 – Owendale
122 – Warrior’s Charge
PREAKNESS STAKES – SPECIALS
Who will be leading after the first half mile (per official race chart)?
123 – Alwaysmining
124 – Warrior’s Charge
125 – OTHER
Who will be leading after the first mile (per official race chart)?
126 – Alwaysmining
127 – Anothertwistafate
128 – Improbable
129 – War Of Will
130 – Warrior’s Charge
131 – OTHER
What will be the final time of the Preakness (per official race chart)?
132 – UNDER 1:56.00
133 – OVER 1:56.00
What will be the winning margin of the Preakness (per official race chart)?
134 – Less than 1/2L
135 – 1/2L to 1L
136 – 1 1/4L to 2L
137 – 2 1/4L to 4L
138 – 4 1/4L to 6L
139 – More than 6 1/4L
140 – Deadheat
Brad Cox trainees in the Preakness
141 – Both in top four
142 – Both in top seven
143 – One in top four
144 – One in top seven
145 – None in top four
146 – None in top seven
PREAKNESS WEEKEND – SPECIALS
Which jockey will have the most wins combined on Friday and Saturday at Pimlico?
147 – J Castellano
148 – T McCarthy
149 – I Ortiz Jr
150 – J Ortiz
151 – J Rosario
152 – J Velazquez
153 – OTHER
Trainer wins in any stakes on Friday and Saturday at Pimlico
154 – S Asmussen OVER 0.5
155 – S Asmussen UNDER 0.5
156 – B Baffert OVER 0.5
157 – B Baffert UNDER 0.5
158 – T Pletcher OVER 1.5
159 – T Pletcher UNDER 1.5
Dixie Stakes – Head to Head
160 – Catholic Boy
161 – Inspector Lynley
----
162 – Just Howard
163 – Real Story
Chick Lang Stakes – Higher Finish
164 – Malpais
165 – Preamble
166 – Pyron
Chick Lang Stakes – Head-to-Head
167 – Malpais
168 – Pyron
----
169 – Malpais
170 – Preamble
----
171 – Preamble
172 – Pyron
Chick Lang Stakes – Final Time (per official chart)
173 – UNDER 1:09.85
174 – OVER 1:09.85
Maryland Sprint – Head-to-Head
175 – Proforma
176 – Wentz
----
177 – Always Sunshine
178 – New York Central
Sir Barton Stakes – Head-to-Head
179 – King For A Day
180 – Top Line Growth
Jim McKay Turf Sprint – Head-to-Head
181 – Bound For Nowhere
182 – Pure Sensation
Black Eyed Susan – Head-to-Head
183 – Always Shopping
184 – Cookie Dough
----
185 – Las Setas
186 – Our Super Freak
----
187 – Cookie Dough
188 – Point Of Honor
----
189 – Always Shopping
190 – Point of Honor
Pimlico Special – Head to Head
191 – Rally Cry
192 – War Story
----
193 – Carlino
194 – Cardmaker
----
195 – Heavy Roller
196 – Just Whistle
----
197 – Rally Cry
198 – Tenfold
Miss Preakness – Head-to-Head
199 – Covfefe
200 – Fighting Mad
----
201 – Congrats Gal
202 – Never Enough Time
PREAKNESS STAKES BROADCAST SPECIALS (from 4:30pm ET onward)
Number of times “new shooter” is mentioned
203 – Under 3.5
204 – Over 3.5
Number of times “tight turns” is mentioned
205 – Under 2.5
206 – Over 2.5