Sharp growth at its casinos in Kentucky and Virginia led Churchill Downs Inc. to post net income of $383.5 million in 2025, according to financial statements released Wednesday night, though returns at its casinos in other jurisdictions have begun to decline.
The California Horse Racing Board voted against proposed 2026 county fair race meetings in Red Bluff and Ferndale on Thursday, a severe setback in the effort to revive racing in the northern part of the state.
Trainers should be on the lookout for “non-specific” lameness in the hind ends of horses that are entering training as a precaution for avoiding fatal injuries in the upper bones of the rear legs, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority said in an Equine Health Advisory issued on Thursday.
The state of Texas has filed a lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction that would prevent Churchill Downs Inc. from accepting bets from state residents through its account-wagering company, according to court records.
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The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has filed a complaint to its board alleging that Churchill Downs has failed to pay $2.4 million to the authority for services provided in 2025, according to a notice posted to HISA’s website on Wednesday.
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John Ortiz, a trainer based in New York, is facing the loss of nearly $500,000 in purses after five of his horses tested positive for the regulated anti-inflammatory dexamethasone over a three-week period in November and December of last year.
The Florida House of Representatives on Wednesday night overwhelmingly passed a bill that would allow the state’s two remaining Thoroughbred tracks to operate casinos without a requirement to run live races, but a similar bill in the Senate is expected to face an uphill climb.
The chairman of the Texas Racing Commission said Wednesday that a response to a cease-and-desist order the commission recently sent to Churchill Downs Inc. regarding the entry of the company’s account-wagering operation into the state is being reviewed by the office of the state’s governor and its attorney general.
The Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit has suspended the probationary accreditation status of a drug-testing lab operated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture for a minimum of six months, HIWU announced on Tuesday.
New restrictions on betting by computer-assisted wagering programs put in place on Thursday by the New York Racing Association were suspended on Friday, NYRA announced just before the day’s card was scheduled to start.
