Ky. comp bill passes House

A bill that would raise the takeout on Kentucky races in order to pay for accident insurance for jockeys passed the Kentucky House of Representatives on Friday morning and was headed to the Senate for a vote on Monday.

The bill would raise $1.2 million a year by reducing winning payouts to bettors through a 0.1 percent increase in the takeout. The bill's funding formula had been changed from its original plan of raising money from tracks, owners, and jockeys. After the formula was changed, the Jockeys' Guild dropped its objections to the legislation and began drumming up support for the bill with the help of owner' groups and racetracks.

Scott Crosbie, a lobbyist for the Jockeys' Guild, said Friday that the Senate will likely take up the bill on Monday, the last scheduled day of the 2006 legislative session.