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 [...]

Blood-Horse With the latest Thoroughbred racing rule changes now in place, West Virginia has now fully adopted the National Uniform Medication Program. The updates took effect June 28, said Kelli Talbott, senior deputy attorney general for the West Virginia Racing Commission. They include the multiple medication violation penalty system, which targets repeat offenders of medication [...]

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 [...]