Horse Racing

Saratoga opens July 11, but is now closed to Hall-of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer (Image: NYRA)

About Face: New York Racing Association Turns Against Hollendorfer

Hall of Fame Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is now banned from stabling or entering horses at New York Racing Association (NYRA) racetracks. The move marks a reversal of NYRA’s previous position allowing the trainer to compete in New York. The Belmont meeting ends Sunday. The Saratoga summer season starts July 11. […]

Will she or won't she? Can Vaslika the outstanding turf mare get into the Breeders' Cup if her trainer is banned at Santa Anita. Many question about the event still remaining. (Image: Melanie Martines)

Breeders’ Cup Officials Decide Santa Anita is Safe Enough for Now

The 2019 Breeders’ Cup World Championships is remaining at Santa Anita Park. That’s the decision Thursday from Breeders’ Cup officials. But, they are expecting to continue grappling with the extensive fall-out from the Los Angeles-area race track’s outbreak of training and racing mishaps. Thirty horses have succumbed from racing or […]

Jockey John Velazquez holding the Queen's Plate Trophy after filly Wonder Gadot's 2018 triumph. (Image: AP)

We the North: All Eyes on Canada Saturday for Historic Queen’s Plate

The $1 million Queen’s Plate, Canada’s most important horse race, is being contested for the 160th time Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack, near Toronto. It’s the oldest continually run race in North America, dating back to 1860. A full field of 14 are contesting the race. The early 5/2 post time […]

Southern California's troubled Thoroughbreds merry-go-round shifts to Los Alamitos this week. (Image:Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register)

California Legislature Boosts Horse Racing Board’s Regulatory Muscle

The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) will soon have increased authority over Thoroughbred racing in the state. The State Legislature unanimously approved a bill (SB 469) Monday newly empowering the regulatory body with the ability to suspend or move racing days without a 10-day public notice period. The Senate version […]

Top trainer Jerry Hollendorfer excluded from Santa Anita and Golden Gate. )Image: AP)

Santa Anita Bans Top Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer After Latest Horse Death

Jerry Hollendorfer, the Hall of Fame Thoroughbred trainer, has been ruled off at Santa Anita and all Stronach Group tracks. This, after a horse under his care became the 30th equine fatality at the Los Angeles-area track during the Winter/Spring season concluding Sunday. The death is the fourth horse from […]

Equine caregivers rally at Santa Anita seeking job security. (Image: AP)

Santa Anita Equine Work Force: “Protect Our Horses, Protect Our Jobs”

Backstretch employees at Santa Anita Park are asking to be heard. The beleaguered Thoroughbred racing plant is wrapping up a truncated winter/spring racing season on Sunday. Backstretch workers, largely Latinos, rallied Thursday. They’re asking to be part of the conversation when animal activists and politicians call for a halt or […]

Historical racing machine revenues from Churchill's Derby City venue helping to boost Kentucky Derby purse. (Image: Louisville Business First)

Historical Horse Racing Machine Legality Heads Back to Kentucky Supreme Court

The Kentucky Supreme Court says it is again examining the legality of historical horse racing machines. The move follows an appeal from the Kentucky Family Foundation. The organization seeks to overturn a lower court decision on the slot machine-like terminals. An opinion is expected to be fast tracked. But, exactly […]

Statue of trainer Charlie Whittingham. His racing wisdom still applies. (Image: Santa Anita)

Sir Winston, Global Campaign Join Horse Racing’s Growing Injury List

Racing’s growing injury list is bringing to mind the late trainer Charlie Whittingham. This time of year, the oft-quoted truism from the late Hall of Fame conditioner is never far from recall in the zany world of Thoroughbred racing: “They (horses) are like strawberries, They spoil very easily.”   That’s […]

Stanley Hough's Global Campaign, an easy winner in at Gulfstream earlier this year heading to Buckeye State Saturday. (Image: Lauren King)

Ohio Derby at Thistledown: Hough Horse Global Campaign Ready to Fire

The Ohio Derby at Thistledown Saturday is coming up big with the appearance of Peter Pan winner Global Campaign. He’s the horse last seen just a week after the Kentucky Derby, May 11 in New York besting Belmont Stakes victor Sir Winston at 1 1/8 miles. Because dominance in the […]

Mr. Money, under Gabriel Saez, romping home and easy winner in the Matt Winn Stakes Saturday under the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs.

Chaos Abounds in Horse Racing’s Three-Year-Old Division

Things aren’t going as planned for Maximum Security or Country House. These are the equine combatants at the center of this year’s Kentucky Derby controversy. New contenders, such as Mr. Money, Mucho Gusto and King for a Day, are now clearly ready to take advantage of the upheaval in Thoroughbred racing’s […]

Cal. Gov. Gavin Newsom pushing for increased equine safety at Santa Anita. Image: Rich Pedroncelli/AP

Ramping Up Safety Measures at Santa Anita as Deadly Meet Nears End

When racing resumes at Santa Anita a new set of enhanced safety measures for horses will be in place. Only six racing days remain on the track’s winter/spring schedule. Racing concludes June 23. The track, with the support of various horsemen’s groups, are declining Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request that the track […]

Leading three-year-old setting sights on Travers Stakes Agu. 24 at Saratoga in Upstate New  York. (Image: NYRA)

Crazy Triple Crown Season Concludes: Who’s Best? Who Knows?

This year’s Triple Crown races are over, but an extraordinary number of contrasts have made this series of races more intriguing than ever. Some of what made 2019 so fascinating: A wide array of winners of the various Kentucky Derby prep races The late scratch of presumptive Derby favorite Omaha […]

Aerial view of historic Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Cal. (Image: Santa Anita)

Trouble in Paradise: Santa Anita Denies Request to Halt Racing

Santa Anita Park is refusing a request by state regulators to immediately end its current Thoroughbred meeting. The historic track located in suburban Los Angeles is currently experiencing an unprecedented number of equine fatalities during its winter/spring season – now totaling 29 since its Dec. 26 opening. The California Horse […]

Jockey Joel Rosario enters the Belmont Park winners' circle aboard Sir Winston, winner of the 151st Belmont Stakes (Image: Eric Kallet)

Mark Casse’s Longshot Horse Sir Winston Wins 151st Belmont Stakes

Sir Winston is the gutsy winner of the 2019 Belmont Stakes. As many expected, Mark Casse was the trainer of the first place finisher. But it wasn’t second favorite Preakness winner War of Will as many anticipated. It was Casse’s other entrant, longshot Sir Winston, who crossed the finish line […]

Horse racing getting a needed boost from newly passed gambling expansion in Illinois. ((Image: Arlington Park)

Happy Days Ahead for Illinois Horse Racing Thanks to Gambling Expansion Law

The once vibrant Illinois horse racing industry now could be on a path to restoration. The dramatic decline in business in recent decades, caused by other wide-ranging gambling availabilities within the state and in neighboring jurisdictions, is likely to be ending. At least that’s the hope after passage this weekend […]