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Kentucky Trainers Eligible for New Workers’ Comp Policy

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Kentucky Trainers Eligible for New Workers’ Comp Policy


Hundreds of Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association-member trainers are now eligible to sign up for a workers’ compensation policy that covers their stable employees at a possible substantial savings, according to the horsemen’s organization.

In an Oct. 9 release, the Kentucky HBPA said members are now eligible for an existing, partial self-funded workers’ compensation program created and managed by horsemen. The insurance eligibility and procedures will be under HBPA Insurance Workers’ Compensation. The partial self-funded program is administered by Gallagher Risk Management and insured by Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Company, which is an A+ superior-rated insurer by A.M. Best.

Signups already have begun. Trainers can find out more about eligibility requirements and get an application by emailing or stopping in the Kentucky HBPA office and visiting with Yeruza Rodriguez (yrodriguez@lahbpa.org). Trainers can email Brandon Hamilton at brandon_hamilton@ajg.com or Cindy Leigh at cleigh@lahbpa.org to secure an application.  

Jordan Blair has been waiting for such a breakthrough workers’ comp program for Kentucky trainers for years. To illustrate the savings, Blair said he would have saved approximately 30% annually with the HBPA Insurance Workers’ Compensation program compared with his previous policy.

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“I couldn’t be happier. It really is fair,” said Blair, a first-term Kentucky HBPA board member. “It’s a great deal for Kentucky horsemen. It’s hard to make money training horses. The only way I make money is by winning races. I don’t make money on my day rate. Workers’ comp is one of the biggest expenses a trainer has. This savings is going to trickle down. That’s not money staying in the bank. The benefits are going to be passed on to everyone involved.”

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How it works

According to the Kentucky HBPA, by being partially self-funded and a not-for-profit, HBPA Insurance avoids advertising, commissions, some taxes, and other costs that are part of for-profit insurance companies. The program uses a per-start format that reduces the need for trainers to undergo cumbersome workers’ comp payroll analysis. 

To be eligible, a Kentucky-based trainer will have to make at least 60 starts in a year among affiliate states that already have the program in place (currently Kentucky, Louisiana, and Florida). Any new HBPA affiliate added to the program automatically will be included.

Trainers signing up for the workers’ comp program must be a card-signed member of the Kentucky HBPA.

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The nonrefundable minimum policy is $1,500. That covers a trainer’s initial starts, with the per-start fee kicking in after that initial deposit is exhausted. The per-start fee is a tiered system, starting at $110 per runner. The fee increases for those who have had workers’ comp claims. Like any workers’ comp insurance, a policyholder can be dropped, or not accepted in the first place, if they have too many claims.

HBPA Insurance will have field agents to work with horsemen to process workers’ comp claims in a timely fashion, as well as to make sure trainers and their staff adhere to safety practices.

“Workers’ comp is among the crushing costs for horsemen,” said Kentucky HBPA president Dale Romans. “This is a way to help all trainers by taking that rate down. This has been something our horsemen have wanted and needed for a long time. This is truly horsemen helping horsemen.”

This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.





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Virginia woman arrested 30 years after newborn was found in a Kentucky landfill

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Virginia woman arrested 30 years after newborn was found in a Kentucky landfill


More than three decades after a newborn’s remains were discovered in a Kentucky landfill, investigators say advances in forensic science have finally led to an arrest.

Jennifer Cummins of Fairfax County, Virginia, was taken into custody on January 6 in connection with the death of an infant known for decades only as “Baby Jane Doe,” Kentucky State Police announced this week.

The case dates to 1991, when a sanitation worker discovered the remains of a baby girl at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University.

Despite early investigative efforts, authorities were unable to identify the baby or determine who was responsible, and the case eventually went cold.

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Kentucky State Police detectives recently reopened the investigation using modern forensic tools and updated investigative techniques. With assistance from the State Medical Examiner, it was determined that the infant was born alive and healthy before being placed in a dumpster on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University.

An arrest has been made in the death of a baby whose remains were found in 1991 by a sanitation worker at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University

An arrest has been made in the death of a baby whose remains were found in 1991 by a sanitation worker at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University (Google Maps)

The new information ultimately identified Cummins as a person of interest. In late 2025, the case was presented to a Madison County grand jury, which returned an indictment charging Cummins with murder.

“Even after decades of time that has passed, with the collaboration of new technologies, advancements, and persistence, we’ve been able to discover new leads in this case,” said Kentucky State Police Trooper Justin Kearney. “That’s why it’s so important for people to know these cases never go cold to us.”

Authorities have not released details about Cummins’ relationship to the child or the specific circumstances surrounding the infant’s death.

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Kentucky State Police say the investigation remains active, and that investigators say they are still seeking the public’s help to resolve some unanswered questions.

Cummins is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center while awaiting extradition to Kentucky.



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Kentucky Transfer WR Hardley Gilmore IV Commits to Louisville

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Kentucky Transfer WR Hardley Gilmore IV Commits to Louisville


LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Montavin Quisenberry isn’t the only former Kentucky wide receiver to switch out blue for red this offseason.

Hardley Gilmore IV announced Thursday that he has committed to the Louisville football program.

He’s the fifth Wildcat to transfer to the Cardinals in this cycle, following Quisenberry, who committed earlier in the day, cornerback D.J. Waller plus defensive ends Jerod Smith II and Jacob Smith.

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Gilmore is also the 11th portal pickup for UofL in the last three days, and their 15th transfer commitment overall in this cycle, beginning to offset 23 portal defections that UofL has seen so far. The 14-day transfer window officially opened up this past Friday, and is the only opportunity for players to enter following the removal of the spring window.

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Despite Kentucky’s instability at quarterback this past season, Gilmore put together a productive 2025 campaign. Playing in all 12 games while starting five, the 6-foot-1, 165-pound receiver caught 28 passes for 313 yards and a touchdown. His reception and yardage total was second on the team to Kendrick Law.

The Belle Glade, Fla. native got immediate playing time as a true freshman in 2024. Appearing in seven games, Gilmore was able to haul in six passes for 153 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown vs. Murray State.

While Gilmore has shown high end potential on the field, he comes with some off-the-field baggage from last offseason. Last January after opting to transfer to Nebraska following his true freshman season, he was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching someone in the face at a storage facility in Lexington. Then this past April, he was dismissed from the Huskers for unknown reasons, and wound up returning to Kentucky.

“Nothing outside the program, nothing criminal or anything like that,” Huskers head coach Matt Rhule said at the time regarding Gilmore’s dismissal. “Just won’t be with us anymore.”

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Gilmore and Quisenberry are the first of likely multiple transfer pieces that Louisville will add to their wide receiver room. Between graduation and the portal, the Cardinals are losing six receivers – including Chris Bell & Caullin Lacy.

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In their third season under head coach Jeff Brohm, Louisville went 9-4 overall, including a 4-4 mark in ACC play and a 27-22 win over Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl. The Cardinals have won at least nine games in all three seasons under Brohm, doing so for the first time since 2012-14.

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(Photo of Hardley Gilmore IV: Jordan Prather – Imagn Images)

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You can follow Louisville Cardinals On SI for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram:

Facebook – @LouisvilleOnSI
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You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter/X and @mattmcgavic.bsky.social on Bluesky





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Spotted lanternfly confirmed in 8 new Kentucky counties. About invasive insect

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Spotted lanternfly confirmed in 8 new Kentucky counties. About invasive insect


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  • The invasive spotted lanternfly has been confirmed in eight new Kentucky counties in 2025, bringing the total to 16.
  • Native to China, these insects pose a significant threat to agriculture, including orchards, vineyards, and various trees.
  • Spotted lanternflies damage plants by feeding on them and leaving behind a waste product that encourages mold growth.
  • Officials advise residents to inspect their property for the bugs and their egg masses, especially around dusk.
  • Sightings in Kentucky should be reported to the Department of Forestry or the University of Kentucky.

Entomologists have confirmed spotted lanternflies in eight more counties in Kentucky during 2025, according to a recent announcement.

These include Fayette, Franklin, Harrison, Pendleton, Robertson, Scott, Trimble and Woodford. The invasive insect was first found in the commonwealth in October 2023, in Gallatin County, and spread to counties including Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Grant, Henry, Kenton and Owen in 2024.

Here’s what to know.

What is a spotted lanternfly?

In short, the spotted lanternfly is a moth-like bug that’s not supposed to be in the U.S. The bugs tend to be red with black and/or white spots on their wings, according to the Department of Agriculture.

They’re native to China and first showed up in the U.S. in 2014. They’ve mostly been found in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the USDA reports, but they’ve also been found in Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia.

One of the things that makes them so risky as an invasive species is that the eggs are thought to travel well, on everything from packages being shipped to moving boxes on U-Hauls. 

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Why are spotted lanternflies dangerous?

Spotted lanternflies can pose a major threat to the things such as orchards, vineyards and logging facilities. How? They tend to swarm and devour what they land on quickly, causing serious damage. 

Their “waste product” — known as “honeydew” — can also attract molds and other bugs that further damage plants.

They pose a threat, according to the USDA, to everything from almonds, apples and hops to maple, oak and pine trees and more.

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Is the spotted lanternfly in Kentucky?

Yes. The Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist said in a post to Facebook that the spotted lanternfly was confirmed in eight new commonwealth counties during 2025.

The species has been located in 16 counties total — Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Grant, Harrison, Henry, Kenton, Owen, Pendleton, Robertson, Scott, Trimble and Woodford.

What to do about spotted lanternflies

The biggest thing you can do, according to the USDA, to help control the spread of the spotted lanternfly is to keep an eye out for them.

It is recommended that you inspect trees, plants and other surfaces on your property for bugs. It’s best to do that around dusk, the USDA says, because that’s when bugs tend to congregate, making them easier to spot.

Signs that a plant may be infected include the plant oozing, becoming moldy or developing a fermented odor, according to the USDA. You may also see a “buildup of sticky fluid” beneath the infected plant.

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The agency also recommends you keep an eye out for egg masses on everything from plants to boxes that hold things such as holiday decorations and often sit unattended for much of the year. If you spot an egg mass, you should scrape it “into a plastic zippered bag filled with hand sanitizer, then zip the bag shut and dispose of it,” according to the USDA.

In Kentucky, you should report sightings to your Department of Forestry regional office or reach the UK at 859-257-7597 or forestry.extension@uky.edu. UK experts also ask that anyone who finds one send a picture with the location to reportapest@uky.edu.

Contributing: Mary Ramsey, The Courier Journal. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.



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