The New Jersey Senate on Monday joined the state’s Assembly in overwhelmingly passing a bill extending $10 million in annual Thoroughbred purse subsidies through 2029, according to legislative records.

The subsidies will sustain a critical lifeline to horsemen at Monmouth Park in a state where racetracks do not receive subsidies from casino gambling. Last year, Monmouth distributed $31 million in purses over 56 live racing days, for an average of $553,000 a day, the highest in its history, with one-third of that money coming from the subsidy.

Joseph B. Cantey, who trained champion and Belmont Stakes winner Temperence Hill before abruptly retiring and returning to his native Camden, S.C., to excel at other pursuits, died on Jan. 5 of mouth and lung cancer, according to obituaries. Cantey was 82.

Cantey grew up in the horse country of South Carolina, and at the age of 29, in 1970, he took out his trainer’s license. He quickly established himself as a respected horseman, attracting the attention of John Ed Anthony, an Arkansas owner who raced under the name Loblolly Stables.

All-sources handle at New York Racing Association tracks in 2023 was $2,204,653,635, a 5 percent decline from the 2022 figure of $2,321,863,828, according to numbers provided by the company.

There were 196 days of racing held in both years though16 fewer races were conducted in 2023 compared to 2022. There were 98 fewer turf races run in 2023, compared to 2022. The average number of betting interests was relatively the same for both years -- 7.44 in 2023, 7.48 in 2022.

View the 2023 Eclipse Awards finalists PPs here. 

Total wagering on Thoroughbred races held at U.S. racetracks in 2023 declined 3.7 percent compared to 2022, according to figures distributed by Equibase on Friday, while the number of races held at U.S. tracks continued its downward slide.

The wagering decline, from $12.11 billion in 2022 to $11.66 billion last year, was mitigated by a 5.1 percent decline in races held during 2023. As a result, average wagering per race was up 1.5 percent, from $361,903 in 2022 to $367,247 last year.

The number of horses euthanized as a result of musculoskeletal injuries sustained at California tracks or official training centers has risen during the current fiscal year that began on July 1 compared to the corresponding period in 2022, according to a presentation at Thursday’s California Horse Racing Board meeting in Sacramento.

The trainers Shug McGaughey, Dale Romans, and John Sadler have been named to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s Horsemen’s Advisory Group, along with the racing and bloodstock manager Gavin Murphy, HISA announced on Tuesday.

The racing journalists Dick Jerardi, Paul Moran, and John L. Hervey have been selected for induction into the National Museum of Racing’s Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor, the museum announced on Tuesday.

The trio will join 32 others who have been selected for induction into the Roll of Honor since its establishment in 2010. Jerardi remains active in covering the sport 50 years after his career began. Moran died in 2013 after 40 years of providing racing coverage for a variety of publications, though he was most recognized for his work at Newsday on Long Island.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has launched a program that will provide free legal assistance to licensees facing alleged violations of its anti-doping and medication program, HISA announced on Monday.

The pro bono legal representation will be available to licensees with an adjusted gross income of less than $75,000 and “no significant liquid assets,” HISA said. The legal services will be provided by volunteer attorneys with experience in equine medication issues, though the volunteers will receive reimbursement from HISA for “limited” out-of-pocket expenses.