Minutes
Ohio HBPA Board Meeting
11:00 am, Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Ohio HBPA Main Office, Grove City, OH
Members Present: President Joe Poole Directors, Bobby Cline, Christy Estvanko, Kim Puhl, Doug Shanyfelt, George Sikora
Members Unable to Attend: Susan Anderson, Linda Carrera, Tim Hamm, Jeff Jarvis, Brian Poe, Mike Rone
Others Present: Executive Director Dave Basler
Call to Order/ Approval of Minutes:
President Poole called the meeting to order. After review Director Cline moved and Director Puhl seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the March 21, 2025 Ohio HBPA board of directors meeting. Motion passed.
Executive Director’s Report:
The executive director updated the board that OHBPA legal counsel had proposed a schedule to HISA and FTC legal counsel in the OHBPA’s HISA Assessment fee case setting the deadline for all motions and responses for August 2025 and stating that if the opposition accepted this expedited schedule the OHBPA would drop its preliminary injunction filing in the case. Legal counsel for HISA and the FTC have not responded to this offer as of the date of this meeting.
A written proposal with changes to Article XXII “Racetrack Kitchen” and XXVI “Mediation” of the contract between Belterra Park and the Ohio HBPA was presented to the board. President Poole moved and Director Estvanko seconded a motion to approve the proposed language authorizing the executive director to enter an agreement with Belterra Park based on that language. Motion passed. Basler informed the board that proposed language from the OSRC to increase the maximum fines they could levy from $10,000 to $50,000 had not been included in the House’s version of the budget bill.
New Business:
Purses and Wagering
Handouts were provided to the board showing VLT results for all three thoroughbred tracks in Ohio for March 2025 as well as previous VLT results for comparison purposes. Belterra Park showed a net win of $8,082,289 in March 2025 which was up slightly from the $8,001,918 net win in March 2024 at the track. Thistledown had a net VLT win of $17,536,793 in March which was up over $700,000 from the prior March net win figure of $16,831,925. Mahoning Valley had a net VLT win of $16,855,052 in March up over $800,000 from the $16,029,324 net win at Mahoning Valley in March 2024.
Basler detailed that the total funds available for purses at Mahoning Valley Race Course through April 1, 2025 was $2,170,943 compared to $941,100 available for purses at the track the prior April 1. Belterra Park had a purse account balance of $1,036,418 through December 31, 2024 after corrections of purse report errors compared to a balance of $2,355,477 on December 31, 2024.
Discussion was held regarding a handout to the board showing proposed changes Mahoning Valley Race Course would like to make to their stakes schedule in the fall 2026 including moving the Best of Ohio races to the tracks premiere open stakes the Steel Valley Sprint. Given that the purpose of the Best of Ohio stakes days is to highlight Ohio-bred racing the board was not inclined to agree to moving the Best of Ohio stakes as proposed by Mahoning Valley.
Discussion was held regarding the next board meeting date with the board setting Friday, May 16, 2025 as the next meeting date beginning at 11am via freeconferencecal.com.
Adjournment:
President Poole moved and Director Puhl seconded a motion to adjourn. Motion passed.