Marty McGee of the Daily Racing From reports, fans have strolled out of Churchill Downs at night before. But that was after they had watched simulcasting from other tracks, or a private event, or a special occasion like the Rolling Stones concert in 2006 or the Police in 2007.

But when thousands of fans stream into the dark tonight, it will be after witnessing history: the first horse races conducted under lights at Churchill, where racing has been limited to daytime for 134 years.

“There’s been a huge amount of anticipation and excitement,” said Churchill vice president John Asher.

Churchill will stage an 11-race card beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern, meaning the last four races or so will require the temporary lighting system provided by Musco Lighting, an Iowa-based company that has constructed and operated similar systems for a variety of sporting and entertainment events.

Post time for the seventh race is 9:05 p.m., when there still is ample daylight at this time of year on the western cusp of the Eastern time zone, assuming clear weather. But after that, artificial means will be needed to illuminate the track. The eighth race is set for 9:40, the ninth at 10:12, the 10th at 10:42, and the 11th at 11:11, meaning some fans and workers will still be trickling out at the witching hour of midnight.

AROUND THE TRACK:

Bill Tallon (DRF) - Jockey Chad Beckon remained in guarded condition in Toronto’s Sunnybrook Medical Centre on Thursday after suffering multiple injuries in a horrific spill here Wednesday evening.

“He has outer cranial bleeding in his brain; that’s what we’re most concerned about,” said Anthony Espositio, who is Beckon’s agent. “If the swelling goes down, they think it will be okay.”

Esposito added that Beckon had suffered fractures to his cheekbone, to his nose, and to his fifth and sixth vertebrae but that there was no spinal damage.

Beckon was heavily sedated but by late Tuesday morning he was conscious and, while not speaking, was responsive to the visit of his wife, Cory Clark.

He was to undergo a Cat scan late Thursday afternoon.

Simon Husbands, who also was involved in the spill, was released from Etobicoke General Hospital on Wednesday night and was sore but seemed to be relatively unscathed on Thursday.

Beckon’s mount, Oliver’s Strike, broke down suddenly on the far turn in Wednesday night’s third race.

The colt’s trainer, Mike Keogh, said Oliver’s Strike was dead by the time the track veterinarian reached him and that it is believed the gelding suffered a heart attack.

“He broke both his front legs, he went down so suddenly,” said Keogh, adding that an autopsy would be performed.

Husbands, aboard Kensington Oval, also fell to the track after being unable to avoid the fallen Oliver’s Strike.

Please add Beckon to your list of thoughts and prayers.

Matt Hagerty (DRF) – Legislation granting Hialeah Park in Hialeah, Fla., the right to hold live races and operate slot machines may pave the way to the track reopening for a brief Quarter Horse meet in December if the state can also reach an agreement with the Seminole tribe on a gambling compact.

The legislation, signed by Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday, would allow Hialeah Park to open a poker room immediately, and it would also grant Hialeah the right to operate slot machines after two years of live racing. The slot-machine license, however, hinges on an agreement between the state and the Seminoles that would allow the tribe to expand the gambling operations at its casinos in south Florida. The Seminoles, so far, are balking at that agreement.

Associated Press - Yeats has entered British horse racing history by winning the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot for the fourth time.

With Johnny Murtagh in the saddle, the 8-year-old was tucked in behind the early leaders before surging through to open up a commanding lead in Thursday’s race. Yeats finished comfortably, three lengths ahead of Patkai, ridden by Ryan Moore. Geordieland, runner-up for the last two years, finished a distant third.

Glenye Cain Oakford (DRF) - Ron Bamberger, executor of the estate that raced and now owns a minority stake in Lawyer Ron, has dropped his lawsuit against Stonewall Farm after receiving payment for two stallion seasons to Lawyer Ron, according to Bamberger’s attorney, Craig Robertson.

Bamberger had filed suit in May against Stonewall, which bought an 80-percent interest in Lawyer Ron from the James T. Hines Jr. estate in 2006 and stands him at stud. Bamberger had alleged that Stonewall did not fulfill contractual obligations to purchase two breeding nominations from the Hines estate in 2009 at the stallion’s advertised fee, with payment due no later than Jan. 10.

“We dismissed the lawsuit, because they paid us the money that they owed us,” Robertson said.

Laywer Ron’s advertised stud fee this year is $25,000.

D’Arcy Egan, Plain Dealer - The thoroughbreds will be running at Thistledown race track today.

Thistledown received approval from parent company Magna Entertainment Corp. to pay $36,000 to complete a mandatory $1 million bond. It prevents the Ohio State Racing Commission from shutting down live thoroughbred racing and simulcast racing at the North Randall facility today, which the commission had voted, 5-0, to do at its Tuesday meeting if the payment was not made.

“In light of the way the OSRC responded to our request, it was important not to see Thistledown closed,” said Magna attorney Gregg Scoggins, who attended Tuesday’s OSRC meeting in Columbus. “We were disappointed they didn’t grant our request, but thankfully we were able to achieve making the payment.

Stockton notes - Fans who backed the logical contenders cashed plenty of tickets on opening day of the San Joaquin Fair, as the Northern California Fair Season officially opened on Thursday afternoon.

The most impressive performance of the day came in the second race, as Babes Zell dominated a field of Arabian maidens, romping home to win by 16 lengths under jockey Chris Russell, who scored his second win of the afternoon in the eighth race aboard Keon, the highest-priced winner of the program at $23.60. Jockey Michael Martinez also scored a double, as he piloted Excessive Yodeler ($5.80), a good-looking firster to victory in the sixth, and Lady Amanda ($7.80), who won the 10th.

With the exception of the eighth race, form held up very well as the mules, arabians and thoroughbreds returned to a dirt racing surface.

The father-son combo of William J. Morey, Jr. (dad) and William E. Morey, completed a rare double and exacta combination in the third and fourth races. See Eye To Eye ($7.00), trained by the younger Morey, was a very game winner of the third race, battling back to defeat Ex Angel, who had taken the lead at the top of the stretch.

In the very next race, Morey Jr. sent out first-time starter Midnite in Kona ($9.20) to victory, while his son’s horse, Minister Meeting finished second. The $1 Morey exacta returned $16.90, while the Morey $2 daily double on races three and four paid $24.20.