1979 stories by Steve Bittenbender
Medina Spirit Run in Preakness Still Debated, Baffert to Skip Race
The lawyer for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert told Casino.org on Monday that talks continue with officials at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. It is still undecided as to whether his client will be able to enter Kentucky Derby winner Medina...
Florida Lawmakers Won’t Take Up Fontainebleau, Trump Doral Casino Proposals
Neither the Fontainebleau Resort nor Trump National Doral is in line to receive casino licenses when Florida lawmakers reconvene for a special session later this month. Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Spring Hill, shot down those possibilities in an interview Friday with CBS...
Kentucky Derby Winner Medina Spirit Fails Drug Test, Churchill Downs Suspends Baffert
Medina Spirit, the longshot who gave trainer Bob Baffert his record-setting seventh Kentucky Derby win, tested positive after the race for an excessive amount of betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory steroid. Baffert made the announcement Sunday morning and denied the allegations. Two hours after...
Sports Betting Bill Introduced in Ohio Senate, Schuring Hopes for Quick Passage
Ohio lawmakers unveiled their latest attempt at a sports betting bill on Thursday, with hope they can fast track it through the state Legislature. There remain several key details that lawmakers still need to flesh out. However, a key legislative leader expressed...
Arlington Heights Wants to Put the Reins on Churchill’s Efforts to Sell Historic Track
Even as Churchill Downs Inc. progresses on its plan to close and sell Arlington International Racecourse, officials in a Chicago suburb are taking steps to possibly save the track. Or at the very least, have some say over what happens with the...
Underdog Fantasy Gets Long List of Backers to Fund $10M Investment
Underdog Fantasy announced on Monday it secured $10 million in investments, and then the fantasy sports operator threw a party online to celebrate. The Brooklyn-based company also announced it would offer a $3.5 million season-long fantasy football tournament, with the winner getting...
EXCLUSIVE: Mattress Mack Pushes for Texas Sports Betting, Calls It a “Stress Reliever”
Before Houston businessman Jim McIngvale could make his Super Bowl bet, he first had to get on a plane. America’s highest-profile sports bettor, known to most as “Mattress Mack,” lives in a state that has yet to legalize the activity. It’s a...
Betting on Kentucky Derby Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels, Online Wagering a Record
They weren’t records, but Churchill Downs Inc. reported solid a betting handle for the 14-race card Saturday, highlighted by the Kentucky Derby. According to a press release from the Louisville-based company, bettors wagered $233 million. It’s the second-highest Derby Day handle, trailing...
With Medina Spirit Winning the Kentucky Derby, Bob Baffert Finds Life is Good
Bob Baffert was supposed to bring another horse, a better horse, to Louisville for Kentucky Derby 147. But at the end of the day, there was just Medina Spirit. Turns out that was enough to make history. Except for maybe a stride...
Kentucky Derby: Essential Quality Hopes to Make History for Local Trainer
It’s one of the most unbelievable stats in all of sports. In the previous 146 runnings of the Kentucky Derby, a Louisville-native trainer has never won the race. Brad Cox is hoping to change that. Cox will have two entries in Saturday’s...
