Know When To Fold 'Em

- Saw today what seemed to me like an odd note regarding the National Association of Two-year-old Consignors and The Race for Education sponsoring a no-limit Texas hold’em tournament for charity.

"We are very excited to be sponsoring this tournament, particularly with the escalating interest in poker across the nation," NATC board member Mike Mulligan said. [Thoroughbred Times]

While we’re all for anything that raises money for a worthy cause, it seems to me that poker is just another fast-spreading form of gambling that racing is competing with, and, based on the enormous popularity of the TV shows and online poker games, not very well. Couldn’t they come up with something based on the industry they are a part of? Some kind of handicapping contest? Bring in some Instant Racing machines? Again, it’s for charity, so whatever can raise the most money I suppose is best, but it seems a bit like the GOP raising money with a showing of some God-less entertainment like Million Dollar Baby (warning: I won’t be like Rush Limbaugh, so don’t read the link if you haven’t seen the film and don’t want to know the ending.)

- Trouble for worker’s comp legislation in Kentucky; meanwhile slots gain public support there
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- California officials acknowledge that their milkshake test may be picking up the presence of over-the-counter supplements. More at Railbird.