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Breeders’ Cup Ltd. has once again expanded its Challenge Series of races that guarantee starting berths and entry fees to winners, with 93 races included for this year’s event at Del Mar, up from a total of 82 races last year.
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The rescheduled Blue Grass Stakes card at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington on Tuesday drew $20.38 million in bets, an incredibly strong showing for a Tuesday but down 30.4 percent compared to handle last year on the card, which was held on a Saturday, according to a DRF analysis of betting data from charts of races.
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A budget passed by the Maryland legislature on Monday included a provision that will eliminate the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority at the end of this year, two years prior to when the authority was previously scheduled to be dissolved.
New tariffs announced by the administration of President Donald Trump are likely to lead to significant but refundable bond payments for horses imported to the United States from a variety of countries for racing or breeding, while horses imported for the purposes of sale will face the full brunt of the new fees.
Total handle on Thoroughbred races held at U.S. tracks in March declined 4 percent compared to total wagering in March of last year, but the number of races declined 5.7 percent, leading to a slight gain in average handle per race.
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A Florida Senate committee on Tuesday night advanced a bill that would allow Gulfstream Park to decouple its live racing license from its casino license, but only after amending the legislation to ensure that live racing would continue at the track for at least the next seven years.
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Average handle per race at the recently completed Turfway Park meet in Florence, Ky., was down 3.8 percent compared to the prior winter-spring meet, though the average purse was up 7.0 percent, according to an analysis of the track’s charts.
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The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled that historical horse racing machines cannot be operated in the state without approval from local voters, putting in jeopardy – for now – a significant source of revenue for Churchill Downs and horsemen at its New Orleans racetrack, Fair Grounds.
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Breeders’ Cup Ltd. and NBC Sports have reached an extension of their broadcast agreement that will keep the event on the network’s channels through 2030, the two companies announced on Wednesday.
Bonnie Lucas, a trainer based at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Penn., has accepted a lifetime ban from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority after admitting to knowingly violating regulations pertaining to injections of corticosteroids, according to a record posted on Wednesday morning on HISA’s website.
