Peggy Hendershot, whose long tenure with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association culminated with her appointment as president of the NTRA’s federal political action committee, will retire at the end of the year, the organization announced on Tuesday.
Ron Winchell, the prominent horse owner, and Marc Falcone, a former casino executive, have reached an agreement to purchase Kentucky Downs, the small track and gambling facility near the Tennessee border, the track announced late on Tuesday.
The final hour of last Saturday's Breeders' Cup broadcast on NBC had total viewership of 1.6 million, according to the network, down 20 percent from last year.
Florida voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved ballot measures banning dog racing in the state and requiring statewide voter approval for any gambling expansion, according to election results. The two Florida ballot measures were among a number of gambling issues up for a vote on Tuesday in states across the country.
Apprentice jockey Assael Espinoza, who has been in the first five in the jockey standings at all Southern California meetings since late spring, has lost an appeal of a 10-day suspension issued in August and will miss the bulk of the upcoming Del Mar meeting.
Andy Stronach, the son of the founder of The Stronach Group, Frank Stronach, has filed his own lawsuit alleging that his sister Belinda has mismanaged the business, repeating allegations that his father made in a suit filed in early October.
Santa Anita concluded its 22-day autumn meeting on Sunday with a gain in average daily handle compared to a 19-day meeting in 2017.
Total betting on the 14 Breeders’ Cup races held Friday and Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., was up 0.6 percent compared to last year, when there were 13 official Breeders’ Cup races held at Del Mar in Southern California, according to charts of the races.
Handle on the five Breeders’ Cup races held on a revamped Friday card at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., was $38.1 million, according to charts of the races, up 21 percent over the handle on four Breeders’ Cup races on the Friday card last year at Del Mar in Southern California.
The New York Stallion Stakes series will double in value next year to $2.3 million due to increased financial support from the New York State Breeding and Development Fund.
