#California Horse Racing Board

ARCADIA, Calif. - On the morning of March 29, Santa Anita Park was reopening for racing for the first time in three weeks after the mystifying deaths of nearly two dozen horses. Satellite trucks, national news reporters and animal rights activists converged for what had become a macabre death watch. But California regulators were watching a live…

Patrick Gilligan, a former Newmarket racehorse trainer who moved to Kentucky five years ago, reflects on the state of American racing as he sees it. Gilligan (left), who was a'small-time' trainer in the UK for 15 years, moved to the U.S. so his son could pursue his goal of becoming a jockey. He wrote a book - Around Kentucky with the Bug - about…

Controversy enveloped the final Breeders' Cup race at Del Mar on Friday when a horse that had been removed from the wagering was allowed to run and crossed the finish line first in the $1 million Juvenile Turf. The bizarre incident on one of horse racing's biggest days occurred after Modern Games, the inside horse in the field of 13, reared back in…

In Plymouth, residents have already had their say about a proposal by a Boston developer to build a thoroughbred racetrack in their community. Hardwick residents will get to decide on a thoroughbred racing proposal early in January. While both had the potential of bringing thoroughbred racing back to Massachusetts (Suffolk Downs closed in 2019),…

It's been a while since we checked in with the Answer Man, so let's clean out the mailbag and address some of your questions: Q: What's up with Del Mar limiting attendance on opening day? I can remember when they had 40000 in past years and it was a marvelous experience. I'm of the opinion that the more the merrier. A: Del Mar began capping its…

Bo Champlin was watching on television at his home in Visalia, Calif., when Rick's Dream and 11 other horses left the starting gate in the fourth race on the closing-day card at Del Mar on Sept. 7, 2020. A California-bred gelding by Coil, Rick's Dream had given Champlin's Big Iron Racing its first winner nearly a year earlier when trainer Reed…

The past couple of years have seen a lot of regulatory issues make headlines in horse racing publications - both before and after the takeover of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority on July 1, 2022. Debates and appeals from whip regulations to shoeing to topical medications have prompted officials and fans to reexamine old procedures and…

Of the two current ballot initiatives to legalize sports betting, Proposition 26 is by far the most harmful and takes California's leadership on animal welfare issues in the wrong direction. The San Diego Humane Society is deeply concerned by a provision in Prop. 26 that will give millions of dollars to four privately owned horse racetracks through…

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

Don't panic, fans. These four dark days at Santa Anita are not the result of a lack of enthusiasm at the entry box or some mandated shutdown. No, the brief pause in racing action was planned long before Santa Anita's winter-spring meet began Dec. 26. Action will resume Saturday, April 30, with a card that includes four graded stakes races - the…

DEL MAR, Calif. - Modern Games won the $1 million Juvenile Turf at the Breeders' Cup. Anyone who bet on him didn't cash a ticket and got their money back because of a mistake by the veterinarians. The Ireland-bred colt was the 2-1 favorite in a field of 12 at the world championships on Friday at Del Mar. He was in the No. 1 post position and Albahr…