The organization representing owners and trainers at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., has reversed course and approved a resolution to oppose legislation sought by the track that would allow it to continue operating a casino without any live racing obligations.

The organization, which is now calling itself the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen, said that its board met on Monday to discuss the legislation, which has been introduced to the state’s House of Representatives, and voted unanimously to oppose it.

The widespread changes taking place in California this winter may lead trainer Faith Taylor to make the ultimate career change. Taylor said on Thursday that she is considering retiring after a lifelong involvement in many aspects of the sport.

Account wagering on horse racing is back on the menu in Michigan.

On Friday, the Michigan Gaming Control Board granted a license to Northville Downs to run two brief Standardbred meets in 2025, which had the effect of simultaneously approving the track’s contracts with third-party account-wagering operators. As a result, a handful of account-wagering operators were able to resume taking wagers from Michigan residents as of Friday, according to the board.

The Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit has dropped all pending cases related to total-carbon dioxide overages arising out of tests performed at an accredited Pennsylvania drug laboratory after mandating that the laboratory switch to a different testing methodology.

Riders at New York Racing Association tracks will begin receiving slightly higher fees for losing rides as of Feb. 1 under a new three-year deal on mount fees.

Under the new deal, negotiated between the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and The Jockeys' Guild, the mount fee for finishing fifth or worse will start at $125 and scale up to $150 for races with purses between $100,000 and $999,999 before topping out at $500 for any ride in a race with a purse of $1 million or more.

The fifth-place scale previously started at $110.

Kevin Lavin, a partner in an insurance firm specializing in equine policies whose family has long been involved in racing, has been named the chair of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, the organization announced on Tuesday.

Lavin, whose mother served on the Kentucky Racing Commission and whose father is a renowned equine veterinarian, was formerly vice chair of the foundation, and he has been a board member since 2010. He replaces Dell Hancock, who has been chair since 2004.

Total handle on the 13-race card at Gulfstream Saturday, which featured the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes and seven other stakes races, was down 11.4 percent compared to betting on the same card last year, according to charts of the races. 

Total handle was $41,705,466, more than a $5 million drop from the handle figure of $47,076,610 last year. This year’s 13-race card had 136 runners, compared to 142 runners in 13 races last year. 

Last year’s full-card handle was up 7.2 percent over the betting for the 2023 World Cup card, which had 134 total runners. 

The group representing trainers and owners at Gulfstream Park in Florida has begun to “reassess” its position regarding Gulfstream’s plans to support legislation that would remove a statutory requirement to hold live racing in order to continue to operate its casino, the group said in a statement released on Friday afternoon.

2024 Eclipse Awards: Thorpedo Anna elected Horse of the Year

The New York Racing Association will support a measure in the governor’s proposed budget that would use penny breakage for all payouts on bets at New York racetracks, NYRA officials said Thursday.