Thoroughbred Racing

• Albarado remains suspended pending court results

  Jockey Robby Albarado will remain suspended from riding until the court case surrounding his alleged criminal domestic abuse charges is final, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission License Review Committee ruled on Wednesday.

• Regulators Blast NYRA, Question Franchise

  New York regulators are blasting the New York Racing Association’s board of trustees for appointing a new president to take over for the ousted Charles Hayward, the latest development in the ongoing scandal over pari-mutuel takeout levels. They also raised the possibility that NYRA could lose its operating franchise over the matter.

• Woodbine Official Warns of Loss of Slots

  An executive with Woodbine Entertainment Group has told local officials its Woodbine racetrack will not survive if slot machines are removed from the facility in March of next year.

• Canterbury Cuts Takeout 39% on ‘Pick’ Wagers

  The Minnesota track, which begins its live meet May 18, has reduced the takeout rate on Pick 3 and Pick 4 wagers from 23% to 14%, a decrease of 39%. Canterbury had indicated via Twitter a few days earlier it planned to cut the takeout rates but made it official May 14.

• State rejects NYRA hires; withholds casino revenue

  The state decided Tuesday to withhold casino revenue contractually due to the New York Racing Association and is poised to revoke its franchise to run the state’s three main thoroughbred tracks.

• Eight in line to face Frankel in Lockinge

  FRANKEL will face no more than eight rivals when the world's top rated racehorse begins his four-year-old campaign in Newbury's JLT Lockinge Stakes on Saturday.

• Bodemeister in, Hansen out, Daddy Nose Best possible for Preakness

  Monday brought significant developments regarding the Preakness field. While trainer Bob Baffert confirmed Bodemeister for Saturday's middle jewel of the Triple Crown, he ruled out Liaison. Hansen, Hierro and Isn't He Clever all likewise passed on a trip to Pimlico. But Daddy Nose Best entered Preakness calculations for Steve Asmussen.

• NYRA Names New Executives

  With its operations under fire, the New York Racing Association moved today to name new top executives to run the racing group in the midst of a possible criminal probe by the state over its takeout scandal.

• Hialeah Pulls Plug on Thoroughbred Request

  Hialeah Park is calling off its plan for a possible return of Thoroughbred racing in April and May of 2013.

• The Jockey Club has developed a nice owner view website

  The Thoroughbred OwnerView website has been created to provide additional information and resources for both prospective and current owners of Thoroughbreds.

Equine Business

• Santa Anita Reports Attendance, Handle Gain

  Santa Anita Park capped its 75th winter/spring season April 22 reporting gains in on-track attendance and overall pari-mutuel handle.

• Nicholson to retire, Thomason to take Keeneland reins

  Keeneland Association President and Chief Executive Officer Nick Nicholson plans to retire on September 1. Nicholson will be replaced in his role as president and chief executive officer by Bill Thomason, who currently serves as Keeneland’s vice president and chief financial officer.

• As of Thursday, reports of Calumet sale only rumors

  When it comes to reports of the sale of historic Calumet Farm in Lexington, as ESPN college football analyst Lee Corso likes to say, “Not so fast, my friend.”

• Will NYRA Casino Revenues Last?

  The New York Racing Association took in $22.1 million in gross revenues during the first three months of the year from its new Aqueduct casino. But the question for NYRA is simple: will it last?

• Stronach Forms Six Publicly Held Companies

  Frank Stronach, the prominent owner-breeder who was among the leading yearling purchasers of 2011, and related entities have filed documents to establish six companies that would sell shares to the public for $10 per share.

• Hoosier Park’s Owner Plans to Exit Bankruptcy

  The company that owns Hoosier Park Racing & Casino expects to emerge from bankruptcy protection in the coming months with about two-thirds less debt.

• CDI Net Revenues Rise 16%

  Churchill Downs Inc., boosted by its online and gaming business segments, reported double-digit increases in the second quarter this year compared to 2010 numbers.

• Sky Bet, Racing UK launch mobile horse racing video

  British racing fans will be able to stream live racing on their mobile devices through a joint effort of Racing UK and Sky Bet, a subsidiary of the British satellite broadcaster BSkyB. Racing UK said all of its tracks will be offered through optimized streams. Sky Bet customers will have access to 4,000 races a year.

• Horses can help with business smarts

  Can horses help you with your business smarts and leadership skills? The people behind a new organisation in the United States certainly think so. A participant at the recent American Society for Training & Development Conference in Florida makes a friend. They have launched Winning With Horse Power, described as an innovative new equine experiential learning venture

• Electrolytes: Why Optimal Horse Health Hangs in the Balance

  Electrolytes: Why Optimal Horse Health Hangs in the Balance, not the Quantity Recent research suggests a cure for equine anhidrosis, tying up and more, based on findings that such negative effects on horse health result when electrolytes don't always perform as they're supposed to.

Pleasure, Show & Rodeo

• Horse runs into sea, rescued a mile offshore

  With Video CARPINTERIA, Calif. - Maybe he should be named Bob. An Arabian horse named William got spooked during a California beachside photo shoot Tuesday and swam a mile out to sea before rescuers got to him and helped him back to shore.

• Arabian enthusiasts gear up for show at the Tehama District Fairground

  The annual Red Bluff Arabian Horse Show, which celebrates its 42nd year, will be at the Tehama District Fairground Friday through Sunday. It's been held at the Tehama District Fairground since 1971 and it was started by my husband John Wheeler and his family, show committee member Pam Wheeler- Hilligan

• Feds: Illinois city official stole $53 million

  They now say that Rita Crundwell, 59, took more than $53 million over the past two decades from the city of Dixon, Ill., and deposited the money into secret accounts. She then used the money to finance her horse breeding business and a lavish lifestyle.

• Investigator: Sickened Maine horses difficult to treat

  Maine's state veterinarian has been working to find the source of a rare botulism outbreak that is believed to have killed 23 horses at the Whistlin' Willows Farm in Gorham in the past month.

• Cloned Quarter Horse Breeder Claims Registry Has a Monopoly

  The American Quarter Horse Association is monopolizing and raising the price of horses by refusing to register cloned horses and their offspring, a horse breeder claims in a federal antitrust complaint.

• Gaza horse riders have to jump unusual hurdles

  Horse riding has become a popular hobby in the Gaza Strip but local Palestinians face constant hurdles -- from a conservative society to Israel's blockade on the territory -- to practise the sport on their home turf.

• Outsider Wins Grand National; Two Horses Die

  The Grand National steeplechase was marred for the second year in a row with the death of two horses April 14, including the pre-race favorite Synchronised.

• Ten Habits of Competent Riders

  We can all think of a rider we know that seems to always do well, has calm, happy horses, and steadily improves their horse’s physical and mental state in an almost effortless manner.

• Basic Body Control of Your Horse

  Master this exercise to gain control of your horse's shoulders (those ornery things!) and hips. Photo by Sheri Scott A circle loses shape. A lead is blown. A flying change gets halfway done—or not at all. The common culprit in all these scenarios? Lack of body control,

• EBH debuts at the Horsemen’s Re-Union

  At a packed trade show hall, Peters explained some of the science behind the book, Evidence-Based Horsemanship, which he co-authored with Martin Black.

Handicapping & Wagering

• Canterbury Cuts Takeout 39% on ‘Pick’ Wagers

  The Minnesota track, which begins its live meet May 18, has reduced the takeout rate on Pick 3 and Pick 4 wagers from 23% to 14%, a decrease of 39%. Canterbury had indicated via Twitter a few days earlier it planned to cut the takeout rates but made it official May 14.

• 2012 Kentucky Derby Odds, Post Positions,Trainers, Jockeys And More

  The 2012 Kentucky Derby morning line odds have updated after the post positions for each horse were assigned, so it's time to get to the handicapping. Bodemeister, winner of the G1-Arkansas Derby and the No. 6 post positionis the morning line favorite at 4/1 for Saturday's 2012 Kentucky Derby

• Betting on Derby Day

  t's off to the races with fancy hats and mint juleps at Fairmount Park this Saturday for the racetrack's annual Derby Day in honor of the Kentucky Derby.

• Thayer: Senate Vote Must Respect Kentuckians

  Gaming bill could be called for vote with two Kentucky senators absent.

• ‘All Others’ Heavy Choice

  Bettors were pretty sure they didn't see this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner among the 23 individual choices in pool 1 of the 2012 Derby future wager, making the mutuel field the 3-2 choice.

• Cuomo: Create N.Y. State Gaming Commission

  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to eliminate the state's chief racing industry regulatory body and merge it with an agency that now runs the state's lottery and racetrack VLT programs.

• Attendance, Handle Averages Up at Golden Gate

  Golden Gate Fields achieved increases in its on-track attendance and handle averages in 2011, a year in which the Berkeley, Calif. racetrack conducted 157 days of racing compared to 174 in 2010.

• Gov. optimistic that Kentuckians will vote on expanded gaming

  The survey says Kentuckians want to vote on expanded gaming and so does the Governor. A survey funded by the horse racing industry found 87 percent want expanded gaming on the ballot. Gov. Steve Beshear says he's looking to start a bill in the Senate.

• Betfair official outlines plans for California exchange wagering

  A Betfair official presented a business model Wednesday for a horse racing betting exchange in California that would feature a 10% “takeout” on wagers.

• Handle Still Down in U.S. as Purses Improve

  National handle on Thoroughbred racing continued to decline in November, though the dip is not nearly as pronounced as it was a year ago at this time.

Health & Nutrition

• Prevalence of Post-Anesthesia Cardiac Arrhythmias in Horses

  A team of British researchers recently completed a study examining the prevalence of post-general anesthesia cardiac arrhythmias and found that irregularities are common in horses' hearts during the post-surgical recovery period. Read more: http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=20029#ixzz1v2NiMwGh

• Drought brings outbreak of horse disease

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Agriculture officials in Arkansas and Louisiana have warned veterinarians to watch for signs of a potentially fatal horse disease if there's another drought this year.

• Exercise-Induced Inflammation and Injury in Racehorses

  When 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta crossed the finish line for the last time, most race fans focused on the fact it was the first loss of her career. But what might be even more notable is that it was also her 20th start--unusual in an industry that has seen an overall decline in starts (down to 6.11 per horse in 2010).

• Protein’s Role in Fueling Performance Horses

  Protein is arguably the most misunderstood essential nutrient in the equine diet. Protein is made up of amino acids, and its main function is in muscle, tendon, and ligament development and repair.

• Taylorella Genome Sequence Furthers CEM Comprehension

  A French research team sequenced the genome of Taylorella equigenitalis, the causative agent of the equine venereal disease contagious equine metritis (CEM), as well as T. asinigenitalis, a closely related species generally isolated in donkeys.

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