Blood-Horse United States Representative Andy Barr of Kentucky has reintroduced two bills that would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to benefit racehorse owners. Barr's office Oct. 12 said the two bills are designed to make the tax changes permanent. Over the years they have been extended as part of other pieces of tax [...]

Kent Stirling, who has served as executive director of the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association since 1995, will transition out of the position through the end of this year, the organization announced Oct. 9. His contract term expires Dec. 31. The Florida HBPA said it will seek a replacement for Stirling during the transition [...]

Paulick Report Thomas Weatherwax, chairman of the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, told the Indianapolis Business Journal commissioners are frustrated that longtime executive director Joe Gorajec is “too focused on enforcing regulations and not focused enough on marketing and promoting horse racing within the state.” On Saturday morning at a hastily called meeting, the commission, in [...]

Blood-Horse A tote security initiative launched by the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau remains on track, but in a major change, the organization said Oct. 7 there no longer is a need for outlets that receive simulcast signals to pay a monthly fee. The $950-per-month fee for any "point of distribution" for signals was part of [...]

Blood-Horse Fantasy sports, fixed odds, and broader distribution were offered as potential avenues of growth for the pari-mutuel racing industry—all of them with caveats—during an Oct.6 session at the International Simulcast Conference in Clearwater Beach, Fla. The options were discussed during a panel discussion titled "Wagering Innovation or Die?" None of the speakers suggested pari-mutuel [...]

Blood-Horse All-sources and live wagering and purses increased substantially during Gulfstream Park's 55-day summer meet that concluded Oct. 3 with the $1.3 million Florida Sire Stakes. According to the South Florida track, all-sources handle during the summer grew $32,062,231 to $316,252,302 for an 11% boost over 2014 figures. Total live handle increased $34,163,271 to $243,162,958, [...]

Lexington Herald-Leader Instant Racing, the type of electronic game in use at the recently opened Red Mile and Keeneland gambling parlor, has been shut down in Wyoming, at least temporarily. In the games, players bet on previously run horse races, winnings allegedly determined by the original race. But Wyoming Attorney General Peter K. Michael issued [...]

Blood-Horse An Oct. 5 panel discussion on how a shortage of Thoroughbred owners is largely responsible for reductions in field size in recent years generated a more serious assessment of the state of owner recruitment in horse racing. Progress in the recruitment of Thoroughbred owners has been cited by organizers of OwnerView.com and the Thoroughbred [...]

Blood-Horse The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance announced Sept. 29 that Ellis Park and Turfway Park in Kentucky have both signed on to match contributions made by owners at each track. Owners are able to contribute $1 per start to the TAA for each horse that starts in a race at either track. Ellis and Turfway will [...]

Blood-Horse The Association of Racing Commissioners International Sept. 29 announced members of a committee that will work with regulators in each racing state to complete implementation of reforms that make up the National Uniform Medication Program. The 12 members of the ARCI Compliance Committee were invited by ARCI chairman Mark Lamberth, who has assigned the [...]