Buddy Johnston was making his way through the box seat section of the Santa Anita clubhouse one recent afternoon, accepting congratulations from all manner of horsemen and fans for the exploits of his homebred stakes star Acclamation.

ARCADIA, Calif. − Adorning the exterior walls of trainer Bob Baffert’s headquarters in Santa Anita are hand-painted wooden signs honoring the stable’s champions and major stakes winners.

The three-member New York State Racing and Wagering Board on Wednesday voted unanimously to revoke the training license of Richard Dutrow and bar him from reapplying for a license for 10 years, agreeing with a hearing officer's recommendations that Dutrow's continued participation in New York racing is "inconsistent with the best interests of racing."

Trainer Graham Motion said Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Wood Memorial winner Toby’s Corner were both ridden under tack at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland on Tuesday, the first time either has had a rider on their back since returning to training late this summer.

“We rode Animal Kingdom and Toby’s Corner for the first time in the shed today,” said Motion. “They’ll keep jogging in the shed for another two to three weeks before actually going out to the track to gallop. Prior to this, they’d both been going on the Aquatread machine for about a month.”

The New York Racing Association intends to pursue licenses to open offtrack betting parlors in New York City, according to written testimony submitted to a state senate committee by the association’s chief executive, Charles Hayward.

The testimony, which was submitted to the Senate Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee on Tuesday, includes the strongest statements yet on NYRA’s intentions to operate OTB parlors in New York’s five boroughs, a politically charged endeavor that needs approval from city and state officials.

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium has approved draft rules that would prevent private veterinarians from administering the anti-bleeding medication furosemide on race day and prohibit all drugs but furosemide, commonly known as Lasix, to treat bleeding, the organization said.

Jerry Jamgotchian, a California horse owner, has filed a motion for summary judgment in a Kentucky court to invalidate a state rule limiting the abilities of owners to race claimed horses.

Stakes victories shed some value over the years

After reading articles such as "3-year-old division title up for grabs" (Aug. 3), I found myself, again, pondering the merits of this 2011 crop of 3-year-olds.

I haven't missed watching and often betting the important events for both the fillies and colts. The only consistent thing I have seen displayed is inconsistency. On any given Saturday or Sunday, in a graded stakes for these young horses, any one of them can win, with or without the seasoning that one associates with accomplished individuals.

The 2012 Southern California Thoroughbred racing calendar, which features the Breeders' Cup races at Santa Anita in November, was approved by the California Horse Racing Board at its monthly meeting on Thursday and is largely unchanged from recent years.

Santa Anita will have two meetings - Dec. 26 to April 22 and Sept. 28 to Nov. 4. Hollywood Park will have two meetings -April 26 to July 15 and Nov. 8 to Dec. 16. Del Mar and Fairplex Park will have their customary dates. Del Mar will race from July 18 to Sept. 5, while Fairplex Park will race from Sept. 7-23.

James E. “Ted” Bassett

Trustee emeritus
Age: 90
Years at Keeneland: 43
Track president, 1970-1986; chairman of the board, 1986-2001

Do you remember what your first day at Keeneland was like?
I do. And it was extraordinarily uncomfortable.