Though Tom Meeker hasn’t been directly involved with the Thoroughbred industry, since stepping down as CEO of Churchill Downs Inc. in August 2006 after 22 years at the helm, he has been an interested sidelines observer. Never one to mince words, Meeker said he doesn’t like what he sees right now, particularly the battle going […]

Is this a new rule to the books? This past meet at Keeneland, riders were given a choice of new whips to use.  Some called them ” fly-swatters,” and some called them many other names. Just to let you know what is next on the horizon, the land down under is taking a closer look […]

Arrogance, old fashioned haughtiness (of the full-to-the-eyeballs-with-hubris variety), prominently displayed itself this past week, screaming loudly to anybody who would listen (and many did). It should be regarded as one of the conspicuous symptoms of horse racing’s poor health. The first example was supplied by Michael Iavarone, the co-president of IEAH Stables. In a television […]

Jockey Rafael Bejarano, who did not ride Sunday’s closing-day program at Hollywood Park, completed a sweep of the five major Southern California meetings, by riding 52 winners at the Inglewood track’s 40-day fall meet. Bejarano, a 26-year-old native of Arequipa, Peru., moved his tack west during the 2007 fall meet and became just the third […]

Today is going to be one of the coldest days of the year. There is snow in some places; cold weather and nasty winds in others. If you go a little further south, you can get your race on in the big easy. On a Sunday afternoon, racetracks normally do an average to below day […]

Besides “Who do you like,” the question I hear the most is “How do you bet?” There’s no easy answer, but I’ll give it a shot. First of all, handicapping is easy; betting is hard. But beyond the actual execution of bets, there are many other factors going on that need to be understood if […]

Golden Gate Fields, the last major racetrack in Northern California, could be putting up a for-sale sign as its financially struggling parent company is forced to pay off big loans by the end of next year. The unknown status of the racetrack has stoked a decades-long local debate over the fate of the prime piece […]

Peppers Pride – Any time a horse wins 19 in a row, it is good for the game, even if it is in New Mexico. Her appearances there helped to attract old and new race goers alike, and it proves that people will come out to see hometown heroes. The only negative is that there […]

The Breeders’ Cup and the Oak Tree Racing Association are in negotiations about the size of Oak Tree’s financial responsibility for the shortfall at this year’s Breeders’ Cup. The amount that Oak Tree could owe the Breeders’ Cup may be in the millions of dollars, according to sources that asked not to be named. Sherwood […]

Nearly a half-million dollars from hundreds of betting accounts is in limbo after a New Hampshire rebate shop declared bankruptcy. The Hinsdale Greyhound Racing Association, which handled significantly more money on Thoroughbred racing as a rebate shop than dog racing, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Monday. The filing lists hundreds of bettors, including Herschel […]