Due to severe weather conditions in the New Orleans area prior to the start of Thursday's races, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots canceled their nine-race card. Live racing will resume Friday afternoon with a traditional 1 p.m. CT post time and a nine-race card.
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Keeneland announced that Central Kentucky horseman and bloodstock adviser Gatewood Bell has been named Vice President of Racing at the Lexington oval and will assume duties later this month.
Bell in 2011 founded Cromwell Bloodstock, a full-service bloodstock agency and consulting firm named after a company owned by his grandfather, John A. Bell, and has served as its president for the past decade. Bell, under the Cromwell Bloodstock and Hat Creek Racing banners, purchased several significant runners, including Grade I/Group 1 winners Undrafted, Hootenanny, Mastery and Con Te Partiro.
Bell is also a member of The Jockey Club and previously served on the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and as the U.S. representative for Goffs Sales of Ireland. Last October, Bell was named to Keeneland's Board of Directors as an Advisory Board member, a position he will relinquish upon his employment. Bell is the third generation of his family to serve Keeneland as a Director, following his father, Jimmy Bell, president of Godolphin USA, and grandfather, the late John A. Bell, founder of Jonabell Farm in Lexington. Like his father and grandfather, the younger Bell has been actively involved at Keeneland as both a racehorse owner and sales participant.
“Gatewood brings a unique set of skills and experiences encompassing aspects of both the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industries to the role of Vice President of Racing,” said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. “His passion for, and knowledge of, racing were honed in the trenches on his family's farm and at the track, and in recent years as a bloodstock adviser. The range of Gatewood's talents and his network of relationships with owners and trainers are well suited to help Keeneland navigate the future landscape of racing.”
Raised on his family's Jonabell Farm, Bell received a finance degree with honors from the University of Kentucky in 2004. After graduation, he worked for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin for three seasons in Florida, Kentucky and New York. Bell also represented multiple Grade 1 winning-jockey Fernando Jara as an agent on the East Coast.
“I have great respect and appreciation for what the Keeneland name and its history mean to its stakeholders: horsemen, horseplayers, fans, local community and the global industry,” Bell said. “Keeneland is a very special place. I grew up coming to the races there and it is where I fell in love with the game. I am excited about Keeneland's future and the opportunity to be a part of it. This place represents all that is good about our sport, and I look forward to working together with our horsemen to ensure Keeneland continues to deliver the highest quality and safest racing product in the world.”
Gatewood and his wife, Lauren, along with their children, Eloise (10), Daisy (7) and Gus (6), reside in Lexington.
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Churchill Downs Incorporated released the following statement regarding Senate Bill 120, legislation to keep historical horse racing in Kentucky:
“As the House prepares to vote as early as this afternoon on Senate Bill 120, we are asking our Louisville-area legislators to please pass this critical legislation and save local jobs. We are incredibly proud to be a part of this community and are grateful to call Louisville home. Senate Bill 120 is about protecting jobs right here in our city that are held by our parents, siblings, friends and neighbors. That's why we're asking you to move this legislation forward.
“Horse racing and the equine industry are such an important part of Louisville's history, and historical horse racing will allow that tradition to continue. We encourage you to vote yes on Senate Bill 120 and save the jobs and economic development that will help our city grow and flourish.”
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Legislation has been introduced in Arizona to modernize gaming at tracks and OTBs in the Grand Canyon State. Senate Bill 1794, introduced by Sen. David Gowan, would authorize historic horse racing [HHR] and stands to generate up to $140 million in new tax revenues. The bill is set to be heard in a Senate committee on Tuesday.
Since 2004, according to savearizonahorseracing.com, Arizona has seen pari-mutuel handles drop by $55 million a year and purses drop by $5 million a year as live racing attendance has dropped 45%. During the same time period, tribal gross gaming revenues have increased from $1.3 billion to $2 billion.
The bill would modernize Arizona wagering laws while limiting the number of HHR terminals to just 15% of tribal gaming positions. Pari-mutuel wagering was legal in Arizona before tribal gaming compacts began, so their authorization would not violate those state agreements.
“The modernization effort led by Senator Gowan will save the horse racing industry in Arizona and help keep horsemen in our state,” said Bob Hutton, president of the Arizona Horseman's Benevolent & Protective Association. “Implementing historic horse racing will provide much-needed support to the various industry partners that are involved in each race day, attract high quality horses, and revitalize the horse racing experience throughout Arizona.”
According to savearizonahorseracing.com, if passed, the measure would generate between $100 million and $140 million in new state tax revenues, create 4,000 new jobs, and lead to more than $300 million in capital investments in Arizona Downs. In addition, daily purses in Arizona would increase from $80,000 to $300,000.
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