Aidan Butler

1/ST Racing and Gaming has issued a statement regarding an irregularity in the Quinella betting pool for a maiden claiming race, won by Glass Star (Gormley), at Gulfstream Park Nov. 11. The Quinella wager is a marginal bet which generates smaller pools, making it easier to manipulate. Due to manipulation, the Quinella wager on the race in question returned a higher price than it traditionally would have paid. The $2 Quinella in the race paid $42.40, while the $1 Exacta paid $9.30. Gulfstream Park has removed the Quinella from the...

The Stronach Group's Belinda Stronach introduced 1/ST RACING & GAMING, an enhanced division of the company designed to position the core Thoroughbred horse racing business to fully capitalize on the future of sports wagering and gaming. According to a Wednesday evening press release from the company, the 1/ST RACING & GAMING division will continue to oversee racing operations at 1/ST tracks and training centers while working to expand the company's gaming footprint in collaboration with 1/ST TECHNOLOGY led by the divisions' Chief Executive Officer, Paul Williams. "The shifting landscape of...

Peter Miller, who has not started a horse since Nov. 28, will make his return Sunday at Churchill Downs when he sends out Respect the Code (Honor Code) in the eighth race. Miller announced last fall that he was taking a break from training, explaining in a press release that he wanted to "spend more time with his family, focus on overall health and wellness, and pursue other interests." At the time, the bulk of his stable was moved over to his former assistant Ruben Alvarado. In a text message,...

Though he said NYRA is willing to be part of a dialogue involving changing the dates of the Triple Crown races, a hot topic since GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) opted out of the GI Preakness S., NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke has made it clear that the racing organization has no immediate plans to sign off on proposals that would alter the status quo. "We are touching on tradition here," O'Rourke told the TDN Wednesday. "We are touching on the one thing that is sacrosanct...

Trainer Richard Baltas is currently restricted from entering horses nor are his horses permitted to engage in timed works at Santa Anita Park, according to the Paulick Report. "We are conducting an investigation into matters concerning trainer Richard Baltas," Aidan Butler, chief operating officer of 1/ST, which runs Santa Anita, told the Paulick Report via text message. "Pending completion of that investigation and any final decision based on the results, horses trained by Mr. Baltas are not permitted to enter races at 1/ST Racing venues nor engage in timed works."...

Mychel Sanchez's 60-day suspension for betting against himself is about to end, but that doesn't mean the jockey will be back in action any time soon. After being suspended for 60 days by the Pennsylvania Racing Commission, Sanchez is eligible to ride Tuesday, but Parx management did not allow trainers to name him on horses on Wednesday when entries were taken for next Tuesday's card. "We tried to name him on horses for Tuesday after his suspension ends and they would not accept anyone naming him on a horse," said...

The new date for the resumption of racing at Laurel Park has now been pegged as Thursday, Dec. 16, with timed workouts expected to resume Friday, Dec. 10. Both targets are pending a satisfactory safety review of the extensive base and cushion work now being done on the troubled main dirt surface at Maryland's most heavily used Thoroughbred venue. With the exception of light training that continues to take place around cordoned-off areas of the dug-up oval, Laurel has been closed for racing and timed works since Nov. 28. Seven...

In the news plenty recently for cracking down on clenbuterol violations with out-of-competition testing, suspending a jockey over a suspected betting coup and overseeing the successful installation of a third, synthetic surface at Gulfsteam Park, 1/ST Racing's Chief Operations Officer Aidan Butler is making a name for himself in the industry as a proactive, no-nonsense executive. Wednesday, he joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland as the Green Group Guest of the Week to discuss all of those recent stories, the improved safety record at Santa Anita, long-term plans...

1/ST Racing COO Aidan Butler joins this week's TDN Writers' Room to discuss Gulfstream's new Tapeta track and the recent Clenbuterol crackdown, plus track safety at Santa Anita.

As a result of standard out-of-competition testing, Gulfstream Park has taken immediate action to suspend five trainers that have been found to be in violation of the racetrack's clenbuterol restrictions. The five suspended trainers are Georgina Baxter, Gilberto Zerpa, Peter Walder, Rohan Crichton and Daniel Pita, according to published reports. Gulfstream Park enacted the restriction on clenbuterol as a house rule at the beginning of the 2019/2020 Championship Meet to further address and implement improved safety, transparency and accountability standards. A total of 10 barns at Gulfstream Park were randomly...

According to a report Friday in the Daily Racing Form, the opening of the synthetic Tapeta track at Gulfstream is on hold. The surface was expected to be put into use Sept. 23. However, according to DRF, there will be a delay of about one week before the Tapeta track will be unveiled for races in the afternoons. The problem has arisen because the rail for the new course has not yet arrived from the U.K. and has been stuck in customs. "We have a temporary rail we can take...

Gregg Colvin has been appointed chief executive officer of 1/ST Content, the operating group of 1/ST's media and content companies. Colvin will work with chief operating officer Jason Wilson to further develop 1/ST CONTENT brands to attract and retain a new group of consumers. He will also coordinate with Craig Fravel, Aidan Butler and the 1/ST RACING team along with Paul Williams and the 1/ST TECHNOLOGY team to produce and deliver new content offerings, enhanced quality of production and new simulcast distribution platforms for the company's Thoroughbred horse racing and...