NEWS
2018 RACE DATES The Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission has awarded a total of 97 Thoroughbred racing dates for 2018 with an additional 34 days of mixed meet racing. The 2018 schedule includes 67 Thoroughbred dates at Remington Park from August 24 to December 16 and 30 Thoroughbred dates at Will Rogers Downs from March 12 to May 19. Fair Meadows will offer mixed meet racing from June 7 to July 29. OKLAHOMA STALLION STAKES REMINDER Now is the time to nominate your stallion to the 2022 Oklahoma Stallion Stakes for foals of 2019 from the 2018 breeding season. A nomination of $1,000 is due by February 1, 2018, or that goes up to $1,500 after February 1. No payments will be accepted after April 15, 2018. Visit the TRAO website at traoracing.com for more information or a nomination form.
OREGON HBPA PORTLAND MEADOWS UPDATE Well, the rain is coming down in Oregon, and that means it is time for horse racing at Portland Meadows. And since the racing surface is sand, the more rain that falls, the better the track is for racing. The horses love it! Opening day at Portland Meadows was October 2 and kicked off a 37-day race meet. Most race weeks are Mondays and Tuesdays with a few special Sundays sprinkled in to promote the live race meet in the community. October 22 was our first Sunday of racing, and a huge crowd enjoyed $1 beer, $1 hot dogs and some very competitive racing. The weather cooperated, and racing fans had a great experience. As with many tracks, the horse population on our backside is down, and it has been difficult to fill all of our race cards. Things picked up in November, and the direct impact of larger field sizes and a full race card resulted in a one-day handle of well over $900,000. That is a good day for us at Portland Meadows. Hopefully we can continue this trend and have a successful meet, which concludes January 30. The Oregon HBPA board of directors continues to explore ways to use our resources strategically to grow our racing industry and most importantly to support our owners and trainers. This year at Portland Meadows, the Oregon HBPA is providing $40 of free bedding for every horse, free chips for all walkers, a $100 participation bonus for horses running and a purse supplement of $500 for all Thoroughbred races. In addition, with the holidays upon us, the Oregon HBPA provided a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner for everyone on the backside in Cindi’s Café. And on December 16, we hosted our annual membership meeting accompanied by Christmas dinner, cocktails, gift card prizes, music and a few members taking advantage to dance the night away. At the end of the day, it really is all about our racing family and Oregon horsemen helping Oregon horsemen. Good luck at the races!
AFFILIATE
favorite along on the lead every step of the way, going on to win by 1 ½ lengths for owner Carol Nelson in a time of 1:41.95 for 1 1/16 miles over the turf. Pacific Typhoon was bred by Clark Brewster. He earned $78,000 to push his lifetime earnings to $234,606.
PENNSYLVANIA HBPA PASSING OF DR. HARRY WEISLEDER The racing industry lost a beloved owner and fan in Dr. Harry Weisleder, who passed away November 6. Doc was extremely passionate about the racing game. He participated in racing as an owner under the stable name of DASL Racing and was an avid pinhooking investor. Doc was a regular at all the major Thoroughbred sales throughout the year. He was elected to the Pennsylvania HBPA board of directors in 2015 and served on many committees. Doc was well liked by all who met him and will be greatly missed. The sport of racing lost one of the good guys with his passing. We’ll miss you, Doc! PA STATE BUDGET PASSED, FINALLY The Pennsylvania state budget was passed and signed by the governor in early November. The budget included many critical elements affecting the horse industry within the Commonwealth: • The monies transferred to the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development Fund have been converted to a trust and are no longer considered the property of the Commonwealth. This change will solidify the dollars to be used by the equine industry for purses, breeding and benefits. The legislature will no longer be able to hold the industry hostage in every budget cycle. Should the trust be violated, the Commonwealth would be required to repay the approximately $330 million that was transferred from the Race Horse Development Fund to the General Fund since 2009. This change will allow breeders and owners the stability required to once again invest in Pennsylvania racing. • Ten Category 4 casino licenses were created. It remains to be seen if investors will spend the required $7.5 million for the slots license and $2.5 million for the table game license in addition to the capital investment required to build a facility. • Internet gaming was legalized. • Sports gambling was legalized should the federal government change the current prohibition. • Up to five VGT machines may be located at truck stops that meet the requirements. The impact of the passed budget and gambling legislation on the equine industry will not be known for many months if not years. The positives appear to outweigh the negatives at this early juncture.
TAMPA BAY DOWNS HBPA PLENTY GOING ON AT TAMPA BAY DOWNS We would like to extend a warm welcome to our returning and new horsemen as we begin this season of racing. The Catholic Charities Mobile Medical facility is now open. Among the new and exciting additions to the racing program this year is the Florida Sire Stakes, co-sponsored by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association. WWW.HBPA.ORG
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