The Jockeys’ Guild, a national organization representing a vast majority of riders across the U.S., is contending that a preliminary injunction issued on Tuesday by a federal judge preventing the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority from enforcing its rules in Louisiana and West Virginia will apply to all members of the Guild riding across the U.S., an interpretation that could lead to turmoil in stewards’ stands. 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved a conditional license application for a company that intends to build a Quarter Horse track and casino in the eastern end of the state.

A federal judge in a Louisiana district court has granted a motion for a preliminary injunction that will prevent the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority from acting as a partial regulator of racing in the states of Louisiana and West Virginia, according to a ruling released on Tuesday.

A federal judge in Louisiana has rejected a motion seeking an in-person hearing for a group of racing constituents in Louisiana and West Virginia that filed a last-minute challenge to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has released a draft list of banned and controlled substances for public review and comment, along with a letter from the chairman of its medication control committee acknowledging that the list was informed by international standards that differ in many respects from regulations in use at U.S. racetracks.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has sent warnings to jockeys and trainers who are not yet registered with the organization that they are facing potential disciplinary measures if they do not comply with registration requirements, the authority said on Thursday.

Next year’s Breeders’ Cup will he held at Santa Anita Park in Southern California, the record 11th time that the track has been selected to host the two-day event, Breeders’ Cup announced on Thursday.

Santa Anita, owned by 1/ST, has long been a coveted location by the Breeders’ Cup board due to warm fall weather, a strong television backdrop, its West Coast time zone, and the ability to host large crowds. The event was last held at the track in 2019, when an all-sources wagering record was established.

Gray Lyster, a lifelong participant in all aspects of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, has been elected to the Breeders’ Cup Board of Directors alongside three other directors who were re-elected to their seats.

Lyster’s family operates Ashview Farm, a full-service Thoroughbred operation. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Directors for the Keeneland Association. He is a former president of the Thoroughbred Club of America and the Consignors and Commercial Breeders Association.

Wagering handle and the number of races run in the U.S. were down marginally during both the second quarter of 2022 and in June, although purse payouts were up double digits when compared to the same time frames of 2021.

According to figures released Tuesday by Equibase, gross handle on U.S. races from April 1 through June 30 was $3,468,677,261, down 1.2 percent from the same period in 2021. Likewise, handle during the month of June was $974.9 million, down 1.77 percent from June 2021.

Sal Sinatra has resigned from his role as president and chief operating officer of Equibase, the official Thoroughbred database announced on Friday.

“I am stepping aside at this point so that I may dedicate my time to personal issues that require my full attention,” Sinatra said in a release. “I am grateful to the members of the Equibase management committee for their support of me, and to my co-workers at Equibase Company and The Jockey Club for their help and kind assistance since I joined Equibase one year ago.”