Fixed-odds wagering on horse racing is belatedly set to start in New Jersey in the “coming weeks” after Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation on Thursday that authorizes the practice, according to Monmouth Park, the Oceanport track that pushed for the bill.

Total wagering on United States races held in July was up 16.9 percent compared to the same month two years ago, prior to the disruptions caused by the pandemic last summer, according to figures released by Equibase on Thursday.

Total wagering of $1.10 billion in the month was up $159 million over the July 2019 figure, according to Equibase. U.S. racetracks held 3,531 races this July, down 5.6 percent over the same month two years ago, leading to a 23.7 percent gain in average per-race wagering, from $251,802 in July 2019, to $311,985 this July.

An attorney for the trainer Ken McPeek has filed a formal request for a hearing in front of the New York Gaming Commission to address why McPeek was unable to enter horses in any races from Thursday through Saturday at Saratoga Racecourse.

The attorney, Andrew Mollica filed the request on Sunday, after the New York Gaming Commission prohibited the entry of McPeek’s horses for races occurring later this week due to quarantine restrictions on McPeek’s barn because of an equine herpesvirus case in the barn where McPeek is stabled. The quarantine was lifted on Aug. 1.

The Jockey Club has announced the slate of programming for its 69th annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing, which will be presented Aug. 15 as a virtual event for the second consecutive year.

The Round Table, which will cover topics including Thoroughbred aftercare, using data to market the sport, race tracking technology, and improving integrity, will be streamed on The Jockey Club's website, and will be aired on NYRA’s YouTube channel, the FOX Sports app, and Racetrack Television Network’s respective platforms.

United States Rep. Andy Harris has offered an amendment to a Federal Department of Labor Appropriations bill that, in its original iteration, could have impacted the labor market for backstretch workers. The amendment was passed by a voice vote in committee consideration on Thursday.

Eric Gustavson, the president of Spendthrift Farm in Central Kentucky, has been newly elected to the Breeders’ Cup board of directors, while William S. Farish Jr. of Lane’s End Farm, and Alex Solis II, of Solis/Litt Bloodstock, were re-elected, the organization announced on Wednesday.

The three were each elected to four-year terms. Gustavson has never served on the board and will fill the seat previously held by Anthony Manganaro. Farish is a two-time former chairman of the organization, and Solis will serve his second term on the board.

A federal Department of Labor Appropriations bill scheduled to be heard in committee on Thursday contains several provisions that would dramatically alter the requirements for employers using the H-2B visa program, potentially impacting the labor market for backstretch workers.

TVG, the only dedicated horse racing channel in the United States, will be simulcast on MSG or its sister channel, MSG+, for five days a week beginning on July 14, the two companies announced on Tuesday.

TVG’s “Trackside Live” will air on MSG or MSG+ from 12:00 p.m. to 7 p.m. from Wednesday through Sunday, the companies said, under a “multiyear agreement.” Also under the agreement, MSG will air a betting show, “More Ways to Win,” that is produced by TVG’s parent company, FanDuel, during the NFL season.

An attorney for embattled trainer Bob Baffert argued in court filings on Wednesday that a ban by the New York Racing Association is unjustified considering the trainer has not violated racing rules in New York and has not been afforded due process by NYRA.

Richard Vega, a trainer based at Parx Racing with a prolific record of starters for decades, has been suspended two years by the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission after a search of a tack room used by the trainer turned up “loaded syringes” and hypodermic needles, according to a ruling from the commission.