Wagering and race days during the month of April at U.S. tracks declined significantly compared to the same month last year, according to figures released on Friday by Equibase, ending a brief string of encouraging figures in a sport that has been wracked by declines over the past three years.

Handle on U.S. races declined 7 percent during the month, from $927.1 million in April of last year compared to $862 million in April this year. The decline was nearly matched by a 6.5 percent drop in race days, from 401 last year to 375 this year.

The New York State Racing and Wagering Board on Monday adopted an emergency rule, effective May 9, prohibiting  racetracks from offering a purse that is more than double the claiming price in the race, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for the consideration of a rule that would ban the use of the anti-bleeding medication furosemide on raceday.

Members of the racing industry who support the passage of federal legislation to regulate the sport and ban the raceday use of the anti-bleeding medication furosemide made their cases on Monday in front of a House subcommittee hearing held at a school in Pennsylvania.

John Sabini, the chairman of the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, was sworn in on Friday to as the new chairman of the Association of Racing Commissioners International, an umbrella group for U.S. state racing jurisdictions.

Sabini, a former New York legislator who was appointed to his position on the New York racing board by former Gov. David Paterson in 2008, will replace William Koester, a member of the Ohio State Racing Commission. He was sworn in at the close of the RCI’s annual meeting in Oklahoma City.

With Arlington’s race meet set to begin May 4, the racetrack and the local horsemen’s group, the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, are embroiled in a contract dispute that is becoming increasingly bitter. If a contract isn’t agreed upon, the horsemen could deny Arlington permission to export its simulcast signal.

“We hope good reason will prevail and overcome ego and emotions that may be involved,” Arlington general manager Tony Petrillo said. “We’re optimistic things won’t come to that.”

Donna Barton Brothers, the former jockey and current racing television analyst, has been hired by the racehorse partnership group Starlight Racing as its new chief operating officer, Starlight said on Thursday.

In the position, Barton Brothers will “work closely” with Starlight’s managing partners, Jack Wolf and Donnie Lucarelli, on Starlight’s racing operations, marketing and business development, Starlight said in a release. Barton Brothers will also continue to work as an analyst with NBC Sports and Television Games Network, the release said.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Tuesday’s passage of the Liberal Government’s Ontario 2012 budget confirmed the end of the racetrack slots program operated by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation as of March 31, 2013.

The slots operations at three racetracks – Fort Erie, Windsor Raceway, and Hiawatha Horse Park – are scheduled to be shut down this coming Monday.

Woodbine and the province’s other 13 racetracks will continue to operate under the current terms, which allocate 10 percent of the net profit from the machines to the racetracks and 10 percent to the horsemen for purses.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Court of Appeals expects to issue a ruling in four to six weeks over a challenge to the legality of Instant Racing machines, the slot machine-like devices installed at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., that use the results of previously run horse races to generate payouts.

The legality of the devices was challenged by the Family Foundation of Kentucky, which has argued that the machines violate the state constitution’s prohibition on forms of gambling other than horse racing or the lottery.

The New York Racing Association and New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association are jointly sponsoring an awards program for Thoroughbreds competing in the Empire State’s 10-horse trials and three-day events this year.

The two organizations have pledged more than $30,000 for prize money and to promote the initiative, called Career2. The highest-scoring Thoroughbred at each of the season’s events will receive $300 (including $100 from the Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Incentive Program)

and a saddle pad; the second highest-scoring Thoroughbred will receive a $100 award.

LEXINGTON – Ken McPeek, one of two trainers who have are scheduled to give testimony to a federal congressional hearing on Monday, said on Wednesday that he plans to ask legislators to consider the needs of horsemen if the federal government passes a bill to regulate the sport.

“The sport needs change,” McPeek said on Wednesday from Keeneland. “I don’t know if it needs to be dramatic change, but it does need gradual change, and that has to be done with horsemen in mind.”