Backtracking on a rule amendment that one observer said "would fundamentally change the claiming game," the California Horse Racing Board tabled a proposal that would have voided a claim if the horse that was bought, due to injury or distress, was unable to return to the designated unsaddling area after the finish of the race.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Claiming a horse would no longer be a blanket "buyer beware" scenario under a rule amendment approved for a 45-day public comment period by the California Horse Racing Board Oct. 15.
Friday, October 16, 2009
A post-mortem report presented to the California Horse Racing Board Aug. 27 at Del Mar tends to support trainers who complain that synthetic tracks lead to more hind leg injuries.
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium board of directors has approved new national laboratory standards for testing, the implementation of a laboratory accreditation program and a new independent Equine Quality Assurance Program.
Monday, July 06, 2009
The International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities Advisory Council on Prohibited Substances and representatives of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium recently met in Lexington during the 75th convention of the Association of Racing Commissioners International and were sponsored by The Jockey Club.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Since a rash of five horse breakdowns in the opening five days of racing at the current Santa Anita meet -- resulting in four fatalities -- there has been just one race-related death since Dec. 31, Dr. Rick Arthur told the California Horse Racing Board.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Beset by questions of how well its synthetic racetracks are performing, the California Horse Racing Board is conducting a safety standards pilot study.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Testing for bicarbonate levels has nearly eliminated the incidence of "milkshaking" Thoroughbred racehorses in California, leading officials to consider alternatives to testing every horse that is entered at the state's tracks.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Health and safety procedures announced for two-day Breeders' Cup program.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The California Horse Racing Board announced it is stepping up enforcement of its medication rules with increased pre-race and out-of-competition testing and by prohibiting horses from running for 30 days after they've been administered anabolic steroids,effective Aug. 22.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
While he's withholding comment, leading trainer John Sadler says that he and his attorney have discussed a shakedown of his Del Mar stable by California Horse Racing Board investigators Aug. 18 and they will respond soon.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
With the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita less than 10 weeks away, track president Ron Charles told the California Horse Racing Board that its new synthetic racing surface is nearly ready for the acid test.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Trainer Jeff Mullins, already on probation following a 20-day suspension for a Class 2 medication violation earlier this year, could face an additional 70 days after being accused in a second California Horse Racing board complaint.
Friday, August 15, 2008
A steroid-free Breeders' Cup took another step forward when the California Horse Racing Board reclassified the four most common anabolic steroids, effectively outlawing the substances for horses in training in the state.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
As the popularity of advance deposit wagering increases, states need to take action to protect their horseracing industry, the president of the Thoroughbred Owners of California told a group of legislators meeting June 13 in Northern California.
Friday, June 13, 2008
If your horse is being treated with anabolic steroids and you plan to race in California, the time to stop administering them is now. That's the word from Richard Shapiro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, and Dr. Rick Arthur, the agency's equine medical director.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Owners in California will have the option of "claim-proofing" a horse that has been on the shelf for at least 180 days for one start under a proposal advanced by the state's horse racing board March 27.
Friday, March 28, 2008
The California Horse Racing Board has agreed to pay owner Jerry Jamgotchian $19,440 in attorney fees and costs, as well as turn over necropsy submission forms for horses that died on California racetracks in 2006 and part of 2007, following an order by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge.
Friday, February 29, 2008
The California Horse Racing Board took a major step towards banning supplemental anabolic steroids with the adoption of testing levels for four major substances during its meeting Feb. 28 in Arcadia.
Friday, February 29, 2008
The California Horse Racing Board is planning for the first anabolic steroid-free Breeders' Cup World Championships in 2008 at Santa Anita Park.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Trainer Darrell Vienna faces two complaints alleging that Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) winner Medici Code ran with excessive levels of clenbuterol in his system in the two races prior to the most important victory of his career.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Nearing the midpoint of its 43-day season with a new Polytrack racing surface in place, Del Mar officials reported increases Aug. 10 in handle and attendance -- and no catastrophic breakdowns on the synthetic main track.
Friday, August 10, 2007
What veterinary records a new horse owner is entitled to was one of the issues raised at the California Racing Medication & Security Summit held July 27 at Del Mar.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
The California Horse Racing Board tabled action banning horses that have undergone "heel nerving" surgery from being raced or sold in the state after the agency's equine medical director objected to the proposed rule amendment.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Steve Buttgenbach, a popular veterinarian on Southern California backstretches, died May 15 in his La Canada, Calif., home from complications of cancer. He was 64.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Owners -- along with their trainers -- whose horses have repeated medication violations are subject to tough new penalties under changes given final approval by the California Horse Racing Board April 19.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The California Horse Racing Board will begin enforcing a regulation prohibiting the use of front toe grabs exceeding four millimeters in length after commissioners voted Feb. 22 to reverse their decision last month to ignore the rule.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Only about 12% of horses tested for clenbuterol had measurable levels of the medication in 193 blood samples taken recently, according to Dr. Rick Arthur's report Thursday to the California Horse Racing Board medication committee.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
A long-running controversy over toe grabs before the California Horse Racing Board could turn into a referendum on trainer authority.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
The use of clenbuterol and the potential elimination of anabolic steroids were the primary subjects of two meetings Thursday at Santa Anita.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Quarantine restrictions at Golden Gate Fields, Bay Meadows and the Alameda County Fair at Pleasanton due to the presence of Equine Herpes Virus-1 were lifted Jan. 10, but three new cases of EHV-1 at Los Alamitos Race Course have been confirmed, according to a California Horse Racing Board advisory.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The California Horse Racing Board, under fire for its drug enforcement policies, would dramatically change penalties for many violations and repeat offenses under recommendations passed on to the full commission by its medication committee Jan. 9.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Five more horses from trainer Lloyd Mason's barn at Golden Gate Fields have tested positive for a neurogenic strain of equine herpesvirus after final samples were tested on New Year's Day, although none are showing symptoms of the illness, officials said Jan. 3.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
The equine herpes virus quarantine continued at three Bay Area tracks Dec. 31 as Northern California horsemen await test results that won't be known until after the New Year's weekend.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Golden Gate Fields, Bay Meadows and Pleasanton were placed under quarantine Dec. 29 after a horse from Golden Gate was diagnosed as positive for the neurogenic strain of EHV-1.
Friday, December 29, 2006
A suggestion from Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella that rules for claiming races be changed to protect against horses with physical problems being passed along as "hot potatoes" to someone else appears to be taking root.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Members of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium are expected to recommend regulation of anabolic steroids in racehorses, but the timetable for the regulations remains up in the air.
Monday, December 04, 2006
The Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit ended Tuesday in Lexington after more than 40 participants worked together to draft action plans in six areas to improve conditions in the Thoroughbred industry.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
The Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit opens Monday at Keeneland in Lexington with a session of presentations and panel discussions that will be open to the public.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Dr. Rick Arthur, the new equine medical director of the California Horse Racing Board, told a meeting of state horse breeders Sept. 22 that he plans to hold veterinarians accountable when trainers they advise are found in violation of horse medication rules.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Del Mar track management held an informal meeting the morning of July 22 to address the spike in injuries and fatal breakdowns during the first days of the seaside oval's summer season.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Track operators pledged their support to improving the conditions of racing surfaces in the state after about 25 trainers descended on the California Horse Racing Board meeting Dec. 1 at Hollywood Park to seek the commission's assistance.
Friday, December 02, 2005
A unnamed virus spreading through the barn areas at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park has reduced the number of horses available to race by "at least 10 to 15 percent," according to Oak Tree Racing Association director and practicing veterinarian Dr. Rick Arthur.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
The Thoroughbred Owners of California awarded its Owner of the Year honor to Robert Bone - for the second year in a row - at the TOC Annual Meeting Aug. 13 at Del Mar. TOC also recognized veterinarian Rick Arthur with its Chairman's Award.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
All horses trained by Mike Mitchell will undergo 24 hour surveillance before racing after one of his horses tested positive for an excessive amount of TC02, which is the total carbon dioxide in plasma from a blood sample obtained pre-race.
Monday, August 01, 2005
With the premiere of the 2005 Citgo Racing to the Kentucky Derby Series March 5, the American Association of Equine Practitioners' "On Call" program will mark its 15th year of providing media assistance to live network Thoroughbred races.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Trainer Jeff Mullins said Friday that Puppeteer, found to have an excessive level of bicarbonate in his bloodstream following his second-place finish in the Jan. 22 San Marcos Handicap (gr. IIT), was subject to an accidental contamination of alkalizing agents.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
The California Horse Racing Board approved pre-race blood testing for "milkshakes" during its Jan. 20 meeting, but implementation of the proposal will have to await passage of a state law exempting the tests from split-sample requirements.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Two race-day detention barns could be in place in time for the opening of Santa Anita's winter/spring meeting Dec. 26, track general manager Chris McCarron told an ad hoc security meeting of racing officials Sept. 2 at Del Mar.
Friday, September 03, 2004
The 5-year-old mare Quick Nip, who was euthanized Aug. 10 at Golden Gate Fields, was infected with West Nile Virus, the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory at UC Davis confirmed.
Friday, August 27, 2004
