Ten percent of jockeys describe their mental health as “poor” and a third of them described having challenges in their daily lives over the past month due to feelings of sadness, depression, or anxiety, according to responses to a recent nationwide anonymous survey of riders.

Amplify Horse Racing has announced a partnership with leading online therapy platform BetterHelp to offer members of the Thoroughbred industry one month of free therapy and discounted resources following that time period.

Amplify is a nonprofit that offers educational and career opportunites, along with a mentorship program, to those wishing to participate in the Thoroughbred industry. Amplify will hold a virtual event Wednesday that will include a discussion about mental health for future and current Thoroughbred industry employees.

Bryan Pettigrew has been named vice president and general manager of Texas Racing Operations by Penn Entertainment, the organization announced. Pettigrew will lead operations at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston and Retama Park near San Antonio.

Pettigrew takes over from Dwight Berube, who is retiring in early June.

For an industry with long-festering problems and a year-end deadline looming to figure them all out, nearly everyone involved in Maryland racing can be sure of only one thing for the long-term future.

“The Preakness will be at Pimlico,” said Bill Cole, an advisor to the City of Baltimore who has worked on negotiations surrounding the Maryland racing industry for five years. “There is no other alternative site. Baltimore is not going to lose the Preakness.”

A judge in a Texas District Court who has twice upheld the constitutionality of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority on Wednesday denied an injunction sought by horsemen to keep HISA from launching its drug-control program next week.

In a four-page ruling, Judge James Wesley Hendrix wrote that attorneys for the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association “misunderstand the correct standard” for seeking an injunction while appealing a ruling, and that the plaintiffs “have not established a likelihood of success on the merits” of their appeal.

Kyle McDoniel, a long-time sports marketing executive, has been hired by Equibase as its president and chief operating officer, the company announced on Tuesday.

McDoniel, who was most recently the vice president of U.S. strategic partnerships at Sportradar, will fill a position that was vacated when Sal Sinatra resigned in the summer of last year. James Gagliano, the president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club, has served in the position on an interim basis since Sinatra left. (The Jockey Club is a co-owner of Equibase.)

Nominations for the American edition of the 2023 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards are now open, and will be accepted through July 16.

After a review and interview process on those nominations, the awards will be presented at a ceremony Oct. 17 at Keeneland.

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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – A decision to expand the meet has proven to be the right move for Oaklawn Park, which experienced an increase handle during its 68-date season that closed Saturday.

Oaklawn added December dates in 2021 in a meet that continued to May 2022, and repeated the formula this season. Plans are to again race from December to May, said Oaklawn president Lou Cella.

Oaklawn handled an average of $6,671,036 a day on its race this meet from all sources, up from $6,232,771 during the 66-date meet last season.

The Florida legislature on Friday passed an omnibus tax package that includes $20 million in funding for Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park as well as tax credits for their share of the assessments charged by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.