As popular as American Pharoah’s Triple Crown win was, it pales by comparison in importance to some grunt work being done by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, which is trying to modernize tax regulations that impact exotic wagering.
Betting
No matter what changes LeBron James influences, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a better bet to win next year’s NBA championship than the Golden State Warriors are to repeat. The Westgate Las Vegas sports book opened Cleveland as the 9-4 favorite to win the 2015-16 title, with Golden State second at 5-1.
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Perry Shiao, a 25-year-old poker dealer from Florida playing in only his second World Series of Poker event, won the $1,500 buy-in No-limit Hold ’em “Monster Stack” event Wednesday at the Rio Convention Center, walking away with $1,286,942.
Phil Mickelson has six runner-up finishes in the U.S. Open, the only major he has not won. But he is playing well, and bettors are showing faith in him. More tickets are being written on Mickelson than on any other player at the Westgate Las Vegas sports book, where his odds are 15-1 after opening at 25-1. Rory McIlroy is the 7-1 favorite, with Jordan Spieth at 8-1.
Micah Roberts, a former race and sports book director who has been setting NASCAR odds since 1995, analyzes the field for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich.
Last week, the race book at the South Point was buzzing, and there was a Triple Crown viewing party in one of the ballrooms. On Saturday, one week after American Pharoah’s historic triumph, the race book was about half full. I would have guessed the median age of those putting down wagers to be about 60.
At the drive-thru window, it’s not always wise to super-size the drink and fries. Sometimes, it’s smarter to go smaller. In this case, the Golden State Warriors shoved aside the 7-footer and went with Andre Iguodala.
American Pharoah and his human team have generated plenty of enthusiasm with his Triple Crown victory. That groundswell is an unparalleled opportunity to introduce to a huge generation of newcomers to horse racing.
American Pharoah isn’t finished chasing history. Or giving horse players a chance to bet on him.