With a wealth of on-track events and top class races like the Toyota Blue grass Stakes (gr. I) and Central Bank Ashland Stakes (gr. I) included in their 15-day racing calendar, Keeneland officials are optimistic that the historic racetrack’s 71st spring meeting, which opens April 2, will be lucrative for both horsemen and horseplayers.

In a March 30 press conference, Keeneland president and chief executive officer Nick Nicholson and director of racing Rogers Beasley discussed the upcoming spring meeting, which will feature a rich racing calendar complimented by a variety of events for those in attendance.

The Keeneland stakes schedule is highlighted by the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes for 3-year-olds. Set for April 10, the Bluegrass is one of the final major stepping stones toward the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). It will be aired nationwide on NBC as part of the ‘Road to the Kentucky Derby’ program. The three additional grade I races slated for the spring meeting are the Ashland Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on opening weekend, an important prep race for the April 30 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I); the April 8 Vinery Madison (gr. I) for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up, and the April 9 Maker’s Mark Mile (gr. I) for 4-year-olds and up on the turf. In total, Keeneland will offer $3.65 million for 16 stakes races.

In addition to its usual attractions, Keeneland is making additional efforts to reach out to fans, including a new 50 cent pick three wager

A reduction in live racing dates during the Turfway Park winter/spring meet resulted in an expected drop in total handle, but daily averages increased from the 2009 meet.

Turfway raced 45 days this year (three- or four-day weeks) versus 62 last year (five-day race weeks). All-sources handle for 2010 was $91,981,598, down 19.5% from $113,649,793, while on-track handle totaled $5,311,571, down 24.3% from $7,020,016.

Average daily on-track handle on live races, however, increased 4.2%, to $118,035 from $113,226, while average daily all-sources handle was up 11.5% to $2,044,036 from $1,833,061 in 2009.

The number of races offered was 435, down 29.7% from 619 last year.

Turfway reduced racing dates this year in an effort to maintain purses and field size in the face of increasing competition for horses from racetracks with gaming in other states.

The heads of two Thoroughbred groups say New York Governor David Paterson’s latest plan for naming an Aqueduct gaming operator could be the “death penalty” for New York racing.

Paterson wants the state to follow normal procurement policies rather than leaving the decision up to himself and legislative leaders, a process that has drawn heavy criticism in the wake of a failed deal that would have seen Aqueduct Entertainment Group run Aqueduct’s racino. The state Division of Lottery refused to grant AEG a gaming license, saying it failed to provide some of the required background information.

Paterson says a racino operator could still be named this spring, hopefully by May.

But Assembly Racing, Wagering and Gaming Committee Chairman Gary Pretlow (D-Yonkers) says the governor should simply choose one of the remaining four bidders to expedite racino construction.

“Pick one!” he said Thursday. “My concern is that a VLT facility gets built so we have a revenue stream to keep the [racing] industry going. Anything else— whether it’s retail or senior housing—is extra.”

The four remaining bidders are Penn National Gaming, SL Green Realty Trust and partner Hard Rock Entertainment; Peebles Corp./MGM; and Aqueduct Gaming LLC led by Buffalo-based Delaware North Companies.

New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. also want the state to quickly name one of the remaining bidders. Any type of new process could result in a prolonged delay, contributing to an already dire situation, they say.

“Governor David Paterson has reinstituted the death penalty in New York state, at least when it comes to the horse racing industry,” Jeffrey Cannizzo, Executive Director of the NYTB, and Rick Violette, President of the NYTHA, said in joint statement. “The governor’s shocking plan to re-bid the Aqueduct casino project, a process that his own staff says could end up delaying the decision until December 31 is disastrous. It is incomprehensible at a time that New York state is drowning in red ink, that this governor would not seek the fastest, most intelligent solution, one which would infuse a million dollars a day into the state treasury.

“Instead of hiding behind a needless pointless process, which will only cost taxpayers money, jeopardize education and put the final nail in the horse racing industry’s coffin the governor needs to decide which of the remaining casino bidders will be awarded this project. Any delay will surely kill horse racing and cost 35,000 hard working New Yorkers their jobs.”

New York Racing Association is slated to get 7% of racino revenues. Of more immediate concern, however, is the fate of New York City Off Track Betting Corp., which claims to be on the verge of closure. Without income from OTB, NYRA might not be able to keep operating this year.

“If they stop paying NYRA, that’s it,” said Bennett Liebman, an industry analyst and head of Albany Law School’s Racing and Wagering Board Program. “Really, that’s more important than VLTs at the current time.”

Liebman is also a state-appointed NYRA board member.

Just two days after announcing a unique participation incentive designed to increase field size during the final 11 days of the racing season, and less than a month after an initial bump, Oaklawn purses are on the rise again.

A scheduled March 25 auction of the Maryland Jockey Club, which consists primarily of the Pimlico and Laurel Park racetracks, has been called off after it was announced that the tracks would be purchased by the parent of the current operators.

According to published reports, MI Developments, the parent of bankrupt Magna Entertainment, has entered into an agreement with creditors that would result in MID assuming ownership of the Maryland Jockey Club.

Both Magna Entertainment and MI Developments are controlled by Eclipse Award-winning owner and breeder Frank Stronach.

Calder Casino & Race Course said on the afternoon of March 22 that it is lifting a ban on horses shipping into and out of its property, effective 12:00 a.m. the morning of March 23. However, Calder is maintaining indefinitely a quarantine on the barn that was the stable for a horse that became ill on March 20 and died on the morning of March 22. 
The Miami Gardens, Fla., track made those decisions after test results showed the horse had not been suffering from the equine herpes virus EHV-1, said track spokeswoman Michele Blanco.
The lifting of the ban on shippers will prevent any disruption of racing at Gulfstream Park.

Michael Short, D.V.M., manager of equine programs at the Florida State Department of Agriculture, quarantined the barn area at Calder Race Course on Saturday because of a sick horse, whose illness was not announced.

Horses stabled at Gulfstream Park, Palm Meadows Training Center, and other facilities throughout South Florida have not been affected by the precautionary quarantine, but the quarantine cost Gulfstream more than a third of the 118 horses entered for Sunday’s card. The Hallandale Beach, Florida, track canceled both the first and sixth races but moved forward with the other eight scheduled races.

“We felt it was only fair to the horsemen who have invested time and money to participate in Sunday’s races, to go forward as planned wherever possible,” Gulfstream Park President Ken Dunn said.

Aqueduct was forced to cancel Sunday’s opening race when the six horses entered did not arrive at the security barn by the 8 a.m. deadline. Each of the six horses was scratched.

The cancellation of the first race was caused by a boycott organized by New York horsemen, who have become increasingly frustrated by the state’s failure to finalize an operator for Aqueduct’s video-lottery terminal facility.

The boycott coincided with a planned rally by state horsemen and breeders on Sunday at Belmont Park.

“We apologize to our fans and horseplayers for any disappointment or inconvenience the cancellation of today’s first race might have caused,” Rick Violette, president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA), said in a statement on behalf of New York horsemen. “There is a rally at Belmont Park today sponsored by the NYTHA and the New York Thoroughbred Breeders concerning the very survival of the Thoroughbred industry in New York State—its 35,000 jobs and $2.4-billion dollars in revenue. We felt this rally deserved our undivided attention.

“We hope today’s gathering will underscore the frustration the horsemen, the breeders, and the communities that surround and support the racetracks and farms throughout the state are feeling from the nine years of broken promises and inaction from our leaders in Albany. Frankly, enough is enough. Thank you for your understanding, your support, and patience.”

Racing resumed at Aqueduct with the second race.

Gov. David Paterson announced the selection of Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG) on January 29 to operate Aqueduct’s video-lottery facility. The decision was met by charges of political favoritism that led to an investigation into the gaming selection process.

Paterson on March 11 announced withdrawal of his support for AEG to run the racino, which is slated to get 4,500 video-lottery terminals.

The facility would give the New York Racing Association (NYRA) the funds needed to boost purses and make much-needed capital improvements. Without it, NYRA’s ability to continue racing might be in doubt.

The California Horse Racing Board on Friday approved Hollywood Park’s request to conduct its regular 60-day, spring-summer meeting from April 21 to July 18 but failed in its objective of getting definitive answers about the Inglewood racetrack’s future–or lack thereof.

Appearing before the board was Chris Meany, senior vice president of what now is known as the Hollywood Park Land Co., a subsidiary of Stockbridge Capital Partners, the Bay Area group that plans to tear down Hollywood Park and develop its 238-acre site.

The CHRB’s position is that Stockbridge has “a sword hanging over the head” of other Southern California racetracks until it can come up with a timetable regarding Hollywood Park’s development.

Although continually pressed, Meany stood his ground and said no decisions could be made until “it is clear that the world’s economy is going to get better.”

For the most part, things were contentious between CHRB members and Meany. At one point, Meany referred to the proceedings as “adversarial.”

“I don’t feel very welcome here,” Meany said.

It was after the discussion regarding Hollywood Park’s future that the dates for the spring-summer meeting were approved. During that meeting, there will be racing Wednesday through Sunday of each week, with no live racing on five Thursdays.

Jockey Ramon Dominguez won the first two races at Aqueduct on Friday to reach the 4,000-win plateau for his career.

Dominguez captured the first race with 2-to-1 second betting choice Persian Honey (Brz) and then reached the milestone with a victory aboard Fortyninegeorgest. in the second race.

Entering Friday’s card, Dominguez led all North American jockeys by victories with 90 and ranked second by purse earnings with $2,599,457.