FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 THE UNIQUENESS OF FIPKE LET THE GAMES BEGIN! By Sid Fernando Niki McCardell was tense as Justify (Scat Daddy) rolled into the Belmont stretch, and with each stride the big chestnut took to secure his place in history, McCardell's pent-up excitement became noticeably palpable. She started clenching her fists and raising her arms at the sixteenth pole and finally emptied her emotional tank when the colt hit the wire. Shortly afterward, I heard McCardell almost sheepishly tell her companion Chuck Fipke that witnessing Justify's GI Belmont S. was as exciting--if not more--as seeing Fipke's homebred Bee Jersey (Jersey Town)=s win the GI Metropolitan H. two races earlier on the card. "No, I agree with you," Fipke replied. "It was more exciting to see this. He just won the Triple Crown, eh." Cont. p4 New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy holds up his tickets after making the first sports bet in New Jersey at the Monmouth Park Sports Book | Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO IN TDN EUROPE TODAY by Steve Sherack WARRIOR MAKES A ROYAL RETURN OCEANPORT, NJ - New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy placed a Redkirk Warrior returns to his country of birth as a contender pair of $20 wagers to officially launch the opening of Monmouth representing Australia in next weekend’s G1 Diamond Jubilee Park=s Sports Book by William Hill Thursday morning. S. at Royal Ascot. The first floor of the track=s grandstandBfreshly painted in Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Europe. blue--had a Haskell day feel as fans and a large contingent of mainstream media lined up as windows opened for business shortly after 10:30 a.m. AThere=s an old adage that you bet with your head, not with your heart,@ Governor Murphy said during a brief press conference at the sports book. ASo, for the past seven years, our heads and hearts were in alignment as we fought to overturn unlawful and unfair federal law. We knew in our heads we were right and we knew in our hearts that we would win. And we have.@ And those two wagers? AI=m betting $20 on Germany to win the World Cup and $20 on the New Jersey Devils to win Lord Stanley=s Cup,@ he said to a large round of applause. The Oceanport racetrack, which was at the forefront of a push to legalize sports betting outside of Nevada, became the first location in New Jersey to accept sports wagers after the Supreme Court struck down a federal law barring wagering on team sports May 14. The stage was finally set Monday when Governor Murphy ended a prolonged delay and signed a bill authorizing licensed racetracks and casinos to begin conducting sports betting. Cont. p3 PUBLISHER & CEO Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] V.P., INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Friday, June 15, 2018 Senior Editor Steve Sherack @SteveSherackTDN Racing Editor Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN News and Features Editor Ben Massam @BMassamTDN Associate Editors Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Joe Bianca @JBiancaTDN ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Lia Best Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin Advertising Assistants Alexa Reisfield Rachel McCaffrey Amie Morosco Photo Editor/Dir. of Distribution Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew [email protected] Social Media Strategist Justina Severni Director of Customer Service Vicki Forbes [email protected] Undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) returned to the track at Marketing Manager Churchill Downs Thursday for the first time since his historic win at Belmont Saturday. Alayna Cullen @AlaynaCullen The 'TDN Rising Star' will be paraded at Churchill Saturday night before the third race. Director of Information Technology “It’s special getting him back to Churchill Downs,” assistant Jimmy Barnes said. “We Ray Villa know there are a lot of his fans here and it’s exciting for all of us involved.” [email protected] Coady Photography Bookkeeper Terry May [email protected] WORLDWIDE INFORMATION International Editor THE FACTOR FILLY TOPS OBS THURSDAY 8 Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN Jessica Martini continues to report from the OBS June sale, [email protected] where a filly by The Factor earned top billing during Thursday’s European Editor Emma Berry session when selling for $180,000. [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing Sean Cronin & Tom Frary [email protected] 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) www.TheTDN.com TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 14 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • JUNE 15, 2018 Let the Games Begin cont. from p1 France to win the World Cup, and the Mariners to win the World Dozens of TV screens flashed odds for just about every Series. I come to Monmouth Park often--it=s one of my favorite sporting event you could think of, including=s Thursday=s first places.@ round of the FIFA World Cup, which began at 11 a.m., the US NBC cameras followed professional sports handicapper Joe Open, and the day=s Major League Baseball lineup. Future Wisniewski of Joe Wiz Sports Picks as he made his move to the wagers for popular events such windows as the lines began to as the Stanley Cup, Super Bowl, slow down a bit just after NBA Finals, World Series, etc., 11:30 a.m. were also available. AI=m here today to make a big Dennis Drazin, chairman and statement on one of the early CEO of Darby Development, baseball games,@ Wisniewski, a operator of Monmouth Park, resident of Bayonne, New leading trainers Kelly Breen and Jersey, said of his max $9,000 Jason Servis, and popular track wager on the San Francisco announcer Frank Mirahmadi Giants (Giants won 6-3 in 16 were among the enthusiastic innings!). AI=m really excited--I=ve crowd on hand showing support been coming to Monmouth for for the home team. Joe Wisniewski=s lucky ticket at the Monmouth Sports Book years and I think the governor AIt=s an historic day for did a great job bringing sports (serial numbers cropped out) | Sherack photo Monmouth Park and for the betting here. I think it=s going to state of New Jersey,@ Drazin said. AWe=ve been fighting this fight help the track and the economy in New Jersey. To me, it=s just as for more than six years in the courts and now that this day has important as a man landing on the moon.@ arrived, and judging by the response from the fans who turned out for this, it=s exciting. Clearly, it=s something the people of New Jersey have been waiting for.@ Former state senator Raymond Lesniak, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, and Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill U.S., were also in attendance. THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS= ASSOCIATION Nearly 1,000 patrons made their way to the 15 designated sports betting tellers in the grandstand and additional six in the OF NJ STATEMENT ON SPORTS BETTING William Hill Race and Sports Bar. As of [Thursday] morning the breeding and racing industry in Hazlet, New Jersey, resident Wayne Szpara, a union electrician New Jersey began a new life. Sports betting in New Jersey and of Local 456, was among the first to get a bet down Thursday throughout the country began a new era. In New Jersey, the morning. breeding industry was suffering from a diminished crop of state- AIt=s another stream of income for New Jersey and it also bred foals and farms were disappearing from lack of business, means more jobs for people in the area, so it=s very good,@ but now opportunities in both areas are open to new Szpara said. AI took the football Giants to win the NFC East, beginnings. Cont. p4 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 14 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • JUNE 15, 2018 NJ Sports Betting cont. We can thank Dennis Drazin and the State of New Jersey for their tireless efforts in achieving this monumental goal. For seven years Dennis dreamt it, believed it, and brought it to fruition. On behalf of the Thoroughbred Breeders= Association of New Jersey, thank you for helping us achieve our dream of a flourishing foal crop in New Jersey and success in all aspects of the racing industry. As a breeder of over 40 years and President of the Thoroughbred Breeders= Association of New Jersey, thank you Dennis Drazin and the State of New Jersey. --Mildred Fleming, President Thoroughbred Breeders= Association of New Jersey Chuck Fipke & Niki McCardell with Bee Jersey | Sarah Andrew "He's a beautiful horse," Fipke uttered to no one as he watched Mike Smith parade the colt before fans after the win. Cont. from p1 The big and handsome Justify is owned by a partnership that Mind you, Bee Jersey's race had been a nail-biter with the son numbers hundreds of individuals. This type of ownership of Jersey Town's margin of victory only a nose at the wire, but structure--popular overseas--is becoming more evident here. Fipke had meant what he'd said because he breeds mostly for The colt was initially purchased by the partnership of Kenny the Classics and had appreciated--envied, even--what had Troutt's WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Bloodstock, a transpired. global entity that includes Newgate Farm in Australia. Cont. p5 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 5 OF 14 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • JUNE 15, 2018 Taking Stock cont. is very much in the minority these days.