HorseRacing Central January 29, 2010

WHAT’S WON IN VEGAS, COMES HOME FROM VEGAS

With a cool $1 million on the line, there won’t be any secrets kept in Las Vegas among the participants of the annual DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship this weekend.

Four of the anticipated 300-plus participants will be representing Team Hastings at the Red Rock Casino with the overall champion walking off with $500,000. Total prize money is $1 million.

Mark Petersen, Tab Nakano, John Arendt and Peter Milburn were winners this past season during the Hastings Racecourse and Fraser Downs qualifying tournaments. The foursome has been escorted to Vegas by straight-laced track announcer and simulcast manager, Dan Jukich.

There are a total of 30 wagers placed in the two-day tournament. Each participant must make a mythical $2 win and $2 place wager on 15 different races each day. There are eight mandatory races, selected by tournament officials, on which each entrant must wager. Each player will also wager on seven other races of his or her choice from the racetracks designated as an eligible tournament track.

Winners are determined by the total combined mutuel payoffs of all 30 wagers ($2 win and $2 place). You can follow the Team Hastings handicappers progress on DRF.com at the end of each day, January 29-30.

GET READY FOR KENTUCKY DERBY PREPS

The historic Kentucky Derby will be renewed for the 136th time at Churchill Downs in Louisville on May 1, 2010. “The Run for the Roses” is an event like none other in the sports world and there will be upwards of 150,000 thoroughbred racing fans witnessing in person the first leg of the Triple Crown.

The road to the Kentucky Derby – the Derby prep races – will all be available via simulcast. And while Hastings will be closed during the month of February as a declared secure zone of the Winter Olympics, both the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream and Risen Star at Fairgrounds on Feb. 20 will be shown at Fraser Downs, Schanks, Boulevard Casino and River Rock.

Following is a list in date order with the tracks identified for the balance of the Derby prep races:

Sat. March 6, Gotham Stakes, Aqueduct; Sat. March 13, San Felipe, Santa Anita; The Rebel, Oaklawn; and Tampa Bay Derby, Tampa Bay Downs; Sat. March 20, Florida Derby, Gulfstream; Sat. March 27, Louisiana Derby, Fairgrounds; Sun. March 28, Sunland Derby, Sunland Park; Sat. April 3, Illinois Derby, Hawthorne; Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita; Wood Memorial, Aqueduct; Sat. April 10, Arkansas Derby, Oaklawn; Toyota Blue Grass, Keeneland.

VARIETY – THE CHILDREN’S CHARITY

Wow … it’s that time of year already! Hastings Racecourse GM Raj Mutti will be manning the telephones on the Gold Panel from 10 p.m. to midnight Saturday on Global Television’s weekend presentation of the Variety Show of Hearts Telethon. It all begins Saturday at 7 p.m. and runs through until Sunday at 6 p.m. Mutti will also be presenting a cheque to Global’s morning news anchor Steve Darling for just over $13,000 as a result of 50-50 draws and The Mascot Derby at Hastings Racecourse last season.

HENSLEY CONTINUES HOT HAND

Some call him “Fast Eddie” while others, noticeably track announcer Rick Uppal, have labeled him “Hurricane Hensley”. Whatever nickname fits, Fraser Downs GM Chuck Keeling is just pleased that Ed Hensley chose to return to his roots of a decade ago.

It was Keeling who kept in touch with Hensley while he was busy driving winners on the U.S. circuit for the past several years. “I just wanted Ed to know that he would always be welcome back to Fraser,” Keeling says. “He was a popular and effective driver in his previous days at Fraser Downs and it was obvious he hadn’t lost his touch.”

Heading into this weekend, Hensley is the runaway leading driver at Fraser with 95 wins, 60 seconds and 62 thirds. He’s also the leading trainer with a 53-31-29 record. In both categories, Hensley has left the opposition in the dust. Jim Marino is a solid second in the driving standings with 51 wins and the nearest to Hensley in the leading trainers stats is Keith Clark with 36 wins.

“I just want to stay healthy and keep a level head,” Hensley says. “Right now I’m having a whole bunch of fun.”

Regulars at Fraser Downs are having fun, too, just watching him chalk up some remarkable numbers. (With files from Surrey Now)

Racing starts times Friday and Saturday are 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:15 p.m.