KHRC | Horse Racing Free Tips

Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Approves Race Dates For 2021

At its virtual board meeting on Tuesday, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved 2021 race dates for the state's five Thoroughbred tracks.

Chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz made a statement acknowledging the uncertainty caused by the Kentucky Supreme Court's Sept. 24 decision on historical horse racing, though he did not discuss any specifics: “While I cannot say too much, I do want everyone to know that if the current Supreme Court opinion is rendered final, that this commission is committed to finding a solution,” Rabinowitz said.

In addition, the KHRC tabled a discussion on whip rule penalties that had been listed on the meeting's official agenda.

The race dates approved for 2021 are as follows:

Turfway Park

Jan. 1 – March 28, Thursday to Sunday (Thursdays all marked as “optional”)
Dec. 1 – Dec. 21, Wednesday to Sunday (Wednesdays all marked as “optional,” no racing Dec. 24 or 25)

Keeneland

April 1 – April 23, Wednesday to Sunday
Oct. 8 – Oct. 30, Wednesday to Sunday

Churchill Downs

April 24 – June 26, Wednesday to Sunday (Wednesdays all listed as “Optional,” except April 24)
Additional spring meet cards to be held on April 27 (Tuesday) and May 31 (Monday)
No racing May 2 (Sunday)
Sept. 15 – Oct. 3, Wednesday to Sunday (Wednesdays listed as “optional”)
Nov. 3 – Nov. 28, Wednesday to Sunday

Ellis Park

June 27 – Sept. 1 (all Mondays through Thursdays listed as “optional”)

Kentucky Downs

Sept. 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12

The post Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Approves Race Dates For 2021 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

HHR Fate Still ‘Elephant in the Room’ As KHRC Grants ’21 Race Dates

Saying he’d “like to briefly address the elephant in the room,” Kentucky Horse Racing Commission chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz opened the board’s Oct. 20 videoconference meeting by attempting to reassure the racing community that elected and appointed officials are working to find a solution to a Sept. 24 Supreme Court of Kentucky opinion that told a lower court to re-examine the legality of historical horse race (HHR) gaming.

HHR handled $2.2 billion during the commonwealth’s most recent fiscal year, and revenue from that form of gaming annually contributes tens of millions of dollars to purses at the state’s five Thoroughbred tracks. The Supreme Court’s opinion that HHR does not comply with the pari-mutuel wagering statute has imperiled that crucial source of funding.

“While I cannot say too much, I do want everyone to know that if the current Supreme Court opinion is rendered final, that this commission is committed to finding a solution,” Rabinowitz said.

“Additionally, after having numerous conversations with the governor, it’s clear that the governor and his team are committed to finding a solution,” Rabinowitz continued.

“Lastly, I truly hope and believe that this legislature is equally committed to finding a solution to this bipartisan issue in order to save thousands of Kentucky jobs, millions in tax revenue annually for the commonwealth, and to preserve the commonwealth’s signature industry as the best in the world,” Rabinowitz said.

Rabinowitz provided no specifics and there was no additional discussion of the topic among KHRC members, either directly after his statement or during the entirety of the meeting.

Chief among the various items that passed via unanimous voice vote on Tuesday was the KHRC’s approval of 2021 race dates, awarded as follows:

Turfway Park: Jan. 1-Mar. 28 on a Thursday-Sunday schedule. The Thursdays, however, are all marked “optional” on the calendar provided by a KHRC spokesperson.

Keeneland Race Course: Apr. 1-23 on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule.

Churchill Downs: Apr. 24-June 26. With the exception of the first Wednesday that falls during GI Kentucky Derby week, the Wednesday programs are “optional.” Derby week will also feature an Apr. 27 Tuesday card but no racing Sunday, May 2. A Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day) program is also added.

Ellis Park: June 27-Sept. 4. With the exception of July 1, all of the Mondays-Thursdays within that date allotment are “optional.”

Kentucky Downs: Sept. 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12.

Churchill: Sept. 15-Oct. 3 on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule, with the Wednesdays “optional.”

Keeneland: Oct. 8-30 on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule.

Churchill: Nov. 3-28 on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule.

Turfway: Dec. 1-31 on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule; Wednesdays “optional” and no racing Dec. 24 and 25.

Susan Nash, the KHRC’s executive administrative secretary, said that, “I’d like to point out that the total number of requested Thoroughbred dates for 2021, compared to what was awarded in 2020, shows as a negative one [date], representing a decline from last year.”

But Nash explained that’s because Keeneland’s request to host the two-date Breeders’ Cup meet this year bumped up the state’s 2020 total by two dates from 2019, “so consequently, there is actually an increase of one day for 2021” when the two Breeders’ Cup dates are removed from the equation.

The post HHR Fate Still ‘Elephant in the Room’ As KHRC Grants ’21 Race Dates appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Funds Granted For Follow-Up Study On Catastrophic Racehorse Injuries

Catastrophic injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses is a top concern for the industry and for its fans. That sentiment is shared by researchers at the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, who are working to learn more about changes happening at the cellular level that might indicate an injury is present before it becomes career- or life-ending.

According to Allen Page, staff scientist and veterinarian at UK's Gluck Equine Research Center, a recently completed study submitted for review shows it is possible to identify several early markers for horses at risk of catastrophic injury, possibly allowing for intervention before those injuries happen.

In this initial study, Page and his colleagues analyzed blood samples from more than 1,000 Thoroughbred racehorses. The samples, collected by participating racing jurisdictions from across the country, have come from both catastrophically injured and non-injured horses in a quest to better understand if there are any red flags in horses that suffer a catastrophic injury.

Previous research showed that many catastrophic injuries occur in limbs with underlying and pre-existing damage, leading to the theory that these injuries occur when damage accumulation exceeds the healing capacity of the affected bones over time. As a result, researchers think it is likely there may be markers of this damage that can be detected prior to an injury.

The identification of protein biomarkers for these types of injuries has been explored in previous research with limited success. As a result, the group opted to focus on quantifying messenger RNA gene transcripts or markers, knowing that the results would likely be much more sensitive than measuring proteins.

“We are definitely encouraged by our findings in the initial study. Out of the 21 markers we measured, three of them show real promise as being able to predict injury,” Page said. “Since the ultimate hope is to develop a screening tool that can be used pre-race to identify horses at increased risk for injury, we anticipate adding multiple other markers with our new study that is just getting started.”

As part of their new study, Page and his colleagues plan to utilize RNA-sequencing, a relatively new technology, to expand their search to the approximately 22,000 protein-coding genes horses have. This will dramatically increase the likelihood that they will be able to identify additional markers for horses at risk of injury. They plan to do this by using the large number of samples that have already been collected, further leveraging their initial study and decreasing the amount of time it will take to complete their new study.

The new study has been funded by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's Equine Drug Research Council, which also funded the three-year initial study.

“A lot of the credit for these projects goes to the KHRC and the Equine Drug Research Council. Their willingness to fund our projects is really a testament to their interest in supporting innovative and novel ideas geared towards improving the safety and well-being of horses and riders,” Page said.

“I am pleased that the EDRC is able to continue to provide support for this important study and that Dr. Page is able to continue his work on finding ways to protect our equine athletes,” said David Horohov, chair of the UK Department of Veterinary Science.

Joining Page in the research from UK's Gluck Center are Horohov, Emma Adam, assistant professor, research and industry liaison, James MacLeod, John S. and Elizabeth A. Knight chair, and Ted Kalbfleisch, associate professor.

Kentucky to Consider Whip Penalty Changes

The penalty structure for the new slate of restrictive whipping regulations passed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) back on June 16 appears to be on its way to an overhaul after the KHRC Rules Committee unanimously voted Sept. 29 to present a “days instead of dollars” system to the full board for reconsideration.

In essence, a series of escalating disciplinary actions will replace the suspension-plus-fine system that was originally based on a percentage of the purse being taken away from riders who violate the “six underhanded strikes per race” rule (with only two of those strikes allowed in succession and with whipping in the first furlong of races not counting against the six strikes).

On Tuesday, committee members debated whether removing the monetary fines would provide enough of a deterrent to keep jockeys from violating the new rules, which have not yet gone into effect. They also discussed how the Kentucky penalty structure might or might not contribute to nationwide uniformity, as a number of other jurisdictions are also in the midst of implementing new anti-whipping rules.

Trainer Wesley Ward, a retired champion jockey, told fellow committee members that, “I don’t think that fining them is going to make any difference at all. The days is what really stops things.

“I’ve been in both situations,” Ward continued. “As a rider, you’re getting down into the race, and if you can hit [your mount] they win. [So] I think a lot depends on the rider and the significance of the race. That’s number one. And when you talk about the [GI] Kentucky Derby, you’re not going to stop the guys [from whipping beyond the rules]. They’re going to take a [suspension] or whatever if they feel they need to do that to win the race. Now on an everyday Wednesday or Thursday, I think they’re going to adhere to the rules.”

Rules Committee chair Mark Simendinger candidly admitted that, “I guess my feeling is that the chances of us getting this right the first time is probably not real high. I would just like to get started and see how it goes. And once we start seeing whether it’s working or not working it’s going to become more apparent to us what we have to do to make the changes that we have to.”

The KHRC’s Safety and Welfare Committee will next need to sign off on the changes, with the full commission likely voting on the new penalties at its Oct. 20 meeting.

According to an edited and redlined set of the new proposed penalties, seven or more strikes of a horse by a riding crop in a race shall result in penalties as follows:

First offense: a verbal warning.

Second offense: One to three-day suspension (discretion of the stewards, for this item and those below).

Third offense: Three to five-day suspension.

Fourth offense: Five to 10-day suspension.

Fifth offense: 10 to 15-day suspension

Sixth offense or more: Up to one-year suspension.

The stewards will retain the discretion to assess a suspension of up to one year for an egregious misuse of the crop, regardless of the number of times that the jockey struck the horse or the number of times that the jockey or driver had previously violated this regulation.

If a jockey rides for six consecutive months without a crop violation in any jurisdiction, then his or her penalty schedule is reset, such that subsequent crop violations will constitute a first offense.

The stewards and commission shall consider any mitigating or aggravating circumstances properly presented when assessing penalties pursuant to this administrative regulation.

A rider cannot receive multiple disciplinary actions on the same race card without verbal confirmation of any prior rule violations by the stewards. Failure of prior notice will result in a single violation recorded for the race card.

A suspension may be increased if it is determined that an appeal of stewards’ ruling under this regulation is deemed “frivolous.”

The post Kentucky to Consider Whip Penalty Changes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post