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A colt named for a tennis champion is the talk of the early Kentucky Derby preps
Could lightning actually be striking twice for Bob Baffert?
Ordinarily, you'd say no, but this is Bob Baffert and the Kentucky Derby, after all. In 2018, our favorite white-haired trainer happened upon a bolt from the blue in Justify, unraced as a 2-year-old, made his first start in February and less than four months later had swept the Derby, ...Read more
'The goal is to save the Preakness': Lawmakers to move forward with $375M plan to keep race in Baltimore
Maryland lawmakers introduced legislation Monday that would authorize up to $375 million in debt to rebuild the state's two largest racetracks and keep the storied Preakness Stakes horse race in Baltimore.
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Guy Guzzone, chairman of the Senate's Budget and Taxation Committee, would provide at least $180 ...Read more
Majority of House members support bill to set new rules for horse racing nationwide
WASHINGTON -- The federal government would be firmly in charge of horse racing in the United States under legislation that now has the support of a majority of House of Representatives members as lawmakers and racing advocates warned Congress urgent action is needed to boost the sport's sagging image.
The sport is currently governed by a ...Read more
The future of the Del Mar fairgrounds? No guns, less racing, and more concerts.
DEL MAR, Calif. -- Agriculture and horses, once the economic backbone of San Diego County, still dominate activities at the 340-acre Del Mar Fairgrounds, but the question is, "How much longer?"
Time and tastes change. Attendance at the San Diego County Fair is leveling off. Mounting horse deaths have soured the appetite for thoroughbred racing....Read more
Mucho Gusto gives Bob Baffert a win in the Pegasus World Cup
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -- Southern California racing has been in a bit of a slump lately, winning only one Eclipse Award on Thursday night, but all that was forgotten Saturday when Mucho Gusto won going away in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park.
The Bob Baffert-trained colt ran a near-perfect race under Irad Ortiz...Read more
Pegasus World Cup is a prime example of horse racing continuing to reinvent itself
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -- Most agree that horse racing is in the midst of a giant reinvention of itself. And few races exemplify that idea more than the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park, which seems to look and feel different every year.
It started as a $9 million race, with the participants putting up their own money. It evolved into a $16...Read more
American Pharoah shares secretly sold; racehorse owner Zayat sued for $23 million
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Prominent Thoroughbred owner and breeder Ahmed Zayat is back in legal trouble, this time involving breeding rights to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.
At an emergency hearing on Wednesday, Fayette County Judge Kim Bunnell granted a motion ordering a receiver to seize control of Zayat Stables, including its horses.
The ...Read more
Another racehorse dies at Santa Anita, bringing total to three horses in three days
LOS ANGELES -- Santa Anita suffered its third horse death in three days when a freak accident occurred during morning training on Sunday.
Tikkun Olam, a 4-year-old gelding, collided with an unidentified other horse while training. The second horse appeared to be uninjured. Tikkum Olam was euthanized from undisclosed injuries.
So far, Santa ...Read more
Death of Mongolian Groom in Breeders' Cup could have been prevented
LOS ANGELES -- The death of Mongolian Groom in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 2 could have been prevented, according to a report released Wednesday by the Breeders' Cup.
The report said that 253 horses were evaluated several times and that 24 horses were scratched either in the Breeders' Cup races or on the ...Read more
Two horses have died at Santa Anita since start of new racing season
LOS ANGELES -- Santa Anita, trying to reset the clock after a disastrous year of horse fatalities, had its first racing death of the new meet when a horse broke down in the last race on Wednesday. Golden Birthday took a bad step early in the stretch and jockey Victor Espinoza came off the horse while he was trying to pull up the 4-year-old ...Read more
Investigation into horse deaths at Santa Anita finds no unlawful conduct
The California horse racing industry at Santa Anita Park, reeling from a series of equine deaths and threats from state and national officials, was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing on Thursday by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.
After a nine-month investigation, a special task force that looked into 30 deaths at Santa Anita ...Read more
Two horses die in same race at Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos had its first two deaths during daytime thoroughbred racing this year when two horses died in the first race on Saturday. The deaths were not related.
Mighty Elijah injured his left front leg in the stretch, according to the stewards. He was vanned off and euthanized when his injury could not be repaired. The horse was trained by ...Read more
California closer to adopting nation's most restrictive horse racing whip rule
LOS ANGELES -- The California Horse Racing Board, faced with a crisis over a spike in equine deaths, on Thursday voted to implement the most stringent use of the riding crop by jockeys in North America.
The riding crop, or whip, has not been proved to be a factor in the series of deaths, but the optics of a jockey hitting a horse repeatedly has...Read more
Del Mar cancels Thanksgiving racing; 7 turf stakes set for final two days of meet
DEL MAR, Calif. -- On the day that it had to cancel its Thanksgiving Thursday racing card due to predicted storms, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club took a semantical stab at looking on the bright side.
In a press release, Del Mar's turf stakes "festival" became a "bonanza," and that's not just a public relations spin.
All seven stakes races ...Read more
Popular Stories
- The future of the Del Mar fairgrounds? No guns, less racing, and more concerts.
- American Pharoah shares secretly sold; racehorse owner Zayat sued for $23 million
- Death of Mongolian Groom in Breeders' Cup could have been prevented
- Majority of House members support bill to set new rules for horse racing nationwide
- Del Mar cancels Thanksgiving racing; 7 turf stakes set for final two days of meet
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