The Biz | Horse Racing Free Tips

Presque Isle Plans For 50 Live Race Dates In 2021; Opening Day July 5

Pushed back from its expected May start date, opening day at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Penn. will be on July 5, 2021, according to a notice sent out by the Pennsylvania Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association on Thursday.

Presque Isle, owned by Churchill Downs, Inc., is planning for a 50-day live racing meet this year, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made the addition of more dates uncertain.

“As the pandemic continues, it is very difficult — if not impossible — to project purse revenue resulting from slot revenue,” the notice reads. “We expect to conduct 50 days of racing. We will add days at the end of the meet if purse revenues exceed expectations. Bottom line: We will run as many days as the purse account can support.”

Presque Isle was approved to run four days a week from May 11 to Oct. 22 in 2020, including four Sundays in August, but did not start racing until July 27 due to the pandemic. The track hosted just 50 race dates in 2020, half the 100 dates originally planned.

An update from our Executive Director on the upcoming 2021 @PID_Casino meet… pic.twitter.com/5AVIwUu8PH

— Pa HBPA (@PA_HBPA) January 28, 2021

The post Presque Isle Plans For 50 Live Race Dates In 2021; Opening Day July 5 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Still No Hearing Date Set For Hall Of Famer Baffert Over Gamine’s Oaks Positive

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has yet to take action against Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert on the positive test of Eclipse finalist Gamine, reports the Courier-Journal, even though the positive was confirmed via split sample months ago.

In the Kentucky Oaks on Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs, the Into Mischief filly finished third but later tested positive for betamethasone.

No hearing date has been set for Baffert with the KHRC, the trainer's attorney Craig Robertson confirmed. A public records request by the Courier-Journal shows that the Oaks day split sample result was returned on Nov. 5, and Robertson was notified the same day.

Robertson said he has yet to schedule a hearing date with the KHRC.

In total, Baffert had four runners return positive tests in 2020. Gamine ran on Arkansas Derby day (May 2) at Oaklawn Park, winning an allowance race, but subsequently tested positive for lidocaine and has since been disqualified. Charlatan, the Baffert-trained winner of the Arkansas Derby, was also disqualified over a lidocaine positive, and Baffert's attorney released a statement blaming the positives on a back-pain patch worn by his assistant trainer. The fourth was a cough suppressant in a runner at Santa Anita, also said to be a case of environmental contamination.

Penalties from the KHRC over betamethasone could include Baffert facing a suspension of up to 60 days and a fine up to $5,000, depending on whether the stewards decide the Oaks day positive is the trainer's first, second, or third offense in 365 days.

Kentucky State Senator Announces Plans To File Legislation In Support Of Historical Horse Racing

Kentucky State Senator John Schickel (R) announced Thursday that he plans to file a bill supporting Historical Horse Racing during next week's legislative session, which resumes on Feb. 2, reports wtvq.com. Schickel's district includes Northern Kentucky racetrack Turfway Park, owned by Churchill Downs, Inc.

“Next week, I will file legislation to keep historical horse racing operational in Kentucky,” Schickel said in a statement. “The bill, which I am pleased to say will be co-sponsored by Senate President Robert Stivers (R), will address the recent Kentucky Supreme Court decision on pari-mutuel wagering and ensure that historical horse racing facilities are able to continue operating, while employing Kentuckians, generating state tax revenue and strengthening our signature equine industry.

“This effort is about preserving a system of wagering we've known for live racing for decades and historical horse racing for the last ten years. This is about maintaining the status quo. Our immediate action as legislators is critical to protecting current and future jobs and economic development across the Commonwealth.”

The Kentucky Supreme Court issued a brief statement last Thursday in which it declined to reconsider its unanimous decision on historical horse racing machines issued on Sept. 24, 2020. In response, both Keeneland and Red Mile temporarily shut down historical racing operations over the weekend.

The Kentucky Equine Education Project has plans to host a live panel on Historical Horse Racing at Keeneland Racecourse on Feb. 1.

Ten New Scholarships To Incentivize Equine Studies In Kentucky

The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) Foundation has announced the allocation of $20,000 in scholarships to students pursuing equine studies or a related field within the state of Kentucky.

Ten separate $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to students from any state who have decided to study within the equine, animal science or agriculture industry of Kentucky. The scholarships are also open to individuals with family employed in Kentucky's equine, animal science or agriculture industry.

The goal of these scholarships – made possible by the Race for Education – is to shed a light on career opportunities in the vibrant equine industry of Kentucky, which is home to thousands of horse farms and over 240,000 horses. The equine industry employs over 60,000 people and has a $6.5 billion annual cumulative direct, indirect, induced economic impact.

“Young people are the lifeblood of our industry. I am continually excited to be able to offer support to students who have chosen the equine industry as a career path,” stated Elisabeth Jensen of KEEP.

Students who wish to apply for one of the 10 scholarships can visit this form on the website.

Additional scholarships are available at raceforeducation.org.

The mission of the KEEP Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is to support the economic success of Kentucky's signature industry by ensuring its continued economic viability, making the industry accessible for all who want to participate, introducing more young people to the industry and its opportunities, and educating the people of the Commonwealth about the importance of horses to the state, its economy, its heritage, and its people.

The KEEP Foundation seeks to fulfill this mission through:

Generating wider interest from the general public and creating new fans and participants for Kentucky's horse industry.
Raising public awareness on the importance of all horse breeds and disciplines in all 120 counties of the “Horse Capitol of the World” through educational events and community engagement that explores the breadth and depth of Kentucky's horse industry.
Attracting new people and populations to careers in the industry and reducing the barriers of entry to career paths in the industry.

The post Ten New Scholarships To Incentivize Equine Studies In Kentucky appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post