Horse Racing News - Industry News and Events at PlayFecta

Churchill Downs featured on FOX Sports’ “America’s Day at the Races”

Racing from Churchill Downs for the track’s 2020 spring meet will be broadcast on FOX Sports’ “America’s Day at the Races,” which will air every race day on either FS1 or FS2. Produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, “America’s Day at the Races” is the acclaimed national […]

Posted on: May 15, 2020 | | Kimberly French

Race Tracks Prepare to Open After COVID-19

COVID-19 Updates Around the Racing Industry

Fasig-Tipton announces COVID-19 protocols for Midatlantic Sale On Monday (June 22) Fasig-Tipton announced their COVID-19 safety measures prior to the Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, which is the company’s first juvenile sale of the season. In order to adhere to Maryland regulations, Fasiq-Tipton, which operates the show part of the sale on June 24-26, has […]

Posted on: May 15, 2020 | | Kimberly French

Saturday Stakes – May 16, 2020

To date, the Spring racing calendar has understandably been pretty quiet due to current circumstances. However, things are about to start getting a little noisier. A number of tracks are joining the ranks of those that are actually up and running with live horse racing action. A total of eight venues have cards scheduled for […]

Posted on: May 15, 2020 | | Christopher Feery

Churchill Downs announces revised “Road to the Kentucky Derby” schedule

Churchill Downs Racetrack announced on Tuesday (May 12) suggestions for a list of possible events that could be used for an extension of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby.” This list is not final and depends on agreement from the tracks that host these races. Additionally, the first race in the extended series, the […]

Posted on: May 15, 2020 | | Kimberly French

Churchill Downs Ready for Opening with New Safety Initiatives

The horse racing industry is collectively ready to resume racing. Since most racetracks have been closed for all business since sometime in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, every track is anxious to be in the spotlight again. Churchill Downs is not only one of the most famous tracks in the world, it is one […]

Posted on: May 13, 2020 | | Jennifer Newell

Thoroughbred Safety Council Unveils Recommendations for 2020

As tracks across the nation look forward to a future which includes hosting live horse racing events in front of fans, safety is at the top of mind. Exactly what that will look like is still being ironed out, and there will likely be some variations depending on locale. While spectator safety is of the […]

Posted on: May 12, 2020 | | Christopher Feery

Pimlico to Undergo Much-Needed Funding for Renovations

Maryland horse racing is one of many industries hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Even before the shutdowns in March and subsequent economic hardships, tracks like Pimlico weren’t exactly flush with cash. Many tracks struggle to make ends meet due to the high costs of horse care and increased competition in the industry. And while […]

Posted on: May 11, 2020 | | Jennifer Newell

Churchill Backstretch Opens for Business

The entire horse community breathed a sigh of relieve when the firsts vans rolled through the Churchill Downs stable gate at 6 a.m. on Monday morning. A total of 175 horses are scheduled to be on the grounds by the end of the day. All the early arrivals hail from Fair Grounds in New Orleans. […]

Posted on: May 11, 2020 | | Kimberly French

Rainbow Pick 6 Resets After Mandatory Payout

Heading into the weekend, the Gulfstream Park Rainbow Pick 6 carryover was still going strong. Prior to Saturday’s card, the carryover pool had grown to over $1.4 million. A mandatory payout was instituted for Saturday, and that attracted even more betting action. Another $10.6 million flooded into the pool, which boosted the pot to over […]

Posted on: May 11, 2020 | | Christopher Feery

Racetracks in Various States Get Opening Approvals but No Fans

In March, horse racing tracks across America went silent. A few continued to race but banned spectators. By April, barely a handful of those tracks were still running races at all. The coronavirus pandemic took America – and the world – by storm, and all non-essential businesses were ordered closed to prevent COVID-19 from infecting […]

Posted on: May 8, 2020 | | Jennifer Newell