Handle on gambling devices in Kentucky casinos that generate money for purse subsidies was up 23.4 percent in July compared to July of last year, despite limitations on the number of available devices due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to figures released by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Friday.
Unprecedented television coverage of horse racing during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant gains in business metrics for both networks and betting companies affiliated with racing over the past five months, according to officials of the New York Racing Association and the FOX family of television networks.
Total wagering on Thoroughbred races held at U.S. racetracks in July was up 16.6 percent, or $156 million, compared to the same month last year despite a significant decline in the number of races held during the month, according to figures released by Equibase on Wednesday.
The Jockey Club Round Table conference is now officially a virtual event. On Tuesday, The Jockey Club announced that the annual conference will be streamed live on the organization’s website on Sunday, Aug. 16, rather than held at its usual location, the Gideon-Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
A Kentucky circuit court judge has vacated a previous order to throw out a lawsuit filed by a group representing the state’s horsemen over the issue of raceday Lasix, saying that the suit should proceed on its merits.
Two recent takedowns of jackpot pools in California by the operators of computer-assisted wagering programs have swung the spotlight back on an issue that continues to frustrate many horseplayers despite the longtime presence of the programs in pari-mutuel pools worldwide.
Churchill Downs Inc. posted a net loss of $118.8 million in the second quarter of 2020, with revenue for the company cratering due to the postponement of the Kentucky Derby until the third quarter and widespread closures of casino properties across the United States, according to financial statements released by the company Thursday.
The California Horse Racing Board will conduct a hearing into whether 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify should have been disqualified from that year’s Santa Anita Derby as part of a settlement agreement with owner-trainer Mick Ruis, an attorney for Ruis said on Friday.
An annual conference designed to encourage and educate Thoroughbred owners has been rescheduled for Nov. 2-5 in Lexington, Ky., the organizers announced on Friday.
The University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Foundation, with support from Stonestreet Farm, is developing an equine biological passport that aims to detect drug use in horses.
