Fonner Files: New Year, New Wagers For 'Little Track That Could'

The 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships inch closer with each passing day and for those less immersed in the sport of Thoroughbred racing there no doubt will be a bevy of unfamiliar terms bandied about. Horse racing parlance in a language unto itself, but never fear … we're here to help. Many famous horse racing terms already have made the…

Jockey Zack Ziegler remains hospitalized following a serious spill Sept. 30 at Agricultural Park in Columbus, but the rider is making progress. His spouse Carrie Robb said Friday that Ziegler has been moved from a Lincoln hospital to the CHI Health facility in Grand Island. That will allow him to be closer to his family. "He's in acute rehab," Robb…

The state's breeding industry isn't what it used to be, so a recent victory by a Nebraska-bred was welcomed on social media. A colt named General Shipman recently won the $100000 Freshman Stakes at Prairie Meadows in suburban Des Moines. The 2-year-old was the only Nebraska-bred in the eight-horse field. Owned by Jason Cline and ridden by Ken…

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - If you are so inclined, you can now legally bet on the Nebraska football team to beat Minnesota on Aug. 31. The Elite Sportsbook opened for business Wednesday at the Grand Island Casino. The opening was announced by Elite Casino Resorts, the casino's parent company. "We are excited to offer sports betting to our guests," Dan…

Late in her presentation to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission on Friday, Sharon Haselhoff was asked how soon it would be before table games were put into action at Grand Island Casino Resort. "We're thinking 6 o'clock," said Haselhoff, the regional vice president for Elite Casino Resorts, which is managing the casino at Fonner Park. Despite…

You can add another state to the growing list of jurisdictions offering legal sports betting in the United States. On Thursday, June 22, the first legal sports bets were placed in the Cornhusker State. Despite initial concerns regarding the sports betting infrastructure in Nebraska, residents can now place a legal sports wager. It has been a long…

Catena Media provides exclusive sports betting content to OregonLive.com, including picks, analysis, tools and sportsbook offers to help bettors get in on the action. Please wager responsibly. The final leg of the horse racing Triple Crown will go down Saturday night, June 10. The Belmont Stakes serve as a perfect opportunity to sign up for a…

The 155th running of the Belmont Stakes has arrived this Saturday and you can join the fun of the races by claiming an excellent offer on TwinSpires with offer code NYPRACING. This offer gives bettors get a $400 bonus just for signing up. Already set up with TwinSpires? Take a look at some of the best horse racing betting sites. The new customer…

The famed Preakness Stakes is the second race of the Triple Crown. It is run two weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks before the final event of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes. The event commenced in 1873, but has not always taken place in Maryland as it currently does. The Preakness Stakes was originally held in Gravesend, New York,…

Longtime trainer Don Von Hemel - once a fixture at Omaha's Ak-Sar-Ben racetrack - is calling it a career. The 88-year-old officially retired May 6, the final day of the Oaklawn meet in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It marked the end of a 67-year career that saw him rise to legendary status in Nebraska and as one of the top trainers at Oaklawn. Oaklawn and…

Fonner Park fans might not know the name Mark Odorisio, but you might recognize his face. He's the guy who sells programs, forms and the blue sheet down by the main entrance at Fonner. But it's more than a job for him. Horse racing is a passion for him and brothers Tim and Mike. He'll put that on display this weekend at the National Handicapping…

It wasn't that long ago that Grand Island's Fonner Park was sending its simulcast signal as far away as Australia. Because of complications with the federal implementation of the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), the track now can't send its signal any farther than Nebraska. Until further notice, Fonner has canceled its interstate…

Nebraskans are inching closer to placing the first legal sports wagers in the Cornhusker State. The new market nears its launch as revenue from slot machine players continues to roll in, after casino gaming made its debut last year. Tom Sage, Executive Director of the state's Racing and Gaming Commission, said that the framework of rules for sports…

Named after its original land owner August (Gus) L. Fonner, the first horse races were held at Fonner Park on April 29, 1954. Fonner donated the land in April 1953. The Hall County Livestock Improvement Association owned the facility, and the Old Reliable Hereford Show and Sale was held there in September. Nearly 70 years later, Fonner Park is…

Ifthe equine world communicated the way us mere humans do, the breaking news thisweek might have cascaded like it did when Rudy Gobert tested positive forsomething called the novel coronavirus back on March 11, 2020. Atleast Saffie Joseph Jr.'s filly did not go around licking microphones before shewas red-flagged for the equine herpesvirus. Whatwe…

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) - Horse races are regularly held in only two spots in Nebraska, and the tracks in Grand Island and Columbus are usually pretty quiet apart from the rumble of thoroughbreds that stomp past the half-empty grandstands. Suddenly, though, communities throughout the state are clamoring to revive mothballed tracks and build new…

It can be tricky to handicap early-season stakes for juveniles like the Norfolk S. (G2) taking place on Thursday at Royal Ascot in England. There are so many promising young horses to choose from! The Norfolk looks especially tricky since it's drawn a large field of 11 horses, all vying for a "Win and You're In" berth to the 2022 Breeders' Cup…

The announcer at Nebraska's Fonner Park since 2003, Steve Anderson was diagnosed with cancer after the 2021 racing season. He battled back to the announcer's stand for the first half of this season, but lost his battle with cancer on Monday, May 16, 2022, at the age of 69. "Steve was simply perfect for Fonner Park," Fonner Park CEO Chris Kotulak…

The 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes will kick off this year's Triple Crown - not the Kentucky Derby. The Belmont will be run on June 20, before both the Derby and the Preakness Stakes for the first time in history. Those races have been moved to the fall. The Belmont will be run at a mile and an eighth rather than its usual mile-and-a-half…

Drayden Van Dyke hopped off Charlatan after winning the sixth race by 10 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita on Saturday and celebrated by trading elbow taps in the winner's circle. No traditional post-race handshakes during the coronavirus pandemic. The jockey, like all riders at the Southern California track where no fans were in attendance, had already…

Just because you came in first in the loser's bracket of your fantasy league does not mean you're a seasoned gambler, which is why we're here with an easy-to-follow guide on how exactly to make money at the racetrack, whether you're a beginner, a veteran, or just a really, really rich person who is bored of only hanging out on private islands. Once…

Jerry Moritz has been attending horse races at Fonner Park regularly since 1970 and almost every day in recent years. The track in central Nebraska was one of the few sporting venues in the country open to fans Saturday, and the 73-year-old from Grand Island wasn't going to let concerns over the new coronavirus stop him from going. "If we had a…

The Pegasus World Cup Invitational is a relatively new race to the sport of horse racing. It started at Gulfstream Park in 2017 with a big splash. In 2024 the race looks to crown another champion at the top of the thoroughbred game. The Pegasus World Cup Stakes In 2017 the brain trust at Gulfstream Park decided to create a marquee event in the dead…

Horse racing is one of the globally most popular sports to bet on. Every sporting fan has made horse racing picks at one time or another, with races such as the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes attracting bettors to the sport that wouldn't typically wager on racing. Horse racing is the only sport in the world that has no off-season, as there is…