Horse Racing

5:22 PM ET Associated Press CHELTENHAM, England — A crowd of more than 60,000 attended the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, where more wash basins and hand sanitizer stations were in place to help combat the virus outbreak. The total of 60,664 racegoers on Tuesday was around 7,000 fewer than the record number present

2:21 PM ET The deaths of 23 racehorses at Santa Anita Park during last year’s meet could not be blamed on illegal medications or procedures, according to a report released Tuesday, but horsemen were not found to be completely without blame. Those were just some of the conclusions of the California Horse Racing Board in

9:17 AM ET ESPN News Services Maximum Security was moved from trainer Jason Servis to Bob Baffert on Tuesday after Servis was indicted Monday and charged with administering performance-enhancing drugs to that horse and others. Servis was one of 27 horse racing professionals charged by federal authorities in what authorities described as a widespread international

10:11 AM ET Associated Press More than two dozen people, including the trainer of champion Maximum Security, have been charged in what authorities described Monday as a widespread international scheme to drug horses to make them race faster. Trainer Jason Servis, whose stable includes the 3-year-old champion, was charged with administering performance-enhancing drugs to that

12:12 AM ET Associated Press ARCADIA, Calif. — Authentic led all the way to win the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita on Saturday, giving Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a record seventh win in the Grade 2 race. Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Authentic ran 1 1/16 miles

7:17 PM ET Associated Press LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Breeders’ Cup is increasing purses for three of its races, including a $1 million boost that will make the signature Classic worth $7 million starting with this year’s event at Keeneland. The board of directors approved a $2 million boost that will make the Turf worth

12:19 PM ET Associated Press TUCSON, Ariz. — Longtime jockey Richard Gamez died Sunday after falling from his horse and getting trampled by another horse during a race in Tucson. Gamez was leading in the fifth race at Rillito Park Racetrack when his horse stumbled and he was thrown from the saddle, according to the

9:00 PM ET ESPN News Services LOS ANGELES — Tim Ritvo is out as chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, which runs Santa Anita Park, where a large number of horse deaths has provoked a crisis in the sport. The company announced the move on Monday, saying that Ritvo left the same day to

4:36 PM ET Associated Press LEXINGTON, Ky. — Keeneland and Churchill Downs will enact safety reforms that include the race-day ban of Lasix for 2-year-olds along with mandatory veterinary inspections before workouts and race entry. The measures announced Thursday include enhanced reporting of horses’ fitness for trainers and vets. They will take effect for spring

5:52 PM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Ray York, who won the 1954 Kentucky Derby aboard Determine at age 20 and rode in a record seven consecutive decades, has died. He was 86. Michael McKay, his longtime girlfriend, said he died Sunday after a year-long struggle with pneumonia at an extended care facility near