Vol. 3, No. 11, November 2006
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A Sports Parlay
November action in Atlantic City ranges from the Breeders Cup to Reality Fighting
Opposites do more than attract. They provide a diverse November Atlantic City sports menu.
Call it Majesty and Mayhem. On November 3, Bally’s hosts a special boxing event. The pristine, lucrative, gentlemanly Breeders Cup occurs November 4 throughout the casino sports books. The hard-hitting, frenetic, Reality Fighting showcase occurs November 12 at Boardwalk Hall.
Night and day could not offer a bigger contrast. Yet each event carries a legion of support and will bring substantial business to the city.
Garden State Ring Connection
New Jersey promoter Dino Duva brings a junior welterweight showcase between Kendall Holt and Isaac Hlatshwayo to Bally’s November 3. The event unfolds as part of Showtime network’s Shobox: The New Generation series.
Holt, based in Paterson, is 20-1 and has won five straight since his only loss. Hlatshwayo, a South Africa native, owns a 25-0 mark with nine knockouts and wins over contenders like Nate Campbell and Phillip N’Dou.
Atlantic City has enjoyed a strong 2006 boxing menu. Two Arturo Gatti bouts and one involving Bernard Hopkins against Antonio Tarver highlight the big names, but a slew of supporting events like this augments the lineup.
The Shobox series unfurls emerging talent. Somers Point native Mike Arnaoutis appeared on the series several times and used it as a springboard to contention. Arnaoutis is slated to fight Ricardo Lopez for the WBO 140-pount title on the undercard of the Erik Morales-Manny Pacquiao pay-per-view event November 18 in Las Vegas.
Breeders Bonanza
Horse racing arrives first with its multi-million-dollar Breeders Cup. The affair unfolds at Kentucky’s Churchill Downs and will be simulcast to several racing rooms in Atlantic City. It is the industry’s glamour day, awarding an unprecedented $20 million in stakes on one card. The Breeders Cup menu features eight consecutive races with minimum purses of $2 million. The finale, called the Classic, carries a $5 million purse.
Nothing showcases the Sport of Kings like the Breeders Cup. Despite the Kentucky Derby’s rich history, Breeders Cup Day is rapidly becoming racing’s signature day.
Each of its races carries a bigger purse than the fabled Run for the Roses. In simulcast terms, the Breeders Cup benefits all Atlantic City properties. It will particularly highlight Bally’s Atlantic City and Borgata, which unveiled a race book in June as part of its $200 million expansion.
Breeders Cup races began in 1984 as a vehicle to promote the sport, showcase its finest animals and create a season-ending championship. The races became a cornerstone of a year-round program which has allocated more than $380 million to owners and breeders since the inaugural.
The scenario came to benefit the horse-racing public. By waging consecutive million-dollar races, officials created a frenzy. Betting goes through the roof because a 12-horse field has 12 realistic winners. Championship horses, some who have never lost, go off at long prices like 7-1. Tremendous payouts bring huge crowds.
What a smorgasbord. Championship events include the Classic, Turf, Distaff, Mile, Sprint, Filly and Mare Turf, Juvenile and Juvenile Filly divisions. These races often crown horse-of-the-year honors.
They also create a national and international rivalry. European invaders, for instance, often dominate the turf competition. Horses have come from as far as Japan to compete.
The public has embraced it. Churchill Downs already holds records for attendance and total wagering. The renowned oval attracted more than 80,000 spectators in 1998 and the event prompted wagering exceeding $100 million there in 2000.
Longshot aficionados have never been disappointed. French-based runner Arcangues delivered the biggest upset in Breeders Cup history, and perhaps anywhere, by winning the 1993 classic and paying $269.20. That’s a little better than 133-1.
Races are transmitted by satellite to simulcast outlets in over 25 countries. Horse racing, on this day, becomes a major sport.
Reality Scores
This successful hybrid of boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, karate and kickboxing has drawn well in Atlantic City over the past two years. The fast, furious action often produces quick winners and stunning developments.
Fifteen bouts occur on the November 12 card. Big names include Jim Miller of Planet Jiu-Jitsu, Carlos Nieves, Rob Russo and Haz Ibrahim. Tickets begin at $37.50 and top out at $150 for ringside.
Mixed Martial Arts has become a worldwide craze. Different forms of it have prospered in Japan, Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Contestants specialize either in striking, grappling or submission holds, but must be versatile. A successful ground fighter, for instance, must at least battle well enough from the stand-up position before taking the bout to the ground.
Reality Fighting has produced one-punch kayos, instant tapouts and intense action. Referees often make fighters stand and begin anew if they have become muddled in a slow ground fight.
