KHRC

Earle Mack is right. This industry, which is mired in a crisis, can no longer afford to ignore the most obvious solution to its problems, which are synthetic tracks. Mack wrote just that in an Op/Ed that appeared in this publication last week. If you haven't read it yet, please do so now. It is powerful, articulate and well-reasoned and was written by someone whose credentials demand that we respect his opinion. He is a horse owner, a breeder, a former U.S. Ambassador to Finland and a smart and successful...

Reeling from a rash of breakdowns that has developed into what can only be described as a crisis for the track and for the entire sport, track management at Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) announced Friday that racing will be suspended at Churchill after Sunday's card and that the remainder of the scheduled meet will be run at Ellis Park. The first day of racing at Ellis will be held on June 10. The Churchill-at-Ellis meet will end on July 3. Racing at Churchill will be held as scheduled this Saturday...

On the heels of both the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and Churchill Downs updating horsemen and the public Thursday on actions taken regarding the 12 equine deaths since Apr. 27 at the Louisville oval, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) issued an update of their own Friday afternoon outlining investigative actions already taken and planned to be taken in the future. The statement, which originated from the Commonwealth of Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet, appears in its entirety below: "The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) takes the safety of...

Edited Press Release Churchill Downs Incorporated released the following statement Saturday in response to questions about track safety during the meet: In today's first race, Kimberley Dream (Colonel John) sustained a significant injury--a distal sesamodean ligament rupture--to her left front leg. A similar injury occurred to Lost in Limbo (Into Mischief) during Friday's seventh race. Unfortunately, in both scenarios, attending veterinarians determined that the injuries were inoperable and unrecoverable and made the difficult but most humane decision to euthanize. We send our deepest and most sincere condolences to the connections...

The hearing officer assigned to oversee trainer Bob Baffert and owner Zedan Racing Stables' appeal of penalties related to the drug disqualification of 2021 GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico) has issued a recommended order to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) that the underlying stewards' rulings be affirmed in their entirety. The 47-page report was made public via press release by the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet early on the Friday evening of the long Memorial Day holiday weekend. Its issuance comes 765 days after Medina Spirit crossed the...

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) has received the post-race sample results from the runners in the May 6 GI Kentucky Derby and May 5 GI Kentucky Oaks, according to Kristin Voskuhl, a spokesperson for the Public Protection Cabinet, which oversees the KHRC. All samples have been cleared, as indicated by the laboratory results from the University of Kentucky. The Derby had 18 runners and was won by Mage (Good Magic), while the Oaks, won by Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), had 14 total runners.

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's morning-line favorite Forte (Violence) was scratched from the GI Kentucky Derby on Saturday at 9 a.m. ET by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission state veterinarian, Churchill Downs said in a press release Saturday. After Forte jogged on the track this morning, a lengthy discussion ensued with state veterinarians, co-owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher. Repole said that they were concerned about a bruised right front foot that was sustained during training on Wednesday. Upon further examination of the foot in question, the Derby...

Churchill Downs has suspended Saffie Joseph, Jr. indefinitely and until further notice, the track announced Thursday. The announcement came on the heels of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC)'s order to scratch all horses trained by Joseph from racing at the track, including Lord Miles (Curlin) in Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby. The news came at the end of a day of announcements from Joseph and others, after two of Joseph's horses died at Churchill this week, regarding whether or not he would seek to run his horses over the weekend....

Waqas Ahmed has been named deputy executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC). Ahmed takes over from Jamie Eads, who was promoted to executive director. "I am looking forward to continuing to be a part of the team to maintain the highest standards of safety, health, and welfare for both the horses and the public, while fostering a culture of honesty and integrity in all aspects of horse racing," he said. Added Eads, "I'm excited that Waqas will continue in the role of deputy director. The commission benefits...

The 2022 Kentucky Thoroughbred Breeders' Incentive Funds (KTBIF) have been released, totaling $17.4 million. Nine out of the top 10 earners in the U.S. in 2022 were Kentucky-breds and race horses from the state won 69% of all graded stakes races in the U.S. as well as 78% of all Grade I races. To qualify, the mare must remain in the state during gestation, and the final award amounts are based on the foal's eventual earnings at the racetrack. A list of the 2022 award winners, along with the amount...

Trainer Eric Reed has been penalized with a five-day suspension and a $1,000 fine for a phenylbutazone positive in a $15,000 claiming winner last month at Turfway Park. According to a Feb. 1 Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) stewards' ruling, the 2022 GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer waived his right to a hearing and will serve his days Feb. 10-14 without lodging an appeal. The ruling stated that the offense was Reed's second for a Class C positive within the past year. The KHRC classifies drugs on an A (most severe)...

Gov. Andy Beshear has appointed Jamie Eads--who served as interim executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) for the past six months--the executive director of the KHRC, effective Dec. 1. After graduating from the University of Kentucky with dual degrees in marketing and management, Eads worked for both the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and the Breeders' Cup LLC. She has been with the KHRC since 2008, when she joined the organization as the director of the Division of Incentives and Development. She then moved into the deputy...