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Early Nominations To Kentucky Oaks, Old Forester Turf Classic Due Saturday

Early nominations for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks and $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (G1), held annually on Kentucky Derby Weekend at Churchill Downs, are due Saturday, Feb. 13.

Early nominations to the 1 1/8-mile Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday, April 30 – the nation's premier race for 3-year-old fillies – cost $200. A payment of $100 must be paid to become eligible for the 1 1/8-mile Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic, which annually attracts top older grass stars and is run immediately prior to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on Saturday, May 1.

Owners and trainers can nominate horses by calling the Churchill Downs Racing Office at (502) 636-3806. Stakes nomination forms are available online: https://www.churchilldowns.com/horsemen/stakes/nomination-forms/.

A late nomination period, for both the Longines Kentucky Oaks and Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic will run through Sunday, April 10. The late nomination fee to the Oaks is $1,500 and Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic is $1,000

For more information, visit https://www.churchilldowns.com/horsemen/stakes/.

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Rowman & Littlefield Purchases Eclipse Press Equine Book Division From TOBA

Rowman & Littlefield (R&L) has acquired the trade list from Eclipse Press, an equestrian publisher established by The Blood-Horse, Inc., in 2000 and based in Lexington, Ky. The titles have been acquired from the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), which had sole oversight of the Eclipse program since 2015.

Eclipse Press publishes titles dedicated to the enjoyment and welfare of the horse. The purchased publications range from practical aspects of hands-on horsemanship to equine art and retrospectives on the great Thoroughbred racehorses, rivalries, and races. Among the titles acquired are more than 20 books in the “Thoroughbred Legends” series, featuring biographies of legendary horses such as Man o' War, War Admiral, Nashua, Secretariat, Alydar, Affirmed, Ruffian, Spectacular Bid, and Seattle Slew. Eclipse authors include Edward L. Bowen, Timothy Capps, Bill Heller, Sue McConnell, the late John McEvoy, Lenny Shulman, Milt Toby, and Bonnie S. Urquhart.

R&L's trade division will reissue selected titles under the Eclipse Press name beginning in Fall 2021.

Jed Lyons, CEO of Rowman & Littlefield, has had ties with Eclipse Press for some time. He says, “NBN used to distribute Eclipse Press for The Blood Horse organization. We remember those days fondly and are pleased to have Eclipse back in the family.”

“Eclipse Press served as an important part of TOBA for over two decades and many of its titles were highly acclaimed and well received by Thoroughbred racing enthusiasts,” said Dan Metzger, president of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. “We are excited to pass the torch to Rowman & Littlefield and look forward to seeing Eclipse Press books in the marketplace for years to come.”

Rowman & Littlefield is one of the largest independent book publishers in North America. Located just outside Washington, DC, the company has strengths in academic publishing in the humanities and social sciences, government and official data, educational publishing for K-12, outdoor guides, sports recreation and trade publishing. Rowman & Littlefield publishes approximately 2,000 new books annually along with electronic editions. R&L also owns National Book Network (NBN), which offers distribution services to other book publishers. www.rowman.com

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Kentucky HHR Bill Passes House Committee, On To House Floor

Senate Bill 120, which would expand Kentucky's definition of parimutuel wagering to include historical horse racing (HHR) machines, unanimously passed the House Committee for Licensing, Occupations and Administration Regulations on Wednesday morning.

The bill passed the state senate Tuesday afternoon on a vote of 22-15.

The house committee heard from a nearly identical group of proponents and opponents to the bill as the Senate Committee on Licensing and Occupations last week. The house committee is chaired by Rep. Adam Koenig (R-District 69), who is also the legislative representative on the Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council, a committee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. The senate committee is chaired by Sen. John Schickel (R-District 11) who is the bill's sponsor and also fielded questions from members of the house committee.

Horseman Tommy Drury provided the committee with his outlook on the way the cash influx from HHR has kept his business afloat, while representatives from The Family Foundation expressed a variety of concerns, framing the bill as a “millionaire's bailout” and citing concerns about the constitutionality of the bill's treatment of parimutuel wagering.

The bill's supporters have repeatedly expressed the reliance of Kentucky's racing industry on the increased purses and breeders' incentives from HHR income, with particular focus on the many jobs supported by that revenue and the secondary industries that rely on racing for business.

There are a few different points of opposition expressed by legislators who spoke against the bill during its senate vote Tuesday; some question the tax structure for HHR income, saying the state does not benefit enough from the income. Others believe a constitutional amendment is the only sure way to make HHR legal because the definition of legal gambling in Kentucky is outlined in the state's constitution. Still others have concerns about the potential for gambling addiction among HHR users, which they say disproportionately impacts poor families.

Early reports have indicated the bill could face more opposition in the house than it did in the senate. The bill may now go to the House floor for a vote, though it's unclear when that will happen. Wednesday begins the thirteenth day of the Kentucky General Assembly regular session, which is limited to 30 days this year.

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Kentucky Senate Passes Historical Horse Racing Bill; Legislation Moves To House Next

The Kentucky State Senate passed the Historical Horse Racing Bill, Senate Bill 120, by a margin of 22-15 on Tuesday, Feb. 9.

The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP), Kentucky's equine economic advocate, released the following statement:

“We applaud the Senate for voting to keep historical horse racing in Kentucky and protect important jobs and investment in communities across the commonwealth. Senator John Schickel and Senate President Robert Stivers have been instrumental in moving this legislation forward, and we thank them for their efforts. Now, we are calling on our elected officials in the House to bring SB 120 to passage so that historical horse racing can continue in the commonwealth, just as it has for the last decade.

“The future of the horse industry and Kentucky's economy is in legislators' hands, and real jobs and livelihoods are at risk. Tens of thousands of Kentuckians rely on the equine industry to make a living and provide for their families—many of whom have already sent messages and made calls to their legislators asking them to vote yes on this critical legislation. They are your neighbors, family members, colleagues and friends. We hope that legislators will keep these individuals in mind as they discuss SB 120 in the coming days. A vote to keep historical horse racing in Kentucky is a vote for Kentucky families and the industry that supports them.”

The bill will be heard in the House Committee on Licensing, Occupations & Administrative Regulations before heading to the House floor for a vote.

The Kentucky Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision on historical horse racing machines on Sept. 24, 2020, deeming one particular brand to not constitute pari-mutuel wagering. When the Court declined to reconsider that decision in January, both Keeneland and Red Mile temporarily shut down historical racing operations.

Senator Schickel and Senate President Stivers introduced Senate Bill 120 on Feb. 2. It defines pari-mutuel wagering to be consistent with how the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has regulated live racing for decades and historical horse racing for the last ten years. The legislation also reaffirms that only pari-mutuel wagering on simulcasts of live racing can occur at simulcast facilities. In effect, this maintains the status quo that Kentucky has known for the last decade, ensuring HHR venues can continue or resume operations.

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