BOSTON, Mass. – With the tight deadline for racing dates applications fast approaching, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is looking for ways to help live Thoroughbred racing continue in the state.

“We’re trying to keep the door open.” said Commissioner James McHugh during an open hearing Sept. 25.

Nonetheless, the door was slammed shut when the MGC voted on Sept. 16 to award the single Boston area casino license to Wynn Resorts instead of gaming rival Mohegan Sun, which had partnered with Suffolk Downs and proposed developing a world class casino on racetrack grounds.

Brisnet.com, a provider of handicapping products, has launched an annual award to honor published articles dealing with handicapping or betting advice, the company announced Thursday.

The Ron Rippey Handicapping Media Award will be open to any “article, blog post, or video” that deals with topics including “how to handicap/bet a race, post-race trip notes, or general essays on money management or the use of speed ratings,” Brisnet.com said in the announcement. This year’s award will be presented at the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters awards dinner Oct. 29.

BOSTON  - With the tight deadline for racing dates applications fast approaching, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is looking for ways to help live Thoroughbred racing continue in the state.

“We’re trying to keep the door open, ” said commissioner James McHugh during an open hearing Thursday.

Nonetheless, the door was slammed shut when the MGC voted on Sept. 16 to award the single Boston area casino license to Wynn Resorts instead of to gaming rival Mohegan Sun, which had partnered with Suffolk Downs and proposed developing a world-class casino on racetrack grounds.

Seventy-five years ago, the $10,000-added Beldame Handicap was a new addition to the stakes calendar at Aqueduct. Charles Hatton, columnist for Daily Racing Form and its sister publication, The Morning Telegraph, later called this race the beginning of the sport’s recognition of the importance of older fillies and mares.

Delaware Park might quibble with Hatton. Two years earlier, that track had introduced the $10,000-added New Castle Handicap (later renamed the Delaware Park Handicap) for fillies and mares to its stakes lineup.

With closing day for the 37-day season set for Tuesday, the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium and the Ontario government reiterated their commitment to Fort Erie Race Track on Wednesday by announcing that the track will hold at least 37 race dates in 2015.

The exact number of race dates will be subject to approval by the Ontario Racing Commission.

FRANKLIN, Ky. – Kentucky Downs handled almost $15.9 million from all sources at the five-day meet that ended Wednesday, setting a record for the turf-only track.

The gross of $15,880,755 represents a 24 percent increase over the previous record of $12,814,967 set in 2013, when five days also were conducted.

The venue has changed, but there are many familiar names among the entries for the six-race Michigan Sire Stakes on Saturday at Hazel Park.

This year marks the first time that the Detroit-area track will host Michigan’s marquee Thoroughbred card, and it will be the fifth Sire Stakes venue since 1998.

Each race boasts an estimated purse of $50,000 with male and female divisions for Michigan-sired 2-year-olds (at 5 1/2 furlongs), 3-year-olds (at one mile and 40 yards), and older horses (at 1 1/8 miles).

The Meadowlands has canceled its Thursday night all-turf card due to rain. Racing will resume Friday evening.

Rain began falling in northern New Jersey on Thursday morning and was forecast to continue throughout the day, prompting the cancellation of the six-race card.

First post for the Monmouth-at-Meadowlands card on Friday is 7 p.m. Beginning next week, the Meadowlands switches to a Friday-Saturday schedule. The meet continues through Nov. 1.

Few jockeys have ever dominated a meet like Paco Lopez has at Monmouth Park this summer.

With two days left in the 57-day season, Lopez leads runner-up Gabriel Saez 120 to 54. Lopez’s mounts have earned over $3.3 million, more than double his nearest competitor.

Until this meet, no jockey had ever ridden more than six winners on a Monmouth Park card. Lopez rode seven – twice.

The previous record holders with six wins were Joe Bravo, Julie Krone, Chris Antley, Walter Blum, Eddie Castro, and Jose Lezcano. Good company, to say the least.

ELMONT, N.Y. – My Miss Aurelia, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2011, and Dreaming of Julia, a Grade 1-winning filly of 2012, have been retired from racing, owner Barbara Banke said Wednesday. Breeding plans for both have yet to be decided.

My Miss Aurelia, a daughter of Smart Strike out of the dam My Miss Storm Cat, had a record of 6-2-3 from 11 starts, with earnings of $2,547,000. At age 2, when trained by Steve Asmussen, My Miss Aurelia won all four of her races, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Grade 1 Frizette, and was crowned the 2-year-old filly champion.