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Gov. Beshear Calls On Kentucky Lawmakers To Be ‘Bold,’ Approve Historical Horse Racing, Sports Wagering

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear fortified his positions on historical horse racing and sports wagering on Wednesday evening, calling on lawmakers to be “bold” and approve both during the 2021 General Assembly which begins on Jan. 5, reports the Kentucky Herald-Leader. Gov. Beshear's comments were made in a 20-minute speech he gave to the virtually-held legislative preview conference for the Kentucky Chamber.

Gov. Beshear has long been a supporter of both historical horse racing and sports wagering. The former has come under fire in 2020, however, due to a Kentucky Supreme Court decision in September which declared at least one version of historical horse racing terminal to not constitute pari-mutuel wagering, and thus to be illegal.

In response to the state's Supreme Court ruling, Churchill Downs has halted major construction projects at both it's Louisville, Ky. flagship track and at the recently-purchased Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

Gov. Beshear urged lawmakers to legalize historical horse racing in support of Kentucky jobs and the over $21 million it contributes to the state's budget.

Read more at the Kentucky Herald-Leader.

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Trainer Federico Villafranco Suspended Through First 30 Days Of Oaklawn Meet For Caffeine Positives

Trainer Federico Villafranco, among the top 10 conditioners by wins at Oaklawn Park in 2020, will miss the first 30 days of the 2021 season at the Hot Springs oval due to a Dec. 14 ruling published by the Arkansas Racing Commission, reports the Thoroughbred Daily News.

Four of Villafranco's trainees, two winners and two second-place finishers, returned positives for caffeine in their post-race test results on dates from Feb. 1 through Feb. 8, 2020. The four horses — Millwood, D'Rapper, Fayette Warrior, and Council Rules — were all disqualified from their placings with purse monies forfeited.

Villafranco was suspended under the “absolute insurer rule,” with his suspension scheduled to run from Jan. 22 through Feb. 20, 2021.

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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Lawson: 2021 Queen’s Plate May Again Be Held In September

Due to COVID-19 delaying the start of the 2020 racing season at Woodbine, the Queen's Plate was pushed back from it's usual date in late June to Sept. 12. The race was held without fans, as was the rest of the season at the Ontario track.

Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson told canadianthoroughbred.com the track is considering scheduling the premier race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds in September once again for 2021, in the hopes that fans may be able to attend.

“I don't have any expectations that in May or June we are going to have [fans] back,” Lawson told Canadian Thoroughbred. “I could see the Plate returning to its late June, early July date [in 2022] but for 2021 it is likely we will see a late stakes schedule again.”

Read more at the Canadian Thoroughbred.

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Legislative Fix For HHR Still Unclear In Kentucky; No Bill Pre-FiledYet

According to The Louisville Courier-Journal, the future of the horse racing community in Kentucky could be at stake after a recent state Supreme Court ruling on historical horse racing (HHR). The supreme court dealt a blow to the racing industry in September when it ruled that one manufacturer's HHR terminals don't comply with the legal definition of pari-mutuel wagering in the state.

Supporters and opponents of HHR appeared before the General Assembly's Interim Joint Committee on Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations to discuss the path forward for HHR.

Racing industry representatives warned that the loss of HHR would seriously cripple Kentucky's Thoroughbred industry. The machines have provided $717 million in direct revenue to the horse industry so far.

Representatives from the Family Foundation, which brought the original suit questioning the legality of the machines, say a constitutional amendment would be required to change the state's definition of pari-mutuel wagering to accommodate HHR. The group opposes the machines, which resemble slot machines but use video of previously-run races to determine winning number combinations.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer disagreed.

“We're not looking for an expansion of gambling here,” Thayer said. “All we're looking to do is to put in statute that historical horse racing meets the definition of pari-mutuel wagering and this body has the authority to do that.”

As of Monday, no bill had been prefiled by a legislator regarding pari-mutuel racing in Kentucky. The next legislative session begins in January.