The bill introduced into the Kentucky legislature on Thursday calling for a referendum on casino gambling at racetracks would give the Thoroughbred racing industry 64 percent of the revenue from those casinos.

Under the bill, which has been supported heavily in advertising campaigns by a group called Kentucky Equine Education Project, racetracks would keep 49.35 percent of the casino revenue, while horsemen would keep 14.65 percent in the form of purses. The referendum would give Kentucky's eight racetracks a monopoly on casinos in the state.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Association of Racing Commissioners International and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association plan to cooperate on an office of wagering security that would be administered by the RCI and launched by July 1, officials of the two organizations said Friday.

Rep. Joe Barrows, a Democrat who represents three central Kentucky counties, introduced a bill into the Kentucky legislature Thursday that calls for a referendum on whether casinos should be legalized at Kentucky's eight racetracks, according to a horse industry advocacy group based in the state.

Officials from the advocacy group, Kentucky Equine Education Project, said that the proposed referendum on the November ballot would ask voters to approve full casino gambling exclusively at the state's eight racetracks.

California's major Thoroughbred tracks have less than two years to install a synthetic racing surface or risk losing racing dates, according to a motion passed on Thursday by the California Horse Racing Board.

The Breeders' Cup will provide $8 million in purse supplements this year to 135 stakes races in North America, an increase of 10 stakes races over last year, the organization announced on Thursday.

Last year, Breeders' Cup distributed $7,305,000 in supplements, available only to Breeders' Cup-nominated horses running in the race. Under the system, Breeders' Cup provides supplements ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 for each race.

Youbet.com, the online horse racing broadcast and wagering company, had net income of $5.7 million on revenue of $88.8 million in 2005, according to financial statements released by the company Thursday.

The $5.7 million in net income included an income tax benefit of $1.9 million that Youbet credited to its fourth quarter, in which the company lost money. In 2004, Youbet had net income of $4.6 million on revenue of $62.8 million. Youbet had an income tax benefit of $3.3 million in 2004.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Association of Racing Commissioners International has begun soliciting feedback on a highly detailed document that outlines model rules to govern parimutuel wagering and provide for the security of the bet-processing network.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A subcommittee of the Kentucky legislature on Monday deferred action on new rules designed to toughen penalties for horse racing drug violations, two days before the regulations were scheduled to expire.

Six animal-rights organizations sued several officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday in an attempt to get the department to reverse a recent decision to allow U.S. slaughterhouses to pay federal officials for inspections of horse meat, several groups who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit said Tuesday.

Youbet.com Inc., the online horse race broadcasting and wagering company, has completed its purchase of United Tote, a bet-processing company, for $31.9 million in cash and the assumption of $14.7 million in United Tote debt, Youbet announced Monday.

The acquisition is the second made by Youbet over the past 12 months to expand its business beyond taking horseracing bets from customers over the Internet and the telephone. Last year, Youbet purchased a privately owned offshore rebate shop, International Racing Group, which is based in Curacao.