The Horsemen's Journal - Summer 2011

SUMMER FALL 1011

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volume 58/ # 2

DEPARTMENTS

MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL HBPA

INDUSTRY NEWS

HBPA NEWS

RESEARCH & MEDICATION UPDATE

MEDICATION COMMITTEE CORNER

2011 RACING SCHEDULE FOR NORTH AMERICA

AFFILIATE NEWS

HOT TOPICS IN HOT SPRINGS: THE NATIONAL HBPA 2011 WINTER CONVENTION FEATURES

INDUSTRY DEBATES RCI’S CALL TO END DRUGS & MEDICATION IN HORSE RACING WITHIN FIVE YEARS, FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO INTERVENE FILED –

THE HORSE RACING DRUG TESTING LABORATORY SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES – An examination of

HOT TOPICS IN HOT SPRINGS: THE NATIONAL HBPA 2011 WINTER CONVENTION – Informative

An examination of equine hearing and methods to ďŹ lter sound.

drug testing and the testing laboratories used in the U.S. racing industry.

speaker panels and committee meetings dominate another successful convention.

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PROPOSES SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO H-2B TEMPORARY WORKER PROGRAMS – Changes

Industry debates changes that could have far-reaching impact on horsemen.

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? –

could make H-2B program unworkable for American businesses.

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

hj IN EVERY ISSUE

NATIONAL HBPA

NATIONAL HBPA 870 Corporate Drive Suite 300 Lexington, KY 40503 P(859) 259-0451 F(859) 259-0452 racing@hbpa.org www.nationalhbpa.com

PRESIDENT/ CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Joe Santanna FIRST REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Robin Richards SECRETARY/ TREASURER Bill Walmsley CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Remi Bellocq CHAIRMAN EMERITUS Dr. Ed Hagan VICE PRESIDENT CENTRAL REGION Leroy Gessmann VICE PRESIDENT EASTERN REGION Robin Richards VICE PRESIDENT SOUTHERN REGION Rick Hiles VICE PRESIDENT WESTERN REGION Ron Maus

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MESSAGE FROM THE DEAR HORSEMEN AND HORSEWOMEN OF THE NATIONAL HBPA,

ON APRIL 18, THE NATIONAL HBPA ISSUED A PRESS RELEASE IN RESPONSE TO THE RCI ANNOUNCEMENT TO ELIMINATE RACE DAY MEDICATION WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. BY NOW YOU KNOW THAT WE OPPOSED THE RCI’S POSITION FOR REASONS STATED IN THAT RELEASE. YOU ALSO KNOW THAT MANY OTHER RACING ORGANIZATIONS SPOKE IN FAVOR OF THE RCI INITIATIVE. The purpose of this letter is to serve as the first horse racing industry media publication to report that, under the current industry medication standards, horses are not overmedicated, nor are trainers “cheaters.”

The medication standards to which we refer have been scientifically developed by research conducted by those professionally trained to set threshold levels and withdrawal times to protect the integrity of our sport and the welfare of our equine athletes. These standards become codified into model rules that are subsequently adopted by state horse racing regulatory bodies.

In recent times, that process has resulted in the elimination of anabolic steroids and a significant reduction in the use of Bute.

Decisions regarding medication should continue to be subject to research and development by scientific and equine medical professionals.

What completely amazes us is that the press release was distributed to all horse racing media interests, and NONE OF THEM REPORTED to the public the following information: • Over 100,000 horses in competition are tested each year; 25% of all participants • 99.5% of these horses tested negative for medication violations • Approximately 6,000 individuals are licensed as trainers • 98% of all trainers had no Class 1, 2, or 3 medication violations • 99.5% of all trainers had no Class 1 or 2 violations We would argue that the above statistics set a standard that is equal to or probably exceeds the testing for drug use in any other professional sport. We would assert that the above information suggests that there is not widespread use of performanceenhancing drugs. We contend that there are uniform testing criteria and regulations.

So why is there a “perception” that horses are overmedicated and trainers are cheaters? Because we as an industry do not publish the above information! It is available. Many key industry organizations publish annual reports that contain other pertinent facts affecting the industry. Why isn’t this information included?

Why didn’t the racing industry media outlets publish this information? We honestly do not know the answer; maybe the data is just not sensational enough for their publications.

So we present it to you with a simple request – pass the word.

Tell anyone you see after you read this. Ask them to spread the word. We do not believe that public perception is impossible to change. No one knows the best-kept secret of our industry – our current levels of compliance are exemplary.

And to make matters worse, Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) introduced the “Interstate Horseracing Improvement Act of 2011” the week prior to the Kentucky Derby. This bill is expected to be introduced in the House by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY). The bill aims at going after the use of performance enhancing drugs in racing.

Unfortunately, in their zeal to get the bad guys, the bill’s authors have forgotten that 98.8 percent of horsemen are good guys who could very easily be swept up by the bill’s rather vague provisions.

The National HBPA wholeheartedly stands behind the NTRA’s position regarding the bill and its current efforts at

organizing an international summit to look at an inclusive approach at creating rules that can address the use of race-day medication in a sensible way. Said the NTRA: “We strongly disagree with the overall characterization of our sport by the authors of the Interstate Horseracing Improvement Act. Horseracing continues to outpace other sports in its drug and medication policies. The winner of every race is subject to drug testing at every track, every day in the United States. Non-winning horses are also subject to random drug testing. The fact is that less than one half of one percent of the more than 100,000 tests resulted in a positive for illegal drugs or overages of therapeutic medications in 2010. Our industry is committed to catching and punishing cheaters.”

It is with great sadness that we must report to you the death of our dear friend Bryant McAfee, who passed away on May 2. Bryant left behind an extensive following of friends and admirers whose lives he touched and changed.

In addition to being the longest serving executive of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of British Columbia (since 1978), McAfee was presented with numerous industry awards, including his induction into the British Columbia Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame in 2008, among many others.

He also was recognized internationally for his tireless work in counseling individuals with alcohol and drug problems within the horse racing industry.

His substance abuse program at Hastings Racecourse evolved into the North America-wide Winners Foundation. Its success led to McAfee being the first-ever recipient of the Industry Service Award from the National HBPA in 2005.

Bryant attended King Edward High School, where he excelled academically and as an athlete in basketball, baseball and football. He also made lifelong friends there as 60 years later he was still getting together with his former teammates for lunch.

Accounting school and a degree followed. After graduation, he established a career and was designated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC as a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) in 1995.

Retiring last December, Bryant always maintained that his most satisfying experience had been helping to foster a positive level of communication between horsemen and track management.

Bryant is survived by Ethel, his wife of 55 years, as well as three children, Bob, Lynn, and Susan, and two grandchildren, Scott and Madeline.

Finally, we very much look forward to meeting with all our affiliate representatives this coming July 21 -24 in Seattle, Washington for our summer convention. If you haven’t made travel plans as yet, please contact the National HBPA offices soon as rooms are going fast.

SINCERELY, Joe Santanna President and Chairman Remi Bellocq CEO

CONTRIBUTORS Kimberly French Craig McDougal Melissa Sykes Will Velie

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sponsors AFFILIATES Board of Directors - Affiliates Dr. David Harrington, Alabama Gary Miller, Arizona Bill Walmsley, Arkansas Jim McFadyen, Canada Ken Lowe, Charles Town Mark McGregor, Colorado Dave Brown, Finger Lakes Sam Gordon, Florida Mark Buckley, Idaho John Wainwright, Illinois Randy Klopp, Indiana Leroy Gessmann, Iowa Rick Hiles, Kentucky Stanley Seelig, Louisiana Bobbie Barron, Michigan Tom Metzen, Minnesota R.C. Forster, Montana Rembrandt Wright, Mountaineer Park Jerry Fudge, Nebraska Al Balestra, New England Gary Clements, New Mexico Mark Doering, Ohio Donnie K. Von Hemel, Oklahoma Sue Leslie, Ontario Jim Fergason, Oregon Stephanie Beattie, Pennsylvania Robert Jeffries, Tampa Bay Downs Dr. Tommy Hays, Texas Horsemen’s Partnership LLP Robin Richards, Virginia Ron Maus, Washington The views expressed on these pages are those of the authors, and they may or may not reflect the positions and/or beliefs of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, its officers, or Board of Directors.

The Horsemen’s Journal, Volume 58, #2 Postal Information: The Horsemen’s Journal (ISSN 0018-5256) is published quarterly by the National Horsemen’s Administration Corporation, with publishing offices at 8609 Glen Canyon Drive, Round Rock, Texas 78681-3455. Copyright 2011 all rights reserved.

The Horsemen’s Journal is the official publication for members of the Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, a representative association of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse owners and trainers. HBPA is a non-profit 501(c)6 Kentucky corporation. Members receive The Horsemen’s Journal as a benefit of membership paid by the national office from affiliate dues. Annual non-member subscriptions are $14. Single-copy back issues, if available, are $7. Canadian subscribers add $6. All other

PHOTOGRAPHERS Coady Photography Richard E. Glover, Jr. Horsephotos.com Hot Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau Barbara Livingston Jim McVicker Laura Plato Z

STAFF Richard E. Glover, Jr. Editor 512-246-9100 E-mail: hj@hbpa.org Jennifer Vanier Allen Advertising Director 512-225-4483 509-272-1640 fax E-mail: advertising@hbpa.org Limb Design www.limbdesign.com Graphic Design THE HORSEMEN’S JOURNAL P.O. Box 2384 Round Rock, Texas 78680-2384 Phone: 512-246-9100 Fax: 512-246-0131 E-mail: hj@hbpa.org HBPA Website: www.nationalhbpa.com Cover Photo:

by Barbara Livingston

subscriptions outside the U.S. add $20 payable in U. S. funds. To order reprints or subscriptions, call (866) 245-1711.

The HBPA National Board of Directors has determined that the publication of this periodical is necessary in the transaction of the public business required of the association. Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and/or advertisers and do not necessarily represent the opinion or policy of the publisher or HBPA board or staff. Query the editor prior to sending any manuscripts.

Periodicals Postage Paid at Round Rock, Texas and additional mailing offices.

CANADA POST: Publications mail agreement no. 41530527. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P. O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Horsemen’s Journal, P. O. Box 911170, Lexington, KY 40591-1170.

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NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS

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LEGISLATION TO CHANGE INTERSTATE HORSERACING ACT TO ALLOW FEDERAL REGULATION OF HORSE RACING INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS

On May 4, Sen. Tom Udall (D-New Mexico) introduced the Interstate Horseracing Improvement Act of 2011 in the U.S. Senate, “to end the use of performance-enhancing drugs in the sport of horse racing.” The legislation will be introduced in the House by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Kentucky), where it is co-sponsored by Joe Pitts (R-Pennsylvania), Ben Chandler (D-Kentucky) and Jan Schakowsky Sen. Tom Udall (D-Illinois).

The bi-partisan legislation called current industry rules regarding horse racing medication too permissive.

“This weekend, the very best of horse racing will be on display at the Kentucky Derby [presented by Yum! Brands (G1)]. Yet, for too long, the safety of jockeys and equine athletes has been neglected for the pursuit of racing profits,” Whitfield said. “The doping of injured horses and forcing them to compete is deplorable and must be stopped. Despite repeated promises from the racing industry to end this practice, meaningful action and oversight has yet to come forth. This legislation will bring much-needed reforms to an industry that supports thousands of jobs and is enjoyed by spectators nationwide.”

The legislation would amend the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, which opened the doors for simulcast and advance-deposit wagering. The bill would require racetracks to ban “performance-enhancing drugs and test the winning horse plus one additional horse from each race,” or risk losing their ability to export and import simulcast signals. The bill also would require stiff penalties for violations.

According to a report by Thoroughbred Times, “More study will be needed to determine how the introduced legislation would differ from current rules handled by state regulators. Jay Hickey, president of the American Horse Council, said the industry will have to keep close track of the legislation.”

Hickey told the Thoroughbred Times, “Once you open a piece of federal legislation, there is always the risk of not knowing what will be added to it.

The concern with Congress is that too often they write legislation with a meat cleaver rather than a scalpel.”

“I always prefer that the industry address these issues rather than the federal government,” Hickey added, noting that the industry has made a lot of progress in recent years and seems committed to further steps.

Senator Udall disagreed, saying, “Chemical warfare is rampant on American racetracks, and unlike other countries, our law does not reject this unscrupulous practice. A racehorse has no choice when it comes to using performance-enhancing drugs, but this legislation takes away that option from those who would subject these magnificent animals to such abuse for gambling profit. Those involved in horse racing will have to play by the rules or face getting kicked out of the sport.”

Following the introduction of the legislation, Alex Waldrop, president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), issued the following statement: “We strongly disagree with the overall characterization of our sport by the authors of the Interstate Horseracing Improvement Act. Horseracing continues to outpace other sports in its drug and medication policies. The winner of every race is subject to drug testing at every track, every day in the United States.

Non-winning horses are also subject to random drug testing. The fact is that less than one half of one percent of the more than 100,000 tests resulted in a positive for illegal drugs or overages of therapeutic medications in 2010. Our industry is committed to catching and punishing cheaters.

“The horse industry, together with capable and committed state regulatory authorities, equine veterinarians and others, is now engaged in a far reaching dialogue over legal, therapeutic, race-day medications. Preserving the welfare of our athletes and the integrity of our competition will always be our foremost goals.”

THOROUGHBRED RACING ECONOMIC INDICATORS FOR APRIL 2011 On May 4, Equibase Company released the “Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators for April 2011. As compared to April of 2010, wagering was down 7.47 percent and race days were down 7.62 percent, but purses were up

3.40 percent. In comparing the first four months of 2011 to the same period in 2010, wagering is down 8.22 percent, race days are down 3.51 percent, and purses are up 4.75 percent.

APRIL 2011 VS. APRIL 2010 Indicator Wagering on U.S. Races* U.S. Purses U.S. Race Days

April 2011 $927,312,062 $84,889,723 400

Indicator Wagering on U.S. Races* U.S. Purses U.S. Race Days

YTD 2011 $3,476,317,551 $289,559,755 1,429

April 2010 $1,002,210,557 $82,099,126 433

% Change -7.47% +3.40% -7.62%

YTD 2010 $3,787,563,372 $276,430,382 1,481

% Change -8.22% +4.75% -3.51%

YTD 2011 VS. YTD 2010

*Includes worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races.

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS

1099 REPORTING REQUIREMENT REPEALED

The American Horse Council (AHC) reported that on April 5 the Senate passed a repeal of the onerous new 1099 reporting requirement that was scheduled to kick-in in 2012. The House approved the same 1099 repeal bill (H.R 4), introduced by Congressman Lungren (R-CA), earlier this year. The President signed the bill into law on April 14.

“We are glad Congress took action to head off what would have been a large increase in tax-related paper-work for horse businesses in 2012,” said AHC President Jay Hickey.

The new 1099 paperwork mandate was a provision of the health care bill passed last year that would have imposed burdensome new tax reporting requirements on every business in the U.S., including those in the horse industry, beginning in 2012. Current law requires 1099s to be sent to any

independent contractor that receives $600 or more from a business in a year.

The new provision would have required 1099s be sent not only to independent contractors but also to any individual or corporation from whom a business purchased a total of $600 or more in goods or services in the year.

The bill repeals only the new broader reporting requirements. Businesses will still have to send 1099s to independent contractors as current law requires.

“Repeal of the new 1099 requirement has had Presidential and bipartisan Congressional support once its full impact on businesses was realized,” said Hickey “However, during the last Congress, disagreement over details got in the way of repeal. We are happy Congress prioritized getting this done before businesses were impacted in 2012.”

- courtesy American Horse Council

2011 ONLINE FACT BOOK AND STATE FACT BOOKS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE JOCKEY CLUB’S WEBSITE The Jockey Club has published the 2011 editions of the Online Fact Book and state fact books within the Publications & Resources section of its website at www. jockeyclub.com.

The Online Fact Book is a statistical and informational guide to Thoroughbred breeding, racing and auction sales in North America and includes some state and provincial analysis. The state fact books provide detailed breeding, racing and auction sales information specific to each of 34 states and Canadian provinces.

“We produce the Online Fact Book as a service to the industry and as a way to benchmark trends in the Thoroughbred industry, both domestically and internationally,” said James L. Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club. “In a similar vein, the state fact books provide valuable insight into trends at the state and province level that can be used to assist state and provincial Thoroughbred industries with education and lobbying efforts.”

The Online Fact Book and state fact books are updated monthly.

AHC’S 2011 HORSE OWNERS AND BREEDERS TAX HANDBOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE

Richard E. Glover, Jr.

The American Horse Council’s new, up-to-date 2011 Horse Owners and Breeders Tax Handbook is now available. Topics covered in the Handbook include: business versus hobby-including summaries of important court decisions; passive loss rules; forms of doing business; record keeping and accounting rules; sales, exchanges and involuntary conversions; depreciation; and much more.

This two-volume edition has everything you need to know pertaining to tax laws for your equine business. Volume-One explains the Internal Revenue Code as it relates to a horse business, and Volume-Two includes court cases involving horse owners and breeders that have had dealings with the IRS, both favorable and unfavorable. The cost for the two-volume printed edition of the Tax Handbook is $95 plus shipping and handling.

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For the first time ever, the Handbook will be available as a CD. The cost for the CD edition of the Tax Handbook is $75 plus shipping and handling.

The CD has a search function to lead you directly to the subject for which you are looking. The CD is also being offered as a special package deal with the books for only $135 plus shipping and handling.

Written by Thomas A. “Tad” Davis of Davis & Harman in Washington, DC, this is the most current and informative source on equine tax laws on the market. Mr. Davis has represented private clients for years in this area and has worked as the tax counsel for the American Horse Council for 40 years.

You can order online http://horsecouncil.org/publications.php or call the AHC to get your copies at (202) 296-4031.

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NEWS

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HBPA NEWS

2011 CLAIMING CROWN NOMINATION

SCHEDULE AND FORMS NOW AVAILABLE ON REDESIGNED CLAIMINGCROWN.COM The nomination schedule and forms for the 2011 running of the $500,000 Claiming Crown are now available on the newly redesigned ClaimingCrown.com website (www. claimingcrown.com), and nominations are now being accepted by Claiming Crown, Ltd. The 13th renewal of the Claiming Crown will be held on December 3, 2011 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans.

The 2011 Claiming Crown will consist of six stakes races with starter allowance conditions for horses that have started for a claiming price since January 1, 2010 in a race restricted to Thoroughbreds at a recognized North American racetrack. Each race is associated with a specific claiming level, and to be eligible for that event, a horse must have started at the associated claiming level or lower at least once since January 1, 2010.

The 2011 Claiming Crown races will be (associated claiming level in parenthesis): % $50,000 Iron Horse: for three-year-olds and up going 8.5 furlongs on dirt ($7,500) % $50,000 Express: for three-year-olds and up going 6.0 furlongs on dirt ($7,500) % $75,000 Glass Slipper: for three-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, going 6.0 furlongs on the dirt ($16,000)

NATIONAL HBPA 2011

SUMMER CONVENTION SET FOR JULY 21-24 IN SEATTLE

The National HBPA will hold its 2011 summer convention at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel in downtown Seattle, Washington from July 21-24. The convention will be hosted by the Washington HBPA. Registration for the convention is $350.00 for members and $175.00 for spouses/significant others through July 5. After July 5, registration for members increases to $375.00. Cancellations will be accepted with no charge until June 22. Cancellations will be accepted from June 23 through July 5 with a $50.00 fee, and there will be no refunds for cancellations after July 5, 2011.

Room rates at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel are as follows: Single $189.00, Double - $205.00, Triple - $221.00, or Quad - $237.00, plus 15.6 percent tax per night. Each reservation includes breakfast in the full service restaurant each day, per person, including gratuity.

Details: Room guarantee, one night deposit is required; Early check-out will incur a $75.00 charge; To cancel a reservation, please do so three days in advance to avoid any charges and to get your deposit back. You should receive the above quoted rates three days before and after schedule convention dates; if not, please contact National HBPA.

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% $75,000 Rapid Transit: for three-year-olds and up going 6.0 furlongs on the dirt ($16,000) % $100,000 Emerald: for three-year-olds and up going 8.5 furlongs on the turf ($25,000) % $150,000 Jewel: for three-year-olds and up going 9.0 furlongs on the dirt ($35,000) Regular ($100) and open ($250) nominations for the 2011 Claiming Crown close on Friday, August 26, while $500 nominations close on Friday, October 21.

Also on October 21, nominators must identify the horse(s) they made eligible through any open nominations. Supplemental nominations (five percent of the race’s purse) will be accepted through Friday, November 18.

Patterned after the Breeders’ Cup, Claiming Crown was designed to reward Thoroughbred racing’s “blue-collar” horses and offer races at varying distances on both dirt and turf. This will mark the first time Fair Grounds has hosted the event, which debuted at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota in 1999. Canterbury has hosted 10 of the first 12 renewals of the event. The Claiming Crown was held at Philadelphia Park (now Parx Racing) in Bensalem, Pennsylvania in 2002 and at Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky in 2007.

The Claiming Crown is a partnership between the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

For more information, visit www.claimingcrown.com or contact Jason Boulet, Racing Secretary, Fair Grounds Race Course at (504) 948-1246 or Jason.Boulet@fgno.com.

Be sure to mention the “National HBPA” to secure the group rate. All attendees are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. Room rates and availability cannot be guaranteed if you do not make timely reservations.

To make reservations, contact: Renaissance Seattle Hotel, 515 Madison Street, Seattle, WA 98104, Phone: 1-800-546-9184, Web: https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_gi_new&groupID=3446662.

If you would like to book multiple rooms under one credit card, please contact Randy McKinnon at mckinnon@renaissanceseattle.com or call his direct line at (206) 694-4950.

When making flight arrangements, the closest airport is Seattle/Tacoma (Sea-Tac) Airport, which has an airport code of SEA. Because the host hotel is in downtown Seattle, parking is at a premium.

On-site parking in the hotel parking garage is $30 per day, and valet parking is $36.00 per day. The garage has a height restrictions of 6’2”, and oversized vehicles are valet parked off-site for $36.00 daily.

Seattle does have an inexpensive light rail system, and with the airport about 35 minutes from downtown, it is the cheapest way to get from one to the other. However, note that the Light Rail Downtown stop is around five uphill blocks to the hotel.

For further information, registration forms, or a credit card authorization form, please visit the National HBPA website at www.nationalhbpa.com or call 1-866-245-1711.

Nominate your horse now for the $500,000 Claiming Crown.

)URP &ODLP 7R )DPH Nominate your horse for the ultimate claiming championship – the Claiming Crown. This year’s event features 6 stakes races with starter allowance conditions and a total of $500,000

in guaranteed purses. Call us or visit our website today to find out how the Claiming Crown can transform your Thoroughbred from a commoner into racing royalty.

Horse must have started ONCE at the claiming level o r l e s s s i n c e J a n u a r y 1, 2 0 1 0 t o b e e l i g i b l e .

Regular nominations close Friday, August 26

Claiming Crown Race

Claiming Age Level Sex

Distance

$ 50,000 Iron Horse

$ 7,500 3&up

1 1/16 miles

$ 50,000 Express

$ 7,500 3&up

6 furlongs

Nomination Deadlines Regular:

By Friday, August 26– $100

By Friday, October 21 – $500 Open:

By Friday, August 26 – $250 Horses to be named by October 21 FINAL DEADLINE Supplemental Nomination 5% of purse (closes on Friday, November 18)

$ 75,000 Glass Slipper $16,000 3&up f/m 6 furlongs $ 75,000 Rapid Transit $16,000 3&up

6 furlongs

$100,000 Emerald

$25,000 3&up

1 1/16 miles (turf)

$150,000 Jewel

$35,000 3&up

1 1/8 miles

December 3, 2011 - Fair Grounds New Orleans, Louisiana

Pre-Entry: Monday, November 21 Entry Day: Wednesday, November 30

For qualification criteria and nomination deadlines, call Jason Boulet at (504) 944-5515 or the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) at (888) 606-8622. Visit our website at claimingcrown.com or e-mail claimingcrown@toba.org.

The Claiming Crown is a partnership between the National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association & Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

TECHNOLOGY

hj

+ RESEARCH MEDICATION UPDATE RMTC JOINS NTRA AND AAEP IN ORGANIZING UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT TO ADDRESS RACE-DAY MEDICATION

On April 20, the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) board of directors announced that it will join the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) in organizing an international summit on June 13-14 in New York City to address race-day medication. The announcement came following a day-long meeting of the RMTC on April 19 in Dallas, Texas.

“With our scientific research and our Drug Testing Initiative, we have the infrastructure to help the industry administer, in a uniform and effective manner, any medication program it chooses to pursue,” said Dr. Rick Arthur, RMTC officer and equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board.

“The NTRA welcomes the opportunity to bring together a broad range of international industry views on race-day medication,” said Alex Waldrop, president and CEO of the NTRA. “Our goal is to ensure that all stakeholders are included in the dialogue so that the ultimate conclusions are based on an objective evaluation of the facts.”

AAEP Executive Director David Foley also responded to RMTC’s call for action, saying, “The AAEP is pleased to co-sponsor this meeting and stands ready to assist the industry in any way that we can. Our chief concern is for the health and welfare of the horse, and ensuring the integrity and vitality of the sport.”

In other action, the RMTC directors confirmed that Dr. Scot Waterman has resigned his position as executive director of RMTC, effective April 29. The board acknowledged the many accomplishments of Waterman, who has served as executive director of RMTC for 10 years.

“The RMTC is one of the industry’s best examples of cooperation and collaboration, and Scot deserves credit for much of the progress that was made on various medication and drug testing initiatives over the past decade,” said RMTC Chairman Dr. Robert Lewis. “We are very grateful to him for his dedication, his integrity and his hard work, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

A search committee has been appointed to identify a replacement for Waterman. In the interim, the RMTC has retained Dr. Gregg Scoggins as a project manager to oversee its Drug Testing Initiative (DTI) and therapeutic medication administration and threshold level research. Dr. Scoggins received his DVM and law

degrees from the University of Illinois in 1990 and 1991, respectively.

For nearly 20 years Dr. Scoggins has represented numerous participants in both the veterinary profession and the horse racing industry. He is no stranger to the projects that he will be managing, having previously served on the RMTC board as a representative for Magna Entertainment Corporation.

“We felt it was important to have an individual dedicated to overseeing these two initiatives, and Greg fits the bill,” said Lewis. “He will be a valuable resource as he understands science and industry dynamics, and served an extensive period on the RMTC board.”

Business will continue as usual in the RMTC office located in Lexington, Kentucky, and all inquiries regarding the ongoing work of the RMTC can be addressed to either Director of Communications Hallie Lewis or Executive Assistant for Administration Rebecca Hills.

“Make no mistake about it, RMTC will continue to move forward with our efforts to “strengthen the integrity of racing,” said Lewis. “We have good momentum in our projects and do not intend to let anything slow us down.”

In other RMTC business: • Research updates were provided on ongoing RMTC administration studies on a wide array of therapeutic medications, with many nearing completion.

• A revised penalty structure was approved for the two mg/ ml threshold limit for phenylbutazone and will be sent to the Association of Racing Commissioners International for their review.

• Mike Ziegler, executive director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance, was unanimously appointed as the racing industry representative on the Horse Testing Laboratory Committee (HTLC).

• Mike Tanner, president of the United States Trotting Association, was elected as RMTC Treasurer.

FOALS’ UMBILICAL CORDS CAN BE BANKED FOR FUTURE STEM-CELL TREATMENTS Horse owners now have the opportunity to collect umbilical cord tissue immediately after a foal is born and save it as a future source of therapeutic stem cells through the Regenerative Medicine Laboratory at UC Davis’ School of Veterinary Medicine.

The laboratory provides kits that enable the horse’s owner or veterinarian to easily collect the umbilical cord tissue and send it

to the UC Davis laboratory, where it will be minimally processed.

One dose of stem cells will be sent back to the horse owner’s veterinarian, and another sample will be frozen and stored for as long as four years.

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM TTIONALHBPA.COM

If the horse should later need stem cell therapy to treat an injury or the effects of disease, the tissue sample can be retrieved from the frozen archive and treated to encourage growth of the stem cells. Within just two weeks, sufficient cells would be available for a treatment. The method is modeled after procedures currently used in human medicine to collect and bank babies’ cord blood for potential use in cell-based therapies.

“The advantage is that, unlike collecting stem cells derived from bone marrow or fat, umbilical cord banking doesn’t require the horse to undergo a traumatic or invasive procedure,” said Sean Owens, medical director of the

Regenerative Medicine Laboratory.

He also noted that each cord tissue sample could be expanded as needed, such as at the beginning of rigorous training, so that cell doses could be ready for injection within a few days of an injury.

The cost for the collection kit and four years of storage is $1,625.

More information or cord-tissue collection kits may be obtained from the Regenerative Medicine Laboratory at (530) 754-0400 or regenlab@ ucdavis.edu.

N LAUNCHES NEW PROJECTS

TIO GRAYSON-JOCKEY CLUB RESEARCH FOUNDA

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation (GJCRF) has announced that a slate of 17 research projects will be funded during 2011. The slate includes nine projects to be launched this year and eight which will be in their second year of funding, with a total allocation of $841,023.

The foundation is the leading source of private funding for veterinary research specifically for the horse, and the 2011 funding brings its totals since 1983 to $18.1 million to fund 279 projects at 40 universities.

Among new projects to be launched this year with Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation funding is work addressing piroplasmosis, a blood parasite disease that was widely believed not to exist in North America before an outbreak appeared in the U.S. in 2010. Dr. Robert Mealey of Washington State University is beginning a twoyear project aimed at identifying the immune responses necessary to protect horses against piroplasmosis.

Among additional subjects addressed by the new projects are avoidance of supporting-limb laminitis and early detection of laryngeal neuropathy (roaring).

The fifth annual ElastikonTM Research Award is being presented as part of the foundation’s funding to Dr. Laurie Goodrich of Colorado State University.

The ElastikonTM Award is supported in part by a donation to GJCRF from Johnson & Johnson’s Consumer Products Division, manufacturer of ElastikonTM tape and other equine products.

Dr. Goodrich’s project will address osteoarthritis, a malady common to horses. She will use gene therapy to attempt to produce beneficial protein that will allow cartilage to heal.

In addition to the grants, the foundation is presenting the Storm Cat Career Development Award, created to provide an early boost to an individual

considering a career in equine research, to Kyla Ortved, a doctoral student at Cornell University who will work with Prof. Alan Nixon on gene therapy. This $15,000 award was inaugurated in 2006 and since its inception has been underwritten by Mrs. Lucy Young Hamilton, a GJCRF board member whose family stood the distinguished stallion Storm Cat at its Overbrook Farm.

“It is very gratifying that one of our earlier Storm Cat winners, Dr. Martin Vidal, is already making a mark in equine research and is being supported this year as principal investigator of a foundation-funded project at University of California-Davis,” said Edward L. Bowen, president of the foundation. “One of our directors, Dr. Hiram Polk Jr., drew on his experience as a distinguished practitioner in human medicine in suggesting we begin such an award, and Mrs. Hamilton has come through annually to help make it a reality.”

Dr. Vidal’s project seeks to identify the optimal cell type to use in tendon and ligament repair.

“The Storm Cat Award was granted to me at a critical point in my career development,” said Dr. Vidal. “The award allowed me to focus on and complete my graduate studies, provided a foundation for research collaborations, and enabled seamless transition from my graduate program into an academic position, all of which was critical for a novice researcher such as myself. Therefore, the Storm Cat Career Development Award was important for my success, and I hope this opportunity will continue to be available for others in the future.”

Details of all the 2011 projects being funded by GJCRF are available at www.grayson-jockeyclub.org.

GUIDELINES HELP FORMER RACEHORSES GO FROM TRACK TO NEW CAREERS The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has developed guidelines to help veterinarians and adoption groups successfully transition retired racehorses to new homes and new careers. “Transitioning the Retired Racehorse: Guidelines for Equine Practitioners, Adoption Organizations and Horse Owners” provides an overview of the common physical challenges affecting some former racehorses and helps establish expectations for a horse’ future capabilities.

Developed by the Transitioning Subcommittee of the AAEP Racing Committee, the guidelines grew from a need expressed by rescue and retirement organizations at the 2010 Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit. In addition to criteria for physical assessments, the guidelines include estimated cost-of-care data from CANTER, a non-profit organization that provides retiring Thoroughbred racehorses with opportunities for new careers.

HJ 57//'4

“The AAEP is pleased to assist and is proud of the many veterinarians and adoption groups who are committed to helping racehorses enjoy new careers,” said William A. Moyer, DVM, 2011 AAEP president. “The guide is intended to be a resource to enhance decision making in the best interest of the horse.”

The guidelines are available on the AAEP website at http://www.aaep.org/ images/files/TransitioningGuidelines2011.pdf.

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hj MEDICAL

National

H B PA

MEDICATION COMMITTEE CORNER VIEWPOINT: WHEN 99.9% PURE JUST ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH

By Kent H. Stirling, National HBPA Medication Committee Chairman

RECENTLY, SOME OF OUR INDUSTRY ALPHABET GROUPS SUCH AS ARCI, TOBA, KTA AND, OF COURSE, THE JOCKEY CLUB (TJC), CAME OUT IN SUPPORT OF NO RACE-DAY MEDICATION, OR MORE SIMPLY PUT, A BAN ON SALIX/LASIX. ARCI SCREAMED IT WANTED “ZERO TOLERANCE” WHICH, OF COURSE, IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCOMPLISH. THE OTHER THREE WANTED NO LASIX OR RACE-DAY MEDICATION OF ANY KIND. ARCI LATER CAME TO ITS SENSES AND BACKED AWAY FROM ITS ZERO TOLERANCE PRONOUNCEMENTS, AND INSTEAD REQUESTED THE RE-EXAMINATION OF THE CURRENT NATIONAL POLICY AS IT PERTAINS TO LASIX. By the way, these alphabet groups – except ARCI – all represent breeders, and they all moaned about their failure to be able to compete on the international bloodstock market – all because of those evil therapeutic medications.

Somehow, it appears that the health and welfare of the horse gets thrown under the bus by these individuals in favor of economic gain.

After the breeders’ press releases, then came the Udall/Whitfield bill, which was wholeheartedly endorsed in an open letter by the Hancocks of Stone Farm, the Jacksons of Lael Stable, and George Strawbridge Jr. This poorly written bill declared a “performance-enhancing drug” as a drug or medication listed on the ARCI’s listing of drugs. The penalty for the first violation was a $5,000 fine and a 180-day license suspension. There was no mention of loss of purse, although one would assume there would be.

This letter appeared on Arthur Hancock’s Stone Farm stationary and was signed by all five individuals. The letter was so factually deficient that one would think it was entirely made-up but for one supposedly shocking fact about the number of annual starts per runner in the U.S. dropping from 11.31 in 1960 to 6.11 today. This I will address later.

Maybe Mr. Hancock forgot about that little, well-documented positive that his horse had in Illinois last year for a “minute trace of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory” medication, an ARCI Class III substance. Well, under this proposed legislation, Mr. Hancock’s trainer should be looking at a $5,000 fine and a 180-day suspension, with a similar 180-day suspension from racing for his horse. As mentioned before, that is the penalty for the first violation as presented in the Udall/Whitfield bill. But not to fear – Mr. Hancock was financially able to retain a high-priced lawyer and, of course, beat the positive charge in Illinois. However, the fact remains that if you live by the sword, you shall perish by the sword, (unless you retain a very good lawyer)!

This “we should all do as I say, not as I do” mentality also exists with those wanting to ban Lasix. The chairmen and vice chairmen of both The Jockey Club and TOBA all run their horses on Lasix, although I easily found others in their races that opted to not use it.

An even bigger hypocrite can be found in the president of ARCI, who stated, “… Racehorses have a needle stuck in them four hours before a race. That just doesn’t pass the smell test with the public or anyone else except trainers who think it necessary to win a race.”

HJ 57//'4

One recent day, I found a fax on my desk with the past performances of a horse running at Mountaineer circled. The horse was bred by the ARCI president and ran in his wife’s name with a partner. Did he run on Lasix? You bet! And also on an adjunct bleeder medication! So not one needle at four hours, but TWO! That damn trainer!

It is interesting to note that these fine Congressmen striving to change horse racing are members of what is the 112th Congress. This is a body charged with discussing and solving problems. They’re success in these endeavors can be estimated by their public approval rating which, when last I looked (May), had dropped to 18 percent. This fact alone should give pause to even the most fanatical zero tolerance proponents as to this new Congressional-led course of action.

As for the low number of annual starts per runner, The Jockey Club stopped publishing a chart in their Fact Book after 2008 titled, “Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding Worldwide.” However, the last two years that it was published, I was able to determine that the U.S. runners finished third in the world in starts per runner behind Japan and either Italy or South Africa. The U. S. horses did it with those low six starts per runner figures, too.

While Japan won both those years by over one annual start per horse, the U.S. missed being second by 0.11 and 0.06 starts, respectively. Further, when I was in Japan a few years ago, I learned that Japan tests its horses for only 14 substances – not the hundreds that we do here. So I guess Japan must be one of those countries we always hear about that employ “zero tolerance” drug testing?

But what about “when 99.9 percent pure just isn’t good enough?” Other than being permitted to race on Lasix, which is proven to be efficacious in bleeders, our horses seldom test positive for anything!

If you take the number of violations for ARCI Class I, II and III substances (the most likely ones to have a “possible” effect on a horse’s performance) in 2009 and 2010, and divide those figures by the number of horses tested, 108,242 and 101,836, you will find that these runners were 99.9 percent pure, or free of ANY medication or drug.

No sport on the face of the earth can claim those numbers, and no sport on the face of the earth does testing to the picogram level with very few thresholds.

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HJ 57//'4

California

British Columbia, Canada

Jul. 13-24

Jul. 20 – Sep. 7 Oct. 5-16 Oct. 20, 2010 – Jun. 12, Aug. 19 – Dec. 18 Apr. 21 – Jul. 17, Nov. 9 – Dec. 18 Jul. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10

Del Mar Racecourse

Fresno Co. Fair @ Fresno

Golden Gate Fields

Hollywood Park

Minidoka Co. Fair @ Rupert Downs

Sep. 3

Sunflower Downs @ Princeton

Cal Expo/California State Fair @ Sacramento

Aug. 27-28

Sagebrush Downs @ Kam-Loops

Jun. 22 – Jul 10

Aug. 20-21

Kin Park @ Vernon

Alameda Co. Fair @ Pleasanton

Apr. 16 – Oct. 2

Hastings Park

Jul. 22-23

The Red Mile

The Meadowlands @ Monmouth

May 6 – Sep. 25

Harrah’s Louisiana Downs

New Jersey

Nov. 24, 2011 – Apr. 1, 2012

Fair Grounds

Oct. 1 – Nov. 20

May 8 – Sep. 25

Apr. 6 – Sep. 10, Oct. 5 – Dec. 17

Evangeline Downs

Assiniboia Downs

Apr. 16 – Jul. 3, Oct. 19 – Dec. 31

Delta Downs

Sep. 8 – Oct. 2, Dec. 1-31

Sep. 10-19

Kentucky Downs

Turfway Park

Oct. 7-29

Jul. 2 – Sep. 5

Apr. 30 – Jul. 4, Oct. 30 – Nov. 27

Apr. 22 – Aug. 13, Aug. 19 – Oct. 1

Apr. 18 – Jul. 13

Aug. 2 – Oct. 23

Keeneland Racecourse

Ellis Park

Manitoba, Canada

Louisiana

Kentucky Churchill Downs

Prairie Meadows

Iowa

May 28 – Sep. 6

Yavapai Downs

Hoosier Park Indiana Downs

Indiana

Oct. 1 – Dec 31

Hawthorne Racecourse Jul. 1-4

Mar. 15 – Sep. 30

May 6 – Sep. 25

Fairmount Park

Arlington Park

Coconino Co. Fair @ Flagstaff

May 7 – Jul. 3, Sep. 2 – Oct. 16

Whoop-Up Downs/ Rocky Mountain Turf Club @ Lethbridge

Illinois

Jun. 10, 11, 17, 24, 25, Jul. 8, 9, 15, 22, 23, 29, 30

Sandy Downs @ Rigby

Arizona

May 6 – Oct. 10

Northlands Park

Jan. 13 – Apr. 14, 2012

Jul. 1

Millarville

Aug. 6, 7, 13, 14

Oneida Co. Fair @ Malad City

Oaklawn Park

Jul. 8 – Aug. 28

Evergreen Park @ Grand Prairie

Schedule is based on available information at the time each issue goes to press.

All racing jurisdictions have differing schedules and policies regarding the granting of future race dates that impact availability.

Arkansas

Alberta, Canada

. ->>

20 F57=B; 11

Ontario

Oklahoma

Ohio

North Dakota

New York

New Mexico

May 7 – Nov. 1 Apr. 2 – Dec. 4

Woodbine Racecourse

Aug. 27 – Nov. 12

Aug. 18 – Dec. 10

Jun. 2 – Jul. 23

Apr. 23 – Nov. 5

May 13 – Sep. 5

Oct. 10 – Dec. 21

Jun. 11 – Jul. 4

Jul. 22 – Sep. 5

Apr. 16 – Dec. 3

Apr. 29 – Jul. 17, Sep. 10 – Oct. 30

Nov. 4 – Dec. 31

Sep. 10 – Dec. 4

Fort Erie Racetrack

Will Rogers Downs

Remington Park

Fair Meadows @ Tulsa

Thistledown Racecourse

River Downs

Beulah

Chippewa Downs @ Belcourt

Saratoga Race Course

Finger Lakes

Belmont Park

Aqueduct

Zia Park

Apr. 23 – Jul. 12

Dec. 6, 2011 – Apr. 17, 2012

Sunland Park SunRay Park

May 27 – Sep. 5

Sep. 2-25

Aug. 13 – Nov. 13

May 14 – Sep. 25

Ruidoso Downs

New Mexico State Fair @ Albuquerque

The Downs at Albuquerque

Monmouth Park

hj DATES

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

Dec. 3, 2011 – Apr. 8, 2012

Gulfstream Park

Idaho

Apr. 25 – Dec. 2

Calder Race Course

Sep. 4, 5, 9, 10 Jun. 11, 12, 19

Eastern Idaho Co. Fair @ Blackfoot

Jerome Co. Fair @ Jerome

Nevada

Nebraska

White Pine Racing @ Ely

Aug. 19-21

Aug. 26 – Sep. 5

May 13 – Jul. 17

Lincoln Race Course Elko Co. Fair @ Elko

Jul. 21-24

Aug. 23

Jul. 29 – Sep. 11

Aug. 27 – Sep. 18

Aug. 12-13

Aug. 20-21

Jul. 16-31

May 20 – Sep. 5

May 21 – Nov. 5

Aug. 26 – Sep. 5

May 2 – Sep. 9, Sep. 10 – Dec. 17

Horsemen’s Park

Horsemen’s Atokad Downs

Agricultural Park @ Columbus

Yellowstone Downs

Western Montana Fair @ Missoula

Northwest Montana Fair @ Kalispell

Charlie Russell Downs @ Great Falls

Canterbury Park

Minnesota Montana

Suffolk Downs

Timonium Fair Grounds

Laurel Race Course

Massachusetts

Maryland

NORTHAMERICA

Aug. 19, 20

Cassia Co. Fair @ Burley

Apr. 30 – Nov. 5

Florida

Jul. 27 – Aug. 14

Sonoma Co. Fair @ Santa Rosa

Delaware Park

Sep. 28 – Nov. 6

Santa Anita Racecourse

Delaware

Jun. 15-19

San Joaquin Co. Fair @ Stockton

May 28 – Aug. 21

Sep. 8-26

Pomona Co. Fair @ Fairplex Park

Arapahoe Park

Jan. 1 – Dec. 18

Los Alamitos Race Course

Colorado

Aug. 12-21

Humboldt Co. Fair @ Ferndale

Jan. 4 – Dec. 30 Mar. 1 – Dec. 23

Hollywood Casino @ Charles Town Races Mountaineer Race Track

Sep. 3-5

Walla Walla

West Virginia

Apr. 15 – Sep. 25

Emerald Downs

Washington

Jun. 8 – Jul. 31

Jul. 1 – Aug. 27, Sep. 1 – Oct. 15

Apr. 14 – Jul. 10, Sep. 16 – Nov. 12

Jul. 2, 3, 16, 17, Aug. 13, 14, 27, 28

May 27 – Sep. 10

Colonial Downs

Retama Park

Lone Star Park

Gillespie County Fairgrounds

Marquis Downs

May 17 – Oct. 1

Jan. 3 – Dec. 30

Penn National Presque Isle Downs

Jan. 1 – Dec. 31

Aug. 10-13

Sep. 9-11

Jun. 18 – Jul. 10

Jun. 10-12

Jul. 13-16

Parx Racing

Tillamook Co. Fair @ Tillamook

Harney Co. Fair @ Burns

Grants Pass

Eastern Oregon Livestock Show @ Union

Crooked River Roundup @ Prineville

Virginia

Texas

Saskatchewan, Canada

Pennsylvania

Oregon

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FEATURE

INDUSTRY DEBATES RCI’S CALL TO END DRUGS AND MEDICATION IN HORSE RACING

Richard E. Glover, Jr.

WITHIN FIVE YEARS

FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO INTERVENE FILED

On March 28, the Association of Racing

Below is the text from the RCI’s March 28 press release:

Commissioners International (RCI) distrib-

RCI LEADERS CALL FOR PHASE OUT OF DRUGS

uted a press release calling for “the racing

Both the outgoing and incoming Chairmen of RCI challenge the racing industry and member regulators to embrace a strategy to phase out drugs and medication in horse racing.

Outgoing RCI Chair, Dan Hartman of the Colorado Racing Commission, said that “a five-year phase out is reasonable to bring North American racing policies in line with what is going on in other parts of the world like Europe and Hong Kong.” Hartman said that a phased approach would give horsemen and owners sufficient time to adjust to the change.

RCI’s new Chair, William Koester, Chairman of the Ohio State Racing Commission, said, “Today over 99% of Thoroughbred racehorses and 70% of Standardbred racehorses have a needle stuck in them four hours before a race. That just does not pass the smell test with the public or anyone else except horse trainers who think it necessary to win a race. I’m sure the decision makers at the time meant well when these drugs were permitted, however this decision has forced our jurisdictions to juggle threshold levels as horseman become more desperate to win races and has given horse racing a black eye.”

These comments mark a major departure from regulatory policy that has been based on allowing traces of medication and a move toward enacting a policy of zero tolerance.

RCI President Ed Martin said the membership gathering in New Orleans last week was largely receptive to a major overhaul of medication policies.

Mr. Koester noted that “change is inevitable” and called for the association “to take the moral high ground and implement drug rules that mirror the racing in Australia, Dubai, Europe, Hong Kong, and even Russia.”

“If you follow horse racing, you probably heard of the names Well Armed, Curlin, Invasor, Roses in May, Pleasantly Perfect, Captain Steve, Silver Charm. and Cigar. Eight of the last sixteen winners of the Dubai Cup were from North America and ran drug free.

It can be done,” Koester said.

In recent years RCI has based its medication policies largely on recommendations from the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC). A shift toward “zero tolerance” would mark a departure from that practice and a major change for trainers.

Hartman concluded his remarks by telling the RCI members, “We regulators are the only voice in racing for the animals and betting public. It’s time we raise the bar in service to both.”

industry and member regulators to embrace a strategy to phase out drugs and medication in horse racing.” The release gave no details of the strategy it asked the industry to embrace, nor did the release make it clear whether the RCI was calling for an end to only race-day medication or it was also calling for an end to medication for horses in training. Regardless, the release ignited a passionate debate over the use of race day medication – a debate that essentially boils down to the anti-bleeding medication Furosemide (and other adjunct bleeder medications allowed in some jurisdictions on race-day), otherwise known as Salix or Lasix, since it is the only medication allowable to administer on race-day in the U.S. HJ 57//'4

INDUSTRY RESPONSE TO THE RCI PRESS RELEASE Within days of the distribution of the RCI’s March 28 press release, The Jockey Club, Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America (TRA), the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), Breeders’ Cup Ltd., The United States Trotting Association (USTA), and Harness Tracks of America (HTA), and other organizations voiced their support of the RCI’s proposed strategy despite no actual strategy being put forth or even a committee formed to create the strategy. Only the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (THA) spoke out in opposition to the RCI’s “strategy,” though other horsemen’s groups privately indicated to the National HBPA their opposition to the strategy.

THA President Alan Foreman has asserted that claims the U.S. industry must fall in line with countries in Europe and other countries that do not permit Salix on race-day must be supported by actual evidence of how horses are treated with medication in those jurisdictions. He told The Blood-Horse, “Tell us their detection levels and what they’re testing for, and then you can have the debate. Our testing might be tougher. Don’t compare us until you have all the facts.”

Foreman also told The Blood-Horse of the RCI’s March 28 press release, “I don’t think they know what it means. It was a headline-grabbing sound bite lacking in credibility and substance.”

On April 18, the National HBPA distributed a press release along with the following open letter to the horse racing industry containing its response to the RCI’s five-year plan:

OPEN LETTER TO THE HORSE RACING INDUSTRY: NATIONAL HBPA RESPONSE TO RCI FIVE-YEAR PLAN On March 28th, the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) sent out a press release asking the racing industry and its member regulators to “embrace a strategy to phase out drugs and medication in horse racing” over the next five years.

The release gave no further concrete details about the strategy it asked the industry and its members to embrace and was unclear as to whether the phase-out would apply only to race-day medication, or if it would also include therapeutic medication used for training. The release acknowledged that, “In recent years, RCI has based its medication policies largely on recommendations from the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC). A shift toward ‘zero tolerance’ would mark a departure from that practice and a major change for trainers.”

Note: Since the time the RCI’s March 28 press release was distributed, the National HBPA has been informed that current RCI Chairman William Koester of the Ohio State Racing Commission does not subscribe to the policy of “zero tolerance.”

The National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA) believes the RCI’s “zero tolerance” goal is both unwise and unrealistic – especially since environmental substances and increasingly sensitive testing make “zero tolerance” a virtually impossible goal.

Outgoing RCI Chairman Dan Hartman stated in the release that “a fiveyear phase out is reasonable to bring North American racing policies in line with what is going on in other parts of the world like Europe and Hong Kong.”

However, aside from the race-day use of Furosemide (essentially a diuretic used to reduce the amount of water inside a horse’s body in order to allow its lungs to more efficiently expand and contract) and/or other adjunct medications to treat Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH – see page 26), there are no medications allowable on race-day in our sport.

While a sober and reasonable debate would be worthwhile, what is needed most in regards to the RCI’s proposed five-year phase-out of medications is perspective, not emotion. The stakes are high, and at risk is what makes U.S. racing unique – its diversity. Increasingly, the U.S. is the only place where our sport remains accessible to both the billionaire and the bakery owner.

Make no mistake – what the RCI is proposing would have a profound effect on what defines U.S. horse racing. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the RCI proposal, it will mean a significant reduction of the numbers of horses able to participate in our sport – especially at our small to mid-market tracks.

Moreover, in order to avoid openly addressing the true issue – the raceday use of Furosemide – the RCI has chosen to ring the alarm bells by using hot-button language like “needles in horses’ necks” and the threat of federal intervention in order to, it seems, side-step further discussion. Instead, the RCI launched a public-relations campaign which forces industry groups like the National HBPA to accept a false choice: either go along with the RCI’s position or risk being labeled as those who favor “drugging” horses.

Perhaps many horsemen might agree that current policies addressing EIPH should be changed, but they have not been given the chance to have a reasonable debate to address the many unintended consequences this policy might have.

Thus, the question remains: if the use of Furosemide is banned, will EIPH magically go away?

The RCI is looking for a simple solution to a complicated issue. With this in mind, the National HBPA recommends that the racing industry engage in a reasoned debate about the core issue: the race-day use of Furosemide to treat EIPH, as well as what non race-day alternatives exist to address the proven existence of EIPH in over 80% of racehorses (if race-day use of anti-bleeder medications are not an option).

To that end, the National HBPA offers a few important talking points we feel ought to be part of this discussion:

Zero Tolerance … The Myth Since the RCI cited “zero tolerance” in its March 28th communication, the National HBPA is compelled to clarify a few misconceptions about so-called “zero tolerance.” No racing jurisdiction on earth today regulates therapeutic medications on the basis of “zero tolerance.” Regulators in Europe – whom the RCI has cited – use Harmonized Screening Levels (HSL), which means that they limit the sensitivity of their testing and publish withdrawal time guidelines for therapeutic medications.

“Zero tolerance” is, in practice, an ever-changing standard. As analytical instrumentation improves, “zero tolerance” testing will condemn U.S. racing to an unending cycle of ever more sensitive and absurd positive findings for irrelevant traces at the parts per quadrillion level (essentially the equivalent of one second in the life of someone who lived 32,000 years) of therapeutic medications found at times increasingly further removed from the moment of administration.

According to Dr. R. L. Smith, Molecular Toxicology, Imperial College School of Medicine of London, England, at the 2000 ICRAV Proceedings (page 12),

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

FEATURE “The zero tolerance approach adopted by so many racing authorities is, in essence, an illusion in which the magician is the racing chemist.”

Class 4 or 5 therapeutic medications (mostly NSAID-type medications such as Phenylbutazone) are used to ease the aches and pains of training – akin to a person taking an Advil before or after a competition. It will not make that individual run any faster or jump any higher than his or her natural ability to do so.

Due to increasingly sensitive testing instruments, commonly used and recognized therapeutic medications legitimately given to horses in training by a licensed veterinary professional can now be detected on race-day – even when prolonged withholding times have been observed by horsemen and their veterinarians.

With modern testing being done at such minute levels, “zero tolerance” is not a reasonable target. In fact, allowances should continue to be made to recognize this higher sensitivity, as should have been the case last summer in Minnesota and Colorado when horsemen (many with perfectly clean records) were suddenly embroiled in a roundup of “cheaters.”

Further complicating matters is the reality of environmental substances.

Studies have proven that horses that have not been administered any medication have nonetheless shown, when using new testing methods, trace amounts of medications at levels evidencing environmental substances from contact with bedding, shared tack (bits especially), discarded coffee cups, misplaced donuts (caffeine positives), or even environmental substances found on stall walls.

Nowhere in the world is “zero tolerance” the testing goal of laboratories.

For example, Europe (Great Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, and Italy) had 16 harmonized screening levels (regulatory thresholds) three years ago and, by many estimates, even more today. Some of these thresholds from different parts of the world are, in fact, at higher levels than are permitted here in the U.S for the same substances.

Australia observes a number of regulatory thresholds already, and Dubai has withdrawal times for numerous medications that, like New York and Kentucky, must be based on a regulatory threshold.

If the RCI intends to also eliminate the ability for horses to train on any drug or medication – therapeutic or not – this would clearly go well beyond the policies of many of the countries it purports a desire to emulate.

The 2009 South African Furosemide Efficacy (SAFE) study scientifically established that pre-treatment with Furosemide reduces EIPH, proving U.S. horsemen correct in this long-held belief.

As set forth in the introduction to the SAFE study, “At least 80% of racehorses can be expected to develop the condition (EIPH) at some time during their career, approximately 60% of sudden deaths during racing have been attributed to pulmonary hemorrhage … severe EIPH has been shown to adversely affect race performance, and EIPH is believed to adversely affect the overall health of racehorses.”

It should be noted that the SAFE study was carried out by an international group of scientists and supported, in part, by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation; the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC); National Horseracing Authority of South Africa; Phumelela Gaming and Leisure, Ltd; TecMed, Ltd; Racing South Africa, Ltd; The Thoroughbred Racing Trust of South Africa; and other private donors.

Anti-furosemide “shock and awe” statements like those used by RCI Chairman Koester when he remarked, “Today over 99% of Thoroughbred racehorses and 70% of Standardbred racehorses have a needle stuck in them four hours before a race …” can serve no other purpose than to further swell the negative public perception of horse racing while painting all horsemen with the broad brush of “cheater” when this is not the case (See “Analysis of 2009 – 2010 Medication Violations in North America” on page 27).

While some will argue against the use of furosemide in any instance, a regulated and measured policy that addresses EIPH – one based on science – has been proven to safeguard the safety and welfare of horse and rider.

Banning it without properly discussing options may put the lives of some horses and jockeys at risk.

The NTRA pointed out this fact in a public response it issued to answer questions about the RCI release, saying, “With the exception of medications aimed at preventing exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), all raceday medications have already been banned in North America. Any discussion of further changing medication policies needs to balance public sentiment and the welfare of the horse.”

Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH)

Richard E. Glover, Jr.

In reality, North American racing policies are already in line with many other countries around the world with one exception – the ability to administer race-day medication to prevent Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH).

EIPH means what it says: with enough exertion in the racehorse, pulmonary hemorrhage is induced. When raced, horses inevitably bleed into their lungs. All that differs is the amount of the bleeding and, ultimately, a small number of horses (approximately one in 1,500) will unfortunately die on the track from acute EIPH. These are the facts.

HJ 57//'4

Is Everyone Cheating?

An unknowing public relying on the RCI’s press release could easily surmise that horsemen are cheating. Before we completely lose the battle for public opinion, let’s consider the facts: Each year there are generally over 100,000 horses racing in over 50,000 races that are tested for drugs. The winner and usually a horse selected at random are tested after each race. According to RCI data for 2009 and 2010, there was a per-year average of 569 medication violations detected through these test results (showing the presence of drugs). Thus, from 210,078 tests

ANALYSIS OF 2009 – 2010 MEDICATION VIOLATIONS IN NORTH AMERICA Using information provided by the RCI and obtained from published data of The Jockey Club, we submit the following: YEAR

# OF RACES

# OF STARTERS

# OF VIOLATIONS

# OF LICENSED TRAINERS

2009

54,121

446,196

565

5,951

2010

50,918

417,192

572

6,071

If two horses are tested from each race and average field size is slightly more than eight horses, then horse racing tests approximately 25% of its participants during each and every of its live events. We would argue this is a standard that is equal to or exceeds the testing in any other sport.

YEAR

# OF VIOLATIONS

# OF HORSES TESTED

% POSITIVE

% IN COMPLIANCE

2009

565

108,242

0.52%

99.48%

2010

572

101,836

0.56%

99.44%

If we consider the Class 1-2-3 violations (4 & 5 cover therapeutic medications) and correlate that to the licensed trainers, with an assumption that no trainer received more than one violation, then: YEAR

# OF CLASS 1-2-3 VIOLATIONS # OF TRAINERS

% POSITIVE

% IN COMPLIANCE

2009

117

5,951

1.97%

98.03%

2010

119

6,071

1.96%

98.04%

taken in 2009 and 2010, only 0.54% of all the tests taken resulted in a violation (positive).

Moreover, out of the 100,000 tests taken each year in 2009 and 2010, an average of 26 tests resulted in a Class 1 or Class 2 violation – that is just 0.0026% of all tests taken in a year. That is less than 3/100ths of 1%, hardly a number justifying a conclusion of rampant cheating.

And how many violations for Lasix? The two-year average was 20. That is 0.002% of all tests taken.

In the two-year analysis, by far the greatest number of violations discovered were for Class 4 and 5 substances, which comprised 76% of the 569 annual violations. Of these, 262 – or 46% – were for Bute or Flunixin (the horse’s equivalent of aspirin), which still amounts to only 0.043% of the total tests taken. These are medications that are universally recognized as therapeutic in the racehorse and which must be cut off 24 hours before a race. This record of very low percentages of violations is one that should be envied by other professional sports like football, baseball, and bicycling, which to our knowledge do not attempt to regulate this class of medication.

Additionally, based on RCI records from 2009 and 2010, an average of 6,011 trainers in North America are issued 8,418 licenses (Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse) each year. So, using a base of 6,000 individual trainers licensed each year, it bears notice that – on average – of ALL licensed trainers, only 1.2% received a Class 1,2, or 3 violation (of course, this does not encompass repeat offenders).

The bottom line is that the overwhelming majority – 98.8% of licensed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse trainers across North America – are honest and abide by established medication rules.

Testing Laboratories Why have regulators not aimed their “zero tolerance” goal toward the very testing laboratories with which they work? Perhaps it is because regardless of whether U.S. racing bans race-day medications or not, we will still be left with a ramshackle system of too many testing labs, some without the necessary accreditation and many

which use dated equipment and differing procedures – factors which have led to false positives and unfortunately, in some cases, “gotcha” regulatory practices.

Key U.S. racing stakeholders such as the NTRA, RMTC, and the major horsemen’s groups, among others, have endorsed an industry initiative which would: a) reduce the number of testing labs across the U.S., focusing on quality versus quantity; b) require that all testing labs have the highest standards possible (for example, a minimum ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation), and; c) require that all U.S. labs apply uniform practices, the best and latest instrumentation, and quality control safeguards.

So why was this not part of the RCI’s five-year plan, as well?

Absolute Insurer Rule In most states, a trainer is held responsible under the “absolute insurer” rule for any medication violation even if he or she had nothing to do with administration of the medication in terms of dosage, timing, or choice of treatment. Why not hold the practicing veterinarian similarly responsible under an absolute insurer rule?

In Conclusion The National HBPA strongly urges the RCI and the racing industry at large to “pump the brakes” on their desire to sign onto a five-year plan which, for all intents and purposes, already has a pre-determined outcome.

Do we need to have a national discussion about race-day use of antibleeding medications, zero tolerance, and negative public perception of our sport? Absolutely. However, it is vital that we balance the needs of effective regulation of our sport with sensible training practices that benefit the horse.

These issues are not as black or white as some would have us believe.

The National HBPA believes strongly in scientifically sound and properly enforced regulatory policies. Proper regulation should be the goal, and while we may not be perfect, we are certainly much farther along than was the case even a decade ago. Arguably, with the exception of the race-day use of medications to treat EIPH, most U.S. testing procedures and medication standards are equally or more strict than those in other countries around the globe.

Let’s step back from the “shock and awe” tactics and focus on policies that are in the best long-term interest of the racehorses and the owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms, and exercise riders who care for them each day.

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

FEATURE

Industry Meetings Set to Address Race-Day Medication Issue In its April 18 press release, the National HBPA proposed that, before committing to the RCI’s or any other plan or proposal, it will dedicate its summer convention scheduled to be held on July 21-24 in Seattle, Washington entirely to a thorough analysis of the RCI plan. The release went on to say, “The National HBPA is dedicated to gathering divergent and reasonable viewpoints on this issue and will continue to rely upon the reasoned, professional, and scientific approach to the medication policy that statistics show serves our industry well.”

Subsequently, the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) board of directors announced that it will join the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) in organizing an international summit on June 13-14 in New York City to address race-day medication.

“With our scientific research and our Drug Testing Initiative, we have the infrastructure to help the industry administer, in a uniform and effective manner, any medication program it chooses to pursue,” said Dr. Rick Arthur, RMTC officer and equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board.

“The NTRA welcomes the opportunity to bring together a broad range of international industry views on race-day medication,” said Alex Waldrop, president and CEO of the NTRA. “Our goal is to ensure that all stakeholders are included in the dialogue so that the ultimate conclusions are based on an objective evaluation of the facts.”

AAEP Executive Director David Foley also responded to RMTC’s call for action, saying, “The AAEP is pleased to co-sponsor this meeting and stands ready to assist the industry in any way that we can. Our chief concern is for the health and welfare of the horse, and ensuring the integrity and vitality of the sport.”

THA President and RMTC Vice Chairman Alan Foreman said, “There’s a lot of heavy lifting to put something like that together, but it’s the responsible thing to do in the wake of the polarizing discussion that stemmed from [RCI’s] simple press release. The only way to responsibly deal with this now is to call a time out, take a deep breath, and get the international community together to figure out how to manage the issue going forward.

“What’s best for the horse, and what’s best for racing? This is going to be a very difficult discussion,” concluded Foreman.

On May 4, Sen. Tom Udall (D-New Mexico) introduced the Interstate Horseracing Improvement Act of 2011 in the U.S. Senate, “to end the use of performance-enhancing drugs in the sport of horse racing.” The legislation will be introduced in the House by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Kentucky), where it is co-sponsored by Joe Pitts (R-Pennsylvania), Ben Chandler (D-Kentucky) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois).

The legislation would amend the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, which opened the doors for simulcast and advance-deposit wagering. The bill would require racetracks to ban “performance-enhancing drugs and test the winning horse plus one additional horse from each race,” or risk losing their ability to export and import simulcast signals. The bill also would require stiff penalties for violations. For more information, see page 7.

HJ 57//'4

Richard E. Glover, Jr.

Legislation Could Render Industry Efforts Meaningless, Specter of Federal Intervention Looms

Following the introduction of the legislation, Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), issued the following statement: “We strongly disagree with the overall characterization of our sport by the authors of the Interstate Horseracing Improvement Act. Horseracing continues to outpace other sports in its drug and medication policies. The winner of every race is subject to drug testing at every track, every day in the United States. Non-winning horses are also subject to random drug testing. The fact is that less than one half of one percent of the more than 100,000 tests resulted in a positive for illegal drugs or overages of therapeutic medications in 2010. Our industry is committed to catching and punishing cheaters.

“The horse industry, together with capable and committed state regulatory authorities, equine veterinarians and others, is now engaged in a far reaching dialogue over legal, therapeutic, race-day medications. Preserving the welfare of our athletes and the integrity of our competition will always be our foremost goals.”

Additionally, American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) released the following statement from President William Moyers, DVM, regarding the legislation: “As doctors of veterinary medicine, our primary focus when evaluating the proposed Interstate Horse Racing Improvement Act is its effect on the health and safety of the racehorse. The American Association of Equine Practitioners supports the responsible use and regulation of valid therapeutic medications in horse racing. We also support the concept of a national uniform medication policy.

“Racehorses currently compete in a heavily regulated environment with very clear distinctions between illegal drugs and valid medications that provide therapeutic benefit. The very broad language of the bill could eliminate, as written, beneficial treatment of active equine athletes at any time - not just on the day of competition. We urge Congress to work with the horse racing industry to learn more about the health care implications of this bill as it is written and stand ready to assist in that process.”

The National HBPA wholeheartedly stands behind the NTRA’s position regarding the bill and its current efforts at organizing an international summit to look at an inclusive approach at creating rules that can address the use of race-day medication in a sensible way.

The National HBPA will continue to closely monitor this situation and work with the rest of the horse racing industry to arrive at the best course of action for our sport, our member owners and trainers, and the horses for which they care everyday. Check our website (www.nationalhbpa.com), blog (http://nationalhbpa.blogspot.com/), Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ nationalhbpa) and Twitter feed (www.twitter.com/nationalhbpa) frequently for updates or links to pertinent news.

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FEATURE

By Kimberly French

THE HORSE RACING DRUG TESTING LABORATORY SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES The conditions – both terrain and temperature – for the 1904 Olympic Marathon contested in St. Louis could hardly be called idyllic. There was a series of eight hills for the 25.80-mile contest, and by the time the race began, which was 3:00 p.m., the thermometer had already crept to more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Although the searing heat of the August sun, as well as the nature of their physical activity, would certainly impact each of the 32 competitors’ hydration levels, they could only receive fluids at the six and 12-mile markers. In a testament to the brutal conditions, more than half the contestants (18) failed to finish the race, but the man who ultimately was victorious enlisted some chemical aid to supply him with the necessary edge to best his colleagues.

By the seventeenth mile of the race, Thomas Hicks was walking, and somewhere around the 19-mile marker, he decided to take the advice of Hugh McGrath and Charles Lucas, who were members of his training team, and he ingested 1/60 grain of sulphate of strychnine within a raw egg. Strychnine is poisonous, but it does stimulate the central nervous system in small doses and was often used on racehorses. In fact, the great Australian Thoroughbred Phar Lap died from a strychnine overdose.

After being passed by another runner that eventually was disqualified, Hicks was devastated thinking he was already beaten. McGrath and Lucas supplied him with another dose of sulphate of strychnine with two more eggs and a glass of brandy and also gave him a sponge bath on the course.

Hicks, who lost 10 pounds during the race, barely made it to the finish line and was physically supported by his trainers. Not surprisingly, he collapsed after completing the race in three hours and 28 minutes, which is the longest finishing time in Olympic Marathon history. After collecting his gold medal, Hicks never competed in a marathon again.

Of course, people demanded that Hicks be stripped of his medal due to the use of chemical enhancements. However, the Olympic Committee ruled in Hicks’ favor as it had no established body of rules banning these substances from being used during competition.

RACING A DRUG TESTING FORERUNNER In fact, a system for drug testing was not implemented for Olympic athletes until the 1968 games at Grenoble, France. In contrast, while horse racing has come under intense public scrutiny in recent years for using illegal substances to gain a competitive advantage, this sport was the first to institute drug testing back in 1934, after coming under pressure from the FBI in 1933 with the introduction of the ‘spit box.’

The Association of Official Racing Chemists (AORC) was formed in 1947, more than 20 years before Olympic athletes were being tested. Since drug

testing has been implemented in horse racing, it has been the most controlled, sensitive, and specific of any sport in the world.

“Integrity is one of the things that drives the industry,” said Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory (PETRL) Director Dr. Cornelius Uboh to HarnessWeek on August 25, 2008. “To maintain that integrity, drug testing must stand at the forefront of whatever the (Pennsylvania Horse Racing) Commission decides to do because that’s where the Commission can provide a level playing field to all participants. Drug testing is very important.

“Drug use in horse racing is not as bad as it is in say the Olympics,” Uboh continued. “Believe me that drug testing is far more regulated in horse racing than the Olympics for human athletes. So the end is to continue to enforce it and to do it very well so the method gets around. The racing industry is not as bad as it is perceived to be; the number of positives is less than 0.1 percent. The Commission does a very good job, and I’m very proud to be part of that team.”

Dr. Thomas Tobin, Professor of Veterinary Science at the Gluck Research Center at the University of Kentucky and Professor at the Graduate Center of Toxicology at that same university, concurs with Dr. Uboh’s position. He wrote Drugs and the Performance Horse. 1981, which is considered to be one of the most widely used textbooks on medication control. Tobin also edited the book Equine Drug Testing and Therapeutic Medication Regulation with Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association Executive Dr. Tom Tobin Director Kent Stirling in 2009.

“Overall, the rate at which performance altering medication violations are reported in racing is extremely small. For example, from 1995–1999 there were about three positives for every 100,000 samples for Association of Racing Commissioners International [ARCI] Class 1 violations after trace level identifications of dietary and environmental substances are eliminated,” Tobin noted in a presentation to the Equine Law section of the Kentucky Bar Association in 2005. “By far, the most common identifications reported in racing are residual ‘traces’ of well recognized and widely used therapeutic medications, so called ‘tail-ends’ of therapeutic medications, and traces of dietary and environmental substances that also happen to be ARCI substances, for example trace level identifications of caffeine and other substances widely used by humans.

“The ease with which such ‘traces’ of therapeutic medications, dietary and environmental substances can be detected using current testing technology has now clearly led scientists and regulators away from the old ‘zero tolerance’ approach, which many authorities now see as outdated,” Tobin WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

FEATURE continued, “to defined regulatory limits, or ‘thresholds,’ for therapeutic medications, endogenous, dietary, and environmental substances.”

ADVANCES IN TESTING TECHNOLOGY During the 1980s, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission issued a directive to an interdisciplinary team from the University of Kentucky to modify enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), also known as an enzyme immunoassay (EIA), testing for horse racing after realizing the sport may not have the necessary technology to test for new performance enhancing drugs.

“These ELISAs, when applied to routine testing, dramatically alter the withdrawal time necessary for clearance of therapeutic medications,” wrote Dr. Scott Stanley and Dr. Cynthia Kollias-Baker in Review of Equine Drug Testing in 1997. “A good example is acepromazine (the tranquilizer known as ace).

When used at a therapeutic dose, acepromazine can be detected by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) for approximately 72 hours. The use of an ELISA for acepromazine, however, will allow detection for roughly 168 hours after administration.”

While ELISAs certainly revolutionized equine drug testing techniques, there have been other forms of instrumental testing that have been developed which are far more sensitive than ELISA, namely high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry (MS), gas chromatograpy-mass spectrometry (GCMS), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS).

In 2006, Uboh and Dr. Lawerence Soma of Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory (PETRL) produced a test for erythropoietin (EP0) and darbepoetin alfa. It was first test of this kind for any sort of species, including humans, on the planet.

“Practitioners and regulatory veterinarians need to be familiar with the current methods employed by equine analytical laboratories for the detection of unauthorized Dr. Scott Stanley medications,” said Stanley and Kollias-Baker.

“These modern methods of chemical analysis have significantly affected the detection of therapeutic medications, and therefore they could alter how veterinarians can use them in current practice.”

Instruments and technology are essential to improving and maintaining the quality of drug testing. However, the entire process would never be possible without the laboratories performing the testing and the funds from horsemen, as well as the individual states, to conduct the procedure.

NO NATIONAL TESTING LABORATORY GUIDELINES With no federal legislation in place to establish national guidelines, it is up to each of the country’s 38 racing jurisdictions to implement its own individual testing policies and the labs in which they will be carried out.

“We thought it would be nice if we only had two or three superlabs to work for the entire country so the work in every lab would be replicated in all of them,” explained Kent Kent Stirling Stirling. “You will always have laboratory error, but still each lab would be doing all the same testing in the same way.

Canada has always had just one or two labs.

“Unfortunately, what happens is when you get a state racing commission involved, Lab A might have a rate of three percent positive in one jurisdiction, and Lab B only had a one percent positive in their jurisdiction and are in competition for jurisdiction C,” Stirling continued. “The racing commission will HJ 57//'4

jump on Lab A, which is not always right because one lab may be looking for more severe drugs like Class I or II in its testing, and the other lab is looking for things that don’t affect the outcome of a race as well as being more difficult to find. Each lab may be targeting different things, and the state has no choice because racing statutes and laws are antiquated. These laws were written in the 1970s and 1980s, and very few states have bothered to change them, so the stewards have no choice but to penalize, and they are penalizing for picogram levels.”

Currently, 18 laboratories handle the entire volume of the drug testing for horse racing. Six of these labs – the Center for Toxicology Services, the University of Florida, PETRL, Industrial Laboratories, Truesdail Laboratories, and the Ken Maddy Equine Analytical Lab – are accredited. The Ohio State Racing Commission laboratory and the Iowa State University Racing Chemistry lab are in the process to become accredited.

“The accreditation standard for forensic labs is ISO 17025,” explained Dr. Scot Waterman, who recently resigned from the position he held as executive director for the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium for the last decade.

“There is very little incentive financially in this industry for a lab to become accredited, and it is a difficult, time consuming process, so the labs that have taken on this challenge deserve credit.”

Accreditation does play a role in how states choose which lab they use, but many states such as New Jersey, Maryland, and California are required by law to use a certain facility.

A SHIFT IN REGULATOR PHILOSOPHY In recent months, there have been concerns expressed not over how, when or where equine athletes are being tested, but if any medication whatsoever should be administered on race day, which is a complete departure from the policy Dr. Tobin helped institute back in the mid-1990s.

On March 28, RCI issued a press release calling for the elimination of all medication administration to racehorses on race day within five years.

“Today over 99 percent of Thoroughbred racehorses and Standardbred racehorses have a needle stuck in them four hours before a race,” said RCI Chairman and Ohio State Racing Commission Chairman William Koester in the release.

“That does just not pass the smell test with the public or anyone else except horse trainers who think it necessary to win a race. I’m sure the decision makers at the time meant well when these drugs were permitted, however, this decision has forced our jurisdictions to juggle threshold levels as horsemen become more desperate to win races and has given horse racing a black eye.”

Since this mission statement was released by the RCI, The Jockey Club, Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, The United States Trotting Association, and Harness Tracks of America have all supported the concept. Only the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Agency and the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association have vocally opposed the RCI’s position even though no plan or steps were laid out by the RCI. “The National HBPA Board of Directors met on Friday, April 15, 2011 and unanimously agreed that it cannot support the five-year plan announced by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) on March 28th to ‘embrace a strategy to phase out drugs and medication in horse racing’ as it is currently written,” announced a press release dated April 18. “As the national representative of the largest number of horsemen who would be directly impacted by what the RCI proposes, the National HBPA takes issue with RCI’s strategy of pushing a proposal with such far-reaching implications without initially conferring with any of the major representative horsemen’s groups, including the National HBPA.” National HBPA CEO Remi Bellocq staunchly defends his organization’s stance. According to Bellocq, “Frankly, we need to have a sit down and have a serious conversation about Lasix use in North America, but I think people

were a little too quick to toss this kind of grenade out. I know Will Koester, and he’s a great guy; we’ve spoken about this. Frankly, I think they knew it would have the response it has, and out of all the things we talked about in our press release are these two key questions: there is a solid debate about Lasix, and there is a public perception issue, which I think is the most important issue. I agree with the RCI, The Jockey Club, and everyone else on that.

“If you want to get rid of Lasix, however,” Bellocq continued, “which is the only race day medication and is a diuretic that grandpa and grandma use, all it does is inflame the horsemen and casts a shadow on trainers. And according to RCI’s numbers, over 98 percent of horsemen do things the right way. Lasix is a diuretic, and the horse sheds water so its lungs work at maximum capacity during a race. The study in South Africa proved 80 percent of horses experience EIPH during their careers. Can we improve our testing protocols? We have been pushing for that since 2003. If you are going to test horses in Colorado for bute or banamine, all the equipment they are using should be standardized, and the test should be the same in New York as well as Florida, just to make it an equal playing field.”

PROTECT YOURSELF As things stand now, horsemen do not have a level playing field with different laboratories Remi Bellocq with varying equipment and testing methods from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and racing commissions with different rules and enforcement policies. All horsemen are encouraged to become familiar with the rules and regulations in the jurisdictions in which you race horses and to stay abreast of any rule changes through your horsemen’s organization and/or local racing commission. Moreover, all horsemen racing for the first time in a new jurisdiction are encouraged to seek out the jurisdiction’s rules and regulations prior to shipping your horses to race there. These steps can help you to avoid the potential pitfalls of varying regulations and testing procedures until such time as the industry has found a way to standardize all of its drug testing laboratories and regulations.

METHODS OF EQUINE MEDICATION TESTING ELISA Testing: In ELISA, an undetermined amount of an antigen – which is a molecule that stimulates the production of antibodies – is applied to a surface. Then, a specific antibody is placed over the surface so the antibody can affix itself to the antigen. The antibody is connected to an enzyme, and a substance is added so the enzyme can exhibit a signal, which is usually a color change. It was the first test used for HIV because of its sensitivity and is often used in food quality control, as well as other medical diagnostic scenarios.

High Pressure Liquid Chromatography: High-pressure liquid chromatography is where particles of a mixture are separated through a column by use of a solvent or substance that does not dissolve itself. It is forced into the mixture at pressures of up to 400 atmospheres. This increases the speed of the process, allows the use of a much smaller particle size, provides a greater surface area for particle interactions, and overall creates a much more minute separation of the mixture’s components.

Mass Spectrometry: In mass spectrometry, a machine or scale called a spectrometer measures the weight of certain molecules and to what they convert.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry: In gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, a complex mixture is separated by a gas or vapor phase, and the compound is entered in the mass spectrometer in that form.

Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry: Liquid chromatographymass spectrometry unites the physical separation capabilities of both techniques to identify and detect chemicals in the company of other chemicals in a complex mixture. It is a very potent method and is used in many applications with very high selectivity and sensitivity, such as pharmaceutical studies and bio analysis.

Tandem Mass Spectrometry: In tandem mass spectrometry, or MS-MS, a sample is introduced for ionization, and subsequently these ions possess the characteristics of the individual drug compounds, which are called parent ions.

These ions are further deconstructed into daughter ions, and these provide a highly specific identification of the sought after parent ion.

EQUINE DRUG TESTING LABORATORIES FOR PARI-MUTUEL RACING LABORATORY

JURISDICTIONS SERVED

Center for Toxicology Services* Dalare Associates Equine Medication Surveillance Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University HFL Sports Sciences Industrial Laboratories*

Kansas, South Dakota Delaware, West Virginia Louisiana Kentucky Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Utah, Wyoming Iowa, New Mexico, Virginia California Maine Maryland Massachusetts New York New Jersey Ohio Pennsylvania Texas Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington Florida, New Hampshire Illinois

Iowa Racing Chemistry, Iowa State University Ken Maddy Equine Analytical Lab, University of California-Davis* Maine Health & Environmental Testing Lab Maryland Racing Commission Laboratory Massachusetts State Racing Laboratory Morrisville State University Equine Drug Testing Program New Jersey State Police Meadowlands Laboratory Ohio State Racing Commission Laboratory* Pennsylvania Equine Testing and Research Lab* Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory Truesdail Laboratories* University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine* University of Illinois Animal Forensic Toxicology Lab

*Laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, “General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.”

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

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In order to keep our members up-to-date on the latest HBPA news and programs, the National HBPA is launching an e-mail communication program.

We will be sending out a periodic e-newsletter, breaking news updates and call-to-actions on legislative issues, and occasionally great offers from our sponsors.

To get on board and make sure you get all the important news from the National HBPA, simply complete the online sign-up form on the homepage of the National HBPAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website, www.nationalhbpa.com.

You can opt out of the program at any time, so give it a try and we think you will like what you see!

HJ 57//'4

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FEATURE

S: G IN R P S T O H IN S IC P O HOT T

tors Bureau nvention & Visi Hot Springs Co

The National HBPA on 2011 Winter Conventi

Hot Springs’

ow Bathhouse R

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Attendees during a speaker forum.

Jim McVicker

Jim McVicker

s has become expected after the last few years, when the National HBPA met for its 2011 winter convention in Hot Springs, Arkansas from March 17-21, the agenda included several highly informative speaker panels on important industry topics. Add to that committee meetings, social events like the annual Arkansas HBPA Dinner Dance, and a day at the races at Oaklawn Park, and the Arkansas HBPA did another outstanding job of hosting the National HBPA at the Embassy Suites Hotel & Spa in Hot Springs.

Convention attendees arrived on Thursday, March 17 and were treated to a welcome cocktail party sponsored by the Arkansas and Oklahoma HBPAs.

Walmsley and Jackson spoke of how the relationship between the Oaklawn Jockey Club and Arkansas HBPA has changed over time and developed into a cooperative partnership that benefits both sides. According to Jackson, “When you look at the expanse of time, you’ve seen a relationship come 180 degrees, but what we’ve also seen is we can accomplish a heck of a lot more working with each other than we can working against each other.

I think that’s been an epiphany for me. I think it has been for the horsemen, as well.”

Work began in earnest the next morning, with committee meetings and speaker forums spread over the course of the next three days.

On Friday morning, the Wagering and Alternative Gaming Information Committee (WAGIC) presented a panel entitled, “Working with Your Track Partner to Monitor and Verify the Purse Account.” Moderated by WAGIC Chair and Ohio HBPA Executive Vice President Bob Reeves, speakers on the panel included: Ohio HBPA Executive Director Dave Basler; Craig Gegorek, Gegorek & Company, P. A.; Oaklawn Jockey Club General Manager Eric Jackson; Kentucky HBPA Executive Director Marty Maline; and National HBPA Secretary/Treasurer and Arkansas HBPA President Bill Walmsley.

HJ 57//'4

Jim McVicker

Bill Walmsley (left) and Eric Jackson

Dr. Kyle Roper Gegorek spoke of the relationship between horsemen, the track, and the purse account, while Basler described the information and reports a horsemen’s group needs to accurately monitor its purse account. Moderator Reeves asserted near the end of the forum, “I don’t understand how regulators regulate this industry without adequate information, and I’ve been promoting

Laura Plato

for years the use of some type of management information system industrywide.”

Friday afternoon, a forum entitled, “Modern Approaches to Successfully Managing Equine Partnerships” was held. The panelists were National HBPA President and Chairman and Commonwealth New Era Racing, LLC Co-Managing Partner Joe Santanna (who also served as the moderator) and equine tax consultant Joseph Pontrella.

Santanna talked about partnerships, while Pontrella talked about syndicates and advantages and disadvantages of different types of businesses.

Pontrella also laid out, in detail, the steps that need to be undertaken for a new equine business to develop and write its business plan. Pontrella stressed, “The most important part of starting a business is a sound business plan that is thoroughly thought out.”

Also on Friday afternoon, the Education Committee presented an “Education and Opportunity on the Backstretch” forum exploring how awareness can be raised about the existing educational and financial aid programs currently available to horsemen and their families. The panel was co-moderated by National HBPA First Vice President and Education Committee Chair and Virginia HBPA President Robin Richards and The Elite Program, Inc. Executive Director Dr. Reid McLellan. Panelists included University of Louisville Equine Industry Program Executive-in-Residence Tim Capps; University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program Associate Coordinator Wendy Davis; Race For Education President and Executive Director Elizabeth Jensen; and Dr. Augusta A. Julian, president/CEO of Bluegrass Community and Technical College.

Each panelist spoke of the opportunities offered by his or her organization or school both in terms of programs and available scholarship dollars.

Those scholarship dollar opportunities include several programs offered by the Race For Education (RFE). One of the newest RFE scholarship additions includes an alliance with the National HBPA in administering the Horseman’s Scholarship Program.

The Horsemen’s Scholarship Program is available to children of horse farm and backstretch employees. Students can pursue any field of study.

Scholarships are for tuition only, up to $6,000 per year, for up to four years for an undergraduate student. Multiple scholarships are awarded each year.

On Saturday morning, the Medication Committee presented a forum entitled “Revisiting the McKinsey Report 20 Years Later,” chaired by National HBPA Medication Committee Chair and Florida HBPA Executive Director Kent Stirling. Panelists brought in to discuss this important report and what has

From left, Mountaineer HBPA Executive Director Maria Catignani, Dr. Tom Tobin, Virginia HBPA President Robin Richards, and Iowa HBPA Secretary/Treasurer Barb Carroll enjoy the races at Oaklawn Park.

happened in the years since its release included: Dr. Steven Barker, MS, Ph.D., Professor, Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Director, Analytical Systems Laboratory, Equine Medication Surveillance Laboratory and The Laboratory for Drug Residue Studies, State Chemist, Louisiana State Racing Commission;

Dr. Rich Harden, Equine Medical Director, Virginia Racing Commission; Dr. Don Shields, Equine Practitioner in Southern California, Founder of Winner’s Circle Ranch, an equine rehabilitation facility, Founder and CEO of Statison Medical; and Dr. Thomas Tobin, Professor, Department of Veterinary Science, Gluck Equine Research Center and Graduate Center for Toxicology, University of Kentucky, and National HBPA Veterinary Advisor. The Jockey Club Executive Vice President and Executive Director Matt Iuliano was invited to speak at the panel but declined.

Twenty years ago, The Jockey Club, with the support of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI), retained McKinsey & Co. to develop a plan for drug detection in the racing industry with three objectives: 1) develop a world class management approach to race animals in the racing industry, 2) help bring about adoption of and compliance with improved medication rules and improved laboratory operation and more effective systems, and 3) indicate levels of funding required over the next five years (from the time of the report) and identify options for sources of funding.

Four primary suggestions came out of the McKinsey & Co. report. They were: 1) establish threshold levels for any substance allowed to be present on race day, 2) carry out appropriate research to develop test methods for additional drugs and set trace levels for therapeutic drugs in training, 3) a consistent system of penalties proportional to the offense should be established based on the categorization of drug groups based on the influence on performance, and 4) drug infraction responsibility should be extended to include trainer, veterinarian, and owner.

Clearly, much of what was suggested by the McKinsey & Co. report has not been implemented to this day. We continue to lack of thresholds for many commonly use medications, and uniform rules and regulations from racing jurisdiction to jurisdiction has not been achieved, nor has uniformity in laboratory operations.

FORMAL RESOLUTION REGARDING ALABAMA HBPA The Full Board of Directors of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, during its Winter Meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas on March 21, 2011, by unanimous consent adopted the following resolution: WHEREAS, the Board has been advised of the results of the recent election of Officers and Directors of the Alabama HBPA that was supervised and certified by Judge William Noble of the Jefferson County, Alabama Circuit Court; and, WHEREAS, the Board wishes to recognize the newly elected slate of Alabama HBPA officers and directors, led by President David Harrington, as the official representatives and proper governing officials of the Alabama HBPA; and, WHEREAS, the Board finally wishes to acknowledge that the Alabama HBPA is the only recognized and proper representative of the Thoroughbred horsemen and women of Alabama.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Full Board of Directors of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association that the new Officers and Directors of the Alabama HBPA, led by President David Harrington, are recognized as the proper and official representatives of Alabama horsemen and women.

Bill Walmsley, Acting Secretary/Treasurer Approved & Confirmed as Adopted: Joe Santanna, President/Chairman WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

FEATURE According to Dr. Barker, the lack of thresholds creates a number of problems that have ultimately hurt the credibility of racing with the public.

He asserted, “What you’re seeing a lot in the racing states now – particularly with those that still cling to the concept of ‘zero tolerance’ – is not regulation of drugs that could potentially be affecting the horse on race day, which is the mandate usually from their state regulatory authority – that they assure the safety of the horse, the safety of the people in the race, and that the betting public is not defrauded – that’s on race day. What they’re doing is regulating what people are doing in training by calling positives on drugs that are used therapeutically and may have been administered a month before, three weeks before, two weeks before, a week before, even 48 hours before, when the pharmacology of the drug is long past and it’s evident from the trace level of the compound or its metabolite in urine or blood that it couldn’t possibly have had an effect on the horse. But the states that will continue to call positives on that because the lab believes that if they find anything, they have to report it, and the commission believes anything that’s reported should be prosecuted.

This continues to damage this industry. It makes it look like there’s a lot more drug abuse and use going on that is illegal than is truly happening.”

The final speaker panel of the convention was one that covered a number of topics hosted by the Benefit Providers Committee. Moderated by Kentucky Racing Health & Welfare Fund, Inc. Executive Director and committee cochair Richard Riedel, speakers included: Race For Education President and Executive Director Elizabeth Jensen; Physician and Arkansas HBPA Medical Clinic Director, Dr. R. Kyle Roper; Horseman Labor Solutions Owner Will Velie; National HBPA Deputy General Counsel Peter Ecabert; and Reidel.

Roper described how to successfully run a medical clinic and set necessary guidelines for success. He also detailed how much having a medical clinic has saved the Arkansas HBPA in benevolence since many of its members no longer go to the emergency room for non-emergency issues.

Velie gave an update on the continually changing immigration regulations and enforcement policies. He stressed how important it is for all employers to get and keep their I-9s in order.

Jensen spoke about the Horsemen’s Scholarship program offered by Race For Education (RFE), and Riedel talked about how to put on a “practically free health fair.” Ecabert spoke on IRS and legal issues, including the possible impact of the health care act that was past in 2010.

Meetings on Saturday were followed by a free afternoon that most convention attendees used to go enjoy Rebel Stakes Day at Oaklawn Park. That evening, attendees were treated to a tremendous time at the Arkansas HBPA’s Annual Dinner Dance at the Embassy Suites ballroom.

More meetings followed on Sunday morning, including the Executive Committee meeting. Sunday afternoon was an officially sponsored (by the Oaklawn Jockey Club) day at the races at Oaklawn Park.

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HJ 57//'4

3 MONTH RENTALS

The convention wrapped on Monday, March 21 with the meeting of the National HBPA’s full board of directors. Among the actions taken at the board meeting were: % A resolution was passed to recognize the winners of the recent Alabama HBPA election as the proper and official representatives of horsemen and women in Alabama (see page 37). % Approve a new affiliate dues structure for 2012 % Direct National HBPA President and Chairman Joe Santanna and CEO Remi Bellocq to serve as initial board members on the CHRIMS Pari-Mutuel Credit Union % Authorize President Santanna to move forward with formalizing the National HBPA’s 2011 membership contract with the NTRA management team for the HBPA affiliates The National HBPA’s 2011 Summer Convention will be hosted by the Washington HBPA and held at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel in downtown Seattle from July 21-24. More details are available at the National HBPA website (www.nationalhbpa.com).

THANKS TO SPONSORS The National HBPA would like the than the following sponsors that supported the 2011 Winter Convention:

NATIONAL SPONSORS: Big Dee’s Tack & Vet Supplies Equineline.com Horseman Labor Solutions

CONVENTION SPONSORS: Arkansas HBPA Dr. Earl Bellamy Family Daily Racing Form Florida HBPA Haynes Family Dental Iowa HBPA

ITHA Kentucky HBPA Michigan HBPA Oaklawn Park Oklahoma HBPA Pennsylvania HBPA Tampa Bay HBPA Tim Parker Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Dr. Robert Tucker, D.D.S. Woodall Insurance

ON THE

MOVE Please send all address changes either by e-mail to: hj@hbpa.org Or by mail to: The Horsemen’s Journal, P.O. Box 911170, Lexington, KY 40591-1170

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FEATURE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PROPOSES SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO

H-2B TEMPORARY WORKER PROGRAMS CHANGES COULD MAKE H-2B PROGRAM UNWORKABLE FOR AMERICAN BUSINESSES

By Will Velie & Craig McDougal It’s like déjà vu all over again. Just as horsemen have adjusted as well as they can to the significant program changes in H-2B visas that were implemented in 2009 by the United States Department of Labor (USDOL), a new wholesale overhaul of H-2B regulations has been proposed by USDOL. The proposed regulations will not only eliminate many improvements of the 2009 regulations changed, but it will also add several provisions that will increase costs and complexities to an already complicated program.

Horsemen need help to meet the labor challenges of a difficult business.

The long hours, rigorous work, and traveling lifestyle of the horse racing industry appeal to only unique personalities. Unfortunately, as our country has become more urban and prosperous, many Americans are just not interested in taking a job working with large, spirited, sometimes dangerous animals—a job that starts at four a.m. where you may work seven days a week; a job that may involve traveling several times a year to tracks throughout the United States.

In response to this problem, Congress devised the H-2B temporary work visa program to meet the recurring labor needs of uniquely situated business owners such as horsemen. The H-2B program is designed to provide labor for businesses while both protecting the interests of American workers and preventing the mistreatment of international workers.

The changes that were made to the program in 2009 were designed to streamline the bureaucratically intense nature of the program by eliminating the role of one of the four agencies involved in the program’s administration.

The new proposed regulations will reverse the streamlining provisions of the 2009 changes and add substantially involved provisions to the program.

Before this article addresses, in detail, the provisions of the proposed changes, it is important to point out that the proposed changes to the H-2B program are proposed. It is not too late to convince USDOL that the program changes are unnecessary and will cause more harm than good. In 2006, USDOL rescinded proposed regulations in response to negative reaction from the business community.

National HBPA CEO Remi Bellocq, Peggy Hendershot from the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), and Jay Hickey from the American Horse Council (AHC) have all been working very closely with the H-2B coalition representing the horsemen in pushing for reconsideration of the proposed regulations. All of them can be contacted through their websites: HJ 57//'4

www.nationalhbpa.com, www.ntra.com, and www.horsecouncil.org, respectively. Of course, you can also contact your local Congressional Representative or Senator directly. Their contact information is located at http://www.contactingthecongress.org/.

The proposed provisions that will affect horsemen and other businesses are summarized below:

1. INCREASED WAGES – The USDOL has adopted a new method of calculating the minimum rate of pay that an employer must pay an H-2B worker in order to take part in the program. In most cases, the net effect will raise wages. The rule states that an H-2B worker or similarly employed American worker must be paid “the arithmetic mean wage rate based on a wage survey for an occupation in an area of intended employment.” This will have the effect that a person must be paid a particular wage regardless of his or her experience level, and a beginning worker will have to be paid the average wage that includes individuals with years of experience.

2. ALL WORKERS WITH SIMILAR DUTIES MUST BE TREATED THE SAME – This provision, on its face, seems to make sense initially.

However, if you pick apart the effects of the rule, it soon becomes obvious that this rule is unworkable. The rule states that if two individuals share some job duties, then they must be paid and given the same benefits. This means that an entry-level groom and your highest-level supervisor must be treated the same if they share any of the same job duties. As the H-2B Coalition states, “This rule called the ‘corresponding employment requirement,’ when combined with the prevailing wage rule and the three-fourths guarantee (discussed below), will result in mandatory payment of artificially high wages to the majority, if not all, of an employer’s workforce. This requirement takes away an employer’s flexibility regarding its workforce.” To avoid this draconian result, an employer will be forced to monitor its employees and ensure they remain within the confines of their job description. A further illustration of the difficulty this rule presents is when it is combined with the new requirement to pay all travel and subsistence costs the H-2B worker incurs when he or she is reporting to the job. Under the corresponding employment requirement, an employer transferring operations from Churchill Downs in Kentucky to Gulfstream in Florida for the winter would

have to pay travel costs for a worker even if the worker was just hired. The worker could quit the day he arrived in Florida and essentially have received a free all-expenses-paid ride to Florida for the winter.

3. EMPLOYER MUST PAY THREE-QUARTERS OF THE VISA PERIOD – A third provision of the proposed regulation changes is that an employer must pay three-quarters of the wages for the period granted in the visa request. The effect of this is that if there is a work slowdown and the employer is forced to terminate positions of the H-2B worker or Americans in corresponding positions, the employer must pay the wages to the terminated workers for three-quarters of the visa period. An example of the difficulties that could confront a trainer in this scenario is if a horse owner pulled his horses from the trainer unexpectedly, the trainer could not simply adjust to the change by eliminating some positions. Instead, the employer would have to pay the terminated workers three-quarters of the wages for the entire visa period – whether or not the workers are H-2B or American citizens.

4. REQUIRE THE HIRING OF INTERESTED AMERICAN WORKERS TO THE DAY THAT H-2B WORKER ARRIVES – Under current regulations, an employer must hire any interested American during a mandated recruitment period. Once the recruitment period is over, the employer is allocated whatever number of spots the employer requested minus any hired Americans. Under proposed regulations, the recruitment period will not end until the date the H-2B workers arrive for work. The problem is that a period of more than one month can go by from the time that the recruitment period ends, the immigration process is approved, the workers are given interviews at the consulate, and the workers arrive at work. During this time, the employer is spending money on travel and housing arrangements. Under proposed regulations, an American worker can apply for the job one day before the H-2B worker arrives, and the H-2B visa will be cancelled. Any money that the employer spent on housing and travel expenses will be wasted. To compound injury with insult, the American worker can quit anytime thereafter and you cannot recover the approved visa spot that was taken away from the H-2B worker when the American applied.

This is a brief summary of a complicated and lengthy proposed federal regulation. All horsemen agree that our first priority is to seek and hire interested Americans who want to work in the horse industry. Horsemen also do not seek to treat H-2B workers unfairly. The industry recognizes the need for strong regulations that protect Americans and international workers.

However, the program must be one that can be navigated to ensure a steady supply of international horsemen who can fill in the gaps where American labor falls short in meeting chronically understaffed positions. Without the international horsemen to fill these jobs, many high paying skilled American positions will not be able to exist. Simply put, without grooms there can be no trainers.

The National HBPA, AHC, and NTRA are vigorously advocating for the industry to retain a workable H-2B system. Congressional representatives, however, need direct pressure and communication from individual constituents. Tell your Congressional representative to ensure that the H-2B program remains workable for horsemen while protecting the rights of American and international workers.

Will Velie and Craig McDougal are attorneys experienced in immigration matters who represent Horseman Labor Solutions, an immigration services company that represents horseman throughout the United States in immigration matters. Horseman Labor Solutions, a sponsor of the National HBPA, can be reached online at www.horsemanlabor.com or by phone at 1-877-678-RACE.

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Saturday, July 9, 2011 WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

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HJ 57//'4

FEATURE

CAN YOU

HEAR ME NOW Richard E. Glover, Jr.

By Melissa Sykes

THEY SAY THAT THE EYES ARE THE WINDOWS TO THE SOUL. HOWEVER, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT A HORSE IS THINKING, DO NOT LOOK IN HIS EYES – LOOK AT HIS EARS. An example of a horse with its ears pinned.

To better understand how these “mood indicators” can be interpreted, a brief anatomy lesson is in order. The horse, like humans, has binaural hearing: he can hear more than one sound at a time. However, the equine has a larger range of hearing than a human’s. The normal person can hear sounds up to 18 – 20 kilohertz, while the horse is capable of detecting noise up to 35 kilohertz.

To put this in perspective, the average amplifier will broadcast at 20 kilohertz.

Although the horse can hear higher pitched sounds than we can, his hearing does not come close to that of the average dog.

The horse’s external ear is called the Pinnae. Cone-like in shape, it allows the horse to better focus on a sound. In the human ear, there are three muscles which are basically useless as very few of us can move our outer ear. However, the equine ear is comprised of ten muscles. Horses are able to rotate their ears, independent of each other, approximately 180 degrees. However, even with this heightened range of motion and the ability to hear higher pitched sounds, the equine has a difficult time determining exactly where a noise originates.

This is where their sense of sight takes over. For instance, a grazing horse may suddenly lift its head, ears pricked – he’s heard an unfamiliar or threatening sound and is attempting to pinpoint its location.

Ronnie Ford specializes in natural horsemanship and has found a lucrative niche working with “problem” horses. After over 40 years of training horses, Ford has learned to “read” a horse’s body language so well it is as if they are having a conversation.

“There are really just five equine ear positions,” Ford explained. “Pricked forward; cocked to the left; cocked to the right; facing rear; and flat back on the neck. The ear position shows you where that animal’s attention is focused.”

A horse on the lead coming down the stretch in a race may have his ears pricked forward. “He’s looking ahead – paying attention to what’s ahead of him and may be enjoying running,” according to Jennifer Williams, Ph.D., and an equine behaviorist.

That same horse with his ears pointed backwards is paying attention to what is going on behind him. Williams explained, “So for a racehorse, that would be the horses behind him.”

One of the most dangerous animals, according to Ford, is a horse that is head shy.

“A horse that won’t give you his head can hurt you trying to get away.”

There are any number of circumstances that could lead to head shyness.

Abuse usually comes to mind, but Ford points out that a lot of horses “just

don’t want you to touch their face, and in other cases it’s the human chasing that head that has caused the problem.”

The 61-year-old trainer described “chasing the head” as following the head when trying to halter or bridle the animal. The goal, said Ford, is for that horse to put his head where the handler wants it. Depending on how much resistance the horse offers, this behavior can be remedied in one training session or after months of work. However, sometimes it is something that may never change.

Another dangerous situation is when the horse presents with his ears flat on his neck. “Flat back is aggressive,” explained Dr. Melissa Bain, Assistant Professor, Companion Animal Behavior Service, at University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

“Many people will continue to approach a horse that has his ears pinned,” explained Ford. “But when a horse does this, it tells me that he needs to be somewhere else – not next to me.”

Often the person approaching the horse will say that the horse is just “bluffing,” and, maybe, nothing happens the first time or two those ears are back.

“But there will come a time when that person gets hurt,” Ford said. “And they always act surprised. But you know what? That horse was telling him from the very beginning that it was going to get physical.”

SOUND FILTERS Thoroughbreds have been bred and conditioned over generations to perform at their optimum on a “stage,” complete with a loud live audience.

Some animals thrive on the roaring of the crowd as they arrive on the track.

Others become “sense overloaded” and confused, causing them to lose focus and become nervous.

Trainers in all disciplines have found that sometimes a horse just needs a filter. It needs something to help buffer all that stimuli and bring its focus back to the task at hand.

Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg ran into this situation with Gate Dancer. The son of Sovereign Dancer had a penchant for lugging in coming down the stretch.

“We thought he was listening to the crowd when turning for home,” Van Berg explained.

Van Berg designed a set of earmuffs – a white hood over the ears with WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

Horsephotos.com

2006 Horse of the Year Invasor (Arg) has his ears noticeably pricked while racing to the finish line first in the 2007 Dubai World Cup.

Horsephotos.com/NTRA

Horsephotos.com/NTRA

foam inside – for the colt.

According to Van Berg, “I put the ear muffs on him for the Preakness and every race after that. In the paddock, once you put those earmuffs on, he was just as calm as could be. He loved those things. Everyone is using them now.”

Gate Dancer went on to win the Preakness Stakes (Gr. I) and Super Derby (Gr. I). He ran second in the inaugural running of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (Gr. I) (but was placed third for interference) and earned $2.5 million sporting that white hood.

The great Zenyatta raced with cotton stuffed in her ears – something she even sported back at the barn.

With urban development encroaching on racetracks, big city noises become the norm. However, even horses that are used to noise may startle at the sudden sound of a siren or airplane.

“Often, if it’s very windy, a horse can’t discern what he’s hearing,” said Ford. “That wind blowing in his ears may cause him to become more alert or even spook.”

“More alert” is what harness racing drivers are looking for when they use a piece of equipment called pop outs.

“These are pop out earplugs,” explained Ellen Harvey, Director of Harness Racing Communications with the United States Trotting Association (USTA).

“They are attached to a cable along the side of the sulky, and drivers can use their foot to pop them out when/if they think it’s needed.”

Todd Schrupp, TVG on-air racing analyst, believes that pop outs can contribute to the performance of the harness racer. He asserted, “There is no doubt ear plugs make a big difference in Standardbred racing. You can watch an equine athlete take off once the ear plugs are pulled during a race and they feel the rush of wind in their ears.”

According to Harvey, pop outs are generally listed on the horse’s equipment card that is recorded in the paddock before the race.

Even though earplugs are considered “equipment” in harness racing, this information is not disclosed to the betting public in the U.S. “I can’t say as I recall ever having seen it reported as an equipment change/addition to the betting public, such as blinkers, etc.,” Harvey said.

In Thoroughbred racing, there is no disclosure regarding the use of cotton in the ears, earplugs, or hoods.

“Overall, I think Thoroughbred horse racing needs to do a better job of informing the public about equipment changes that fall outside of the traditional categories of blinkers, front bandages, etc.,” commented Schrupp.

“However, ear plugs or cotton in the ears would not be one of the equipment changes or additions bettors and handicappers would care about. I don’t believe this type of equipment in Thoroughbred racing has as significant of an effect on a horse’s performance (as in harness racing).”

However, the Japanese Racing Association bans the use of earplugs in race competition. Use of hoods is allowed, but it is not disclosed to fans as long as the hoods are not equipped with blinkers.

In Hong Kong, horse racing is very serious business for the bettors.

Every little detail is provided to the public. Included in the potential equipment list are: blinkers; blinkers with one cowl only; ear plugs; hood; pacifier; pacifier with cowls; shadow roll; side winkers; tongue tie; visor; sheepskin browband; cornell collar; and crossed nose band. All equipment must be worn by a horse for racing in Hong Kong approved by the stewards and the veterinary office.

Further, “Ear plugs shall not be used by horses wearing a hood.”

U.S. trainers may feel that this is a long laundry list that has no bearing on what the public needs to know to handicap a race. However, with Hong Kong wagering averages $124 million per race day, that country could be providing a service into which the U.S. market may want to look.

Gate Dancer and Zenyatta both proved that having a buffer from the noise of the crowd helped their performances. Racing needs fans – fans that bet.

The more handicapping information that is available to a fan, the more likely he or she will place that bet. It is working in Hong Kong.

You can see cotton in the ear of Zenyatta (outside with white shadow roll) in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

HJ 57//'4

Gate Dancer (outside in green silks) wearing his specially designed hood with earmuffs in the 1984 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

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Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion or policy of the publisher or National HBPA board or staff.

#.#$#/# *$2#

#4-#05#5 *$2#

MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT DR. DAVID HARRINGTON I would like to thank the affiliates, officers, and chairman of the National HBPA for the warm welcome I received in Hot Springs, Arkansas at the National HBPA’s winter convention and for their support of the horsemen and horsewomen in Alabama. The resolution from the National HBPA recognizing the Alabama HBPA as an affiliate persuaded the Birmingham Racing Commission to recognize the newly elected officers and president as the horsemen’s representative.

The Alabama HBPA is continuing to pursue the return of live racing to Alabama. In Alabama, there are four tracks that simulcast Thoroughbred racing into their facilities and conduct pari-mutuel wagering on those races. As of today, none of the facilities have a contract with the Alabama HBPA, the horsemen’s representative in Alabama. One of the facilities handled $32.46 million in 2010 on horse simulcasting alone, and yet the Alabama HBPA has not received any payment since October of 2010.

In other news, we have 19 nominations for the Magic City Classic, a stakes race for Alabama-bred three year olds and up. The race will be contested at a mile and will be held at Evangeline Downs on May 28.

OAKLAWN PARK CONCLUDES 2011 SEASON BEATING NATIONAL TRENDS Highlighted by an Arkansas Derby (G1) day that attracted 62,364 fans and $11,414,504 in total wagers, Oaklawn Park concluded its 2011 live racing season on April 16 with increases in average handle and average attendance, and the highest daily average purse distribution in the track’s history.

The average daily on-track handle increased just over one percent to $825,341 in 2011 from $816,570; and the average daily attendance grew three percent to 11,649 from 11,346 thanks in large part to the exceptionally large crowds for Presidents’ Day (25,237), Rebel Stakes Day (34,968) and Arkansas Derby Day (62,364). Total attendance for the season was 570,821.

Because of a record eight weather cancellations in the first 18 planned racing days, there were slight declines in total handle on Oaklawn races compared to 2010. All-source handle on Oaklawn races averaged $3,094,711, a three percent decline from 2010, when the average was $3,199,172. Average handle on racing in the building (on Oaklawn races and import simulcast racing) was virtually even this year compared to last - $1,039,573 to $1,047,586.

“Considering the challenges we faced at the beginning, we are extremely pleased with the results of our live meet,” said David Longinotti, assistant general manager of racing. “The national trend has tracks averaging ten percent declines or greater, and we were well below that. We are also among a handful of tracks that can boast regular crowds of 20,000-plus fans. As a matter of fact, our attendance on Arkansas Derby Day and Rebel Day rank as the two largest on-track crowds to attend a racing day in the nation up to this point.

That’s something that makes us extremely proud.”

Oaklawn Park had been scheduled for 56 days in 2011, but it ultimately raced 49 after the eight cancellations and the addition of Wednesday, April 13.

The track had been scheduled for 54 days in 2010, but it lost three full cards and one partial card due to weather.

The season was also highlighted by three purse increases and the extension of the popular end-of-season participation purse bonus, from the final two weeks to the final three weeks of racing. Preliminary estimates put average daily purses at an all-time high of approximately $340,000.

“We are particularly proud of our Arkansas Derby Day. We congratulate the connections of Archarcharch - owner Robert Yagos, trainer Jinks Fires and jockey Jon Court - and look forward to following him and runner-up Nehro through the Triple Crown. It was especially nice to see Arkansans that have been such strong supporters of Oaklawn Park win our biggest race.”

Oaklawn Park will resume live racing on January 13, 2012 for a 56-day meet that will conclude on April 14, 2012.

#4+<10# *$2# YAVAPAI Yavapai is gearing up for opening day on Saturday May 28. Horses are moving in every day, while crews continue to work on preparations for the big day.

Yavapai will be starting this season with a new management team under the direction of Bill Murphy, General Manager Mike Mullaney, Racing Secretary Fred Hutton, and Announcer Craig Braddick. We welcome the new team and employees and look forward to a good summer meet.

The Arizona HBPA will again have an office at Yavapai Downs. The office will be open on Saturday, June 4 and will be open on live race days from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The office phone is (928) 775-8010, and the cell phone is (602) 920-6996.

We look forward to seeing you at the Downs and a great summer.

TURF PARADISE On Thursday, March 31, the Arizona HBPA and chaplaincy hosted a horsemen’s barbeque, with guest speaker Pat Day. Gospel musical groups from around the valley performed. The event was well attended, and we served over 350 people.

The Turf Paradise racing season ended on Sunday, May 8 with a big Mother’s Day celebration. It was the first time anyone can remember that the Hasta La Vista was not run due to lack of entries; it just was not the same.

Leaders of the meet were: Owner: Miguel Silva Trainer: Michael Chambers Jockey: Ry Eikleberry PROMOTING RACINO BILL The Arizona HBPA is still diligently working to promote a racino bill to help Arizona Racing.

HJ 57//'4

TERRY WALLACE NAMED ARKANSAS HBPA MAN OF THE YEAR AT ANNUAL DINNER DANCE Terry Wallace, the voice of Arkansas horse racing since 1975, was honored at the Arkansas HBPA’s annual dinner dance on March 19 with the Arkansas HBPA’s Man of the Year Award for 2011. The dinner dance was held in conjunction with the National HBPA’s winter convention, which was hosted by the Arkansas HBPA at the Embassy Suites Hotel & Spa in Hot Springs from March 17-21. The event also featured a tribute to 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta, a two-time winner at Oaklawn, via a video produced by Oaklawn Park.

Wallace called 20,191 consecutive races at Oaklawn, where he took over as announcer February 7, 1985. His streak ended on January 28 when he took

Coady Photography

NEWS

DR. KYLE ROPER ADDRESSES NATIONAL HBPA CONVENTION Dr. R. Kyle Roper, a general/family practice physician in Hot Springs, Arkansas and the director of the Arkansas HPBA’s medical clinic at Oaklawn Park, addressed attendees on March 19 at the National HBPA winter convention about efficiently running a medical clinic at a racetrack. His presentation, which generated a good deal of interest among attendees, was part of the Benefit Providers Committee meeting at the convention.

Dr. Roper, who has directed the Arkansas HBPA Medical Clinic for nine years, described how the institution of an on-site medical clinic at Oaklawn Park has resulted in a dramatic decrease in medical expenses. He noted that a big reason for the savings is that a much smaller number of horsemen and women visit the local emergency room since they can now get non-emergency conditions examined and treated at Oaklawn’s on-site clinic. Roper also noted that the clinic does not see worker’s comp patients because Arkansas law demands that all trainers provide worker’s comp insurance on their employees.

According to Dr. Roper, he currently sees between 400 and 500 patients per race meet (Oaklawn’s annual race meet is approximately four months long).

He said the biggest expense currently is prescription drugs for patients, which tend to run between $15,000 and $20,000 per month.

One thing Dr. Roper stressed was the need for all patients to sign a protocol document, and he made an example available for attendees to see the details of such a document in case they wanted to make a similar one for a health clinic in their racing jurisdiction.

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a one-race break to watch his very first Oaklawn race among the fans on the apron.

Wallace is said to have the “most recognizable voice in Arkansas” and has been honored by various Arkansas governors, including eventual President Bill Clinton.

“You are something special like Zenyatta—a once in a lifetime,” Arkansas HBPA president Bill Walmsley said during the presentation. “We want you to know how much we revere what you’ve done for racing at Oaklawn Park and for the state of Arkansas.”

“You’re a special person,” former Arkansas HBPA president Dr. Earl Bellamy told Wallace, who is involved in various charitable causes in the Hot Springs area. “You’ve done a marvelous job all these years.”

For years, Wallace headed the media relations department at Oaklawn.

He later became a member of the senior management team while calling races.

Aside from his work at Oaklawn, Wallace is well-known as the voice of defunct Aksarben racetrack in Omaha, Nebraska.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CONNECTIONS OF ARKANSAS DERBY WINNER ARCHARCHARCH The Arkansas HBPA would like to extend its heartiest congratulations to the connections of Arkansas Derby (Gr. I) winner Archarcharch. Owned by Robert and Loval Yagos of Jacksonville, Arkansas, the colt was trained by William “Jinks” Fires, a mainstay in the Oaklawn and Churchill Downs training ranks over the last several decades. He was ridden by Jon Court, who has previously won the riding title at Oaklawn Park.

Likewise, our heart goes out to the same connections on the injury of their promising and talented colt during the running of the Kentucky Derby (Gr. I).

Our hope is that his recovery from surgery is smooth and he goes on to be a successful stallion. *$2# 1( $4+6+5* %1.7/$+# HORSE RACING FEELS LOSS OF THE INCOMPARABLE BRYANT MCAFEE With great sadness, we observe the passing of our longtime secretary-treasurer, Bryant McAfee. Bryant served the racing community, locally and nationally, for 40 years.

He loved racing, and he spent much of his life helping people who felt the same way.

Bryant owned horses for many years and had some that could run, notably Professor Moriarty and Seminole Brave, and some others that might have been a step slower. Regardless of the outcome, he relished being in the race.

While serving as secretary-treasurer of the HBPA of British Columbia, Bryant was instrumental in establishing most of the programs that have benefited our members over the years. Dental care, scholarships, benevolence to help good people get through bad times – they were all important to him; but it was the Winner’s Foundation and helping others deal with substance abuse that was particularly close to his heart.

Bryant knew a demon or two in his time, but none that he did not overcome. That knowledge and experience led him to devote enormous time and effort to helping others win their battles with addiction. There are many people, at the track and elsewhere, who owe their normal and productive lives to the fact that Bryant McAfee understood their struggles and cared.

Bryant attended King Edward High School, where he excelled academically and as an athlete in basketball, baseball and football. He also made lifelong friends there as 60 years later he was still getting together with his former teammates for lunch.

Accounting school and a degree followed. After graduation, he established a career and was designated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC as a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA). Over time, he built a large accounting firm that he subsequently sold. After selling his company, Bryant moved his life full-time to the track and, despite retiring from the HBPA in 2010, he never really left.

Bryant went into the hospital for a procedure that was delayed several times due to complications. A number of people talked to and visited with him during that time, and all reported that he was upbeat and looking forward to the season. His longtime friend and horse partner, Michael Bye, visited with him the day before he passed. They talked for more than an hour in a conversation that was always pointed toward the future. A two-year old they mutually owned had just worked for the first time, and Bryant was eager for the details.

“And how did he gallop out,” Bryant wanted to know? Well friends, Bryant McAfee galloped out while looking down the track and thinking about races to come. May we all do the same.

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Bryant is survived by Ethel, his wife of 55 years, as well as three children, Bob, Lynn, and Susan, and two grand children, Scott and Madeline. %*#4.'5 6190 *$2# WEST VIRGINIA THOROUGHBRED RULES OF RACING The revised West Virginia Thoroughbred Rules of Racing will become effective on July 10, 2011. This was no easy task, and a great deal of appreciation goes out to all of the committee members who worked so hard – especially to our executive director, Lenny Hale.

Some of the highlights include: revised Lasix administration rules similar to Maryland, threshold levels for therapeutic medications, double loading of the starting gate, and guidelines for penalties in medication overages.

ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY Tom Witt of West Virginia University has been engaged to do an updated economic impact study of racing in West Virginia. We hope this will be an aid to legislators to define the true facts. We have to start a public relations campaign to offset the propaganda, lies, half-truths, and innuendos being fed to the state legislators, which would lead to reduced purses.

LITIGATION The Supreme Court of West Virginia has agreed to hear the case involving the exclusions by the racetrack of permit holders without the right of a hearing by the Racing Commission. The track says it is private property, but the Racing Commission says it has jurisdiction as the regulatory agency of the state. The tracks/racinos licensed by the state to run a racetrack and a casino cannot tell the Commission that a permitee licensed by the state cannot run his or her horses at Charles Town.

We must win this case for the good of horsemen and women countrywide, and that is why we appealed to all HBPA affiliates for financial assistance for the legal fees.

EASTER PARTY The Charles Town HBPA sponsored the chaplain’s Easter Party held at the Zion Episcopal Church. Approximately 50 children were in attendance to enjoy pizza and games, and each received an Easter basket full of chocolate goodies.

The finale was a piñata.

GOOD NEWS April 16, 201l - The Charles Town $1 Million Classic Night: jockey Travis Dunkelberger aboard Immortal Eyes set a new track record going 4 1/2 furlongs in :50.09. Immortal Eyes is owned by Robert Abbo Racing Stable, LLC and trained by Dilodovico Damon.

April 23, 2011 - Jeff Runco, a Charles Town-based trainer, won his 3,000th race with the horse Sweet Halucination, owned by Lewis James and ridden by Gilberto Santiago.

May 7, 2011 - Jockey J. D. Acosta, won his 2,000th race aboard Way Point, owned and trained by Lee Couchenour.

Congratulations to all. (.14+&# *2$# THE LION OF WINTER SIMULCASTING ROARS LOUDER THAN EVER!

By Kent Stirling, Executive Director

HJ 57//'4

Eleven years ago, some local writers were complaining in print about how badly the Gulfstream signal had declined in quality. They were inferring that Santa Anita, Oaklawn Park, and the Fair Grounds had far superior signals on which to wager. I wasn’t convinced that was true, but I wasn’t sure that it wasn’t. So I decided to find out.

I took the InterState Wagering (ISW) figures from the five principal winter tracks, or those tracks that had the highest ISW handle numbers as found in the Daily Racing Form’s Simulcast Weekly. I perceptively concluded that the highest total wagered per race on any particular signal would lead me to the track with the best quality of racing. At that time, those five tracks were Aqueduct, Fair Grounds, Gulfstream Park, Oaklawn Park, and Santa Anita.

I totaled all the races run on a particular day of the week and divided that total into the total ISW handle for those specific days during the length of this study. If only one track operated on a particular day, then I did not include that information in my study. I began the study on Gulfstream’s opening day and continued on until all the major three-year-old derbies had been run, so this year the study began on January 5 and concluded on April 17, the Sunday after the running of the Arkansas Derby – a period of 77 race days.

The rules changed slightly from time to time, but there were no significant changes that would favor one track over another, except once. There was a year when Santa Anita actually edged out Gulfstream on published handle numbers, but at the time, Flor-I-Duh hadn’t figured out how to use net pool pricing. So when I added in those separate pool figures, mainly from Canada, Gulfstream again came out on top again.

Net pool pricing allowed Canadian and U.S. wagering pools to merge, taking into account the different exchange rates. Florida was the last state to utilize net pool pricing after being the first state offered it.

You may ask how I am able to change rules that might favor one track over another. I guess I failed to mention that I am, and have been, the selfappointed Czar of Winter Simulcasting for all 11 years.

At the beginning of this study in 2000, Gulfstream was the dominant signal, with the Fair Grounds finishing second. In the next few years, the Fair Grounds’ simulcast numbers started dropping precipitously, and it never finished higher than fourth again. Then Churchill bought it, and all numbers were kept secret, the CDI policy unless they are terrific (i.e. the Derby, Oaks, and Friday nights at Churchill). So for the next seven or eight years, it was Santa Anita or Aqueduct finishing second to Gulfstream. Most years, it was a Stronach perfecta, but Aqueduct did nip Frank’s junior track on a couple of occasions, much like it did this year.

With the Fair Grounds no longer playing nice, I had to find the next most dominant signal to complete my “Big Five,” which I determined to be Tampa Bay Downs. When I first started including Tampa Bay Downs, it was barely able to top Oaklawn’s handle numbers. I still don’t understand why Oaklawn is always at the bottom of this chart because it has major league racing. In any event, Tampa has improved every year to where it is a threat to both Santa Anita and Aqueduct in the race for second place.

The accompanying chart shows that Gulfstream was the dominant signal wagered on every day of the week. Its dominance was even greater this year than last. Its total average wagering for all races studied was over 48 percent more than the next closest track, which was Aqueduct. Last year, Gulfstream’s total wagering was 37 percent greater than the next closest track, which was Santa Anita.

In looking at this chart, one can observe two interesting facts. First, racing is now pretty much a four-day a week sport, Thursday through Sunday, with Saturday the clear standout day. Second, Sunday is no longer always the

NEWS

Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Avg/Race

2011 AVERAGE WINTER INTERSTATE WAGERING PER RACE JANUARY 5 TO APRIL 17, 2011 GULFSTREAM OAKLAWN SANTA ANITA

AFFILIATE

AQUEDUCT

TAMPA BAY

Races

Avg/Race

Races

Avg/Race

Races

Avg/Race

Races

Avg/Race

Races

Avg/Race

18 108 99 117 140 126 608

370,473 339,755 389,940 384,235 627,400 443,467 445,123

18 126 137 146 164 162 753

524,649 470,637 545,236 601,619 926,348 698,163 660,103

19 11 100 109 133 118 490

227,934 173,563 211,586 194,054 307,707 183,973 226,907

18 8 120 120 146 135 547

377,527 249,417 322,785 327,155 493,596 385,832 385,623

0 150 80 157 170 158 715

0 310,840 327,918 364,893 498,936 358,780 379,936

second most productive day of the week as both Thursday and particularly Friday have closed the gap or passed Sunday, in some instances.

This year, Gulfstream decided to pump up its Sundays and went as far as to move the Florida Derby from Saturday to Sunday. This seemed a questionable move at the time, but it actually increased per-race Sunday wagering by over $100,000. Last year, Gulfstreamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s average per-race handle was 24 percent higher than that of Santa Anita, which was second best. This year, Gulfstreamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s handle was over 56 percent higher than second place Aqueductâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

Gulfstreamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emphasis on Sunday barely hurt its Saturday handle, which declined only $11,000 per race. Even with that slight decline, its Saturday handle still was 47.8 percent higher than Aqueductâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, very similar to last year when Gulfstream was 47.1 percent higher than Aqueduct, also that yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s runner-up.

By the way, I no longer see or hear local sportswriters complaining about the quality of Gulfstream Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s racing.

The Gulfstream simulcast signal out of state was also impressive. It is sometimes hard to be impressive when you have had the number one winter simulcast signal for at least the last 11 years. This year, Gulfstreamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ISW (InterState Wagering) handle was up 7.7 percent over last year, and when adjusted for number of races run, it was still up over 3.5 percent.

However, all the news is not cheery. Wagering within the state of Florida has been significantly down the last three or four years because of the economic downturn. The Gulfstream signal was down 1.4 percent on Intra-Track Wagering (ITW), and when adjusted for races run, it was actually down 5.3 percent from 2010. The full-card simulcasting, or those wagers placed on out-of-state races sent through Gulfstream into the State of Florida, or ITW land, was down about 25 percent compared to last year. That number not only reflects the economy, but more so reflects Tampa Bay Downs, which runs at the same time as Gulfstream, selling out of-state-signals for a much lower fee. Therefore, most Jai Alai, harness, and dog tracks buy the out-of-state signals such as New York, Kentucky, etc. through Tampa and not Gulfstream.

GULFSTREAM HAS IMPRESSIVE RACE MEET Gulfstream had yet another good meet in 2011; maybe great when compared to what was going on at other tracks around the country. Overnight purses paid were up from $221,540 to $271,553, or in excess of $50,013 per day over 2010, a 22.5 percent increase. Total average purses paid was $383,979, up $61,613 per day over 2010â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $322,356, or up over 19 percent.

Starters per race increased from last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s excellent 9.32 to an amazing 9.52 this year.

Gulfstreamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s large turf course was utilized more than ever as 67 more races were run over the grass than last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 271. This total of 338 grass races was a Gulfstream Park record.

One might say these were nice numbers, but most were because of Gulfstreamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 858 slot machines. Then one would expect that Calderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1,221 slot machines would produce similar results. The reason one does not see purses increase at Calder similar to Gulfstream is quite simple â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Calderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pari-mutuel handle keeps going down by double digits, like most other tracks around the country. All that extra slot revenue just fills in the void resulting from the declining purse revenue from pari-mutuel handle.

So letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look at Gulfstreamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2011 pari-mutuel handle numbers. On-track wagering on Gulfstreamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s live races was up 13.1 percent. However, to be fair about it, Gulfstream ran 31 more races this year than last, so if you adjust for the increased number of races run, it would still be up over nine percent from last year. This would be the third consecutive year that live handle has increased. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not aware of another track that can state that.

Wagering on other tracks was down about six percent again, indicating that Gulfstreamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s live racing was even better when compared to the other tracks available to wager on than it was in a similar comparison last year.

Total on-track wagering (live and simulcast) was up over 4.6 percent higher than 2010.

SAMMY GORDON ELECTED FLORIDA HBPA PRESIDENT FOR SEVENTH TERM BY ACCLAMATION On March 24, the Board of Directors of the Florida HBPA met at Gulfstream Park to seat its new Board Members and elect its officers for the next year. Seated as Owner Directors to three-year terms were Sammy Gordon and newcomers Kathy Davey and Gene Stevens. Seated as Trainer Directors to three-year terms were Richard Root and newly elected William Kaplan. Serving one-year terms as Alternates were owner Chester Bishop and trainers Ralph Ziadie and Robert Jeffries.

In its annual election of officers, the Florida HBPA Board of Directors voted Sammy Gordon to serve his seventh term as president. By serving as president, Gordon will again break the record for terms as president he established last year. The Board also elected as vice presidents Phil Combest, Barry Rose, and Teresa Palmer. Gordon also appointed Rose as treasurer and newly elected Bill Kaplan as secretary.

THREE CALDER HORSES RUN IN KENTUCKY DERBY Last year, Calder horses displayed their mettle in the Breedersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cup by winning the $2,000,000 Grey Goose Juvenile Fillies and the $2,000,000 Sentient Sprint for trainers Stanley Gold and David Fawkes, respectively. This year, three horses who began their careers as two-year-olds at Calder last summer and are trained by Kathy Ritvo, Juan Arias, and Kathleen Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell (pictured) met in the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 7 at Left to right: Kathy Ritvo, Juan Churchill Downs.

Arias, and Kathleen Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

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In the Derby, Juan Arias saddled Decisive Moment, who broke his maiden at first asking as a two-year-old and followed that performance with a fourth and third in the first two legs of Calder’s Florida Stallion Stakes Series. He then ran second in the $365,000 Delta Jackpot (Gr. III) at Delta Downs, beaten only by another Calder horse, Gourmet Dinner. With no Gourmet Dinner to contend with, Decisive Moment won the $250,000 Jean Lafayette by almost four lengths.

He then ran third in Turfway’s Spiral Handicap (Gr. III) before running 14th in the Kentucky Derby after laying third until tiring in the stretch.

Kathleen O’Connell also saddled Watch Me Go to an easy win in his debut at Calder. He followed that win with a fifth and fourth in the first two legs of the Florida Stallion Stakes before easily winning an allowance at Calder. Watch Me Go shipped to Tampa Bay Downs for the winter, where he won another allowance then finished third in the Sam F Davis (Gr. III) at 30-1. Then, he won the Tampa Bay Derby (Gr. II) at 43-1 before running a poor sixth as the favorite in the Illinois Derby (Gr. III). He stumbled at the start of the Kentucky Derby and ran wide before finishing far back.

Unlike the other two Calder horses, Mucho Macho Man did not break his maiden at first asking, but finished second. He then ran third at Saratoga before easily breaking his maiden at Belmont. Trainer Tim Ritvo was then hired as an executive by Gulfstream’s Frank Stronach, so his wife, Kathy Ritvo, took over the training of Mucho Macho Man. She then ran him in the Nashua Stakes (Gr. II) and Remsen Stakes (Gr. II) at Aqueduct, and 3M finished second in both races. After a disappointing fourth as the favorite in Gulfstream’s Holy Bull, he shipped to the Fair Grounds and won the Risen Star (Gr. II) by daylight. Then, as the favorite in the Louisiana Derby (Gr. II), he hung slightly and finished third by less than a length. In the Kentucky Derby, 3M dropped back further than normal but finished strongly while appearing to run a little greenly through the stretch to finished third, almost nailing Nehro for second. Quite a performance!

Even though Calder purses are not what horsemen would like to see, this track still is the Two-Year-Old-Capital of Racing, as it continually develops great two-year-olds. Look for a Calder graduate to win a Triple Crown race this year. With that giant stride, I expect Mucho Macho Man to get the job done!

Gulfstream Park barbecue

Palm Meadows barbecue

Fishing trip HJ 57//'4

BACKSIDE DOINGS Again, the Florida HBPA and Gulfstream Park sponsored both Groom Elite 101 and 201 classes during the meet … The Gulfstream Park Backside Picnic, sponsored by the Florida HBPA and Gulfstream, along with a lot of generous Gulfstream trainers and jockeys, was a great success. Over 700 people enjoyed the food, music, and particularly the prizes, which consisted of TVs, refrigerators, microwaves, and kid’s stereos, among others.

Pictured are some backsiders checking out some of the 55 bicycles given out to the lucky ticket holders … A picnic was held at the beautiful Palm Meadows Training Center the following day, with more prizes awarded. Those residents of Palm Meadows are pictured lining up for the food … Chaplain Tom LaPointe and his assistant,

Alberto Grimaldi, also took 70 backsiders to the Metro Zoo, and another 65 people went drift boat fishing with them (pictured with Chaplain Tom in the middle). The Florida HBPA sponsored those and other trips at the Gulfstream meet, as it will at the Calder meet. +..+01+5 *$2# MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LANNY BROOKS It’s crunch time! Remember the hurt and frustration we all endured in January? Well forget it.

We now need to raise the bar even higher on our efforts to pass a gaming bill by May 31. We think we have some things going for us this time that will make the difference. We have taken a new approach, and hopefully the result will be a positive one this time.

The bill number may or may not be available by the time this article comes out, but the work must start now. Your legislators need to be contacted now.

The bill will be will be a virtual image of the one we almost passed in January.

Our message is the same – passage of this bill will literally save our industry, and this could be the last chance for some of the tracks. Tell them also that this is a crucial piece of legislation for the state. It will help retire the old debt (very important for republicans) and will supply funding for the capitol program, as well as give money to education.

If legislators tell you the bill will hurt the boats, the reply should be that it will lower their taxes and give them additional positions.

So, we can lobby our legislators with or without a bill number. We proved in January that we can get the votes to pass a gaming bill if we all work together. Now it’s time to do it one more time.

TRAINERS IN TIGHT RACE Steve Manley started this 2011 meet winning at a torrid pace. He has been primarily riding Manny Cosme. Recently, Ralph Martinez has gotten hot and has closed the gap, but Manley continues to impress and has a sizable lead. It looks like the two of them will battle for the training title right down to the end of the meet.

ATTENDANCE AND HANDLE STRONG Our on-track attendance and handle has been very strong again this year.

If the gauge of success is getting fans to the track and proving that ours is not a dying sport, then we are hitting the mark at Fairmount Park.

CONDOLENCES TO MICHELLE EUSTIS’S FAMILY We were all saddened by the tragic incident that occurred at Balmoral. It’s times like this that we realize we are all one horse racing family. We wish the best to Heather France, Michelle’s family, and of course seven-year-old Haylee. +0&+#0# *$2# CLOUDS GIVE WAY TO SUN Indiana Downs opened its Spring 2011 meet on April 18, under the metaphorical clouds of a potentially ruinous legislative session and some very real clouds that soaked the region for the first few weeks of the meet. While the legislative clouds lifted by the end of the month, the rain clouds stuck around a little longer.

By the time the monsoon season slowed, no races had been lost to the weather, and four months of swimming upstream had preserved most of the

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AFTER STORMY WEATHER, INDIANA DOWNS MEET WELCOMES RAYS OF SUNSHINE Indiana Downs had to overcome unpredictable weather, even less predictable legislators, and an April bankruptcy filing by its parent company if it harbored any hopes of building on its 2010 successes. So far, so very good.

Located two hours from Churchill Downs, four hours from Arlington Park, and less than two hours from northern Kentucky/Cincinnati-area tracks, Indiana Downs is well-positioned to attract a good, competitive field of horses.

Add to that the revenue from on-site electronic gaming, healthy purses, and the track’s seven-furlong turf course, and you get a place that draws horsemen and women from all over the Midwest.

This year, the Indiana Downs meet has featured increased purses.

Beyond that, however, the organization has responded to horsemen’s eternal pleas for more racing opportunities by adding races, paid through the open purse account, with bonuses paid by the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Fund.

All of this takes place amidst the company’s April Chapter 11 filing. The track missed an interest payment in November of 2010 on $375 million in second-lien notes and filed for reorganization on April 7. The Chapter 11 case is being financed with a $103.1 million loan from the existing first-lien lenders.

The Indiana Downs track opened in 2002, and its casino began operations in 2008 after slots were authorized by the 2007 Indiana General Assembly.

Unfortunately, the legislature also saddled the track with a $250 million licensing fee, financed in a very tough economy. The permanent facility opened in March of 2009 with 2,000 slot machines and electronic table games. Revenue in 2010 was $270 million.

Horsemen would be hard-pressed to see any effect of the filing and legal action in the operations at the track this year. Moreover, uncooperative weather has not cost any races as of the deadline for this article. Instead, good purses and racing opportunities are driving Indiana Downs toward sunnier days.

LEGISLATURE RESTORES MOST OF SLOT REVENUE FOR INDIANA HORSEMEN AND PURSES In, literally, the eleventh hour of the last day of the 2011 session, Indiana lawmakers passed a two-year budget that will reduce the amount of slot revenues going to the Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, and Standardbred racing industries by approximately $3 million – roughly five percent lower than the amount distributed in 2010. In addition, Standardbreds will pay another $1 million from their share of slot revenues to the Indiana State Fair and to county fairs where they race.

The cuts represent a tremendous victory for Indiana horsemen and women.

Barely 15 years old as an industry, Indiana racing and breeding had been facing a bad ending to what should have been an evolving success story. Lawmakers in the Indiana House of Representatives had initially approved a 57 percent reduction in casino revenue for the industry – just four years after they had approved a 15 percent share of on-track slot revenues for racing and breeding.

In 2010, that 15 percent represented approximately $60 million that was directed from casino revenues to purses, breeder awards, benevolence activities, equine promotion and welfare, and association administration. That amount was further reduced by a cap mechanism that sent about $6.5 million back to the State General Fund. The Thoroughbred industry’s share of that amount was just under $28 million, a total that will be reduced by approximately $1.4 million in the new budget.

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slots revenue that the 2007 Indiana General Assembly had dedicated to horse racing and breeding in the state.

In the final analysis, the revenue considerations were significant to the state and potentially catastrophic to racing and breeding. However, one particular public policy implication seemed to resonate with a majority of legislators. Led by Senator Luke Kenley, one of the two conferees who ultimately constructed the budget, industry supporters and key legislators decried the implications of the state going back on its word, given just four years ago, when slots were passed for the tracks.

Senator Kenley and other key legislators articulated a tough argument to counter: the money flowing to the state’s racing and breeding industry is producing extraordinary results – in the form of regional and local employment and economic activity – exactly as it had been designed to do.

In making that assertion, the senator was well-armed with strong facts.

The industry had prepared for this tough session by commissioning a statewide economic impact study through the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service and the Purdue University-Calumet School of Business Management.

The impact study demonstrated that the racing and breeding industry generates more than $733 million in direct economic impact, and more than $1 billion in total impact annually in the state. The study revealed that the industry pays more than $69 million in state and local taxes and produces nearly 10,000 jobs in Indiana.

The industry’s economic impact, along with legislators’ expressed sentiment that the state ought to keep its word and a revised state revenue forecast that showed an additional $600 million might be available over the next biennium combined to protect horsemen’s revenue this time. Certainly, the grassroots contacts generated by thousands of Hoosier horsemen and women helped, too, as did the strategic leadership of the Indiana HBPA and the two effective lobbyists hired for this session.

Under the leadership of President Randy Klopp, the Indiana HBPA squarely focused on revenue issues, recognizing that the many additional issues that others had pushed were peripheral – and moot – without the funding that has made Indiana an attractive state in which to race and breed horses.

The state’s investment in its racing industry is just beginning to bear fruit in the form of higher purses, better racing, and in owner and breeder investments in the state. Since racetrack casinos began operating, the number of mares bred in the state has jumped from 583 in 2007 to 1,137 in 2010, according to The Jockey Club statistics, while the number of stallions in the state increased from 80 in 2007 to 114 in 2010.

Now, the key will be to keep growing the industry and its economic effect on the state, while taking great care to stay in touch with the legislators who, once again, helped set us up to bring home a winner.

BREED DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE SCRAMBLING TO BUILD AMID UNCERTAINTY A new year that began with the announcement of a new Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Advisory Committee is working its way through the challenges of a potentially disastrous legislative session.

The new committee members initially proposed a breed development program for the Indiana Downs meet that began on April 18 but had to defer breed development decisions on the Hoosier Park meet set to begin on August 2 until biennial budget questions were resolved. Complicating the calculations is a new variable: under the new budget bill, administrative costs can be taken out of the breed development funds.

As of the submission deadline for this article, no recommendation had been formulated for the Hoosier Park meet. Those interested can look up the final decision on the IHRC website at http://www.in.gov/hrc/tb.htm.

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GROOM ELITE Classes for Groom Elite began on May 18 and will continue through June 23.

Instructors for the classes are Codi Buris (Horse Behavior), Stephanie White DVM (Front & Rear Legs), Thad Keller (Bandaging), Dave Elmegreen (Tacking), Chris Richard (Conformation/Height/Weight), Christine Mamakos (Health Check & Colic), Kelly Graber (Hay/Digestion/Feeding), Theresa Anspach DVM (Pre-Race Activities/ Test Barn), John Urich (Foot & Shoeing), and Betty Coatney (Barn Safety).

The National HBPA Groom Elite Coordinator, Dr. Reid McLellan, will be on hand for the students’ assessment and testing on June 22 and 23.

Barbara Carroll and Brandi Fett are coordinating this year’s program. Former Coordinator Sharon Vail has retired but volunteered assistance when needed.

ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds presented the awards honoring the 2010 Owner of the Year, Maggi Moss; Trainer of the Year, Lynn Chleborad; Claiming Horse of the Year, Cresco Direct Hit; and Horse of the Year, Red Lead.

The Prairie Meadows Television Department received our Appreciation Award.

HJ 57//'4

Coady Photography Coady Photography

RACE DAYS SECURED IN IOWA CODE The racing community witnessed a tremendous victory for Iowa racing when the Iowa House voted 72-21 to pass our legislation guarantying no less than 67 days of racing and allowing for additional days in the future.

The legislation also legalized account deposit wagering (ADW) in Iowa.

Prairie Meadows and the horsemen have not been able to collect revenue from online wagering entities as online wagering has been illegal in Iowa.

The bill eliminated the “purse sunset clause” which would have ended purse money from slot machines in 2021. That language was inserted when the legislature approved table games many years ago. It has hung over our heads and caused many to question if there would be racing ten years from now.

The bill also eliminated the need for a required referendum every eight years to keep the casinos operating. Voters in counties where casinos were approved retain the right to petition for a recall vote. Given the wide margins of approval each casino has received in past elections, that is unlikely.

The bill will go to Governor Terry Branstad, who has assured industry leaders he will sign it into law.

None of this would have happened with out the dedication and hard work of our leaders and the members who phoned, e-mailed, and visited with their representatives. Iowa HBPA President Leroy Gessmann, IQHRA President Tom Lepic, and IHHA President Royal Roland pulled together in an impressive show of unity that was noticed by the legislators.

The Iowa Breeders’ current and past presidents, Deb Leech and Sharon Vail; Prairie Meadows CEO Gary Palmer; and chairman of the Prairie Meadows Board of Directors, Lynette Rasmussen; as well as Linda Juckette and Kurt Rasmussen, were all instrumental in passing this legislation.

Coady Photography

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR President Leroy Gessmann and the Board of Directors of the Iowa HBPA have employed Jon Moss for the new position of executive director. Jon joined our office on May 16.

Barbara Carroll remains as secretary/treasurer.

“We are happy to have Jon with us,” said Gessmann “I am looking forward to working with him.”

Coady Photography

+19# *$2#

Coady Photography

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Now that the spectacle of the 2011 Kentucky Derby and all of the splendor associated with it has passed, the Kentucky racing industry will continue in our quest to survive on a daily basis amidst the harsh reality that the Kentucky legislature, for the most part, has turned away from the state’s signature industry.

Marty Maline receiving his Juris The world focuses on Kentucky for Doctor Degree from Dean Brandeis this brief time, and nearly every racing of the Concord School of Law jurisdiction celebrates the experience of the Kentucky Derby with huge crowds and record setting pari-mutuel handle.

Even though the 2011 Derby eclipsed prior handle and attendance figures, it did not signal a harbinger of a healthy industry in Kentucky.

Turfway Park and Ellis Park are struggling, and with diminished racing days and depressed purses, it is becoming more and more difficult for horsemen to remain in Kentucky. Churchill Downs is not immune to the situation since horsemen are faced with the proposition that if they ride out the race meeting at Churchill Downs, their options become very limited.

The racing industry has come together in an effort to get our message out, and while the citizens of Kentucky appear to favor helping Kentucky racing, the General Assembly has turned a deaf ear to our plight. So a $4 billion industry representing 100,000 jobs is in jeopardy. It is hard for many of us to comprehend the rationale for not helping, but we will not give up the fight.

You have probably read about the effort to eliminate all therapeutic medication in a horse’s system on race-day, including Lasix (Salix). It is interesting to note that some of those crying for reform are running horses consistently with race-day medication. To me, that appears hypocritical, but I would suggest that their trainer and veterinarian have decided that running with Salix, and perhaps adjunct bleeder medication on race-day, is what is best for the health and well being of the horse. The worst possible scenario would be to eliminate therapeutic medication, like Salix, and watch in horror as a horse, while racing, suffers an episode of hemorrhaging on the racetrack, potentially causing a serious accident and possible catastrophic injuries to both jockeys and horses in the race.

I fully expect to see an assault on Bute levels allowable in a horse’s system on race-day. There is a national campaign, as I reported earlier, to

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-'067%-; *$2#

change the level from five micrograms to two micrograms. I have learned that in Kentucky, 91 percent of the horses tested produce a level lower than two micrograms on race-day. So you might ask, then what is the big fuss about changing the levels? Well the fact is that if one of your horses does not excrete the medication on a timely basis or is somehow contaminated with a residue of Bute, then there is a distinct possibility that the lower threshold level will result in more positives for horsemen.

The Kentucky HBPA has entered into discussions with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) and Keeneland Racecourse in an attempt to resolve the issue regarding the delay in paying horsemen’s purses. The KHRC regulation requires that purses be released for payment within 72 hours unless there is a suspicious test. In that situation, further analysis of the test samples is done for an additional seven days. At that point, if nothing is found, then the purse money is released. During the 2011 Keeneland spring race meeting, purse money earned on April 15 was not released until May 4. The problem is that the entire day’s purses were held up – not just the suspicious race. The KHRC explains that to prevent embarrassment, it is not prepared to delineate which specific race was suspicious. Therefore, the whole day’s purses are delayed for payment.

While other tracks in Kentucky pay purses on a timely basis, Keeneland is not prepared to pay purses without assurances from the KHRC that all suspicious tests are cleared. This is due to the fact that, in one instance, a horseman with a positive test failed to reimburse Keeneland for a sizable purse that the racetrack had paid to him. Hopefully, with all sides working toward a solution, we will resolve this unfortunate situation prior to the fall race meeting.

On a final note, generally we, as horsemen, are a competitive group. When we lead a horse over to the front side, we fully intend that our horse will win and leave the charges of other horsemen in the dust. Even with the take no prisoners attitude, we develop an endearing respect for many of our competitors. It is that feeling of respect and admiration I developed for my friend and fellow horsemen, C.R. Trout. C.R hails from Oklahoma and won his first Grade 1 stakes at Keeneland this Spring. It was my privilege to care for his great mare, Shotgun Gulch, when C.R. returned to Oklahoma prior to her quest to win the Humana Distaff on Derby Day. Good luck in your racing endeavors.

Rick Hiles WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE! Following Turfway Park’s unilateral decision to close for summer training and stabling, horsemen and more than 400 horses found themselves in a quandary about where to go. Turfway’s late notice left limited options. Some horsemen decided to relocate out of state, while others opted for Ellis Park. River Downs, in Cincinnati, Ohio and Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky, are Ellis Park in Henderson, KY completely inundated with water in proximity to rivers.

The spring storms caused severe flooding. The horses that shipped to River Downs were forced to return to Turfway Park until the waters receded in early May. Ellis Park is another matter.

Kentucky HBPA Director and Chairman of the Ellis Park Horsemen’s Committee, Mike Bruder, reported that, “While the levee is steadfastly holding back the flood waters, seepage is causing flooding in the barn area. The water actually bubbles up through the ground.”

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

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Ellis Park has several pumps going around the clock in an attempt to keep the water at bay. The timetable for horsemen to move into the barn area has been appreciably delayed.

TRAINER’S 10% William “Buff” Bradley, Kentucky HBPA Director and also a member of the Churchill Downs Horsemen’s Committee, recommended that the trainer’s percentage of a winning purse be deducted similar to the jockey’s fee. The committee is comprised of Churchill Downs’ management including President Kevin Flannery and Director of Racing and Chairman of the Committee, Donnie Richardson, representatives of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, and Dale Romans and Buff Bradley representing the Kentucky HBPA. The concept was unanimously supported by the committee. “It is all about cash flow,” Buff commented. “This will enable many of us to pay our bills more timely.”

It was agreed that owners will be required to sign off prior to any funds being deducted from their account.

HORSEMEN PROTECT YOURSELF! Recently, at the National Equine Law Conference held in Lexington, Kentucky, Matt Martinez, an attorney specializing in immigration, reported on the dramatic shift in the enforcement policy of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It is now focusing its attention on the employers, as opposed to solely on the employees, in an effort to eliminate what it describes as the “root causes of illegal immigration.”

To assure compliance and avoid significant civil fines and possible criminal prosecution, make sure your I-9s are accurate and up to date. It is your best defense against an I-9 audit.

If a trainer fails to complete an I-9 for a foreign national and then ICE subsequently determines that the individual is undocumented, the trainer will be deemed to have known all along because he failed to complete his I-9s.

If you have any questions, contact Kentucky HBPA Hispanic Coordinator Julio Rubio, and he will assist you. His number is 1-800-928-4272.

THE HBPA IS YOU The HBPA, established in 1940, is an organization of owners and trainers, approximately 40,000 nationally in 23 states and Canada, and over 6,000 in Kentucky. The association is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of owners and trainers volunteering their time and elected by the membership every three years. The HBPA is committed to working for the betterment of racing on all levels.

The HBPA represents owners and trainers on several fronts: % In negotiating sessions with each racetrack regarding purse structure, equitable share of simulcast revenues, overall track safety, sanitation and security. % The HBPA provides benevolence to horsemen in need, education and recreation programs to the backstretch, and various insurance packages, which include - free of charge to members - Fire and Disaster Insurance and Claiming Coverage. Visit one of the fully staffed HBPA offices at the currently running racetrack in Kentucky for details. % The HBPA works in conjunction with the chaplaincy program, the Thoroughbred Addiction Council of Kentucky (TACK), and the Kentucky Racing Health and Welfare Fund to provide support and benefits for horsemen. % The HBPA supports scientific research and marketing initiatives on a regional and national level to help promote interest in Thoroughbred racing. % The HBPA is at the forefront in litigation and legislation on issues involving horsemen’s rights with regards to interstate simulcasting, proprietary rights, HJ 57//'4

casino gambling, therapeutic medication, sports betting, and many other areas of concern to horsemen.

How Can I Join?

You are invited to drop into the Kentucky HBPA office to meet the staff and learn more about current projects and how you can get involved in helping to improve the industry. There are no membership fees. Remember - this is your organization. Become an active participant and one of the “horsemen helping horsemen.”

To join, all you need to do is fill out our membership card and fax, mail, or email it back to us. For more information, please visit our website at www.kyhbpa.org and click on “How to Join.” .17+5+#0# *$2# LOUISIANA HBPA ELECTION RESULTS The Louisiana HBPA recently concluded its Board of Directors election, and the winners have been announced. Stanley Seelig has been elected as president of the Louisiana HBPA, and owner Arthur Morrell has been tabbed as the organization’s first vice president.

Owners directors elected include Tom Abbott, Bobby Dupre, Christine Early, Marcia Lamarche, and Arthur Morell.

Trainer directors elected include Sam Breaux, Patrick Mouton, Kenny Roberts, Sr., Don Stemmans, and Terry Vance.

The new board was seated on Friday, April 15, 2011. /+%*+)#0 *$2# MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GARY TINKLE On May 4, the Michigan Gaming Control Commission issued an “Order accepting Post It Stables d/b/a Pinnacle Race Course voluntary surrender of their 2011 race meet license and 2011 Simulcast permit.”

As Pinnacle struggled financially, it became apparent that the 2011 season was in jeopardy. Many Michigan horsemen and women have moved their stables to surrounding states, but many have not been able to make such a move.

Not having a Thoroughbred racing season has created serious financial hardships on many of our members. Michigan’s racing is highly regulated, as all states, which will impact any future plans to revive a Thoroughbred meet.

The Michigan HBPA board of directors will continue to explore any options for the future.

According to the order issued by the Michigan Gaming and Control Board, Thoroughbred purse funds will be placed in escrow. Efforts will continue to protect Thoroughbred purse funding as our industry confronts the many challenges ahead. Michigan’s Racing Act common pools all purse money from simulcast statewide and then distributed it on a pro-rata basis.

Michigan has had a 77-year tradition of Thoroughbred racing, which makes it that much more difficult to react to no live Thoroughbred racing.

Continue to fight the good fight. /+00'516# *$2# CANTERBURY PARK’S 2011 MEET UNDERWAY The Canterbury Park 62-day race meet began Friday night, May 20 and concludes on Monday, September 5. Approximately 1,400 horses and many shipins from our neighboring states will fill the card as the 2011 condition book has some changes in the range of races and conditions offered.

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NEWS

PUT ON YOUR PINK AT CANTERBURY PARK ON JULY 31ST New to the calendar this summer is Fillies Race for Hope, a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness which will benefit Hope Chest, a local organization whose mission is to help under-served or financially distressed individuals and their families touched by breast cancer.

July 31 is the day that will feature a full card of filly and mare races, including the Lady Canterbury, Hoist Her Flag, and Princess Elaine Stakes. Here is an opportunity for all of us involved in the Minnesota horse racing industry to start a new tradition. Come celebrate our finest female equine athletes and bringing awareness to a great cause.

NEW DRUG TESTING STANDARDS AND REGULATORY LIMITS There was a significant change in testing standards during the 2010 meet at Canterbury Park, resulting in 57 positive tests for class 4 medications. The “enhanced” testing was contracted for by the Minnesota Racing Commission (MRC) staff and implemented by Industrial Laboratories. Unbeknownst to the horsemen, backstretch vets, or the racing commissioners, this testing is far more sensitive and measures to the picogram, which is one trillionth of a gram.

The problem is that testing to such a low level has the potential to lead to medication overages in a zero tolerance state. And we know there is no such thing as zero.

Trainers who were using previously accepted treatments and withdrawal times have been issued rulings and fines. The Minnesota HBPA, on behalf of the horsemen who had violations, went to the Racing Commission with a plea in August of 2010 to drop the rulings imposed on so many that had been accused of faulty medication management.

The Commission agreed that we had a case that needed to be addressed.

After seven months and many, many meetings, with a division of opinions, the Commission settled on a letter of explanation to be put in the file of the “offenders.” The letter of explanation will be in trainer files in Minnesota. If trainers would like a copy to present to any other jurisdiction for which they apply for a license, they need to request a copy from the MRC. MRC ESTABLISHES MEDICATION THRESHOLDS On the heels of the positive testing meetings, the Minnesota Racing Commission (MRC) agreed that there is no such thing as a true “zero” and that thresholds needed to be developed for certain medications. The Minnesota HBPA, Minnesota Racing Commission, Minnsota Thoroughbred Association, track veterinarians, and Canterbury Park developed a working group to identify therapeutic medications typically administered to horses in the course of training. Considerable research and data was compiled and reviewed on these medications. Similar studies from other jurisdictions were also taken into consideration and discussed with experts who were called in to give their opinions. Through these efforts, thresholds for 14 specific medications have been determined, along with guidelines for withdrawal times. New rules have been implemented for the 2011 meet.

A complete list of levels and suggested withdrawal times are available from the MRC or on its website.

Regulatory limits have been set on: Acepromazine, Clenbuterol, Dantrolene and Hydroxydantrolene, Detomidine (or metabolite), Dexamethasone, Diclofenac, DMSO, Firocoxib, Glycopyrrolate, Isoxsuprine, Methocarbamol, Methylprednisolone, Pyrilamine, and Triamcinolone Acetonide.

AFFILIATE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 54

RACINO EFFORTS CONTINUE Legislative visits and horsemen testifying at hearings continue at the capitol as we move toward getting approval for a racino at Canterbury Park.

The tribal influence is tremendous, so it is imperative that our representatives hear from us. We are optimistic, but the work is far from finished. /1706#+0''4 2#4- *$2# REVISED THOROUGHBRED RULES OF RACING The West Virginia Racing Commission Thoroughbred Rules of Racing have been completely rewritten and will be effective on July 10, 2011. A link to the new Thoroughbred rules has now been posted on the Racing Commission’s website at www.wvracingcommission.com.

Some of the changes include: % Thresholds for anabolic and androgenic steroids % Revision of the Lasix rule % Adoption of the RCI classification system for medications and substances % Penalty guidelines for medication rule violation % Raises the maximum fine for rule violation from $1,000 per case to $5,000 per rule violation % Provision regarding environmental contaminants % Prerace exams % All three stewards to be Commission employees % Security officer hired by the Racing Commission % Permit fee increases % Raises the minimum age for a permit from 16 to 18 If you have questions regarding acquiring a printed copy of the rules, please call the Commission at (304) 558-2150.

BONUS INCENTIVES ANNOUNCED FOR WEST VIRGINIA DERBY Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort will offer incentives to entice graded stakes winners for the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (Gr. II) on August 6. The track will offer a $150,000 bonus to any grade or group I winner that wins the West Virginia Derby. In addition, the owner and trainer of any West Virginia Derby starter that has won a leg of the 2011 Triple Crown will each receive a $25,000 bonus per victory.

Marketing money from the state’s video lottery terminal promotional and tourism fund will be used this year for the race bonuses, local promotions, and online contests. Along with the West Virginia Derby, there will be one $125,000 stakes and seven $85,000 stakes on the August 6 program.

TRACKSIDE KITCHEN UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT Effective May 1, the Trackside Kitchen is now under new management.

With over ten years experience in the food service industry, Don and Donna Blankenship are the new operators of the kitchen. They have redone the standard menu, and Donna is committed to providing daily specials that are hot, home cooked meals. They are also offering pastries and pies “made from scratch.”

New hours for the Trackside Kitchen are Friday through Tuesday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Wednesday and Thursday, 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

No strangers to the racetrack, Don and Donna have been involved with Thoroughbreds since the 1970s.

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

NEWS

AFFILIATE

0'$4#5-# *$2#

1*+1 *$2#

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION PROCESS UNDERWAY The Nebraska HBPA election process has begun for the Board of Directors and president. June 2 is the general nomination meeting. This meeting will be in the lower level of the administration building at Lincoln Race Course. Please refer to posted signs for the specific time. This is the time where the nominating committee accepts nominations from the membership for the ballot.

After the process of certifying the candidates is complete, ballots will be mailed out July 8 through July 23. Ballots will then be counted on August 24 at Ag Park in Columbus.

A reminder—if you have a new or changed address, you MUST contact Shelly Hosch as soon as possible in order to receive a ballot. The mailing address is 6406 South 150th Street, Omaha, NE 68137, or you can e-mail your address to nebrhbpa@cox.net.

THISTLEDOWN MEET UNDERWAY The Thistledown racing season got off to a successful start on April 22, with on-track handle on the live program up nearly 50 percent from last year’s opening day.

On Wednesday, May 4, all sources handle at Thistledown was just over $1.4 million, which was the highest handle at the Cleveland-area track in over two years.

Racing continues at Thistledown on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday schedule each week through the end of August. Thursdays will be added to the schedule in September through the end of the 122-day meeting on Saturday, November 5.

The highlight of the meet will once again be the Best of Ohio stakes program, featuring five state-bred stakes, to be held on Saturday, October 15.

0'9 '0).#0& *$2# SUFFOLK DOWNS BEGINS 2011 RACE MEET ON MAY 21 Live racing begins at Suffolk Downs on May 21, marking the 76th year of Thoroughbred racing history at the famous East Boston racetrack.

New England HBPA President Al Balestra, on behalf of the New England HBPA Board of Directors, acknowledged Suffolk Downs’ owners, management, and racetrack employees and the many Thoroughbred owners, trainers, and backstretch workers who have had to endure the turmoil and uncertainty caused by difficult contract negotiations throughout the winter months.

President Balestra recognized that, “The racetrack team and the horsemen have weathered some very difficult times over the past 76 years, and working together they endured many hardships to provide the excitement of live horse racing for Thoroughbred racing fans throughout New England.”

Although the 2011 race meet schedule has been reduced to 80 race days (720 races), purses are scheduled at $103,125 per day ($8.25 million total for the meet), which is an increase of 32 percent over the average daily purse in 2010 and a 5.2 percent increase in total purses paid over the total for the 101day (900 races) race meet last year.

President Balestra expressed a positive outlook for the future of Thoroughbred racing at Suffolk Downs, citing the commitment of racetrack owners and horsemen to enhance the quality of the Thoroughbred racing and breeding in Massachusetts.

HEARING ON GAMING BILLS KICKS OFF HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL Expectations for approval of gaming legislation in Massachusetts are very positive. The current consensus is that the legislature will act by July and, if all goes well, Thoroughbred racing and breeding in Massachusetts will be reenergized and moving in the right direction.

VISIT NEW ENGLAND HBPA WEBSITE FOR BREAKING NEWS Stay tuned to www.NewEnglandHBPA.com for information updates on legislative progress and events impacting the New England racing community.

We have posted our popular “Transfer of Ownership Form (Bill of Sale)” and the revised 2011 Suffolk Downs Racing Schedule on the website for your easy access and download.

HJ 57//'4

RIVER DOWNS MEET DELAYED River Downs’ live meet, scheduled to begin on April 29, was delayed two weeks due to the flooding of the Ohio River, which at one point caused the entire main track to be submerged underwater.

Once the floodwaters receded, River Downs had a successful opening day featuring large fields on Friday, May 13.

By agreement between the Ohio HBPA and PNK OHIO, owner of River Downs, purses are up $300 to $400 per race from last year. Additionally, any race in which at least seven betting interests leave the paddock has an additional $300 purse increase.

River Downs live racing season will continue on a Wednesday through Sunday basis each week through Labor Day on September 5.

CHANGES AT RACING COMMISSION Governor John Kasich made three new appointments to the Ohio State Racing Commission (OSRC) in April. Governor Kasich named Bob Schmitz, a long time Republican lobbyist, as the new chairman. B. J. Roach, a retired realtor and Thoroughbred owner from Grove City, and Todd Book, a former member of the Ohio House of Representatives, were also appointed to the commission. They will join Will Koester and Ted Brown to make up the commission for the next two years.

The OSRC’s executive director, Tom Fries, Jr., and its deputy director, John Izzo, both resigned in April. Bill Crawford, who has served as the commission’s director of mutuels for over a decade, was named the interim executive director at the April commission meeting.

1-.#*1/# *$2# OKLAHOMA CONTINUES TO BUCK NATIONAL WAGERING TRENDS Thoroughbred racing in Oklahoma has continued to oppose national wagering trends. Coming off the extremely successful 2010 Remington Park Thoroughbred meet, Will Rogers Downs recently concluded the most successful meet in its history. On-track live handle showed an impressive 32 percent increase, while export wagering increased by a remarkable 70 percent.

The Oklahoma HBPA believes wholly these increases are for several reasons including; outstanding participation by the horsemen in the entry box, which increases field size, which generates more handle. In addition, the pari-mutuel success shows what can and will happen when track management and the horsemen work together to promote the product.

The Oklahoma HBPA would like to thank not only our track partner, but we would also like to thank all of our export simulcast partners. We appreciate your business.

NEWS

FAIR MEADOWS MEET Fair Meadows Tulsa is the next stop on the 2011 Oklahoma racing calendar. The mixed breed fair will conduct a 34-day meet, averaging ďŹ ve Thoroughbred races per day. Racing will be conducted four nights a week, Thursdays through Sundays.

REMINGTON MEET SET TO OPEN AUGUST 18 Looking forward in 2011, Remington Park will open its Thoroughbred meet on August 18. The highlights will include the $1,000,000 Oklahoma Classics Day for Oklahoma-bred horses on October 28, the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on October 16, and the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile for two year-olds on closing day, December 10. There will be a total of 28 sweepstakes at Remington Park in 2011 for both open and Oklahoma-bred horses. *$2# 1( 106#4+1 EVENTS HBPA Day at Woodbine Đ&#x201A; Sunday, May 29th HBPA Day at Fort Erie Đ&#x201A; Sunday, June 5th Ownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Appreciation Day at Fort Erie Đ&#x201A; Sunday, July 24th HBPA Day at Woodbine Đ&#x201A; Sunday, September 11th Ownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Appreciation Day at Woodbine Đ&#x201A; Sunday, September 25th HBPA Day at Fort Erie Đ&#x201A; Sunday, October 2nd ONTARIO HORSE RACING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) and the HBPA of Ontario, along with other racing industry members, have been meeting with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) with respect to expanded gaming in the Province. We will keep members apprised of changes as negotiations progress.

ONTARIO RACING COMMISSION â&#x20AC;&#x201C; RULES COMMITTEE MEETINGS The Board of Directors of the HBPA of Ontario recently notified the Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) that in light of the 2011 Rules of Thoroughbred Racing, that the HBPA will no longer attend Rules Committee Meetings or sit on Working Groups. The ORC has been invited to speak to the Board of Directors of the HBPA of Ontario to discuss this issue, and we will do our best to inform the members accordingly if this situation changes.

EMPLOYMENT OF FOREIGN WORKERS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; UNDERSTANDING YOUR RESPONSIBILITY Effective March of 2011, the Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) stopped checking work permits issued to foreign workers by Citizenship and Immigration Canada when processing license applications.

An owner/trainer having applied for the foreign worker through Human Resources and Skills and Development Canada (HRSDC) is legally responsible for the worker during the time period detailed in the work permit.

Work permits are not transferrable and, as such, the foreign worker may only work in Canada for the person who sponsored him/her in the original application. Please note, foreign workers are issued Social Insurance Numbers beginning with the number â&#x20AC;&#x153;9â&#x20AC;?.

If a foreign worker changes employer during the period of time detailed in the work permit, it is up to owner/trainer that applied for the worker originally

AFFILIATE

WILL ROGERS OVERNIGHT PURSES AND OKLAHOMA-BRED INCENTIVES INCREASED The recent success at Will Rogers Downs was passed on to our members.

The Oklahoma-bred distribution was increased by 10 percent, and the overnight distribution increased by ďŹ ve percent. These increases went into effect for the ďŹ nal two-thirds of the meeting.

to inform the Ontario Racing Commission, HRSDC, as well as Citizenship & Immigration Canada, that the foreign worker has left his or her employ. Once the ORC stewards receive this information, they will be able to act accordingly.

Therefore, owners/trainers are responsible for making sure the employees they hire are legal to work for them in Canada.

LONGRUN THOROUGHBRED RETIREMENT SOCIETY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; INCREASE IN INDUSTRY FUNDING In April of 2011, the Board of Directors of the HBPA of Ontario voted to increase LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funding from the purse account in Ontario from one-quarter of one percent to one-half of one percent.

The Board of Directors recognizes there is a pressing demand in North America to find loving, adoptive homes for retired Thoroughbred racehorses and wants to be part of the solution to this industry problem.

LONGRUNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LEGENDS GALA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011 Mark your calendars as LongRun has announced that it will hold its Legends Gala on Friday, September 30 at Woodbine Racetrack, 555 Rexdale Blvd., Toronto, Ontario. LongRun invites all horse enthusiasts, racing fans, and supporters to come out for a fun-filled evening and to pay tribute to racing legends, both equine and human, while raising funds for a great cause. The event will feature a champagne reception, a delicious gourmet meal, an open bar, and fantastic live entertainment courtesy of Hollywood Heaven Entertainment.

Silent auction items are needed, so please contact LongRun at (416) 675Đ&#x201A;3993, ext. 3440 to donate. For more information, please visit www.longrunretirement.com.

FORT ERIE RACE TRACK â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2011 RACING SEASON Fort Erie opened its doors for its 114th live racing season on Saturday, May 7th. This year, the track will feature 78 days of Thoroughbred racing and four days of Quarter Horse racing. The 76th running of the Prince Wales Stakes, with a purse of $500,000, will be conducted on Sunday, July 17.

Post time has been temporarily moved up to 12:45 p.m. and will change again to 4:00 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays during the months of June, July, and August.

Horse people and fans will notice some changes at Fort Erie in 2011, as this is the first full year that the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium will manage the site. Mike Dimoff, who most recently called races at Northlands Park in Edmonton, is the new voice of the track as announcer.

Race fans will also want to visit Fort Erieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Tiki Bar, which will be located trackside several yards from the finish line. The Tiki Bar will be open five days a week from Fridays until Tuesdays and will be the site of live concerts after the races.

Local Fort Erie racing fans will also be able to tune into TVĐ&#x201A;Cogeco Niagara for a half-hour race replay show which will air at 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. on the day after each racing card.

CANADIAN HORSE RACING HALL OF FAME â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2011 INDUCTION CEREMONY ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 18 Horse people and racing fans are invited to honor the 2011 inductees at the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2011 Induction Ceremony and Gala Fundraising dinner on Thursday, August 18 at the Mississauga Convention Centre. Tickets will go on sale in June and will include a fabulous four-course dinner, as well as a silent auction and a chance to win fabulous door prizes.

If you would like to reserve tickets to the gala or would like to support the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame by becoming an associate member, please visit www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com or call (416) 675Đ&#x201A;7223, ext. 2399.

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

NEWS

AFFILIATE

14')10 *$2# CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS FOR 2011-2012 SEASON UNDERWAY Now that the 2010-2011 Portland Meadows racing season has been wrapped up and placed in the record books, the Oregon HBPA Board of Directors has been busy negotiating a contract for the upcoming racing season.

The HBPA Contract Committee, consisting of Ron Sutton, Debbie Funk, Jonathan Nance, and newly-elected board member Gleason Eakin, has been working hard exchanging ideas for improvements to the 2011-2012 race meet.

2010-2011 PORTLAND MEADOWS MEET The 2010-2011 was a challenging one for both horsemen and management alike, with five days of live racing being lost to weather conditions.

The all-sources handle dropped 14.19 percent, from a daily average of $784,506 during the 78-day live meet of 2009-2010 to $673,215 during the 2010-2011 season, when 73 days of live racing were conducted.

Jerry Hollendorfer, with assistant trainer Tom Roberts handling the local duties, captured the training title with 49 wins from 96 starts.

Joe Crispin was the leading rider for the second consecutive year. He visited the winner’s circle 127 times while riding 451 mounts.

While the race meet has been completed, Portland Meadows remains open for simulcasting, and the stable area is open for training under an agreement negotiated by the Oregon HBPA. SUMMER FAIR CIRCUIT A number of trainers have elected to remain on the grounds and will ship to Emerald Downs in Washington to race this summer, as well as racing on the Oregon summer fair circuit.

As usual, the fair circuit kicks off with three days of racing on June 10, 11 and 12 at the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show in Union, Oregon. It will be followed by nine days of racing at Grants Pass on weekends beginning on June 18 and continuing until July 10 at the Josephine County Fairgrounds.

Moving over to Prineville, Oregon, the Crooked River Roundup will have four days of racing on July 13, 14, 15 and 16, to be followed by four days at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds on August 10, 11, 12 and 13.

The summer fair circuit in Oregon will close out with a three-day venue at the Harney County Fair in Burns on September 9, 10 and 11.

2'005;.8#0+# *$2# PENSION FUND FULLY FUNDED The pension plan funded by the slots legislation is now fully funded with 160 eligible participants. To date, we have not received an “enrollment form & beneficiary designation” from the following eligible participants: Lonnie Arterburn, Paula Bacon, Thomas Beattie, Richard Beattie, Jose Bobadilla, John Bourke, Maria Bowersock, Gerald Brooks, Benny Cadahia, Gary Caple, Michael Catalano Jr., Frank Cifarelli, Harold Clark, Joseph Crane, Tina Deibler , Elizabeth Ewig, James Farley, Michelle Francis, Leslie Frost, Jill Gagliardi, Bryan George, Tim Girten, Ramon Gonzalez, Lynn Grace, Kimberly Graci, John Guciardo, Valeri Haller, Konstantinos Harigeorgiou, Larry Hayes, Dennis Hughes, John Jacavone, Brandon Jenkins, Anthanasios Kokoronis, Robert Kotenko, Wilbur Lindsey, Dave Lupo, Patrick Marrotta, Joseph Martin, Alexander Martinez, Rebecca Mazzaro, Marlin Miller, Tito Marino, Thomas Morgan, Stephen O’Connor, Oscar Orellana, Robert Peoples, James Pettine, Jodi Poole, John Randolph, Norman Reagan, Maribeth Riggs, Clifford Riggs, Kelly Ritchie, Franklin Rodriguez, Murray Rojas, Ron Rozell, Louis Ruberto, Frank Russo, Mark Salvaggio, Colin Sherwood, HJ 57//'4

Carol Skawinski, David Smith, Thomas R. Smith, Scott Sowle, Lance Stokes, Stephanie Tate, Jim Tracy, Richard Wasserman, Lynden Watson, Samuel Webb , David Wells, and Donna Wormser.

If your name is listed, you can download the “enrollment form & beneficiary designation” form on our website at www.pahbpa.com. Please complete and return the form to the Pennsylvania HBPA office at P.O. Box 88, Grantville, PA 17028. If we do not receive your form within the next three years, your balance will be forfeited and returned to the fund to be distributed amongst the active participants.

Those individuals who are vested with ten years of service and age 60 or greater will be able to apply for benefits starting in 2011. The application for benefits form will be included with your 2011 contribution and account summary that will be mailed by May 27, 2011. The request for benefits form must be received by the third party administrator, Conrad Seigel, no later than June 30, 2011 for benefits to be paid in 2011. Benefit checks will be cut and mailed

by July 31, 2011. Benefits will be paid once annually.

REPLAY KIOSK The Pennsylvania HBPA will soon be providing a replay kiosk in the racing office at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course (HCPNRC). This will enable the viewing of historical races at all racetracks in North America at no expense to our membership. HCPNRC will be providing an identical kiosk for the racing public within the grandstand at a location yet to be determined.

NEW VOCATIONS The partnership between the Pennsylvania HBPA and New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program is fully up and running. The program started taking horses in November and to date has taken in 37 horses. Twenty-two of the 37 have successfully been adopted into Cash Commander and Sherry George new homes.

The program, established by the Pennsylvania HBPA, offers a good option for racehorses at the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in need of retirement and placement into new careers. The program is housed at both Foxfield Farm locations in Reinholds and Oxford, Pennsylvania. It has been a huge undertaking, but it is off to a great start. The program is a perfect example of what can be done when everyone works together. Owners, trainers, breeders, vets, the Pennsylvania HBPA, Penn National, New Vocations, and Foxfield Farm have all come together and done their part to help the horses.

One of the success stories was a gelding named Cash Commander. He raced 31 times, with all but two starts at Penn National Race Course. Cash Commander entered the program, and in less than a month, he went to his first horse show with the program’s rider, Sherry George. He won one of his classes and brought home several other ribbons. Cash Commander was adopted a week later by Linda Grover of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and continues to excel in his second career.

6#/2# $#; &1905 *$2# 2010-2011 LIVE SEASON The 85th season of live racing at Tampa Bay Downs concluded on May 8, with trainers Gerald Bennett and Jamie Ness in a dead heat for leading trainer with an impressive 61 wins each. Congratulations are also in order for Ronnie Allen, Jr., who captured the leading rider title with 106 wins.

NEWS

TROT THE TRACK FUNDRAISER Trot the Track, a fundraising event hosted by Tampa Bay Downs, the Tampa Bay Downs HBPA, and Thoroughbred Retirement of Tampa (TROT) was held on Kentucky Derby Day to benefit the retired Thoroughbreds of Tampa Bay Downs. For a contribution, racing fans received a goody bag and were encouraged to walk, trot, or run around the oval to gain the horseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of its volunteers, TROT has placed nearly 40 Thoroughbreds that have retired from Tampa Bay Downs. Once again, the Tampa Bay Downs HBPA donated $1.00 per starter to this worthy endeavor.

With eight horses remaining to be adopted, any financial assistance is greatly appreciated. Information on adoption or making donations can be viewed on TROTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website, www.tampatrot.org.

BOARD ELECTION TO BE HELD DURING 2011-2012 MEET An election for the Board of Directors of the HBPA will be held during the 2011-2012 meet. Please make every effort to vote when you receive your ballot next winter. Information will be forthcoming in the fall issue regarding the nomination and election processes. We are still attempting to gather e-mail addresses, so drop us a line at tampabayhbpa@aol.com if you would like to be included on our list.

Best wishes for a safe summer, and we hope to see you back in Tampa in the fall.

6':#5 *145'/'0â&#x20AC;&#x2122;5 2#460'45*+2 ..2 SLOTS LEGISLATION UPDATE AS OF MAY 11 HJR 111, a bill filed in the Texas House of Representatives which would allow Texans to vote on placing slot machines at licensed racetracks and federally-recognized Indian reservations in Texas, was voted out of committee on Friday, May 6. However, the committee report was not filed by the deadline, midnight of May 9. The deadline for the bill to be considered in Texas Houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calendars has passed, and therefore the bill is, by rule, dead for the session in the Texas House of Representatives. HB 2111, the enabling legislation, was not voted out of committee.

As a result, any chance at bringing slots to the Texas racetracks this legislative session rests with the Texas Senate. Our existing senate bill, SJR 33, is currently stuck in committee and is not expected to come out. There is a possibility that another senate bill might make its way through an alternate committee, but that cannot be confirmed at this time.

While there is a chance that Governor Perry will call a special session of the Texas Legislature after the regular session ends on May 31 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; something that could open the door for an additional chance to get our legislation passed â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there is no guarantee a special session will be called or that our legislation would be considered in such a special session.

The Texas Horsemenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Partnership would like to thank you for your involvement in this legislative effort. Your numerous phone calls to House, Senate and committee members, personal visits with legislators, and your willingness to spread the word has advanced our effort much farther than ever before.

The work is not over. The Texas Horsemenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Partnership, along with the other members of Texas HORSE, will continue to monitor this issue closely

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The Tampa Bay Downs HBPA sponsored many activities this Spring, including the annual Owner/Trainer Appreciation Dinner, Backside Barbecue, and the Ninth Annual Florida Cup Day. Florida Cup Day Groom Awards of $100 per race were presented to the best-turned-out horses and handlers.

throughout the remainder of the session and provide information as it becomes available.

TEXAS RACING COMMISSION APPROVES OWNERSHIP CHANGE AFFECTING THREE TEXAS TRACKS On April 1, the Texas Racing Commission approved a change of ownership affecting three Texas racetracks. Penn National Gaming joins MAXXAM Inc. in a 50/50 ownership arrangement of Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, Valley Race Park in Harlingen, and Laredo Race Park in Laredo.

Penn National Gaming submitted a formal application for the ownership change in mid-December. Before the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s action, MAXXAM Inc. held sole ownership of the tracks.

It took just a little more than three months from the application date to Commission approval.

Commission Chairman Rolando Pablos said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of work goes into a request for an ownership change of this magnitude. The Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s review is detailed. The background investigation that the Department of Public Safety conducts takes time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I commend Penn National for its diligent approach and for responding in a timely fashion to requests for information from the Commission. Pennâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work helped put the Commission in a position to act quickly.â&#x20AC;?

Penn National Gaming is a publicly traded company that now retains ownership interests in more than 30 facilities in 17 jurisdictions. This ownership transaction marks Pennâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entry into the Texas market.

8+4)+0+# *$2# WELCOME TO THE RACES On June 8, Colonial Downs will begin an eight-week summer race meet at its New Kent, Virginia track. The meet concludes on Sunday, July 31. Racing is four days a week â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with an added day on Monday, July 4. Post time is 5:00 p.m. every day except Sunday, which has a 1:00 p.m. post.

Owners and trainers competing will see positive changes in purse levels.

Because racing has been reduced to four days from the usual five, average daily purses are expected to rise to about $200,000. In addition, this year there is increased bonus money for racing Virginia-bred or Virginia-sired horses (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Virginia-bredsâ&#x20AC;?).

The owners of all Virginia-bred horses running in open competition (not including stakes races) finishing first through fifth will receive a 100 percent bonus from the breeders fund â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the highest percentage in the country. That means, for example, Colonialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standard $23,000 open maiden race becomes a $46,000 race for Virginia-breds in the race. Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Virginia-bred ownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bonus paid just 60 percent for first through fourth.

The breederâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fund also provides a 25 percent purse supplement for all Virginia-bred restricted races other than stakes races. Taking an example from the lower end of competition, a $5,000 claiming race normally carrying a purse of $8,600 gets bumped to $9,850 when restricted to Virginia-bred horses. There will be 16 Virginia-restricted overnight races during the 33-day meet, in addition to six Virginia-bred stakes races with $50,000 purses.

Each year, Racing Secretary Tyler Picklesimer struggles to fill dirt races because of the popularity of Colonialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature turf course. Last year, 90 percent of the races were on the turf. This year, to encourage more entries, all dirt races with a field of nine or more starters (i.e. betting interests) will see purses boosted by 15 percent. For example, an allowance race on the main track with a $24,000 purse increases to $27,600 if there are nine or more betting interests.

WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

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Supporting the drive for more dirt races, the Virginia HBPA is again sponsoring its “down and dirty” trainer bonus program. Trainers entering claiming races on the main track, $10,000 or less, receive for their finishes: $200 (1st), $100 (2nd), $75 (3rd), and $50 (4th through last). Bonuses will be paid by the Virginia HBPA in a lump sum to each trainer at the end of the meet.

The racing secretary also created a new entry preference for dirt starters. All horses starting on the main track during the meet are preferred in all overnight turf races, provided the race is a similar distance (under or over a mile) and within a claiming price range of $2,500, either way. That preference, however, is second to the preference given to all registered Virginia-breds in all overnight races. Each preference must be claimed at the time of entry.

The purse distribution scheme for overnight races established last summer—paying through last place—is in effect this year as well. Purse shares in order of finish are: 58/20/10/6 percent, with the remaining six percent of the purse split equally among all finishers beyond the first four. While the “beyond fourth” share is small, it does cover a jockey mount fee and helps defray expenses for daily shippers.

Colonial’s stakes program this summer includes 17 races, highlighted by two big Saturday cards: the Colonial Turf Cup ($500,000, G2) and the All Along ($150,000, G3) on June 18, followed by the Virginia Derby ($600,000, G2) and the Virginia Oaks ($150,000, G3) on July 16. Rounding out the program are the Zeke Ferguson Steeplechase ($50,000, G3) and 12 ungraded $50,000 stakes contests.

All horses shipping to Colonial Downs must have a health certificate, dated within 10 days showing an EHV vaccination between seven and 90 days, and the usual 12-month Coggins test, before they will be allowed on the grounds.

The Colonial Downs condition book is on the track’s website at www.colonialdowns.com (click “horsemen”) as well as the Virginia HBPA’s site at www.vhbpa.org.

BENEVOLENCE & AMENITIES The Virginia HBPA is again furnishing benevolent services for backstretch workers during Colonial Downs’ summer meet. The first step, before the stable area opened, was cleaning the six dormitories and replacing worn mattresses and air conditioners.

During the meet, the Virginia HBPA classroom building next to the track kitchen is the center of activity for training programs, referral to medical and dental care, van transportation to shopping and recreation, distribution of meal vouchers for those in need, and our chaplaincy program. The 2,000 square foot building also has a kitchen, large screen television, computers, printers, copiers, fax machines, Wi-Fi, and sports equipment, all of which are free for use by owners, trainers, and backstretch workers.

The building is open every day from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The telephone number is (804) 966-1234. The fax number is (804) 966-2410.

Turning to amenities, all Virginia licensed horsemen and guests are entitled to free grandstand admission on every race day. That includes complimentary access (except Virginia Derby Day) to the third floor Jockey Club Horsemen’s Section, with a lounge and simulcasting areas.

In addition, free access to the Virginia HBPA’s suite on the fourth floor Turf Club level is available every day except Saturday. Turf Club bar seats and unsold dining tables are free every day (except Virginia Derby Day).

Horsemen enter through the Pass Gate by showing their license. Red wristbands for the Jockey Club and green ones for the Turf Club areas are obtained at the Guest Service Upgrade window immediately to the right after entering through the Pass Gate.

Casual attire is fine for the Jockey Club, but the Turf Club level has a dress code – no jeans, tank tops, or flip-flops.

HJ 57//'4

LEADERSHIP CHANGES AT THE VIRGINIA RACING COMMISSION The Virginia Racing Commission (VRC) has five members appointed by the Governor for five-year terms. Peter Burnett, a Leesburg horsemen and lawyer, served eight years as a member of the Commission, including the last four as its chairman, but was not reappointed when his term expired in December.

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell (R) replaced Burnett with J. Sargeant Reynolds, Jr., a Richmond real estate developer. Burnett was the Virginia HBPA’s vice president when he was selected for the VRC in 2003 by former Governor Mark Warner (D).

The Commission also hired Bernard J. Hettel as executive secretary. He replaces Victor Harrison, who left to work for Penn National Gaming. Hettle, a University of Louisville graduate, was employed for 20 years by the Kentucky Racing Commission, leaving in 2004 as its executive director and chief steward. He later worked as Gulfstream Park’s director of racing.

9#5*+0)610 *$2# GREETINGS FROM WASHINGTON! On behalf of the Board and Washington HBPA members, I want to extend an invitation to you to join those of us who will be attending our National HBPA summer convention in Seattle from July 21-24, and to provide an early “Welcome!” to those of you coming our way.

We look forward to hosting you and, we believe – perhaps too optimistically – that by late July, our skies will clear, the track will dry and become “fast,” and we will offer you an opportunity to get an eyeful of one of the most scenic urban areas in our great country.

We promise to have an agenda filled with excellent and meaningful panel discussions, a beautiful racetrack for you to enjoy, and some great opportunities to enjoy our outdoors.

We look forward to seeing you soon, Ron Maus President SHORT-TERM WORKERS COMPENSATION AVAILABLE TO WASHINGTON HORSE RACING INDUSTRY In a cooperative effort, the WHRC, Washington HBPA, and Department of Labor and Industries have made it possible to amend Washington Administrative Code to allow trainers to obtain 30-day coverage for WHRC licensed employees.

The WHRC administers the Washington Horse Racing L&I account and collects premiums that are set on an annual rate basis. Trainers currently must pay the same rate if their employees work one month or 12. The rule change will allow short-term coverage to be set at one-third the rate for the initial year.

If a trainer chooses to stay another month (for another one-third payment), he or she can extend the coverage. Once three payments of one-third are made, the person has paid for an entire year, so they are allowed to remain in the state throughout the season with coverage for his or her employees.

As claims managers for the HRI Workers Compensation account, the Washington HBPA has collected and provided data to the staff at Labor and Industries in efforts to lower the rate for one month, but at “press time” the rate remains at one-third of the annual rate for one month’s coverage.

Hopefully, this will encourage some out-of-state trainers to bring some horses north to Emerald Downs for some part of our season.

The Washington HBPA board of directors and staff wish to acknowledge the WHRC and its staff for their help with the rule change. The Commission acted promptly and took the necessary steps to implement the rule on an emergency basis. Labor and Industries has moved a little slower, but they are very

NEWS

THANK YOUR FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT! No Foolin! The April 1 Backstretch Clubhouse and Casino Night was a huge success, netting over $26,000 for the Learning Center located in the barn area at Emerald Downs. About 170 people packed the Emerald Room at Emerald Downs to play blackjack, poker, roulette, and craps and bid on over 160 items. Thanks to the generosity of 25 sponsors and several others that gave direct donations, all revenue from the auction plus a portion of ticket sales went directly to the child care center.

The auction committee, chaired by WTBOA and Washington HBPA Board Member Karla Laird, was totally amazed by the support of the racing and child care center community.

“The number of people that volunteered to help and vast amount of donated items that appeared in such a short time span was unbelievable,” said Laird, who also spent numerous hours cataloging and organizing the event.

Volunteers for the event were numerous and included horsemen, WHRC staff, Backstretch Clubhouse staff, Washington HBPA staff, and friends and family of the center.

Those that attended also came from a variety of connections. Although many had ties to Emerald Downs, others that supported the event were race fans or fans of a particular child that attended the center. All seemed to be having a great time gambling with “fun money” and bidding on a plethora of great auction items.

The Backstretch Clubhouse is one of very few childcare centers that offers a sliding scale fee schedule based on a family’s financial need. Further, all Thoroughbred racing industry participant families receive a discount off the already “lowest fees in the area” for a Washington State licensed childcare facility. Money raised by the April 1 event will help make up the difference of what it costs to care for the children and what is actually charged. The funds raised will also help pay for state-required “non drop side” cribs, preschool curriculum, and a new vacuum cleaner!

The Auction Committee (Karla Laird, Lanna Allen, Kathy Coffey, Jack Hodge, and MaryAnn O’Connell), the Backstretch Clubhouse Director (Mackenzie Noble), her staff, and all the kids wish to express their gratitude to the multi-

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careful with the pool and the risk ratings, so we do understand their pace is not going to be in keeping with that of our Commission or our desires.

For more information on Washington workers compensation for the horse racing industry, please contact the Washington HBPA office.

tudes of people and businesses that made the Backstretch Clubhouse Casino Night and Auction such a fun and profitable event.

The following is a list of sponsors and cash contributors to Backstretch Clubhouse and Casino Night: Marshall & Lanna Allen; Vern and Jan Baze; Carlos Cerna; Cats Creek – Paris, KY; Junior & Kathy Coffey; Ron & Wanda Crockett; El Dorado Farms; Emerald Downs; Grasshopper Stables; Jim Gentry; Greg Green; Dr. Bud & Pat Hallowell; Max Hanna; Harwood Thoroughbreds; Jack & Kitty Jones; Stacy Kanda; Karla & Chuck Laird; Pat And Carol LePley; Margo Lloyd; Andy Maib; Ron & Debbie Maus; Kristen Nelson; New Way Leasing; Mackenzie & Jeff Noble; MaryAnn O’Connell; Debbie & Rick Pabst; Chris Randall; Al & Sharimae Rossi; Bill & Nancy Rowe; Savario Farms; Sue & Tim Spooner; Sports Horse Medicine; Vic-tory Stables; Wayne and Geraldine Wenzel; Washington HBPA – Trust; and Washington Thoroughbred Foundation.

Auction item contributors were: Adrian Buchan, Emerald Downs; Andy Maib & Bonnie Jenne; Angelo’s of Burien; Annette Betcher; Anonymous; Ashli Canas - 35th Pl Photo; Backstretch Clubhouse & Staff; Backstretch Clubhouse Kids; Batterman Family; Bill & Nancy Rowe; Bistro Baffi, Seahurst, WA; Blood Horse Publications; Bob Rondeau; Bonnie Baze; Camp Berachah; Carol and Pat LePlay; Chuck Laird; Country Farm and Feed-Enumclaw; Dan Lewis – KOMO Television; Darrel Quinn; David Pasillas; Dawn Boyle; Del’s Feed; Dino Apostolou; Dover Saddlery; Dr. Bud Hallowell; Dr. Donald Turner, Optometrist; Dr. Greg Summers, Federal Way; Duane Hammamura; El Dorado Farms; Emerald Downs; Eric and Robin Schweiger; Erica Nordean; Falls Terrace Restaurant – Ralph Lund; Fred Stone; George & Linda Axtell; Gift Horse at Emerald Downs; Hairmasters; Hastings Race Course; Helen Day; Horse Power Feed; Iron Horse; Jack & Glenda Bullock & Reber Ranch; Jack & Teresa Hodge; Jack Fabulich – Peterson Cheese; Jan & Vern Baze; Jeff & Mackenzie Noble; Jessica Driskell Phiel; Jill Haynes- Innventures; Joe & Sally Steiner –Quarterchute Café; Joe Withee; John Deere Corporation; Kama’aina Fashions; Kandee Jennings; Karla Laird; Kathy Coffey; Kathy Riley; Kentucky HBPA; Kim Wales; Lanna & Marshall Allen; Laura Plato – National HBPA; Lazy K Tack; Lee’s Martial Arts; M. Anne Sweet; Marci Jewelry; Marleen & Kenny Alhadeff; Marlene Spencer; Marriott Hotel – Portland Riverside; MaryAnn O’Connell; Maude Kelleher; Max Hanna; NTRA; Pam Parker; Paul & Lori Heist – Tacoma Boys Grocery; Reber Ranch, Country Farm & Feed; Reed & Erin Palmer; Rhonda & Michael Fierstein; Rich O’Connell - Heritage Farm; Richard & Dixie Hitchcock; Richard Reidel-Kentucky Health & Welfare Fund; Robbie Baze; Ron & Debbie Maus; Ron & Rosalie Warren; Rottles – Auburn; Seattle Agility Center, Shannon Larson; Susan Martin – The Jockey Club; Sylvia McCready; Taketa Framing, Vancouver; Terry & Mary Lou Griffin; The Horse Magazine; Three Chimneys Farm, Lexington; Tim & Sue Spooner; Tina Easter – Metlife Home Loans, Federal Way; Toro - Steve Anderson, Equine Savings; Traber-Bergsma-Simkins Veterinary; Vicki Potter; Washington HBPA; Washington HBPA Trust; WinStar Farms; and WTBOA.

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Big Dee’s Tack & Vet Supply ..........................9 Biomedica ....................................................17 Calder Race Course......................................41 Claiming Crown ...........................................11 Dandy Products ............................................55 Delaware Park ..............................................23 Doc’s Equine Products ................................ BC Ellis Park ......................................................30 Emerald Downs ............................................34 Equiade ........................................................56 Equineline.com............................................IFC

EquiVibe .......................................................12 Evangeline Training Center ..........................39 Farnam.........................................................19 Farrier Product Distribution..........................35 Finish Line .................................................4, 5 Hawthorne Products .....................................29 Horseman Labor Solutions .............................9 Innovative Equine Marketing........................42 Kraft Horse Walker .......................................56 Lavin Insurance ...........................................12 Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort......22

New Mexico Horse Breeders Assoc................55 NTRA .......................................................... IBC Oklahoma HBPA .............................................6 Oklahoma Racing Commission ....................18 Research Associates ....................................15 Thoro’bred, Inc. ............................................45 TriTronics .....................................................55 Truck Add-Ons .............................................45 Victory Racing Plate .....................................42 W. F. Valentine & Co. ...................................55 XPress Bet ....................................................42 WWW.NATIONALHBPA.COM

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