The Jockey Club Issues Third Progress Report

The Jockey Club has issued its third progress report outlining initiatives it and its affiliated companies have completed or are working on as a result of recommendations made by McKinsey & Company in August 2011.

Ohio Bill Sets VLT Purse Share at 9% Minimum

Casino cleanup legislation passed by the Ohio Senate May 10 has some new horse racing-related language, including a section that ensures the industry will get no less than 9% of gross revenue from racetrack VLTs.

PA Senate Spares Major Racing Cuts in Budget

The Pennsylvania Senate May 10 approved a $27.6 billion state budget that restores almost $70 million that would have been cut from the slot machine-supported Race Horse Development Fund.

Dullahan Will Skip Preakness; Belmont Next

Donegal Racing's Dullahan, a fast-closing third in the Kentucky Derby, will not run in the Preakness Stakes and will be pointed for the Belmont Stakes.

The Latest in Diagnostic Imaging Modalities for Horses

An accurate diagnosis is imperative to pinpointing and treating lameness in horses. Fortunately, veterinarians today have more sound and accurate options for identifying specific issues than they did just 10 years ago, said Kent Allen, DVM, owner of Virginia Equine Imaging, a specialty sports imaging practice in The Plains, who presented April 26 at a Uni...

Shackleford Headed for Metropolitan Handicap

After recording his first win since last spring's Preakness (gr. I), Shackleford is being groomed for a start in the $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) at Belmont Park May 28.

O'Neill Could be Suspended for TCO2 Violation

Trainer Doug O'Neill could face a suspension and fine stemming from a 2010 finding in California that a horse in his care had an elevated level of total carbon dioxide in his blood system.

Gutierrez Keeping Things in Perspective

Thrust into the national spotlight with a victory aboard I'll Have Another in the May 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), Mario Gutierrez has kept his ego in check while thoroughly enjoying the whirlwind ride.

Haskin's Preakness Report: Crown Awaits

What can prevent I'll Have Another from finally ending the Triple Crown drought?

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Belmont Notebook

BELMONT NOTEBOOK

Tu Endie Wei Will Be Hard to Catch in Selene

Tu Endie Wei will be the one to catch in the $250,000 Selene Stakes (Can-III), which attracted a field of six 3-year-old fillies to Woodbine's Polytrack May 13.

Sam Houston to Offer Free Admission

Sam Houston Race Park will offer free admission starting May 20.

Saratoga plans festivities for 150th anniversary in 2013

Next year, Saratoga will go back 150 years to celebrate the birth of Thoroughbred racing at the Spa, with technology and activities that could never have been imagined when Saratoga racing was founded in 1863.

Arlington Handicapping Challenge offers berths to TwinSpires.com Championship

The Arlington Handicapping Challenge (AHC), a series of innovative, live-money handicapping contests, returns for the 2012 live meet, with the first contest slated for May 26.

Groupie Doll Gets Break After Stellar Efforts

Trainer Buff Bradley admits he doesn't remember every horse foaled on his Indian Ridge Farm in Frankfort, Ky., but he certainly remembers the birthday of Humana Distaff (gr. I) winner Groupie Doll.

I'll Have Another: No Work Before Preakness

I'll Have Another, winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), will train up to the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) on gallops alone, trainer Doug O'Neill said during a national teleconference May 10.

Groupie Doll on vacation; Musical Romance aims for Princess Rooney

Trainer Buff Bradley admits to not remembering the early days of every horse foaled on his Indian Ridge Farm near Frankfort, Kentucky; however, Bradley certainly remembers the birthday of Grade 1 Humana Distaff winner Groupie Doll. 

O'Neill: I'll Have Another looks 'fantastic'

Trainer Doug O'Neill took a red-eye flight from California to watch I'll Have Another on the track at Pimlico Race Course Thursday morning and, in a matter of minutes, his Preakness-bound colt made the overnight trip worthwhile.

Went the Day Well to ship earlier than Animal Kingdom did last year

Team Valor International and Mark Ford's Went the Day Well jogged and galloped in a field Thursday morning at Fair Hill Training Center near Elkton, Maryland.

TOBA to Hold Breeding Clinic

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association will hold a breeding clinic June 1-3.

Handicapping Insights

HANDICAPPING INSIGHTS

Medication Reform Advocacy Website Launched

The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association May 10 announced the launch of an advocacy website, cleanhorseracing.org, that is dedicated to the reform of medication rules.

THS: Peter Pan Stakes

Jason Shandler and Tom LaMarra handicap the Peter Pan Stakes and quickly review the Kentucky Derby.

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O'Neill Makes a Wish Come True

Doug O'Neill and Hope Hudson met on the backside at Churchill Downs during the days leading up to the Derby, and the sick 12-year-old girl will now accompany I'll Have Another to the Preakness next week.

Diagnosing and Treating Ocular Keratitis in Horses

Editor's note: This article is part of TheHorse.com's ongoing coverage of topics presented at the 2012 Western Veterinary Conference held in February.

Haskin's Derby Postscript: Zayat Marches On

So, after three second-place finishes in the Derby, each one more agonizing than the one before, Zayat may now turn his attention to the black-eyed susans, hoping they smell sweeter than the roses.

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Summer Front Tries Dirt in Peter Pan

Because of their presence on the Triple Crown trail, Mark Valeski and The Lumber Guy are favored, but Waterford Stable's Summer Front has the potential to be one of the brightest 3-year-old stars in the country.

Chips All In Chases Alcatraz Pot

Chips All In will put his perfect turf record on the line when he faces six rivals in the $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes May 12 at Golden Gate Fields.

Jockey Perry Ouzts Survives Motorcycle Crash

Jockey Perry Ouzts, the all-time leading rider at River Downs, survived a dangerous crash on I-275 outside of Cincinnati on the morning of May 9 when the motorcycle he was riding was smashed by a car crossing two lanes.

Delaware Park Opens 100-Day Season May 12

The live racing schedule for the 75th anniversary season at Delaware Park is set to begin Saturday, May 12.

117 Entered for Monmouth Opening Card May 12

Monmouth Park opens this Saturday, May 12, with a 12-race program attracting a total of 117 entries.

NZB National Sale Posts Increase in Median

New Zealand Bloodstock's national weanling, broodmare, and mixed bloodstock sale ended its three-day run May 9 at Karaka in New Zealand with small increases in its median and average prices from a year ago.

Laz Barrera: Drill, American Act Clash Again

Drill and American Act, separated by a nose in the San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) in February, will renew their acquaintance in the $100,000 Lazaro S. Barrera Memorial Stakes (gr. III) at Betfair Hollywood Park May 13.

BC Winner Silver Train to Shuttle to Brazil

TVG Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) winner Silver Train will shuttle to Siquiera and Mercadante in Parana, Brazil, for the 2012 Southern Hemisphere breeding season.

Preakness Report

PREAKNESS REPORT

Union Rags to Skip Preakness Stakes

Trainer Michael Matz and owner/breeder Phyllis Wyeth announced May 9 that they have decided to forego the May 19 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) with Union Rags.

Governor Cuomo Meets with NYRA Trustees

NYRA is under investigation for illegally maintaining a higher takeout rate on some exotic wagers for 15 months. The governor said his administration is working on a "reform package."

Mark Valeski one of a dozen entered in Peter Pan

A little more than a week removed from an historic victory in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks aboard Believe You Can, jockey Rosie Napravnik will guide potential favorite Mark Valeski in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan for three-year-olds at Belmont Park. The 1 1/8-mile test is often used as a springboard to the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, the third jewel in the Triple Crown, which is scheduled for June 9.

Jockey Steven Bahen Wins Gomez Award

Canadian jockey Steven Bahen has been named the 2012 recipient of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award.

Four Named to New England Turf Hall of Fame

Owner/breeder Frank Bertolino, jockey Joseph Hampshire Jr., trainer Maurice Bresnahan, and longtime Suffolk Downs executive Robert M. O'Malley were elected to the New England Turf Writers

Monmouth opens meet under direction of horsemen

Monmouth Park, a storied name in American Thoroughbred racing, will open for the 2012 season on Saturday under the auspices of Darby Development LLC, the management company representing the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. 

I'll Have Another Gets First Tour of Pimlico

I'll Have Another made it to the track May 9 for the first time since his upset win in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) four days earlier, jogging around muddy Pimlico Race Course.

I'll Have Another gets in a jog at Old Hilltop

Members of trainer Doug O'Neill's staff liked what the saw Wednesday morning when Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another made his first trip to the track at Pimlico, the site of his next start, the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes on May 19.

Trade Zone: More Top Equine Studies of 2011

Held annually, the AAEP convention provides continuing educational opportunities for veterinarians, allowing them to gain information on what is new in research, to learn the latest on cutting edge of technology and more.

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Mid-Atlantic Circuit: Possible--or Laughable

Cooperation and concessions could do wonders in the Mid-Atlantic region, which badly needs a circuit strategy.

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Kelly named Ms. Preakness Pink Warrior

Kathleen Kelly has been named Ms. Preakness Pink Warrior for the 137th Preakness Stakes. Ms. Preakness Pink Warrior will serve as the official Preakness ambassador at all events leading up to and including the middle jewel of racing's Triple Crown.

Razo Memorial Service Set for May 15

A memorial service for jockey Eddie Razo Jr. will take place in Arlington Heights, Ill. May 15.

Suffolk Downs, Horsemen Agree on Contract

After months of wrangling over minor details in the contract for the 2012 live meet that begins June 2, Suffolk Downs and the New England Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association have reached an agreement.

Possibility of Gluten Sensitivity in Horses Examined

While the exact cause of inflammatory small bowel disease (ISBD) in horses remains unknown, a group of Dutch researchers suspect that gluten intolerance could be a contributing factor of the disease. They recently tested their hypothesis and found that gluten sensitivity in horses is a possibility.

Graded Stakes Winner Bet On Sunshine Dies

Bet On Sunshine, who made it a habit of winning the same stakes more than once for owner David P. Holloway, was euthanized May 4 because of complication from old age.