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 [...]

Blood-Horse The $1.1 million Claiming Crown, which gives claiming horses their shot in nine stakes restricted to horses who have started for a tag in 2014 or 2015, will return to Gulfstream Park for a fourth straight year when it begins the Championship Meet Dec. 5. The event, founded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders [...]

Paulick Report An administrative law judge has recommended that trainer Kirk Ziadie's license renewal – which was denied in August by the Florida Department of Business Regulation's Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering as a result of several medication violations – be granted because chain of custody procedures in post-race test sample collection were contrary to existing [...]

Daily Racing Form HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Mike Maker and his principal owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey have been the dominant force in the Claiming Crown for many years, combining to win 14 races in the series, and once again they are primed for a major assault on the event Saturday at Gulfstream Park. [...]

Daily Racing Form The second highest ranking government official in Texas has sent a letter to the Texas Racing Commission’s chairman “urging” the panel to repeal historical racing rules at its next meeting, Dec. 15. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick late Tuesday released the letter he sent to the commission’s Robert Schmidt. An agenda for the [...]

Paulick Report An announcement by the Association of Racing Commissioners International that the New York Equine Drug Testing Program confirmed the first incidence of a particular synthetic opioid in a racehorse was met with surprise and frustration. The finding of the drug, called AH-7921, may be unsettling, but experts say the substance is nothing new, [...]

Blood-Horse The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Tuesday, Dec. 1 approved Turfway Park to add historical racing, although track officials did not put a timetable on when such gaming would become reality at the Northern Kentucky track. Following a presentation from attorney Shannon Arvin—who, speaking on behalf of Turfway, noted that the games the track [...]

Daily Racing Form Robert Beck, the highly involved chairman of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission since 2008, announced his resignation on Tuesday at the close of the commission’s regular monthly meeting. The resignation takes effect Dec. 7, the last day in the second and final term of Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, who appointed Beck to [...]

PA HBPA GRANTVILLE, Pa. (Nov. 16, 2015)—The Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (PA HBPA), which represents all horses owners, trainers and their employees at Penn National and Presque Isle Downs, today announced its 2016-2019 board of directors. Sandee Martin, of Grantville, Dauphin County, was elected president. Martin is a former professional jockey who is [...]