The Stronach Group

Michael Costanzo has been appointed Gulftream Park's new racing secretary, replacing the outgoing Dave Bailey. Costanzo had served as the track's assistant racing secretary for the past year. A Chicago native and graduate of the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program, he joined the Gulfstream racing office in 2009 and was its stakes coordinator for five years before becoming assistant racing secretary. He was previously part of the Breeders' Cup notes team and public relations manager at Calder Race Course. "We're delighted with the work Mike has done for...

The Stronach Group, Breeders' Cup Ltd., Churchill Downs Inc., Keeneland, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and the New York Racing Association, Inc. have agreed to jointly fund North America's largest study on the effects of furosemide and on the prevalence and severity of Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) in 2-year-old racehorses. The study, formally titled Furosemide: Its Effects on the Prevalence and Severity of Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) and the Immune System's Normal Response to Exercise in Two-Year-Old Racehorses, began this month and is being led by...

The Thoroughbred Safety Coalition has added eight medical and operational reforms to its platform. The group's Steering Committee, made up of executives from the Breeders' Cup, Churchill Downs Incorporated, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Keeneland Association Inc., the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and The Stronach Group, voted unanimously to adopt the reforms with the ultimate goal of uniform implementation across racing jurisdictions. The following reforms have been added to the Coalition's platform: Strengthen race entry and eligibility requirements; Work with state racing commissions to apply racing regulations surrounding prohibited substances...

The Stronach Group's Aidan Butler has been appointed to Chief Operating Officer, 1/ST RACING and to President, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST announced Thursday. Butler joined The Stronach Group in 2018 and has been front and center in California leading the racing operations teams at Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields as the Acting Executive Director of California Racing Operations. In addition, he also served as Chief Strategy Officer for The Stronach Group. Butler will work directly with Craig Fravel, Chief Executive Officer, 1/ST RACING, to further develop the company's racing...

As the  realities of the coronavirus started to spread across California and the country, the team at Santa Anita wasn't sure how to prepare for what could have quickly escalated into a dire situation for the track and the sport. But what began as a scramble of sorts led to a well-coordinated plan. Racing would successfully return to the historic Southern California track and with an innovative wrinkle. During the racing week, the jockeys were required to live in a bubble in campers situated on track. What might at first...

The Stronach Group, which operates Pimlico, has confirmed that the song "Maryland, My Maryland" will no longer be played before the running of the GI Preakness S. The story was first reported by the www.theracingbiz.com. The song, which has been played at Pimlico since 1909, has stirred up controversy because its lyrics are meant to encourage Maryland to join the Confederacy. The sixth verse includes the following lines; "Dear Mother! burst the tyrant's chain, Maryland! Virginia should not call in vain, Maryland! She meets her sisters on the plain-'Sic semper!'...

The Stronach Group and the Maryland Jockey Club announced that Oct. 3 GI Preakness S. at Pimlico will proceed without fans in attendance. The 145th Preakness will air live on NBC from 4:30-6:00 p.m. ET. The Preakness, like the other two Triple Crown races, are a Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' events for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in November. "The Stronach Group and the Maryland Jockey Club have been working closely in consultation with local and state health and governmental authorities for the past several months to thoughtfully...

Santa Anita Park has broken ground on a new turf chute adjacent to the main dirt track's seven-furlong chute that will allow sprints up to 6 1/2 furlongs to be conducted on the grass oval. The new configuration won't be ready in time for the upcoming meet that commences Sept. 19. But once the extension is completed, track management is going to consider reopening the currently closed 6 1/2-furlong downhill turf course for select usage. Aidan Butler, the chief strategy officer and executive director of California racing operations for The...

The litigation between Frank and Elfriede Stronach, Belinda Stronach, Frank and Nicole Walker, Alon Ossip and Stronach Consulting Corp. has been dismissed by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice as the result of a settlement, The Stronach Group announced in a statement issued Thursday. Belinda Stronach will remain Chairman and President of The Stronach Group with full control of all of the company's racing, gaming, real estate and related assets, including the new 1/ST brands. Frank and Elfriede Stronach, through their own personal entity, will take control and ownership of...

Santa Anita Park's autumn meet (Sept. 19 through Oct. 25) will feature 24 stakes over 18 racing days--more or less in line with 2019's meeting minus last year's Breeders' Cup World Championships. The Arcadia oval will host seven "Win and You're In" qualifiers for this year's Breeders' Cup at Keeneland: the $100,000 Speakeasy S. on opening day for GII Juvenile Turf Sprint hopefuls; the GI Rodeo Drive S. (GI F/M Turf), GI American Pharoah S. (GI Juvenile), GI Awesome Again S. (GI Classic) and GII Chandelier S. (GI Juvenile Fillies)...

Sherwood Chillingworth, the longtime director and executive vice president of the Oak Tree Racing Association who passed away last October at 93, will be honored with The Chillingworth S.-formerly the LA Woman S.--to be contested during Santa Anita's Autumn season. Prior to 2009, the Grade III contest for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up was run during the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita as the Louis R. Rowan S., named after one of the founders of the Oak Tree Racing Association. "Chilly was one of the sport's true gentlemen,"...

The Maryland Equine Safety, Health and Welfare Advisory Committee, which falls under the Maryland Racing Commission, has approved a plan for post-race video endoscopies of all starters in 2-year-old races in the state through the end of the year. Details of the survey study designed to determine the extent of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhaging were released Tuesday morning by the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and follows Sunday's announcement of an agreement to card Lasix-free 2-year-old races in the state through Dec. 31. Private veterinarians who practice at Laurel will conduct the...