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It's well-established the National Handicapping Championship has grown substantially in recent years, so much so that some horseplayers have begun taking a closer look at how it all works, and where the money goes. My experience is limited to local contests at Keeneland, which does a very good job for a very reasonable fee. I don't keep track of ...

This edition is dedicated to @pullthepocket. Thanks for the push, man. Leadership in the Kentucky Senate and House last year indicated resistance to be the first to introduce casino legislation, and not surprisingly, that's the case during the current General Assembly session. ... Broken-record time: Not enough votes in the Republican-led Senate, ...

New Jersey horse racing began a new chapter the evening of Nov. 23 amid snow squalls and a wind-chill factor in the teens. And no one seemed to mind. New Meadowlands, which cost about $88 million to build, held its first live harness racing program. The facility, which has a dining and sports bar focus, is about one-third the size of the original ...

The official television schedule for live coverage of the Breeders' Cup World Championships was released Oct. 21, and it shows all but one hour on the NBC Sports Network. The schedule is similar to that of 2012. NBC will have a one-hour broadcast from 8-9 p.m. EDT Saturday, Nov. 2, to show the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) from Santa Anita Park. ...

By the numbers, Ken and Sarah Ramsey had a pretty good 2012 as Thoroughbred owners with 117 wins, 98 seconds, and 79 thirds from 555 starts. Ken Ramsey walks Kitten's Dumplings into the winners circle. Photo: Georgia Keogh For the 12 months, their stable accounted for earnings of $4.83 million with average earnings of $8,717 per start. Their ...

With about half of the first three days of live racing held under less-than-ideal conditions–downpours or steady rain and a shift of some turf races to the Polytrack–field size at Keeneland held up surprisingly well. Through the first three days of the meet (Oct. 4-6), an average of 10.07 horses competed in each race, according to The Jockey Club ...

There were interesting developments Oct. 7, with Churchill Downs announcing plans for the ''big board'' for Oaks and Derby days, and enlightening presentations at the International Simulcast Conference on the importance of the on-site experience at sporting events. Churchill made the announcement during the International Federation of Horseracing ...

When Breeders' Cup got regulatory approval Sept. 19 to add a grade I Arabian race to its Nov. 1 World Championships program at Santa Anita Park, there was a flurry of sarcasm on Twitter, but it quickly ended. That's good. There are legitimate issues on which to question Breeders' Cup, but an Arabian race isn't one of them. It's surprising one ...

Equibase Co., a partnership of subsidiaries of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations and The Jockey Club, was formed in 1991 ''to provide the Thoroughbred racetracks of North America with a uniform, industry-owned database of racing information and statistics,'' according to the company website. ''Equibase will continue to leverage information to ...

The Sept. 9 Presque Isle Masters Stakes (gr. II) for fillies and mares was an example of how looks can sometimes be deceiving. With former $4,000 claimer Purely Hot in front past six furlongs in a sizzling 1:08.36 on the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs & Casino, it appeared the rallying Groupie Doll would blow past in mid-stretch and win by ...