Nick Tammaro

Mike Battaglia, who has served as Churchill Downs's morning line oddsmaker for more than five decades, will retire from the role ahead of the 44-day spring meet and be replaced by Nick Tammaro, according to a press release from the track on Friday. Battaglia was responsible for setting the odds at Churchill Downs since 1974. He also served as the track's announcer from 1977-97 and later as a simulcast host from 1997-2007. "I'm very appreciative of everyone at Churchill Downs for the opportunity over the years," Battaglia said. "It's been...

Last month, Rhodes College economics professors Marshall Gramm and Nick McKinney published in these pages a study showing the estimated impacts at Aqueduct over the past four winters from CAW players during the last cycle. They found that since 2022, the percentage share from last cycle monies wagered into the Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta and Early Pick 5 pools (among others), had grown significantly. There was a problem, however, with the study: unbeknownst to Gramm and McKinney, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) had switched to a new Tote operator in...

How did we get hooked on this sport? We all have stories about how our love affair developed and blossomed. The TDN will be reaching out to numerous notable people in the industry to get their stories to find out how they got hooked and stayed hooked on the sport. Dr. Barry Eisaman, Eisaman Equine I've been in the horse world my entire life. So, I think it started just with horses and a love for them in general. That quickly transferred to love of horse racing because in my...

Selected from a pool of almost 200 applicants, the Next Generation Advisory Group will consist of 16 new members who represent a broad range of views and experiences across the American horse racing community, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) announced Monday. The group will start in April and will convene monthly to provide feedback on the implementation and evolution of HISA's various regulations, including racetrack safety and anti-doping and medication regulations. Among this group of 16 are horsemen, veterinarians, jockeys, horseplayers, representatives from horsemen's groups, racing offices and...

By J. N. Campbell As the Breeders' Cup Festival looms, Nick Tammaro is delving deep into the past performances. It's not to participate in the BC Betting Challenge. He's too principled. There is a more ardent task at hand-making the morning line. Last month, Tammaro got the call from Keeneland about taking over the October Meet's duties, previously held by longtime oddsmaker Mike Battaglia. "It was a true honor to even be considered," he said. "I have been doing this at Sam Houston Race Park and the chance to make...

Nick Tammaro has been known in public handicapping and tournament circles for nearly a decade now, having proven his sharp opinion on the New York Racing Association's Talking Horses pre-race handicapping show and in contest spots as prominent as the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge. But Tammaro took on what he calls the "biggest professional challenge" of his life earlier this year at his hometown track, Sam Houston Race Park, when he started his first job as a full-time racecaller. Tammaro just wrapped up his first Thoroughbred meet as the announcer...

Nick Tammaro has been known in public handicapping and tournament circles for nearly a decade now, but he took on what he calls the "biggest professional challenge" of his life earlier this year at his hometown track, Sam Houston Race Park, when he started his first job as a full-time racecaller. He caught up with Joe Bianca on the third episode of Bettor Things with Joe Bianca.

Houston native Nick Tammaro has been named the new track announcer of Sam Houston Race Park. He will step into the role when the 50-day Thoroughbred meet gets underway Jan. 6 and will also call for the Quarter Horse meet, which begins in April. The 37-year-old Tammaro has been following racing since his first trip to Louisiana's Fair Grounds when he was six. He's been officially involved in racing for more than 13 years as a public handicapper, speed figure maker, and oddsmaker. He has competed eight times in the...

by Nick Tammaro Marketing. Promotion. Advertising. Those are words that are often kicked around boardrooms and offices throughout the world. For "Mattress Mack" they are the fundamental elements of a business that has been successful for four decades. For the people whose lives he's touched, and they are innumerable, he means everything. My personal involvement in racing is vast, but I've long considered myself a student of the game. I handicap, play the races, make speed figures, participate in contests, appear on radio and occasionally on TV. A few weeks...