Churchill Downs Inc. has lifted a three-year ban of the trainer Bob Baffert at its properties, effective immediately, citing a statement that the trainer released to the company earlier on Friday accepting “responsibility” for a positive test in Medina Spirit after the horse’s win in the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

Mike Puype, the Southern California-based trainer, has been provisionally suspended by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit on allegations of the possession of two banned substances, isoxsuprine and levothyroxine, according to a report posted on the HIWU website.

Puype, who has trained since 1988, did not immediately return a phone call on Friday afternoon.

The Cal-Expo state fair meeting in Sacramento, Calif., intends to race on Saturday and Sunday evenings this weekend after failing to draw sufficient entries on Friday for the second consecutive week.

The track postponed its opening day from July 12 to July 13 because of hot conditions and a low number of entries. Friday’s program this week did not draw an adequate number of runners.

Joseph Taylor, the runaway leader by wins at the 2019 meet at Parx racetrack outside of Philadelphia, has been suspended eight years by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit after two of his horses tested positive for two banned substances, according to HIWU records.

Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., canceled its Friday racing program because of "severe weather and excessive rainfall," according to a press release from the track. Colonial's 2024 racing season began Thursday, and three turf stakes are carded Saturday. The release said Colonial was making plans to reschedule Friday's races.

The New York Racing Association and FanDuel have reached an agreement that will restore NYRA’s signal to the company’s betting platforms, just hours prior to the opening race at NYRA’s immensely popular Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York.

Details of the agreement would not be disclosed, according to officials of both sides. The deal was described in a statement from FanDuel as a “multi-year agreement.”

Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico plans to race as scheduled Friday, as crews are making progress repairing a section of the track surface that was impacted by flash flooding due to a storm in the area on Tuesday.

A track official said more flooding was in the forecast for Wednesday.

The weather pattern in the mountainous area has been volatile since last month, with the start of two wildfires. Flash flooding followed, and the storm Tuesday was a second water event that, like the first, impacted the racing surface.  

Fred Hertrich III and Clem Murphy have both been re-elected to the Breeders’ Cup Board of Directors, while Tom Ryan has been newly elected to the board, Breeders’ Cup announced on Wednesday.

All three will serve four-year terms on the board, which sets policies for Breeders’ Cup and approves the host locations for Breeders’ Cup sites. The board has 14 members.

Hertrich, who owns automobile dealerships, is the proprietor of Watercress Farm in Paris, Ky. Murphy is associated with the Coolmore Group, the international racing and breeding operation.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority is exploring whether to expand its definition of a “covered horse” to include horses that have made timed workouts at 2-year-old sales, Liza Lazarus, HISA’s chief executive, said during a town hall-style teleconference Monday.

WILMINGTON, Del. — Acting on the recommendation of Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission Veterinarians, the Saturday program at Delaware Park was postponed due to excessive heat. 

The scheduled ten-race program, featuring four stakes races, was rescheduled for Monday afternoon. First post is 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

The National Weather Service issued an Excessive Heat Warning until 8pm Saturday evening citing “Dangerously hot conditions with heat values up to 108.”