Minutes
Ohio HBPA Board Meeting
11:00 am, Friday, July 25, 2025
Ohio HBPA Main Office
Members Present: President Joe Poole Directors: Susan Anderson, Linda Carrera, Bobby Cline, Jeff Jarvis, Brian Poe, Kim Puhl, Mike Rone, Doug Shanyfelt, George Sikora
Members Unable to Attend: Christy Estvanko, Tim Hamm
Others On Call: Executive Director Dave Basler, OTBO Board Member Cathy Gale
Call to Order/ Approval of Minutes:
President Poole called the meeting to order. After review President Poole moved and Director Puhl seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the June 24, 2025 Ohio HBPA board of directors meeting. Motion passed.
Director Estvanko is granted an excused absence from this meeting due to having horses in at Belterra Park.
President’s Report
President Poole stated that he felt the need to return to in person meetings of the Ohio HBPA board of directors rather than monthly conference calls citing the inability to control who was on and/or listening to the calls as well as a desire for board members to discuss issues face to face.
President Poole moved and Director Puhl seconded a motion to switch the OHBPA board meeting to bi-monthly in person meetings going forward. Motion passed with Director Jarvis voting no.
Executive Director’s Report:
The executive director updated the board on the OHBPA’s HISA assessment fee lawsuit stating that all motions and responses are due by August 1, 2025.
Basler updated the board on the recent cluster of racing fatalities at Thistledown which led to the dismissal of the trackman earlier in the week and the cancellation of all four scheduled racing cards as well. Thistledown has had 6 racing fatalities at the meet along with 3 training fatalities. Belterra has had 3 total fatalities during their meet thus far.
New Business:
Purses and Wagering
Handouts were provided to the board showing VLT results for all three thoroughbred tracks in Ohio for June 2025 as well as previous VLT results for comparison purposes. Belterra Park showed a net win of $6,769,788 in June 2025 down slightly from the $6,804,278 net win in June 2024 at the track. Thistledown had a net VLT win of $15,035,118 in June which was a gain of just over $600,000 from the prior June net win. Mahoning Valley had a net VLT win of $14,219,940 in June down slightly over $300,000 from the $14,523,804 net win at Mahoning Valley in June 2024.
Basler detailed that the total funds available for purses at Mahoning Valley Race Course through June 1, 2025 was $3,500,374 compared to $2,195,144 available for purses at the track the prior June 1. Belterra Park had a purse account balance of $3,056,700 through May 1, 2025 compared to a balance of $4,754,908 on the same date in 2024. Through June 30, 2025 Thistledown will have total available purse monies of $7,270,373 once an over $300,000 correction is made to the purse reports for incorrect charges to the account for drug testing costs as compared to a total of $9,438,991 available for purses on June 30, 2024.
Benevolence, Policies and Organization
Extensive discussion was held regarding the procedures in place to call emergency OHBPA board meetings.
Director Jarvis moved and Director Anderson seconded a motion to change Section 3.5 (c) of the OHBPA Code of Regulations to read as follows:
“Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President or any three (3) directors as provided in Section 5.4.” Motion failed with Directors Anderson, Carrera, Cline, Jarvis and Puhl voting yes and President Poole abstaining. (Note: Code of Regulations changes require 8 affirmative votes to pass)
Budget and Finance
Discussion was held regarding a race declared a “no contest” by the stewards at Belterra Park on July 10th and a race declared a “no contest” by the stewards at Thistledown on July 16th. President Poole moved and Director Carrera seconded a motion that the OHBPA pay from the Industry Initiative Fund $300 to the owner(s) of each horse in each of the “no contest” races to help cover race day expenses of those horses. Motion passed.
Discussion was held regarding anticipated shortfalls in the Belterra Park purse account before the end of the 2025 racing season.
Director Poe moved and Director Jarvis seconded a motion that a transfer(s) of up to $1,500,000 to the Belterra Purse account as a loan can be made from the Industry Initiative Fund at the Executive Director’s discretion pending his negotiations for repayment of funds owed to the HBPA by Belterra Park along with items required by Claude Freije for the track kitchen prior to him resuming service in that building. Motion passed.
Discussion was held regarding the next board meeting date with the board setting Tuesday, September 16, 2025 as the next meeting date beginning at 11am at the Ohio HBPA main office in Grove City.
Adjournment:
President Poole moved and Director Puhl seconded a motion to adjourn. Motion passed.