Keeneland Association announced on Monday that Amy Gregory has been appointed as director of communications, effective immediately.

Gregory joined Keeneland in 2006 as media relations manager, where she supervised all press and public relations tasks for Keeneland’s racing, sales, and simulcast operations.

TORONTO, Ontario – The Ontario government announced Friday that it would be extending its support of the province’s racing industry by allocating another $30 million to the Horse Improvement Program in 2014 and 2015.

That amount, equal to this year’s funding, is to be divided equally between Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds and includes funding for restricted stakes races, bonuses available for Ontario foals in open races, owner and breeders awards, and equine research in support of the province’s breeding industry.

A national medication-policy group has approved a recommendation that states adopt rules that would subject trainers with multiple medication violations to additional suspensions and fines, the group, the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, announced on Thursday.

For all the perennial hand-wringing over the state of the U.S. racing industry, one area of the sport has been surprisingly resilient even as U.S. handle totals have cratered over the last five years and national media outlets have heaped scorn on the sport: television ratings for the Triple Crown races.

The issue of off-track stabling in Southern California for 2014 remained unresolved on Wednesday, nearly two weeks after the California Horse Racing Board urged horsemen’s organizations to find a solution to a problem caused by the closure of Betfair Hollywood Park in December.

Jim Cassidy, the president of the California Thoroughbred Trainers, expressed frustration on Wednesday that a resolution has not been reached with the Thoroughbred Owners of California. The two groups have held one meeting and exchanged proposals in recent weeks.

Wagering on U.S. races in May was up 3.6 percent compared to betting on U.S. races during the same month last year, while race days declined 1.9 percent, according to figures released on Tuesday by Equibase.

The jump in betting and the decline in race days are both positive signals for the racing industry, which has struggled financially since the 2008 recession. Factoring in the decline in race days, handle per race day in the U.S. in May was $2.35 million, up 5.3 percent compared to average raceday handle of $2.23 million in May of 2012.

Officials with the California Thoroughbred Trainers sent a proposal to the Thoroughbred Owners of California late Thursday, emphasizing their position that Barretts Racing at Fairplex Park in Pomona, Calif., should have a leading role in off-track stabling in Southern California beginning in 2014.

Representatives of the two horsemen’s groups and racetrack officials met at Santa Anita last Tuesday to discuss off-track stabling with the closure of Betfair Hollywood Park at the end of this year, but were unable to reach agreement.

Rancho Paseana, a lay-up and training center in northern San Diego County near Del Mar, is closing later this month after owner Jenny Craig decided to sell the property, according to training center manager Clifford Sise.

Sise said that Rancho Paseana has had as many as 260 horses on the grounds, but will be vacated later this month. The property is in escrow, he said Friday.

Most of the horses based there were 2-year-olds being prepared for their first starts or horses returning to racing from comebacks. Sise said they will be relocated to racetracks.

Craig Dado, an executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, was elected to the board of directors of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association at a board meeting Friday in Baltimore, the NTRA announced.

Dado, 48, has been at Del Mar since 2001. He previously was a marketing executive at Santa Anita Park. He will fill one of six seats reserved on the NTRA board for racetrack representatives.

The San Luis Rey Downs training center in northern San Diego County is expected to be closed for four months beginning June 2 for a refurbishment of its stables and dirt track, according to Santa Anita president George Haines.

San Luis Rey Downs is owned by The Stronach Group, which also owns Santa Anita. The facility had been leased to a group of horsemen until late March, when Santa Anita officials resumed management and began making plans for the refurbishment.