Jeff Sessions is Racing's New Best Friend

If there's something we learn often - so much so it should not be surprising anymore - politicians really like freedom, except when they don't like freedom.

In this week's edition, there are rumblings in the US that the 2011 opinion that allowed states to run and regulate internet gambling is on the way out.

"Sessions indicated that as attorney general he would revisit and likely overturn a 2011 opinion by the agency that restored federal gambling law to Congress’s original intent and returned power to regulate intrastate gambling to the states."

With lobbying, cronyism, and other isms, this could mean that gambling online, as we know it, will be banned in some form.

While the ACLU and true conservative groups complain, racing - outside the large gaming companies, of course - should be happier than Exaggerator in slop.

Racing's big edge, for about as long as we remember, has been their monopoly power. Even as it eroded over time, it was given carve-outs with slot machines and other subsidies to help it along. By potentially banning internet gambling, this could be yet another protection, offering a new comparative advantage.

Perhaps in a year, poker will shoved offshore, DraftKings will lose some edge (they are already getting taxed so hard I don't think racing should worry about them, though) and new start-ups with new games or technology will be thwarted. Racing, as per usual, won't be touched at all.

Consumers will not cheer, and it won't change the way we as racing consumers consume the sport (in fact, it's an excuse to do even worse; see government control in Ontario), but racing should be dialing 1-800 Flowers and sending Jeff Sessions a really nice fruit basket.

Notes:

Classic Empire got some major kudos on twitter this weekend after his win in the Arkansas Derby. I see a very talented horse who could do with some time off and come back later in the year, a la Arrogate. But I've been wrong a hundred million times before. Regardless, I will let him beat me.

Oaklawn's handle was up last meet. With field size falling and no turf racing, this is impressive.

Keeneland has had a good meet, with good weather, so far. This continues the big track, good handle narrative we've heard for the past year or two. Well, it seems to work that way outside of California anyway.

Did you ever bet a horse who raced like a 4-5 shot but had traffic trouble one week and lost. Then the same thing happened the next race? And the next? That horse should be named the Minnesota Wild. No, the best horse doesn't always win the race, and the better hockey team doesn't either. It's always something we need to remember when wagering.

Corsica xGF for the MIN-STL series by game:

3.45-1.90
1.85-1.03
3.33-2.78

Goals are 3-7 across the 3 games.

MIN is -5.63 below expected.

— Stephen Burtch (@SteveBurtch) April 17, 2017

Have a really nice Monday everyone.