LEXINGTON, Ky. - Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., received permission on Tuesday from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to increase the amount of historical racing machines it operates from 775 to 1,200.

The impact of weather on equine health and the business decisions of racetracks is among the topics that will be discussed at the upcoming Welfare and Safety of the Horse Summit, scheduled for June 27 at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky., according to the organizers of the semi-annual one-day conference.

A subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee has scheduled a hearing for Friday, June 22, to discuss proposed legislation that would put in place a federally sanctioned overseer of racing’s medication policies and ban the raceday use of Lasix, according to several officials with direct knowledge of the plan.

Golden Gate Fields in Northern California has alerted its horsemen that the track may close if regulators do not allow the establishment of account-wagering “cafes” and for the track to stop sending its simulcast signal to offtrack betting outlets in the state, according to the chief operating officer of the track’s owner, The Stronach Group.

OCEANPORT, N.J. – After seven years of legal wrangling, the battle to legalize sports betting in New Jersey came to fruition at Monmouth Park on Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m. when Gov. Phil Murphy placed two $20 wagers. He bet Germany to win the World Cup and the New Jersey Devils to win the 2019 Stanley Cup.

“We have successfully eliminated an unlawful, unfair federal law that prohibited sports betting,” Murphy said. “This is a huge step forward for the tracks, casinos, and the state of New Jersey. There are lots of good times ahead.”

Winx remains the highest-rated horse in the world, and despite capturing the Triple Crown, Justify did not have his ranking increased in the latest release of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.

Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., was granted a license for sports betting on Wednesday afternoon, paving the way for the racetrack to take the first sports wager in New Jersey since the state began efforts to legalize the practice seven years ago.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday signed into law a bill passed last week authorizing sports betting at the state’s racetracks and casinos, and Monmouth Park in Oceanport plans to take its first sports bets on Thursday, track officials said.

The bloom is off the carnations.

Four years after California Chrome’s unsuccessful quest for the Triple Crown shattered handle records and produced stratospheric television ratings, and three years after American Pharoah ended a 37-year Triple Crown drought and was draped with the blanket of carnations awarded to the Belmont Stakes winner, this year’s Triple Crown win by Justify underwhelmed, at least when considering the raw business numbers.

Despite the unanimous endorsement Thursday of legislation authorizing sports betting in New Jersey and the state’s years-long effort to implement the practice, it could be several weeks before Monmouth Park on the Jersey Shore offers sports bets to its customers, according to the top official at the track.