Michael Dubb has sat on the New York Racing Association board since 2008. Fabulously wealthy, he is also a top Thoroughbred owner. A quick read of his bio on the NYRA website reveals that Dubb is clearly proud of his…
The Daily Racing Form reported last night that the New York Racing Association was planning to “convene an emergency meeting of New York State Gaming Commission and Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority officials before deciding to run Saratoga’s Sunday card…
Horse Racing Nation’s headline regarding Burning Bright’s death at Saratoga yesterday: “Saratoga: Sáez is injured in spill, will not ride Mage in Travers.” Vile enough, but it took the rag until the fifth paragraph to mention Burning by name (he…
Art Collector was euthanized yesterday at Saratoga for laminitis. This one is being widely covered. Why? He was a “superstar”: multiple stakes wins – including the $3M Pegasus at Gulfstream in January – over $4.2M in “earnings,” trained by Hall…
When I received documents from the Ohio Racing Commission in response to my FOIA request (post here), I immediately noticed that Edge of Night was not included. I knew through two sources that Edge was euthanized subsequent to being injured…
A recent ruling from Indiana: “While driving Rollinwitdaponyzzz at Hoosier Park on Jul 14, driver Jordan Ross did welt the horse. For this violation Mr. Ross is suspended three days. Mr. Ross was also cautioned that any further incident of…
A recent “Letter to the Editor” at BloodHorse: “I am in the twilight of a career spanning more than 40 years practicing veterinary medicine at racetracks. With great sadness I question whether any of today’s vet school graduates – if…
A recent post on the “Harness Racing Tomorrow” FB page: “Classic Landing, a two-year-old trotting colt, recently dropped dead [our post here] shortly after crossing the Meadowlands finish line. Although the last to cross, he presented a valiant effort. That…
In the wake of Stronach’s bombshell Sunday that it is closing Golden Gate Fields for good this December, the Northern Cal racers are, obviously, in serious handwringing mode. Desperate times. Yesterday, the Thoroughbred Daily News published an interview with California…
“Equine Fatalities Continue to Decline in California” – so reads a recent headline in BloodHorse. Sounds great, right? In truth, this is but another example of industry deception (and yes, BloodHorse is part of the industry). Begrudgingly, the article goes…
Some news and notes… Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the deaths of two of his horses at Churchill Downs. Joseph, you surely remember, was made a scapegoat by Churchill (and the industry at large)…
A recent Harness Racing Update (HRU) column by Bob Heyden elicited some interesting, and illuminating, responses. In his piece, Heyden argued that all track “mishaps” – including deaths, even the most horrific – should be available via replay. Heyden: “To…
