Two years ago Jones successfully prepared Hard Spun to victory in the one-mile race.

Hard Spun would eventually win the Lane's End Stakes and finish second to Street Sense in the Kentucky Derby.

Already a two-time winner, WAVE3-TV was recognized for its documentary on the 30th anniversary of the Affirmed-Alydar rivalry, "A Legend Re-Affirmed - The 1978 Triple Crown." "Living and working in the Blue Grass State, this is an incredible honor to receive the most prestigious award in horse racing," said Lee Eldridge, executive producer of 'A Legend Re-Affirmed' and WAVE3-TV news director. "We had an extremely capable and hard-working team that put this documentary together in the month leading to the Derby, and we received tremendous cooperation from the people who were at the center of horse racing's greatest rivalry, the jockeys Steve Cauthen and Jorge Velazquez, Alydar's trainer, John Veitch, and network racecaller Dave Johnson." The 30-minute program aired on May 1, 2008.

Eldridge credits his

Oaklawn Park, which opens its 2009 season on Friday, January 16, the Arkansas division of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, and TrackNet Media finalized an agreement on advance deposit wagering. Oaklawn Park races will be available on the ADW outlets owned by TrackNet Media, TwinSpires.com and XpressBet.com, as well as to Youbet.com for 2009.

"This agreement was worked out through the outstanding efforts of Dr. Earl Bellamy, president of the HBPA in Arkansas," noted Oaklawn Gaming and Wagering Director, Bobby Geiger. "Our discussions were always business

Goins garnered his second photography award for his picture "Frankie's Flying Dismount" of jockey Frankie Dettori jumping off of Donativum in the winner's circle after winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf for two-year-olds at Santa Anita Park on October 25.

The photograph appeared in the Dubai racing publication Al-Adiyat on November 6.

For the average horseplayer, like myself, the exact details on why lingering disagreements over simulcast signals continue is not all that relevant. Bettors want to wager on races from anywhere in the United States and not worry about inner workings.

We know everyone wants their fair share from the horseracing pie. No one is begrudging those who do the hard work of preparing thoroughbreds and standardbreds to race from being fairly compensated.

And there are hundreds, no thousands of discussions as to who made the best pick, who got this year's steal and who's draft was best in the long run.

But unless you are in a keeper league, as a NBA fantasy owner you only care about now - not the long run. You are interested in their first year in the league, only.

Beulah Park cancelled due to poor track conditions Friday after experiencing heavy overnight rain and then having warming temperatures. Saturday will be the last day of live racing at Beulah Park for 2008.

Friday's severe winter storm forced Penn National to cancel its Friday night card.

BloodHorse.com reported on Tuesday that Breeders' Cup will do an about-face on last week's decision to suspend the funding of its stakes program for 2009.

Late last week it was revealed a memo was sent out by Breeders' Cup that in an effort to keep the total purses of the 2009 Breeders' Cup World Championships at $25.5 million, the organization was suspending its stakes program for the year.

The two board members, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said "the funding will come from the about $30 million Breeders' Cup has in its coffers from nominations collected through the years." Late last week it was revealed a memo was sent out by Breeders' Cup that in an effort to keep the total purses of the 2009 Breeders' Cup World Championships at $25.5 million, the organization was suspending its stakes program for the year.

Currently, the Breeders' Cup World Championships consists of 14 races conducted over two days. This year's Breeders' Cup was held at Santa Anita, which will host the event again i

The owner and operator of the facility, Nordic Gaming Corporation, said the racing employment of 190 workers will be terminated effective Tuesday, March 31.

Nordic Gaming Corporation said the decision for the pending closure is due to the company's inability to absorb the continuing operating losses. The track has been affected by declining slot machine revenue since the opening of a casino in Niagara Falls.

By Don Agriss, Horse Racing Editor Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Word came out this past weekend that Calder Race Course in Miami will not run the three remaining stakes on its Tropical Park meet. The track gives as the reason for the move the continuing overpayment of purses during the current meet.

"Unfortunately, we have to take this action to lessen the overpaying of purses," stated Kevin Flanery, senior vice president of Churchill Downs Incorporated, Calder's parent company,"and to help balance the purse account." According to the press release from Calder, "A dispute with the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Group continues to prevent Tropical Meet races from being offered to advance deposit wagering platforms." The most prominent of the three stakes eliminated is the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby for three-year-olds on the turf. Usually held on January 1, the meet's last day, the derby is the first graded stakes of the new year for ju

For 2008 there were more than 100 stakes races in the program, with Breeders' Cup allocating $6 million. The organization also will cut spending by $5 million for television and marketing.

There will be an increase of one-half percent from 2 1/2-percent of the entry fees for the World Championships. The three-percent entry fee was previously in effect until 2005.

"Safety, both for equine and humans, is always going to take first priority," said Fair Grounds president Austin Miller.

It was the first snow fall in the Crescent City since Christmas Day of 2004. New Orleans remains under a winter weather advisory.

Nearly 1,500 horses have already been stabled at the two facilities which are owned by Frank Stronach's Magna Entertainment.

"As of today (Wednesday) there are approximately 800 horses at Palm Meadows and 670 at Gulfstream Park," said Gulfstream's Racing Secretary Doug Bredar. "We have 1,324 stalls available at Palm Meadows and 1,024 available at Gulfstream.

"Funny Cide will be a welcome addition to our Hall of Champions," said John Nicholson, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Park. "He was one of those rare horses who captured the public's imagination while he was on the track and continues to have a significant following of loyal fans." Funny Cide was retired last year after earning more than $3.5 million for Sackatoga Stable. Trained by Barclay Tagg, he was named 2003 champion three- year-old.

Along with winning the first two legs of the 2003 Triple Crown, he was third in the Belmont Stakes and Haskell Invitational.

The 28-year-old is suffering from arthritis and can no longer cover broodmares.

Dixieland Band was one of the top three-year-olds of 1983. He was trained by Charlie Peoples for owner and breeder Mrs.

Judge Crittenden stated that the $4 million offer by majority owner Jess Jackson was cancelled because the minority owners and former clients did not approve of the transaction. Attorneys William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham, Jr., the minority owners, have been disbarred for improper conduct in the representation of more than 400 clients who sued the manufacturer of the diet drug fen-phen.

Curlin, the richest racehorse in North American history, will stand for $75,000 in 2009 at Lane's End Farm. The colt is 80-percent owned by Jackson's Stonestreet Farm and has been recently appraised for $20 million.

The committee met on Monday, November 24 in Lexington and decided that the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, along with the Dirt Mile, are worthy of the top designation of Grade I. Gaining Grade II for the coming year is the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. All three races were run for the first time last year when Monmouth Park hosted the World Thoroughbred Championships.

Also elevated to Grade I are the Jamaica Handicap at Belmont Park, Pat P. Brien and Clement L.

The announcement was made in a press release by the farm.

Curlin, the richest racehorse in North American history, will stand for $75,000 in 2009. The colt is 80-percent owned by Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Farm and has been recently appraised for $20 million. Jackson is attempting to purchase the remaining 20-percent interest in Curlin.

The Monday edition of the Louisville Courier-Journal is reporting that trainer Steve Asmussen does not expect Curlin to race again this year. Asmussen told the newspaper, "I don't see anything worthy of him," during a telephone interview.

Curlin's majority owner, Jess Jackson, released a statement over the weekend indicating that the colt will begin his stud career in 2009, but left room for one more start in 2008.

Three names came to dominate the headlines this year: Curlin, Big Brown and Zenyatta.

All three secured themselves at least one Eclipse Award with the only question being, Who is the 2008 Horse of the Year? Defending Horse of the Year Curlin made thoroughbred history in 2008 by becoming the first horse to surpass the $10 million mark in lifetime earnings. The four-year-old colt went past Cigar on the career earnings list with a second straight win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Leparoux won the first six races on Churchill Downs' Tuesday card. He did not have a horse in the sixth race, but came back to win the seventh and eighth races.

After failing to win the ninth race, Leparoux finished second in the final race aboard Sinister, a mount he picked up from Calvin Borel.

Curlin was supposed to win the Classic and secure his second Horse of the Year title.

With a quarter-mile to run the pre-written script was being followed to the letter.

Most people look down on this course of action, especially if done in a way that promotes arrogance, but it does have its place in the game. Astute handicappers usually plow through previous past performances to uncover how a horse was able to win, using speed and/or pace figures, track conditions, class ratings, jockey tactics and every other handicapping method under the sun.

The 2008 version of the Breeders' Cup was run over two days this past weekend with five of the 14 races on Friday. Since nine more championship events were to be run the following day, red boarding that day's card was perhaps the most useful tool in figuring out how to play

Curlin was sent off as the 4-5 favorite in the 12 horse field. Raven's Pass, from Europe, was the 6-1 second choice in the morning-line and was 13-1 when the gates opened.

Both Curlin and Raven's Pass settled in off the pace in the 1 1/4 mile Classic.