SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A ruling by a federal district judge in Michigan that has upended the legal framework underlying account-wagering on horse racing and drawn the attention of the entire electronic gambling industry was harshly criticized during a panel on Wednesday morning, closing day of the Racing and Gaming Conference in Saratoga Springs.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Spring is the normal season for hot takes on the Triple Crown schedule. In Saratoga on Tuesday, summer seemed just fine too. 

In a move that felt somewhat off brand, the Racing and Gaming Conference, which usually focuses on hard-core legal and business issues, put together a panel to discuss whether the Triple Crown schedule needs to be changed, giving trainer Kenny McPeek, former horsemen’s official Joe Appelbaum, and writers Bill Finley and Steve Crist a shot at the debate. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Churchill Downs Inc. will devote additional resources to its promotion of the Kentucky Oaks in the coming years in an effort to expand the race’s popularity beyond the local market and the sport’s traditional fans, the company’s chief executive officer, William Carstanjen, said during remarks at the Racing and Gaming Conference on Tuesday in Saratoga Springs.

Joe Talamo, the Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 2007, has joined FanDuel TV as a full-time host and analyst, the network announced on Monday. 

Talamo, who has appeared on FanDuel occasionally over the past year after announcing a hiatus from riding in October, will provide racing analysis, conduct interviews, and create “educational content” for racing fans in his role, FanDuel said.  

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has granted provisional accreditation to a drug-testing lab in Kentucky and will begin sending samples to the lab effective immediately, HISA said on Monday.

The provisional accreditation will make the Equine Integrity and Anti-Doping Sciences Lab the fourth lab in operation in the U.S. that is authorized by HISA to test samples for illicit and regulated substances.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Recent immigration and deportation policies pushed by the administration of President Donald Trump have underlined the need for trainers to have their paperwork in order while simultaneously creating fear and confusion on racetrack backstretches, according to speakers on a panel on Monday at the Racing and Gaming Conference in Saratoga.

Eight days after giving his first address as the new chair of The Jockey Club, Everett Dobson was sitting on the front porch of a rented house in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., enjoying the crisp morning air and perusing the day’s entries, which included one of his own horses, Ozara, who was set to run in that afternoon’s Ballston Spa.

“She’s on the cover of [the Daily Racing Form] today,” he said, somewhat giddily. “That’s a first for one of my horses.”

Diane Perkins, esteemed and successful owner, breeder, and trainer, died Wednesday in Switzerland.

The trainer Ignacio Correas, who trained for Mrs. Perkins in Argentina for some 15 years, then again in America, and remained her friend up to the time of her passing, reported news of her death.

Harris Farms, a stalwart in California Thoroughbred racing and breeding for decades, will conduct a significant reduction of its bloodstock holdings in a digital sale this month and will close its high-profile stallion operation in coming months, two leading farm officials said on Wednesday.

The auction, which involves 82 horses, will be conducted by Fasig-Tipton from Aug. 14-19. Of the horses to be offered, there are 41 mares, 26 2-year-olds, 13 3-year-olds and two 4-year-olds. Among the mares, 24 sell with foals at their side.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has established a Racing Office Advisory Group to advise the authority on the impact of its rules, policies, and procedures on racing operations, HISA announced on Wednesday.

The committee will meet monthly, according to HISA, and “serve as a forum for dialog between racing offices and HISA, ensuring that the perspectives of those responsible for daily racing operations are represented,” HISA said in a release.