LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska State Racing Commission approved a 2012 schedule of 91 days for live racing in the state at its meeting in Lincoln on Thursday afternoon, keeping the same number of race days that were allotted in 2011.
Notable changes in the schedule occur at Lincoln and Omaha. Horsemen’s Park in Omaha will present a pair of three-day weekends of racing for 2012 instead of its usual four-day festival weekend.
Six prep races for the Kentucky Derby, including the Wood Memorial, Santa Anita Derby, and Blue Grass Stakes, will be televised live on the NBC family of networks next year as part of an agreement between NBC, racetracks, and the Jockey Club, according to a joint announcement from the companies on Tuesday.
In 2010, commingled handle on the Breeders’ Cup’s 14 races shot up 13 percent to a record, in the midst of an industry-wide three-year economic slump that had followed years of stagnation. With handle on the Breeders’ Cup Classic a record that year, the most reasonable explanation for the surge was that Zenyatta’s attempt to retire undefeated with her second Classic win in a row had given the Breeders’ Cup a much-needed shot in the arm.
Wagering on races at U.S. tracks continued to slide in October, dropping 6.5 percent compared to October last year, even though purses distributed at U.S. racetracks jumped 5.3 percent, according to figures released by Equibase on Saturday.
Stan Bergstein, a harness-racing titan who advocated for cooperation between the Standardbred and Thoroughbred industries to solve the sports' common problems, died on Wednesday morning at his home in Tucson at the age of 87, according to a family friend.
Bergstein had been suffering from health problems for the past year, and died under the care of hospice, surrounded by his immediate family.
Largely because of a one-time gain from a favorable court ruling, Churchill Downs Inc. had net income of $19.8 million in the third quarter of 2011, up significantly from a $700,000 loss in the third quarter of last year, according to financial results released late on Wednesday.
CHICAGO - Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn dealt the state’s racing industry a blow Monday, saying he would veto a gaming bill that would have allowed slot machines at the state’s racetracks, and proposing scaled-down gaming expansion eliminating the racetrack-casino component.
The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association has hired former Santa Anita Park chief executive Lonny Powell as its new executive vice-president, the group announced at its annual meeting on Thursday.
Powell will take over on Jan. 1 from longtime executive vice-president Dick Hancock, whose 22-year tenure has been marked by recent controversy.