The Louisiana Racing Commission has lowered the permitted threshold levels for the anti-inflammatory drugs Flunixin and Phenylbutazone in graded stakes in a policy that will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2012. The action was taken at a Monday commission meeting brings Louisiana into compliance with the graded-stakes accreditation requirements set by TOBA.
The Nebraska State Racing Commission approved a 2012 schedule of 91 days for live racing in the state at its meeting in Lincoln on Thursday afternoon, keeping the same number of race days that were allotted in 2011.
Six prep races for the Kentucky Derby, including the Wood Memorial, Santa Anita Derby, and Blue Grass Stakes, will be televised live on the NBC family of networks next year as part of an agreement between NBC, racetracks, and The Jockey Club, according to a joint announcement from the companies on Tuesday.
Handle on the Breeders’ Cup this year dropped 5.1 percent from 2010 despite the addition of a 15th BC race, according to preliminary commingled figures released late on Saturday by Breeders’ Cup.
Wagering on races at U.S. tracks continued to slide in October, dropping 6.5 percent compared to October last year, even though purses distributed at U.S. racetracks jumped 5.3 percent.
Stan Bergstein, a titan of the harness-racing industry who worked tirelessly to resolve common problems of both harness racing and Thoroughbred racing, died on Wednesday morning at 87.
Largely because of a one-time gain from a favorable court ruling, Churchill Downs Inc. had net income of $19.8 million in the third quarter of 2011, up significantly from a $700,000 loss in the third quarter of last year, according to financial results released late on Wednesday.
Penn National Gaming Inc. had net income of $70.8 million on revenue of $710.9 million during the third quarter of 2011, according to financial statements the company released on Thursday.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn dealt the state’s racing industry a blow Monday, saying he would veto a gaming bill that would have allowed slot machines at the state’s racetracks, and proposing scaled-down gaming expansion eliminating the racetrack-casino component.
The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association has hired former Santa Anita Park chief executive Lonny Powell as its new executive vice-president, the group announced at its annual meeting on Thursday.
