Blood-Horse The West Virginia Racing Commission voted July 28 to hire a new equine drug-testing laboratory when the contract with its current lab ends at the end of August. West Virginia is one of four states in the Mid-Atlantic region that employs Truesdail Laboratories of California; the others are Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. The [...]

Blood-Horse Calder Casino & Race Course is said to be planning to demolish its seven-story grandstand/clubhouse building beginning in December after a two-month meet operated by Gulfstream Park. Calder parent company Churchill Downs Inc. hasn't commented on the development. "(Calder officials) told us that they plan to start tearing down their building right after the [...]

Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia Thoroughbreds will race this fall in Maryland. Meanwhile, horsemen here are pressing forward on a plan to bring racing back to Virginia in its entirety as early as next year. The venue for Thoroughbred racing next year won’t necessarily be at the Colonial Downs race track in New Kent County, which surrendered [...]

Blood-Horse Though Suffolk Downs had published a condition sheet for races Aug. 8, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission July 23 delayed action on the track's application for three live racing dates this year. The two-week delay stems from the possibility that The Stronach Group, which owns major racetracks throughout the United States, could execute a lease [...]

Blood-Horse Trainer Tom Amoss and the Indiana Horse Racing Commission have entered into a settlement agreement in a complex case involving a one-nanogram medication positive at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in 2011. Amoss, who has fought the IHRC over the positive reading for the Class 4 drug methocarbamol for about three years, was suspended [...]

Blood-Horse The Michigan Gaming Control Board has, at the request of Hazel Park Raceway, ordered an early end to the track's meet, given the track's lack of financial resources. The meet was scheduled to end Sept. 12. Under the new schedule, 10 of 40 scheduled days will be lost at Hazel Park, which offers two [...]

Blood-Horse Despite rainy weather, Lone Star Park registered increased attendance and total on-track wagering at its spring Thoroughbred meet, although all-sources handle declined 3.1% to $67.6 million. Attendance during the meet conducted over 50 dates from April 9-July 19 increased 4.8% to 366,720, compared with 349,396 during the 50-date 2014 season. Average daily attendance was [...]

Blood-Horse For the second time in nine months, Old Friends plans to welcome a Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner as War Emblem is scheduled to join the Thoroughbred retirement farm in September. Current plans call for War Emblem, the 2002 winner of the Derby and Preakness Stakes (gr. I), to be shipped in late September [...]

Blood-Horse Three-year-old Limousine Liberal blitzed to an Ellis Park track record for six furlongs in winning the sixth race July 18. With Dylan Davis riding for trainer Ben Colebrook, the 3-year-old Successful Appeal gelding pressed early the early pacesetter then took over through the stretch en route to a 3 3/4-length triumph in a record [...]

Blood-Horse Federal lawmakers who support the United States Anti-Doping Agency providing oversight of drug testing in horse racing have blasted federal lawmakers who support the United States Anti-Doping Agency providing oversight of drug testing in Thoroughbred racing. If that sounds confusing, welcome to Washington. Hours after the Thoroughbred Horseracing Integrity Act of 2015 calling on [...]