Eric Mitchell / Blood-Horse The Texas horse racing industry and the Texas Legislature are on a high-speed collision course that could potentially devastate a $5.5 billion industry. After the Texas Racing Commission failed Dec. 15 to get a majority vote to repeal rules for implementing electronic gaming machines called historical racing, new commission chairman Rolando [...]

Frank Angst / Blood-Horse In a story that stunned attendees at the Global Symposium on Racing and Gaming Dec. 8, Kentucky Horse Racing Commission equine medical director Mary Scollay told a story of a misunderstanding between a lab and state regulator that compromised drug testing in a state (not Kentucky). "The contract required a three-day [...]

Blood-Horse Trainer Jeff Radosevich sent out his 2,000th career winner Dec. 12 when She's Slammed captured the second race at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course. Always well placed just behind early pacesetter P Town Boo, She's Slammed took over the lead in midstretch and gradually pulled clear to win the six-furlong claiming event [...]

Blood-Horse Less than 48 hours after finding out they needed him, Oaklawn Park has hired its fifth announcer. Pete Aiello will be in the booth when Oaklawn opens for live racing Jan. 15, 2016, replacing Frank Mirahmadi, who departed for Santa Anita Park. According to director of racing David Longinotti, Aiello was selected after announcers [...]

Frank Angst / Blood-Horse The four finalists to present their ideas during the first Innovators' Circle—which offers a $15,000 prize—offered ideas in technology to prevent breakdowns, a multi-race wager that can play like an exchange, a game with a huge jackpot, and micro-ownership of Thoroughbreds. The Innovators' Circle for the first time is part of [...]

Blood-Horse The Indiana Horse Racing Commission on Dec. 9 approved the 2016 Thoroughbred Breed Development Program that includes an additional $1.4 million as a result of legislation passed earlier this year. The approved program includes increasing purses for 20 stake races from $85,000 to $100,000. In addition, the state's four Signature Stakes will continue to [...]

Brian M. Rosenthal / Houston Chronicle The Texas Racing Commission has decided to discuss historical racing again next week, the third time the agency has weighed the controversial new form of betting that led to a temporary shut-down of the state's horse racing industry last summer. A repeal of the commission's approval of the game [...]

Kentucky HBPA / Kentucky HBPA The results of the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (KHBPA) election are as follows: Owner Directors Michael J. Bruder F. Thomas Conway Frank Jones Jr. Mark C. Bacon Travis Foley Trainer Directors Dale Romans William R. Connelly William (Buff) Bradley Ken McPeek Rick Hiles Alternates: 1st John Hancock- Trainer [...]

American Horse Council / American Horse Council The National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association is the latest organization to endorse the American Horse Council's Welfare Code of Practice, the AHC reported Dec. 3. The AHC Welfare Code of Practice is a broad set of principles designed to establish good welfare procedures for organizations to follow [...]

Blood-Horse A ballot question that would allow a slot machine parlor near Suffolk Downs has cleared a hurdle and could appear on the statewide Massachusetts ballot in November. But the measure does not have the backing of racetrack management and the New England affiliate of the Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association. The petition to change [...]