Standardbred

After two days of proceedings in a federal bankruptcy court in Chicago Tuesday and Wednesday, judge Timothy Barnes has authorized the release of funds to pay outstanding wages owed to Hawthorne employees and to pay for the necessary equipment to resurface the track in preparation for a Thoroughbred meet, according to Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) president Chris Block, who attended the hearings. Hawthorne, and its related companies, filed for a Chapter 11 business reorganization Friday. The filing is built around a "debtor in possession" financing mechanism, which is when...

Hawthorne Race Course, and its related companies, has filed for a Chapter 11 reorganization in Federal Bankruptcy Court in Chicago Friday. According to a press release issued by the track, the "reorganization plan will prioritize paying accrued purses to the Illinois Horsemen as well as payroll for the track employees while restructuring the company's debt. "The goal of the reorganization is to attract a buyer or investor willing to recapitalize Hawthorne and restart operations of the racecourse while maximizing recovery to the company's creditors. Hawthorne will be working with financial...

A lawsuit filed in a Kentucky court Wednesday over a disputed Standardbred auction figures to be closely watched by the Thoroughbred industry because of allegations that a Lexington Selected Yearling Sales Company (LSYS) auctioneer belatedly realized he had dropped the hammer on a $15,000 sale without respecting a $45,000 reserve price that should have been in effect. According to the civil complaint initiated by the New Jersey-based Val D'Or Farms, which thought it had rightfully purchased the filly, named Philly's Sting, for $15,000 via proxy bid, the auctioneer purportedly tried...

As Winston Churchill famously said, "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man," and when it comes to Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga, the statement certainly rings true. Located in the heart of Saratoga Springs, New York, less than five miles down the road from Saratoga Race Course, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit serves as a haven for both humans and retired racehorses alike, working in partnership with local certified therapists to provide equine-assisted therapy to those in need of professional support. The...

Assembly Bill 5893, which called for an extension of annual purse subsidies given to New Jersey's Thoroughbred and Standardbred Industries through 2029, was passed Monday by the New Jersey Senate by a 35-1 margin. The bill had earlier been passed by the Assembly, by a margin of 73-0, and will now head to the desk of Governor Phil Murphy, who is expected to sign the legislation into law. The bill calls for a $20 million subsidy to be split evenly among the two breeds. The money is seen as a...

In the case involving high-profile Thoroughbred trainers Jorge Navarro, Jason Servis and more than two dozen others, Standardbred horseman Brandon Simpson has pled guilty to one count of drug adulteration and misbranding conspiracy for his role in a scheme to provide horses with performance-enhancing drugs. What makes the Simpson case unusual is that his guilty plea came some three years after the original charges against Navarro, Servis, et. al. were unsealed and there was no mention of Simpson's name in the indictments released at that time. Court records released this...

Question. After Taylor Made, which consignment sold the most yearlings in a single sale at Lexington this year? Here's a clue. Its principal also co-manages the company that hosted record turnover at the same auction. If you need an extra steer, this gentleman additionally manages the syndicate behind the hottest stallion of his type in the land. Yes? No? Well, okay, does it help if we add that he also put together the ownership of a record-breaking mare that banked $5.5 million on the track? Enough already. Because if you...

Woodbine's Senior Vice President of Standardbred and Thoroughbred Racing Jessica Buckley resigned from her position to pursue other opportunities, according to a press release circulated on Twitter Friday. Buckley had been in that role since 2020. Prior to that, she served as President of Woodbine Mohawk Park. "On behalf of our organization, I would like to sincerely thank Jessica for her many contributions to our business, the horse racing industry, Woodbine Mohawk Park, and both our Standardbred and Thoroughbred Racing programs," Woodbine's Jim Lawson said in the release. Woodbine Entertainment...

Arlington Park and the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) remain bitterly deadlocked over months-long contract negotiations for the now-delayed 2020 meet. Both sides understand that the scheduled May 1 start of racing isn't going to happen because of COVID-19 restrictions, which tightened further Thursday when Illinois extended a statewide stay-at-home order through May. But the new sticking point, which emerged during testimony at Friday's Illinois Racing Board (IRB) tele-meeting, centers on the horsemen wanting to ink a only a one-year deal because of uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, while track management's...

A newly developed virtual reality experience that allows users to experience horse racing through the eyes of a jockey or harness driver is available to attendees of the Pennsylvania Farm Show.  The 360-degree virtual reality experience--using real video filmed during actual Thoroughbred and harness races in Pennsylvania--allows individuals wearing a virtual reality headset to look left, right, and behind them as they race against other horses toward the finish line. To complete the Thoroughbred racing experience, users can even experience the simulated virtual reality race while riding on an Equicizer,...