Blood-Horse Gerald Dixon, a Thoroughbred owner and breeder from Guymon, Okla., died July 7 at the age of 92. He is best known as the owner of 2012 Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Highland Ice. Highland Ice won 16 of 48 races from 1995 to 2001, including a record nine stakes wins at [...]

Blood-Horse One of the reasons Dr. Larry Bramlage believes trainers are handling cases of lameness better than ever before is because they realize that rather than being the problem, it signals a problem. Bramlage, the renowned equine surgeon and partner at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, talked about that progress during a one-on-one talk with [...]

Blood-Horse Officials that crunch the numbers for the Equine Injury Database believe there is now a 65% predictability model when it comes to fatal injuries on the racetrack. The percentage can increase, however, with additional information—but that will require cooperation from the Thoroughbred racing industry, according to Dr. Tim Parkin of the University of Glasgow [...]

Blood-Horse Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory executive director Mick Peterson would like to see more tracks document information on their racing surfaces and coordinate that information with data from the Equine Injury Database to improve safety for horses and riders. Peterson outlined that hope during a presentation at the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit [...]

Paulick Report The American Horse Council reports that the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved its version of the FY 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill. This bill provides funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the 2016 fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2015 through Sept. 30, 2016). The bill contains several provisions that impact the [...]

Blood-Horse An effort that began in the Mid-Atlantic region more than two years ago has made "significant progress," according to the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium. Adoption of the National Uniform Medication Program hasn't been without its twists and turns, but given the fractured nature of the Thoroughbred industry and the need for approval on [...]

Daily Racing Form Hazel Park Raceway announced a 5 percent purse reduction on Tuesday, effective July 10, marking the track’s second purse cut in the last month. The Detroit-area racetrack previously scaled back overnight purses by 15 percent on June 12, citing a decline in purse-fund revenue from simulcast wagering. “It’s the same basic reason,” [...]

Daily Racing Form A welcome rite of summer returns Friday to Ellis Park when the western Kentucky track begins its 2015 meet with an eight-race card. Turf racing and 2-year-old racing – often at the same time – will characterize a 31-day meet that runs through Labor Day, Sept. 7. Purses will be better than [...]

Blood-Horse Pennsylvania lawmakers are examining legislation that would lower the minimum number of live racing days required at racetrack gaming facilities, and also allow each track to install slot machines at up to four off-track wagering parlors. The legislation was subject to a June 9 hearing and remains in the Senate Community, Economic, and Recreational [...]

Blood-Horse The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on June 29 delayed taking a vote on proposed rules on medication testing, withdrawal guidelines, and disciplinary measures and penalties that included rules on the mineral cobalt. KHRC chairman Bob Beck said the proposals needed more work and will now be sent back to the Kentucky Equine Drug Research [...]