Kentucky Derby favorite Omaha Beach was scratched earlier this week.
With Omaha Beach out of the running, Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia revised the morning line to make Game Winner the 9-2 favorite for the 1¼-mile race Saturday.
Improbable and Roadster were installed as the co-second choices at 5-1, giving five-time Derby-winning trainer Baffert the top three choices in the 20-horse field.
At the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, Game Winner was installed as the new favorite at 4-1, followed by Roadster at 9-2 and Improbable at 5-1. Maximum Security (6-1), Tacitus (8-1) and Code of Honor (10-1) round out the top six betting choices at Westgate.
Omaha Beach’s scratch is one of the most surprising pre-Derby developments in the past decade. Morning line favorite I Want Revenge scratched on the day of the 2009 Kentucky Derby because of a hot spot on his ankle, leading to a wild race in which 50-1 long shot Mine That Bird won on a sloppy track.
Tennessee will have legal online sports betting starting July 1.
Senate Bill 16 narrowly passed on a vote of 19 to 12, as it did in the House 58 to 37. Afterward, the House even more narrowly adopted some minor Senate amendments with 51 votes.
“The governor has said he does not believe that the expansion of gambling is best, but he recognizes that many in the legislature found this to be an issue they want to explore further,” said Laine Arnold, Lee’s press secretary. “He plans to let this become law without his signature.”
Tax revenue from the sports gambling industry is projected to bring in an estimated $50 million each year, which will be set aside for education, local government and gambling addiction treatment.
Sen. Steve Dickerson, R-Nashville, who introduced the bill along with Rep. Rick Staples, D-Knoxville, described the bill as one that would “bring the illegal online sports gambling market into the sunshine,” along with providing consumer protection for individuals casting sports bets and generating state revenue.
A Republican activist is suing Rhode Island over the state passing sports betting legislation.
Daniel Harrop said Thursday sports betting should stop pending a statewide referendum. Former Rhode Island Republican Party Chairman Brandon Bell and attorney Joe Larisa filed a lawsuit against state lottery officials Wednesday in Providence Superior Court on behalf of Harrop, a member of the party’s central committee.
Democratic Senate President Dominick Ruggerio has said legal advice says voters approved sports betting when they approved casino gambling. He’s confident Rhode Island would prevail in any challenge. The Democratic governor’s spokesman has said the same thing.
Harrop said he’s not opposed to gambling — he said he decided to sue over sports betting while playing roulette at a Rhode Island casino. The state constitution requires voter approval for any expansion of gambling and the state could ask voters before his lawsuit would likely conclude, he said.
“If you don’t follow the constitution, what good it is then?” Harrop said.
Sports betting pro James Holzhauer has continued his record-breaking Jeopardy! winning streak and enters today having won 21 games in a row.
The native of Naperville on Wednesday tied for the title with Julia Collins, who in 2014 collected $428,100 over 20 games on the quiz show, before claiming it for his own one day later.
The 34-year-old Las Vegas sports bettor still has a long “Jeopardy!” journey ahead before toppling all-time regular play champion Ken Jenning’s 74-game record in 2004.
Andy Saunders, administrator of The Jeopardy Fan website, said “Jeopardy!” producers tape 230 episodes in a season. If Holzhauer continues to win the rest of the games in season 35, which is scheduled to end July 26, he will have reached win No. 62,he said.
The victory Thursday brings Holzhauer’s 20-day winnings to $1,608,627.