Big night for Wise Dan at Eclipse Awards

Since John Henry in 1981, it was only Wise Dan, who ever won three categories at the Eclipse Award ceremony in Hallandale Beach, Fla. He was awarded Horse of the Year, older male and male turf horse last January 19, 2013.

Wise Dan snatched two track records in 2012 finishing his season in the Breeders’ Cup Mile with a fantastic turn of foot.

Wise Dan is known for his victories on mile races carried out on the grass. He is now included in the famous line up of champions such as Round Table, Dr. Fager, Fort Marcy, Secretariat.

In 2011, this horse racing favorite won the Clark Handicap on dirt at Churchill Downs and Fayette Stakes.

In 2012, he covered five victories. He traveled to win in New York, Kentucky, California and Canada and had whooping earnings of $2,622,037. his record of 1:46.63 in 10 1D1 length romp in the 11D8-mile Ben Ali Stakes earned him 117 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest figure of the year and the biggest synthetic Beyer since dawn of artificial grounds.

He marked his legend when he won a three-race streak in Premiere Company going a mile on turf. A record breaking 11D2 length score under John Velasquez was made when he was able to get the distance in 1:31.78 while carrying 126 pounds leaving 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and European standouts Excelebration and Moonlight Cloud aside. Lopresti never expected it.

At Stephen Foster Handicap on dirt at Churchill Downs, in the closing stage Ron the Greek beat him by a head. In Saratoga Race Course, he won five length in the Fourstardave Handicap. Three Grade 1 victories after those horse races made him the most accomplished runner in the nation.

Wise Dan, foaled in Kentucky on February 20, 2007 is owned by Fink. He belongs to a family of horse racing winners. Wise Dan’s dam, Lisa Danielle is the daughter of Wolf Power.

Wise Dan is now preparing for his debut on April 12 Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland. Lopresti and Fink has planned for another dirt run for him and you’ll definitely see him on various surfaces this 2013.

Spanish Lotteries Now Have Taxes!

A lot of people in Spain started the new year with much festivities as Spain’s very generous lottery gave away €840 million in prizes at its El Nino draw on January 6. 

However, a bit of cloud threw a shadow across the celebrations as, for the first time ever, winnings of at least €2500 are going to be taxed 20 percent in Spain’s effort to drive down its public deficit.

Despite this, winners are still very much thankful for whatever amount is left to them as they feel it will still go a long way towards alleviating their financial difficulties. Since 2008, Spain’s population have been suffering the jarring effects of the global financial crisis and the property market crash which left millions people jobless.

One of the top prize winners said that part of the prize money will go towards helping a jobless son and a younger daughter’s studies, while another one claimed that the prize is a relief for the limited budget. 

The winners of the El Gordo lottery at the December 22 draw, on the other hand, have managed to escape the levy as it will only take effect this year. That means the top prize winners of €400,000 each will be able to keep the whole amount of their winnings. The El Gordo lotto, one of the biggest lotteries in the world, paid out a whopping €2.466 billion.

I'll Have Another 3YO champ

All eyes are on the leader of the clubhouse, not just to cheer him up, but also to beat him.

I’ll Have Another is a known 3 year old champion for running with a roughshod at Robert B. Lewis Stakes, Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes before finally retiring because of leg injury that happened a day before the Belmont Stakes. He was later joined by Union Rags, Creative Cause, Bodemeister, Hansen and Paynter, all known leading Sophomores. In the second half of 2012, Dullahan’s TVG Pacific Classic had a record breaking achievement by winning over older horses.

Breeder Harvey Clark bred I’ll Have Another in Kentucky. He received the Eclipse Award for best 3 year old male. Among his recorded accomplishments are being second to finish in the Grade II Best Pal Stake and by winning the Lewis Stakes. I’ll Have Another was just another race horse who was starting to win races, he’s just starting to build his name. The only time he got really noticed was when he won the Santa Anita Derby over Creative Cause by a nose. He was still at 15-1 when he broke from the 19-hole in the Derby. I’ll Have Another, sired by Flower Alley, who was moving under jockey Mario Gutierrez wowed everyone when he ran down the front running Bodemeister. The same incident happened again at Pimlico two weeks later.

Owner Paul Reddam and trainer Doug O’ Neill announced I’ll Have Another’s retirement the day before the Belmont Stakes, the Holy Grail of the Triple Crown and marked his name in the history of the sport horse racing and horse betting.

I’ll have Another was chosen by a bloodstock agent, Dennis O’Neill, brother of Doug, his trainer at Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’ s April 2 year old auction for the price of $35,000. O’Neill commented “It’s bittersweet, He was gonna get nothing but better with age. I sure think he’s just starting to get good. The sky was the limit.”

I’ll Have Another received his trophy in the clubhouse because he was already injured, even so, he is still a champion.

Retired Woman Wins Big With $40 Million at the OZ Lotto

What will you do if you win $40 Million? That is probably one of the most asked questions being sent upon the way of this particular woman retiree from Lilydale who won last night’s jackpot of $40 Million at the Oz Lotto game. With this lottery winning, 2013 will definitely start right for her and her whole family.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, has said that she had received the shock of her life when she received the winning phone call. She had been dreaming and hoping for many years now to win big at the lottery but has never thought in a million years that it would actually happen to her. She further shared that she had never really gained any vices but she admitted that she did enjoy buying lottery tickets during big draws.

When asked on what she plans to do with her winnings, she exclaimed that she wants to make provisions to pay off her house, her loans and to help provide for her children and grandchildren.

The winning OZ Lotto ticket was purchased in Wantirna South at Knox Central Lotto and has been known as a site to produce lotto winners. On March of 2012 alone, this place had sold a winning Tatts Lotto ticket worth a whopping $474,094.13.

The winning of $40 Million Jackpot at the OZ Lotto is considered as the biggest payout for the year 2012 and is the fourth biggest win in the history of Australian Lottery.

The woman’s winning numbers were as follows: 36, 19, 15, 43, 12, 41 and 22. The supplementary numbers were 38 and 1.

US$425,000,000: Biggest ever USA Powerball Jackpot

For the very first time ever in USA Powerball Jackpot history, the prize money has run up to a whopping US$425 million for the Wednesday, November 28, 2012 draw!

This record is only the second time in the history of US lottery, and even the whole world, that the jackpot has surpassed the $400 million mark. It has only been matched once before by competitor Mega Millions when its jackpot rose to a record level of $656 million on March 30, 2012.

This Powerball jackpot began at the level of $40 million on October 6, and since then no one has been able to win the jackpot, thus running up the stake to this remarkable amount.

The lump-sum payout for the Wednesday, November 28 draw is an astounding $278.3 million, the biggest amount ever offered by USA Powerball.  And based on ticket sales of previous weeks, this amount could run up to as much as half a billion as millions of people are expected to try their chances at claiming this historic jackpot prize.

In the beginning of this year, USA Powerball re-invented its playing mechanics and pricing structure which they claimed would lead to bigger jackpots and more winning players. It appears they were right about it as Powerball has given out jackpot prizes of over $300 million three times this year and has now even arrived at their record-breaking jackpot of $425 million.

It’s time for the El Gordo Lottery Christmas Draw!

Start your count down to the biggest and richest draw of the world, the El Gordo Christmas Draw. This grandest lottery event of the year will be held on December 22, 2012. With over €2.5 billion in total prize money, and the first prize fixed at €720 million, the El Gordo is not only biggest and oldest lottery draw in Spain, but in the whole world.

At the El Gordo Draw, not only one person goes home to be a millionaire. Over 15,000 winners will be taking home a share of the total €2.5 billion, from as little as €180,000 to as much as the jackpot prize of €720 million. The second prize alone comes in at €225 million. Wouldn’t you want a chance to share in these millions, too?

The chances of winning at the El Gordo are so much better compared to other lotteries. Only 100,000 tickets are issued for every draw, with over 37,000 prizes being given away. So the odds of winning are 1 in 6.

Anyone can join the  December El Gordo draw via ILS. The good news about it is that players don’t have to be from Spain or know someone who lives there in order to buy tickets. El Gordo draw tickets can be purchased safely and securely online through legitimate lottery entry service providers. 

Play the El Gordo Navidad Draw via ILS

International Lottery Subscriptions has been entering players into overseas Government Lotteries, and collecting and sending them their winnings since 1988. Over 155,000 international players have taken advantage of this service, and many still continue to enter their favorite Lotteries with their special numbers.

You are also assured that the company will not deduct any commissions or fees of any sort from your El Gordo December Lottery winnings.

Euro Millions: Biggest Pan European Lottery

Euro Millions, a lottery played in nine countries in Europe which are the UK, France, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and Portugal, is the biggest transnational euro lottery which has recently reached peak prize money of €190 million on August 10, 2012.

With 13 prize divisions, Euro Millions gives you the chance to win a ton of money even when you don’t win the jackpot prize.  What’s more Euro Millions prizes, including the Jackpot, are tax-free and given in one single payout. Plus, you can join wherever you are in the world.

If you have never joined the Euro Millions lottery ever, here’s something that might encourage you.  In August 2012, a couple from Suffolk, UK won the jackpot prize of €190 million. In July 2011, another couple from Scotland claimed the biggest win ever with prize money of over £161 million, while in May 2009, a young lady from Majorca, Spain won €126 million.

Euro Millions draws are held every Tuesday and Friday. The game type is 5/50 + 2 Lucky Stars; choose 5 digits out of 50, plus Lucky Stars digits from 1 to 11. The draw will be at 9:00 PM UK Time (10:00 PM CET in France and Spain) with venues in UK, France and Spain.