The New York State Gaming Commission on Monday dismissed allegations of widespread animal abuse against leading trainer Steve Asmussen that had been lodged by an animal-rights group nearly two years ago but fined him $10,000 for seemingly minor transgressions involving the use of a feed supplement.
Though jockey Mike Luzzi pleaded guilty to one charge of criminal mischief, three other charges levied against him from a domestic dispute involving his wife during the summer at Saratoga were dropped, according to Donald Matusik, Luzzi's attorney.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill on Saturday allowing New York racetracks to conduct live racing and take simulcast bets on Palm Sunday, lifting an unusual 42-year-old ban. Palm Sunday is March 20 in 2016.
A crowd of about 400 turned out Friday evening for a town-hall meeting at Laurel Park, where Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, discussed his company's view of the future for Maryland racing.
The individuals involved in an incident at Mahoning Valley Race Course near Youngstown, Ohio, in which a gelding was mistakenly identified as a mare and allowed to run in the wrong race have waived their rights to a hearing, and penalties are expected to be announced early next week, the executive director of the state’s racing commission said on Friday.
The Grade 1 American Oaks at Santa Anita is likely to be run in December for the first time in 2016 to give the turf race for 3-year-old fillies a new identity, Santa Anita officials told the California Horse Racing Board at its monthly meeting on Thursday.
Churchill Downs Inc. has entered into an agreement to buy back nearly $140 million worth of its stock from its largest shareholder, the company said late on Thursday. The agreement allows Churchill to buy 944,756 of its shares from The Duchossois Group, a private company headed by former Arlington International Racecourse owner Dick Duchossois.
Off-track stabling in Southern California may be moved from Los Alamitos to Del Mar this winter after officials with Southern California racetracks and horsemen’s organizations have been unable to reach a long-term agreement for year-round stabling at Los Alamitos.
Michael Anifantis has been named the new director of racing at Monmouth Park. He will replace longtime department head Mike Dempsey, who announced this week that he would be retiring at the end of the year.
A move to create new rules to prevent racehorses in Illinois from being sold for slaughter was voted down and tabled until at least next month during a meeting of the Illinois Racing Board on Tuesday, prompting Kathy Byrne, the commissioner who has pushed for enhanced anti-slaughter regulation and submitted the item on the Tuesday agenda, to withdraw the proposal and hastily leave the meeting, saying she was resigning her post.
