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 [...]

Blood-Horse The Illinois Racing Board Sept. 29 voted to consolidate all 2016 Chicago-area racing at Arlington International Racecourse and Hawthorne Race Course, averting potential draconian cuts at both those tracks. The decision shuts out Balmoral Park and Maywood Park, the harness tracks being operated under bankruptcy protection by the Johnston family, reallocating all harness dates [...]

Louisville Courier-Journal Once again the Churchill Downs training title came down to Steve Asmussen and Dale Romans, each finishing with six victories after going 0 for 2 Sunday on the September meet’s closing-day program. It marked a record 16th Churchill crown for Asmussen and the 13th for Romans. Incredibly, the men, both 49, have been [...]