Godolphin, the international racing and breeding operation owned by the ruler of Dubai, has been awarded its third consecutive John Deere Award as the Outstanding Breeder of the Breeders’ Cup and its Challenge series, the Breeders’ Cup announced on Tuesday.

The award is presented to the breeder whose horses amass the most points in the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series and the 14 races of the two-day Breeders’ Cup event, based on finish position. Godolphin-bred runners won four Grade 1 races in the U.S. and England that were part of the Challenge Series.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 23nd year of Churchill Downs offering parimutuel futures on the Kentucky Derby starts Thursday, when the first of five pools toward the 2021 Derby opens at noon Eastern.

Familiar parameters apply – 22 separately listed wagering interests, along with a mutuel field (No. 24) that has closed as the Pool 1 favorite every year since Churchill first unveiled the Kentucky Derby Future Wager in 1999. Also, a “filly-only” interest will be offered again as No. 23.

MIAMI - Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse achieved his 3,000^th lifetime victory when Souper Watson captured Thursday’s third race at Gulfstream Park West.

Casse, who was elected to the Hall of Fame earlier this year, became the 34^th trainer in Thoroughbred history to win 3,000 races.

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Souper Watson is owned and was bred by Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation.

T. Kevin Flanery, the president of Churchill Downs racetrack since 2009, will retire at the end of this year, the company announced on Wednesday.

ELMONT, N.Y. -- Attorneys for trainer Linda Rice argued Tuesday that she did not receive an unfair advantage over other trainers by receiving the names and past performances of the horses entered in races in which she was considering entering because there is evidence that other trainers were also given the same information.

Further, Rice’s attorneys sought to have the case brought by the New York State Gaming Commission against her dropped because they believe she did not violate any explicit rule in regards to receiving this information.

U.S. attorneys who are prosecuting a case alleging a wide-ranging conspiracy among manufacturers, distributors, and administrators of illegal substances in the Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing industries intend to argue that the substances are “performance-enhancing” even if they have no impact on the horse, the attorneys said during a status conference on Tuesday.

Mountaineer Park in West Virginia canceled Monday’s live race card due to power outages caused by a rapidly moving storm that struck the area surrounding the track Sunday afternoon, according to the track’s general manager.

Jim Colvin, the general manager, said that the storm knocked out power to the track’s lighting system and that the track is still having trouble maintaining power for its bet-processing network. The electrical problems caused Mountaineer to cancel its Sunday night card as well.

New Mexico officials on Friday issued new statewide restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic that will force Zia Park in Hobbs to suspend live racing through Nov. 30.

The meet featuring racing for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses is scheduled to run through Dec. 23.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has called for non-essential businesses, including horse racing, to cease all in-person operations beginning Monday, said Chris McErlean, vice president of racing for Penn National Gaming, the parent company of Zia.

The restriction runs through Nov. 30.

Golden Gate Fields on Friday suspended racing operations for at least one week, and in a press release later in the day cited 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the stable area since Oct. 30.

“All positive cases are overseen by the Berkeley Public Health Division [BPHD] through their case managers, are required to isolate as per BPHD protocols and are not able to return to Golden Gate Fields until health clearance has been provided by BPHD,” said the release, which was put out by Golden Gate’s parent company, The Stronach Group.

Two officials who work in the racing department at the tracks operated by the New York Racing Association testified on Thursday during a New York Gaming Commission hearing that employees of the racing office are aware that they are not permitted to tell a trainer the identities of horses that have been entered in a race prior to the draw.