Two U.S. senators will introduce legislation next week that would appoint the United States Anti-Doping Agency as the overseer of racing’s medication and drug-testing policies, the senators announced on Friday, but the bill differs in some ways from legislation that has already been introduced in the House of Representatives.
Keeneland Association, the not-for-profit racing and sales company, has donated $1.3 million to an endowment that will fund an equine drug research and testing program at the University of Kentucky.
The New York Gaming Commission will undertake a survey of the state’s racing constituencies to gauge support for a partial ban on the raceday use of the drug furosemide in the wake of an announcement from major racetracks in support of the ban.
Keeneland and Churchill Downs, Kentucky’s two most prominent tracks, have each pledged $100,000 to the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, to be distributed to research projects over the next three years, the two racetracks announced jointly on Friday.
Jockey Paco Lopez was suspended 60 days by the Gulfstream Park stewards earlier this month for a second case of extreme careless riding this season, and on Thursday track officials said that suspension has been reduced to 30 racing days on appeal.
Christopher McNamara, a former vice president of a Lexington marketing agency, has been named the senior vice president of corporate partnerships at Breeders’ Cup Ltd.
Dr. Dionne Benson, who has served as the executive director of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium for the past seven years, has accepted a position as Chief Veterinary Officer for The Stronach Group, the privately held company whose Santa Anita Park has been beset with criticism because of a spate of equine fatalities this winter.
Wonder Gadot was named 2018 Canadian Horse of the Year at the 44th annual Sovereign Awards ceremony at Chateau Le Jardin in Vaughan, Ontario, on Thursday night, beating out Mr Havercamp and Pink Lloyd. The three finalists were revealed right before the winner was announced.
The California Horse Racing Board voted on Thursday for tougher medication rules at all state racetracks for the next 12 months during a meeting in which several animal rights activists called for the racing board to immediately halt racing at Santa Anita following a series of equine fatalities.
Churchill Downs Inc. said Thursday it will build an equine medical center on the backstretch of its flagship track in Louisville and hire an equine medical director to oversee all of its live-racing properties as part of a handful of measures that the company said would “improve safety protocols and procedures” at its tracks.
