Horse racing

Measure would limit VLTs to horseracing tracks to save signature industry in crisis

June 09, 2009 -- FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Citing the crisis confronting the horse industry, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear today released details of his proposal to authorize the limited use of Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) at Kentucky horseracing tracks.

Kentucky’s racetracks, Gov. Beshear said, are experiencing increased competition from other states offering enhanced race purses and breeders incentives made possible from expanded gaming proceeds.    » read more »

VLTs would be limited to tracks, provide needed revenues

June 04, 2009 -- FRANKFORT, Ky. – Saying Kentucky’s horse industry is threatened with extinction, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear today added a proposal to this month’s special legislative session to allow expanded gaming at the state’s racetracks to increase purses and breeder incentives.

“Kentucky’s horse industry – a living, breathing part of our cultural heritage and one of our strongest, most precious commodities abroad – is in a state of crisis,” Gov. Beshear told reporters today in announcing his proposal. “Some even say it’s dying.”    » read more »

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 13, 2009) – Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley issued the following statement today following the passage of emergency legislation designed to give the State greater authority over the Preakness Stakes to keep it in Maryland.

“Today, we have acted swiftly and efficiently to preserve the options available to the State to keep the rich tradition of the Preakness here in Maryland, where it belongs.    » read more »

Big Brown Seeks First Triple Crown Since 1978; ESPN to Offer Extensive Multimedia Coverage

June 2, 2008 -- ESPN will offer seven hours of coverage leading to ABC’s two-hour race broadcast Sat., June 5, as Big Brown attempts to win the 140th Belmont Stakes and become the first horse to capture the Triple Crown since 1978. ESPN will have programming from noon to 5 p.m. ET , followed by the race coverage on ABC. All Belmont programming on ABC and ESPN will be aired in high definition television on ABC HD and ESPN HD, respectively.

Overall, ESPN will provide Belmont Stakes coverage on nine platforms: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPN360.com, ESPN International, and ESPN Mobile TV.    » read more »

- Marks The First Time Breeders’ Cup Will Be Televised on ABC
- Nine Hours of Live Event Coverage to Air Over Two Days on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2

June 2, 2008 -- The Breeders’ Cup and ESPN announced today that the 2008 Breeders’ Cup World Championships on October 24-25 from Santa Anita Park will receive an unprecedented nine hours of live coverage including, for the first time, 2.5 hours of live coverage on ABC. The 25th running of the Breeders’ Cup will feature 14 races over two days with record purses of $25.5 million and air on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 beginning on Friday, October 24 on ESPN2. The ABC and ESPN combination marks the first ever network and cable telecast of the Championships.    » read more »

May 6, 2008 -- TRENTON - Racing Commission Executive Director Frank Zanzuccki announced today that a Racing Commission investigation has resulted in the first positive test results obtained under the state’s recently-expanded testing protocols aimed at detecting the use of performance-enhancing substances in race horses.

Harness racing: Photo by Jill (CC)    » read more »

Agreement Will Allow Aqueduct VLTs to Proceed

February 13, 2008 -- New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and the New York Racing Association (NYRA) today announced an agreement awarding the state’s racing franchise to operate Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course to the New York Racing Association.    » read more »

02/11/2008 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement congratulating Oak Tree at Santa Anita for being awarded with the 2009 Breeders Cup Championship, which will bring this prestigious racing event to California for two consecutive years:    » read more »

01/15/2008 -- The state of Oklahoma today filed a Notice of Seizure and Intended Forfeiture in Love County District Court to begin the process of forfeiting 96.8 acres used in the operation of an illegal Oklahoma horse racing operation, Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson said today.

Officers from several Oklahoma law enforcement agencies raided the track, called Red River Playground, in July. The was site used for illegal horse racing and other gambling operations including dice and card games, prosecutors allege.    » read more »

11/27/2007 -- Four defendants charged after a July 29 raid on an illegal horse racing operation in Thackerville pleaded guilty yesterday in Love County, Oklahoma District Court.    » read more »

OTB Expects to Run Out of Cash by June 2008 – Mayor Blocks First-Ever City Taxpayer Bailout for Betting Parlors

November 15, 2007 -- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg today announced that the New York City Off-Track Betting (NYC OTB) Corporation is facing a financial crisis and that the City will not inject additional funds into NYC OTB, particularly given the difficult economic times facing the City and the need to prioritize funding of essential city services like education, healthcare, infrastructure improvements and public safety.    » read more »

11/14/2007 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson said eleven defendants charged in connection with a July 29 raid on an illegal horse racing operation in Thackerville pleaded guilty today in Love County District Court.

The eleven defendants, which included workers and horse owners at the Red River Playground in Thackerville, were charged in Love County District Court July 31 after an investigation by the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission (OHRC) and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).    » read more »

- Unprecedented Nine and One Half Hours of High Definition Coverage of Horse Racing's Biggest Event
- Production Includes Top Announcing Team and the Latest Technology

October 22, 2007 -- ESPN will devote an unprecedented nine 1/2 hours of coverage of the first-ever, two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships from Monmouth Park in New Jersey. The Breeders' Cup race coverage, in High Definition, begins with three new races on Friday, Oct. 26, from 4-6 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and continues Saturday, Oct. 27, on ESPN from noon to 7:00 p.m.    » read more »

October 16, 2007 -- The Division of the Budget today released the names of the potential gaming operators expressing interest in obtaining a franchise to manage a Video Lottery Terminal facility located at Aqueduct Race Track.

New York Governor Spitzer previously recommended that the racing and gaming franchise be awarded separately. On September 4, Governor Spitzer recommended that a newly structured New York Racing Association be awarded a franchise to conduct thoroughbred racing at the state-owned facilities at Aqueduct Race Course, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Raceway.    » read more »

Proposal Will Financially Benefit the State and Improve Quality of Racing

September 27, 2007 -- Senior members of the Spitzer administration today testified to the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering that a revamped New York Racing Association (NYRA) is the best choice the state has to run the racing franchise for New York State. They laid out why NYRA offers the best financial arrangement for the state compared to other bidders and said it would generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually for education and for improving racing.    » read more »