The overall Thoroughbred fatality rate at North American racetracks ticked upwards slightly in 2023 compared to 2022, according to an analysis of data in the Equine Injury Database.

The fatality rate for all surfaces in 2023 was 1.32 per 1,000 starts, according to the administrators of the EID, which includes data from nearly every racetrack in North America. Last year, the fatality rate fell to its lowest rate since the EID was launched in 2009, at 1.25. The 1.32 rate is the second-lowest rate in the database’s history, and it is 34 percent lower than the 2.00 rate in 2009.

Jamie Haydon, the president of the Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation, has been given additional duties at The Jockey Club as the organization’s new deputy executive director, The Jockey Club announced on Wednesday.

A barn at Mahoning Valley Racecourse in Ohio remains under quarantine after tests earlier this week revealed three new positives for strangles, according to horsemen’s officials, restricting the number of ship-ins the track is receiving for its race cards.

The New York Racing Association announced Wednesday that they have formed a committee with other prominent racing organizations to study the impact of various racing surfaces on injury rates, with a particular focus on artificial racing surfaces.

Trainer Cathal "Cal" Lynch earned his 1,000th lifetime victory when Mosler Time grabbed Saturday's finale at Laurel Park.

Ridden by Carlos Lopez, 4-year-old Mosler Time added blinkers for his second lifetime start, settled off the early leaders, commenced an outside bid on the turn, then drew away from a group of $30,000 maiden claimers at six furlongs on fast going.

Lynch, 49, came to the United States in 1996 from Northern Ireland, and saddled his first winner, Aneissa Chocolate, at Garden State Park on April 11, 1997.

Jockey Forest Boyce earned her 1,000th career victory after she guided Determined Driver to a win in Friday's seventh race at Laurel Park.

Trained by Phil Schoenthal, Determined Driver, the 2-1 second choice in the first-level allowance for 3-year-old fillies, settled off the pace, angled three wide into the stretch, then ran down odds-on favorite I'm a Cutie Pie in the final furlong.

Determined Driver was Boyce's second winner on the Friday card. She booted home first-time starter Midsummers Eve ($13) to a last-to-first win in the third race.

Ross Cohen, an indicted harness trainer who became a government witness in a wide-ranging investigation into the illegal use of drugs in horse racing, was sentenced to two years of supervised release on Wednesday by a district court in New York.

Cohen, who testified in the only trial that arose from more than two dozen arrests in March, 2020, was the first indicted individual to plead guilty in the wide-ranging case. He entered the plea five months after his arrest.

A wave of cancellations due to a prolonged cold snap hitting the Midwest and East Coast in mid-January caused handle on U.S. Thoroughbred races in the month to plunge 10.8 percent, even though average handle per race jumped a robust 9.8 percent, according to figures distributed by Equibase on Monday.

Brook Hawkins, the steward for the New York Racing Association since Nov. 1, 2019, has been fired, Hawkins confirmed Thursday afternoon.

A NYRA spokesman confirmed that Hawkins is no longer employed by the organization, but did not provide details. Later Thursday afternoon, NYRA, in a press release, announced it had hired Victor Escobar, the state steward for the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission since 2021, as its new steward. Escobar will join NYRA on Feb. 16.

Dr. Dana Stead, who resigned last year from the position of track veterinarian for tracks on the Southern California circuit, has been hired by Churchill Downs Inc. to the new position of Equine Safety and Integrity Veterinarian, Churchill announced on Wednesday.

Stead will work alongside Dr. William Farmer, Churchill’s equine medical director, in “fulfilling a core commitment to equine safety” at Churchill’s Thoroughbred and Standardbred tracks, Churchill said. He will begin in his position on Feb. 5, Churchill said.