William Hill First to List Odds with Wise Dan 4-1 Favorite
NEW YORK CITY (Friday, April 25, 2014) – Two-time defending Horse of the Year Wise Dan made history when he opened as the 4-1 favorite in the first-ever Eclipse Awards 2014 Horse of the Year future bet odds listed today by William Hill, the operator of 100 sports betting locations across Nevada.
Other favorites (with opening odds) include last year’s Champion 3-Year-Old Will Take Charge (5-1), three-time Santa Anita Handicap winner Game On Dude (6-1), defending Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man (7-1), current Kentucky Derby favorite California Chrome (8-1) and 2013 Belmont Stakes hero Palace Malice (8-1).
The State of Nevada Gaming Control Board approved the 2014 Horse of the Year wager Tuesday for all licensed books in the state. The setting of odds is at the discretion of each book. Future bet wagering on Horse of the Year will conclude on Nov. 7, six days after the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park near Los Angeles.
Horse of the Year will be announced at the 44th annual Eclipse Awards ceremony on January 17, 2015, at Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino, located outside Miami in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
“We thank William Hill for pushing this initiative and applaud the State of Nevada for approving an entertaining wager that gives fans and bettors a new way to engage with the top North American horses in training throughout the season,” said National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) President and CEO Alex Waldrop. “The Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year is the most prestigious award in American racing and now the sharpest racing fans can share in the glory if they back the right horse.”
The new wager was conceived when Cot Campbell, founder and managing partner of the Dogwood Stable syndicate that owns Palace Malice, contacted William Hill US CEO Joe Asher about betting on his prized colt to be named Horse of the Year. Palace Malice already has wins in two important handicap races to start his 4-year-old campaign.
To review the Nevada Gaming Control Board release announcing approval of the new wager, visit http://gaming.nv.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=8840.
Eclipse Awards are bestowed upon horses and individuals whose outstanding achievements in North America have earned them the title of Champion in their respective categories. Those awards are voted on each December by approximately 275 media, racing secretaries and Equibase chartcallers representing the NTRA,Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters (NTWAB). Finalists, announced in early January, are determined in each category by voters’ top three selections, using a 10-5-1 point scale. Eclipse Award winners, including Horse of the Year, are determined solely by first-place votes. Voting is audited by Louisville, Ky., accounting firm Strothman and Company.
The Eclipse Awards are presented by Daily Racing Form, The Stronach Group and the Breeders’ Cup and owned and produced by the NTRA. The Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-century racehorse and foundation sire Eclipse, who began racing at age five and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies.
