Things to know today
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The House Ways and Means Committee approved a measure on Wednesday restoring the deduction for wagering losses to 100 percent, effective for the 2026 tax year, reversing the 90 percent cap imposed by last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Under that cap a bettor with 100,000 dollars won and 100,000 dollars lost could face 10,000 dollars of taxable income while breaking even. The provision sits inside H.R. 10357 and is modelled on the FULL HOUSE Act from Representative Max Miller of Ohio, with related bills from Representatives Dina Titus of Nevada and Andy Barr of Kentucky. Tom Rooney, president and chief executive of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, who attended the vote, called it a good first step and good news for the sport. It still needs the full House, the Senate and the President (Paulick Report, Thoroughbred Daily News) |
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Fairmount Park will race 73 days in 2027, from 6 April to 23 November, up from about 57 this year, under a calendar the Illinois Racing Board approved 6-0 on Wednesday. Vince Gabbert, the track’s general manager, said it will run Tuesdays and Wednesdays plus the first Saturday of each month after 1 May, with a minimum of seven races a day, and that marketing will total about 2.8 million dollars. The backstretch holds 862 stalls and stays open through the winter, and a new paddock, racing office and jockey quarters are planned. Illinois’ last thoroughbred track drew about 6,000 on track to this year’s St. Louis Derby. Gabbert warned that northern Illinois off track betting shops going dark would cost the state between 2.5 and 3 million dollars in tax revenue (Thoroughbred Daily News) |
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Computer assisted wagering handle fell 6.7 percent at Del Mar’s 2026 summer meet while the rest of the handle rose 6.6 percent, lifting the total 3.1 percent to 366.8 million dollars, on figures the track released on Wednesday. Del Mar raised host fees on the major computer assisted operators and kept the policy, begun in late July 2025 with the Thoroughbred Owners of California, of cutting those operators off from the win pools two minutes before post. Field size averaged 8.6 starters. Bill Nader, president and chief executive of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, said the results show they are moving in the right direction. The policies continue at the Bing Crosby meet, which runs from 6 to 29 November (Thoroughbred Daily News) |
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Max Corrales of Santa Anita’s gate crew has won the 2026 White Horse Award from the Race Track Chaplaincy of America for his response to a dangerous incident before a race at the track, and Eric Hamelback, chief executive of the National HBPA, has taken the 2026 Community Service Award. Eli Hernandez, a chaplaincy chaplain, called Corrales a humble, hardworking individual who takes his job seriously, and Dan Waits, the organisation’s executive director, said few people promote the chaplaincy and its benefits more than Hamelback. The Community Service Award is presented, and the White Horse Award video premieres, at the chaplaincy’s Night of Faith, Hope and Love at Keeneland on Tuesday 27 October (Thoroughbred Daily News) |
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Woodbine’s Turf Champions Day produced an all source handle of 14,013,429 dollars, an event record, beating the 13.8 million dollars set in 2021. The twelve race card carried four Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races on the same day for the first time and returned to the E.P. Taylor turf course, last year’s edition having been run on the inner turf during renovations. Notable Speech defended his title in the one million dollar Woodbine Mile, ending Deterministic’s run of six straight wins. Michael Copeland, Woodbine’s chief executive, called the record a significant achievement (Woodbine) |
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The Canterbury Park stewards have summarily suspended Jose Silva Jr., the Shakopee track’s leading trainer in 2025, a day after the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority served him with a notice of violation over a blocked search of a recreational vehicle on the backside. Investigators from the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit had been at his barn over suspected equine anti doping violations. The notice cites the free access provisions and says the authority may seek to impose a lifetime ban. Silva had until 18 September to file a written response, and the stewards’ ruling says he remains suspended and denied racetrack privileges pending his hearing. He did not respond to a request for comment. No finding has been made and no hearing has concluded (Paulick Report) |
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