Horse Racing News

An aide to Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and horse racing representatives say a tentative agreement has been reached to allow a full calendar of 146 racing days and keep the Preakness Stakes in the state.

The future of the Preakness at Pimlico is in doubt after a vote by Maryland's racing commission. The board has voted to reject a proposal by the owners of Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park to conduct live racing next year.

Santa Anita opened its rain-deluged main track for training Monday for the first time since Friday, but track president George Haines said severe rainstorms expected through Wednesday could curtail training this week. The winter-spring meet opens Sunday.

Hollywood Park's seven-week fall meeting ended on Sunday with a decline in average ontrack and all-sources mutuel handle, and ontrack attendance, according to figures released by the racetrack.

Horse of the Year contender and Breeders' Cup runner-up Zenyatta has come up second in another major race this year, finishing behind skier Lindsey Vonn in balloting for 2010 Female Athlete of the Year as voted on by members of The Associated Press.

Heavy rains earlier in the day might have put a damper on Saturday's $150,000 W.L. McKnight Handicap at Calder but not on trainer Michelle Nihei's enthusiasm or love for her star 3-year-old Prince Will I Am.

Comma to the Top won the $750,000 CashCall Futurity on Saturday at Hollywood Park to record his fifth straight victory and move to the top of the West Coast's 2-year-old division.

Scott Lake became just the sixth trainer in North American racing history to register 5,000 victories when Communicator captured the first race Wednesday at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

In the wake of the shutdown of NYC OTB Corp last week, state Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow said he believes a consolidation of the state's remaining five regional OTB companies is something that is feasible and necessary to preserve NY racing industry.

Horses running on artificial surfaces suffer fatal injuries at a statistically significant lower rate than horses running on dirt courses, according to epidemiologists who have analyzed data collected for a project tracking equine injuries.