Blood-Horse Churchill Downs' 141st spring meet, which was highlighted by American Pharoah's victory in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), came to a close June 27 and saw increases in average field size and average purses, along with a down-to-the-wire contest for the jockey title. A total of 2,867 horses competed in [...]

Blood-Horse Arlington International Racecourse has cut overnight purses by 10% and trimmed the purses of most of its few remaining graded stakes. The cuts come in response to an Illinois Racing Board vote denying Arlington's request to reduce the number of races on some days. Overnight purses drop from about $127,000 a day to about [...]

Blood-Horse Included in a bill approved by the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee are provisions that would block some provisions in a just adopted federal rule regulating the H-2B temporary guest worker program, according to the American Horse Council. That rule was opposed by the AHC and other industries that rely on the H-2B program. The [...]

Blood-Horse After multiple extensions of their old contract, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races and the Charles Town Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association have struck a new contract for a minimum of three years. The announcement was made June 24. The previous contract between the West Virginia track and horsemen's group was entered into in [...]

Blood-Horse Critics of a decision by Gov. John Kasich to legalize video lottery terminals at seven Ohio horse tracks and share proceeds with casino operators running the facilities asked the state Supreme Court to allow a lawsuit against the move to go forward. Kasich improperly expanded the Ohio Lottery by allowing VLTs without getting voter [...]

Blood-Horse The American Horse Council board of trustees, which met the week of June 14, voted unanimously to oppose federal legislation that would be repeal the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 in conjunction with oversight of equine medication and testing in Thoroughbred racing. Legislation to that effect was introduced by Sen. Tom Udall of New [...]

Blood-Horse The United States Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service were told June 17 that current regulations related to the tax withholding and reporting of pari-mutuel winnings are "unfair and totally burdensome." The comments were made by National Thoroughbred Racing Association president Alex Waldrop, who testified during a hearing on tax matters in Washington, [...]

Blood-Horse Stanley C. Mankin, a longtime trainer on the Nebraska circuit who campaigned multiple stakes winner and fan favorite Skunktail, died June 13 in Grand Island, Neb. He was 72. Mankin's S.C.M. Farms Inc. was the owner and breeder of Skunktail, a Music Prince gelding out of Leykin, by Dancing Count, whose gray tail stripe [...]

Blood-Horse The West Virginia Racing Commission June 16 signed off on a plan by Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort to shave 50 racing programs from its 2015 schedule. Mountaineer by statute last year submitted a request for 210 live racing programs for this year. Competition for horses with a new track in Ohio—Hollywood Gaming at [...]

Blood-Horse Team Valor International racing partners and Barry and Kathleen Irwin presented Mercedes Hernandez with the John R. Velazquez Scholarship June 14 at Belmont Park. Hernandez, an aspiring veterinarian, met the Irwins and Velazquez in the Belmont Park winner's circle for a ceremonial check presentation with Elisabeth Jensen, president and executive director of The Race [...]