A bill that would legalize electronic gambling machines at Kentucky racetracks stalled in a state Senate committee on Wednesday and may be headed for the dustbin.

The Senate Committee on State and Local Government declined to take action on the bill at the request of its chief sponsor, Damon Thayer, according to reports. The same committee had voted to support the bill last week, but the legislation was sent back to the committee on Wednesday because of indications from Senate President David Williams that the full Senate would not pass the bill without major changes.

New York Gov. David Paterson has asked leaders of the state's General Assembly and Senate to sign off on a plan that would reopen the bidding to operate a casino at Aqueduct and leave the selection of the winning bidder to the state lottery, according to his aides.

Youbet.com, the account-wagering company that has an agreement to merge with Churchill Downs Inc., had net income of $11.6 million in 2009 on revenue of $111.4 million, according to financial statements released by the company on Thursday afternoon.

The 2009 results were boosted by a $7.9 million income-tax benefit from credits derived by net operating losses Youbet continues to carry on its books, according to the financial statements. Revenue for the year was up 2.2 percent compared with 2008 revenue of $109 million, but down 9.1 percent compared with $122.5 million in 2007.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A bill that would allow Kentucky racetracks to operate electronic gambling machines passed out of a Senate committee on Thursday with the tacit support of the racing industry and both political parties.

Gerard Cunningham, the president of Television Games Network, has been replaced by Stephen Burn, TVG's director of horse racing, according to racing officials who conduct business with the horse race broadcasting and account-wagering company.

It is the first major change at TVG since the company was bought by Betfair, the British bet-matching company, early in 2009. Cunningham was installed as TVG's president after the acquisition closed.

TVG officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Monmouth Park will distribute $1 million a day in purses this year during a 50-day May-to-September meet under a plan that is supported by the state's racing industry and has the potential to significantly alter the racing landscape.

The New York Racing Association has not made a final decision on whether to eliminate the race-day security barn and/or close Aqueduct for stabling at the conclusion of the meet. Both moves could save the cash-strapped company more than $3 million this year.

Brutal winter weather and a brutal economy has translated into brutal betting figures on Thoroughbred racing in the U.S.

According to figures released Wednesday by Equibase, wagering on U.S. races in February fell 13 percent compared to the same month last year, from $999.8 million to $869.8 million. The decline followed a 12 percent drop in betting figures for January, and a nearly 10 percent drop for all of 2009.

Horsemen and racetracks in the Northeast are anxiously waiting to hear whether the state of New Jersey plans to press forward with a plan that would triple purses at Monmouth Park during a boutique 50-day race meet this summer, a high-risk proposal that could have dramatic effects on the racing landscape.

The board of trustees of the Breeders' Cup met on Wednesday to receive a briefing on the discussion over whether to name a permanent host site or establish a regular rotation for its 14-race year-end event, but no decision is expected for several months, according to officials of the organization.