CAPE TOWN, South Africa – A number of racing countries around the world have jumpstarted programs to provide for the care of retired racehorses in the past several years in response to a worldwide movement challenging the sport’s treatment of its athletes, according to presentations delivered Thursday afternoon as part of an adjunct to the Asian Racing Conference.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Representatives of major racing countries pushed Wednesday for a worldwide effort by racing jurisdictions to commingle their parimutuel pools globally, a plan as long on ambition and promise as it is on problems.

Turfway Park will install a new Tapeta synthetic surface to replace the current Polytrack surface, a representative from track owner Churchill Downs Inc. said at a meeting of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Tuesday.

The removal of the current Polytrack and the installation of the Tapeta surface to the one-mile main track will begin immediately after the current racing meet closes on March 28, and will be completed in time for the track’s 2020-2021 season, which begins Dec. 2.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The Jockey Club of Canada has announced that Michael Williams is the recipient of the 2019 Outstanding Groom Award. Currently employed by trainer Mike Doyle, Williams rubbed Canadian champion King Ruckus and Touch Gold as a 2-year-old in the 1990s for trainer Danny Vella.

Williams will be presented with the award at the 45th annual Sovereign Awards ceremony on April 16 in Vaughan, Ontario.

The JCC also announced the Sovereign Award media finalists on Tuesday:

Bob Quigley, a former racetrack executive in New Jersey and Texas, a horse owner and a member of the Harness Racing Hall of Fame, died Monday in Florida of natural causes. He was 90.

Northern California trainer Ari Herbertson was scheduled to be arraigned in Alameda County Superior Court on Friday on four felony charges of an alleged sexual assault, according to court records.

A California legislator said he has introduced a bill that would place significant restrictions on equine veterinarians operating at state racetracks and mandate the use of CT scanning on racehorses.

Thomas Goldsmith, a 57-year-old manager of a trucking company, took first prize of $800,000 at this year’s National Handicapping Championship on Sunday at Bally’s in Las Vegas, Nev., by amassing the second-best total bankroll in the history of the tournament.

Goldsmith, who was competing in his second NHC, posted a winning bankroll of $404.10, besting a field that included 694 entries from 564 individual players. The bankroll was short only $3.60 of the record of $407.70, posted by Roy Aresenault in 2017. Arsenault finished third this year to Goldsmith.

Bruce Johnstone, a former trainer and racing official for the New York Racing Association, died Wednesday at his home in Sea Cliff, N.Y., after a long battle with colon cancer. He was 76.

Supporters of using state bonds to rebuild both Thoroughbred tracks in Maryland have introduced legislation that details how the plan would be funded.