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Tom LaMarra, The Blood-Horse Posted: 12/23/15 The 2016 Charles Town Classic will be held April 23 Photo: Chad B. Harmon The West Virginia Racing Commission Dec. 23 approved the $1.25 million purse for the 2016 Charles Town Classic (gr. II), but the vote wasn't unanimous in light of concerns over a projected drop in available [...]
The Blood-Horse Posted: 12/23/15 Tampa Bay Downs racing Photo: Tom Cooley Photo The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance announced Dec. 22 that Tampa Bay Downs has joined the TAA community. The track has signed on to provide a per-start, matching donation to the TAA beginning with its current 2015-2016 race meet. Horse owners have the opportunity to contribute [...]
Tom Precious, Blood-Horse Date Posted: 12/18/2015 In an apparent move to pressure state officials to at least lower its mandated tax rate, Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack said Dec. 18 that it wants to cut the number of Thoroughbred race dates in 2016 by nearly 20%. The track's announcement comes several days before the state [...]
Blood-Horse Staff, Blood-Horse Date Posted: 12/19/2015 TwinSpires.com, one of three advance deposit wagering systems licensed to accept bets from Virginia residents, had its license suspended by the Virginia Racing Commission effective Dec. 18. The Virginia Equine Alliance Dec. 19 said the VRC at its Dec. 16 meeting gave TwinSpires.com, which is owned by Churchill Downs [...]
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 [...]