Blood-Horse The Department Homeland Security and Department Labor have issued a final interim H-2B temporary guest worker program rule and a final wage rule. This final interim H-2B rule is almost identical to a 2012 H-2B program rule that has been blocked by a federal court since its release and was opposed by the American [...]

Blood-Horse With five victories from nine starters since April 25, Jamie Ness entered Tampa Bay Downs' May 3 card on one of those mini-hot streaks that have propelled him to the top of the track's trainer standings eight years in a row. With 46 victories at the Oldsmar, Fla. track's current meet, the 40-year-old Ness [...]

Daily Racing Form LEXINGTON, Ky. - Keeneland Racecourse has asked the state racing commission for permission to transfer its year-round simulcasting operations to the Red Mile harness track near downtown Lexington, according to records made available by the commission on Monday. Under the plan, Keeneland would shutter its year-round simulcasting operations “except on days when [...]

Daily Racing Form PHOENIX, Ariz. – Az Ridge looks to stamp himself the horse of the meet as he leads a field of six in the $35,000 Hasta La Vista Handicap at Turf Paradise on Tuesday. The 1 7/8-mile grass event is the traditional closing-day fixture as the Phoenix track brings down the curtain on [...]

National HBPA "The National HBPA would like to address the recent announcement released by Sen. Tom Udall and Rep. Joe Pitts. On behalf of our 30 affiliates and close to 30,000 individual members within North America, the National HBPA strongly opposes any legislation that seeks to repeal The Interstate Horse Racing Act. The National HBPA [...]

Blood-Horse Two members of Congress, on the eve of two of Thoroughbred racing's biggest days, announced introduction of legislation that would end interstate simulcasts—and effectively cripple the pari-mutuel business—to encourage racing to end what they allege is widespread doping and cheating. It's not the first time such legislation has been introduced in Congress, or the [...]

Blood-Horse Belterra Park will open its 2015 live race meet May 1 but it will do so without a contract with the Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association for video lottery terminal revenue. Belterra Park, the former River Downs, began operating VLTs about a year ago, and under Ohio statute was to have a deal [...]

Blood-Horse Even when racing states use testing labs accredited by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, regulators have to be vigilant to ensure those labs are conducting all needed tests, at the proper levels, advised Susan Speckert April 29 at the National Conference on Equine Law. Speckert, general counsel for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, [...]

Blood-Horse A group of racetrack veterinarians told the Ohio State Racing Commission April 28 they support uniform medication policies, but because their top priority is the welfare of the racehorse, the state's current equine drug rules should for the most part be left alone. The vets offered their thoughts as part of a series of [...]

Blood-Horse Two-time leading Tampa Bay Downs trainer John Reading died Thursday night, April 23, at his home in Oldsmar, Fla., of natural causes. He was 99. Reading, who had the unique distinction of training Thoroughbreds for both current Tampa Bay Downs track owner Stella F. Thayer and late track co-owner George M. Steinbrenner, is credited [...]