Arlington announced Friday it would offer purse bonuses to Illinois-bred horses in a variety of races at its upcoming 2014 race meet.

Arlington, making the announcement jointly with the Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Foundation, will pay Illinois-breds up to $1,000 for finishing first through fourth in a race not restricted to Illinois-breds. A horse could earn up to $600 in bonus money for winning such a race, money that will be added to existing purse incentives for Illinois-breds competing in open races at the $10,000 claiming level and higher.

NEW YORK – Ultimately, Len Riggio’s experience last Saturday at Aqueduct was an enjoyable one, as he wound up standing in the winner’s circle after his 3-year-old homebred Samraat won the Grade 3, $500,000 Gotham Stakes to remain undefeated.

Up until that race, however, Riggio – an owner, breeder, and member of the New York Racing Association’s Reorganization Board – and his guests were not enjoying their experience in the Equestris dining room at Aqueduct.

“The food was terrible, no waiters, no help – our experience was pretty sad,” Riggio said.

Handle on U.S. Thoroughbred races dropped 4.1 percent in February when compared to the same month last year due in large part to a 5.1 percent drop in the number of race days, according to figures released Wednesday by Equibase.

Wagering during the month was down from $826.3 million last year to $792.5 million. Race days fell from 296 to 281, with the majority of the loss coming from a glut of cancellations at tracks in the Northeast due to harsh winter weather.

Mark Gearan, the president since 1999 of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, N.Y., was confirmed to be the new chairman of the New York Gaming Commission by the state Senate on Tuesday.

The New York Gaming Commission is considering passing separate rules for Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds regulating the use of the bronchial dilator clenbuterol, according to racing officials, clearing the way for the adoption of an overall model medication rule for Thoroughbreds but raising questions about the ability of regulators to enforce the clenbuterol restrictions.

The Saratoga Springs City Council, in a 5-0 vote, approved a resolution on Tuesday night stating its opposition to a full-blown casino in the city, a ceremonial vote that reflects the community’s concern that additional gambling will hurt local businesses.

The vote by the council came four months after a statewide referendum on allowing up to four casinos in upstate New York was approved by voters. Residents of Saratoga Springs, however, had voted against the proposal.

The governor of New Mexico has signed a bill into law that will protect a racetrack’s right to exclude individuals whose licenses have been suspended or revoked by the state’s racing commission for some drug violations, the governor, Susana Martinez, announced on Monday.

The bill, passed earlier this year by the legislature, states that a “racetrack licensee may eject or exclude … any person whose occupational license has been suspended or revoked by the stewards or the commission for administering a performance-altering substance.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Keith McCalmont of the Woodbine Entertainment Group’s media communications department earned nominations in two different categories as the Jockey Club of Canada announced the media finalists for the 2013 Sovereign Awards on Monday.

The winners of the three categories – writing, digital audio/visual and broadcast, and photograph – will be announced at the annual Sovereign Awards ceremony at Woodbine on Friday, April 11, the night before opening day of the 2014 meet.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission awarded the license for construction of the state’s single slots parlor to Penn National Gaming Inc. on Feb. 27, breathing new life into the ailing Standardbred racing and breeding industries in New England.

Churchill Downs Inc. once again posted record revenue in 2013, but its net income declined as its revenue from racing operations fell sharply and growth evaporated at its account-wagering business, according to financial documents released by the company Wednesday.