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Sunday, February 03, 2002

Call-a-Bet, the Meadows' telephone wagering operation, is now part of XpressBet, Magna Entertainment Corporation's new company-wide convenience betting system.

XpressBet also includes online wagering, although Meadows customers can maintain their U-Bet Internet accounts, said Andrew Gaughan, vice president of new media initiatives at Magna headquarters in Aurora, Ontario.

The Meadows has for several years served as the hub for U-Bet, which is a publicly owned online wagering company separate from Magna. The contract between The Meadows and U-Bet runs through November.

Call-a-Bet customers are experiencing just one change as the result of the expansion of telephone and online wagering to Magna's string of tracks, which includes Gulfstream and Santa Anita parks: Telephone tellers now answer the phone "XpressBet" rather than "Call-a-Bet."

Callers can still dial Call-a-Bet's longtime number -- 800-242-RACE -- though Magna has added a new North America-wide number: 1-866-88Xpress.

"The Meadows was our only telephone wagering system until now," Gaughan said. Indeed, for many years, Call-a-Bet was one of the few convenience wagering operations in the country. "It was a pioneer."

Meadows customers who would like to open an online account should just type in the keyword, XpressBet.com and "follow the bouncing balls," Gaughan said.

The Meadows' Call-a-Bet customers are able to watch its races as well as simulcasts from around the country on a cable TV show and via satellite. Magna said its goal is to extend that same capability to racing fans across North America.

"The introduction of XpressBet and its new online wagering service is another step in MEC's commitment to deliver the exhilaration of horse racing and wagering entertainment to our customers at home, in the office or on the road," Magna president and CEO Jim McAlpine said in a statement.

Bad blood

Magna's plans for its own national TV racing network has been a source of contention between it and other tracks belonging to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, which has a contract with a different network, TVG.

That contention was evident if one reads between the lines of an announcement this past week by the New York Racing Association that it would no longer provide simulcasts from Magna's Gulfstream Park on days NYRA does not have live racing.

"The poor quality of racing at Gulfstream has resulted in a lack of interest in its product, and our customers are not responding," NYRA Chairman and CEO Barry K. Schwartz said. "Our dark day simulcasting figures are down 29 percent while on-track and overall business on our live races continues to post significant increases."

Ironically, most of the top New York stables send their best horses to race at Gulfstream over the winter.

Continuing decline

The Meadows' wagering totals continue to decline, according to the latest meeting minutes from the Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission.

Race Secretary Tom Leasure told the commission that total handle was down 4.9 percent for November 2001 as compared to November 2000. "U-Bet" was down 32.6 percent. Also down were betting totals at all four off-track wagering facilities: New Castle was down 11 percent; West Mifflin, 8.8 percent; Harmar, 5.1 percent; and Moon, 14.7 percent.

New Derby Web site

Churchill Downs has revamped its Kentucky Derby Web site for 2002, and it now is so comprehensive it matches just about everything available to the media as well as features geared more to fans and bettors.

The address is www.kentuckyderby.com.

Historical information provided includes charts and race records from past Derbys, a timeline and the contributions of women and African Americans to the thoroughbred classic.

Bettors will like regular updates on Derby contenders, and a team of expert handicappers will include a regular section of top 20 candidates. Current odds for Churchill's Derby wager also are provided.

Merchandise can be ordered through The Derby Store, and there's even a recipe for mint juleps.

Mountaineer race caller back

Jim Dolan, Mountaineer Park's race-caller, returned to action Friday after missing three weeks with what was initially called a slight stroke.

Count again

The recount is finally in, and Gore won not once, but twice.

That's right. It happened last Monday when two horses named Gore -- one a thoroughbred, one a pacer -- won at Mountaineer Park and Maywood Park, respectively.

Gore, the thoroughbred, won the 10th race at Mountaineer, an $11,300, 1-mile, 70-yard allowance for 3-year-olds and up.

Gore, the pacer, won the first race on Maywood's card, a $3,800 maiden race for $6,000 claimers.

Pohla Smith can be reached at psmith@post-gazette.com.