Minutes
Ohio HBPA Board Meeting
11:00 am, Friday, February 14, 2025
Via freeconferencecall.com
Members on Call: President Joe Poole Directors Susan Anderson, Linda Carrera, Bobby Cline, Christy Estvanko, Tim Hamm, Jeff Jarvis, Brian Poe, Kim Puhl, Mike Rone, Doug Shanyfelt, George Sikora
Others on Call: Executive Director Dave Basler
Call to Order: Approval of Minutes:
President Poole called the meeting to order. After review President Poole moved and Director Cline seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the January 10, 2025 Ohio HBPA board of directors meeting. Motion passed.
President’s Report
President Poole stated that CANTER Michigan had recently taken in two horses from Mahoning Valley Race Course both of which required surgery and one of which would have been put down if surgery wasn’t performed.
After extensive discussion President Poole moved and Director Rone seconded a motion that the Ohio HBPA provide from the Industry Initiative Fund be contributed in 2025 going forward to CANTER Michigan with the payouts to be made as follows; $1,000 per horse taken in by CANTER Michigan which last raced or stabled at an Ohio thoroughbred track and does not require surgery, $2,500 per horse taken in by CANTER Michigan which last raced or stabled at an Ohio thoroughbred track and requires surgery set up through CANTER Michigan with a maximum of $50,000 to be paid out to CANTER Michigan and Second Stride combined in 2025. Motion passed with director Carrera, Estvanko and Jarvis voting no.
Executive Director’s Report:
The executive director updated the board that the US Supreme Court had now conferenced several times in 2025 regarding scheduling of cases and thus far has not made a decision regarding which cases, or cases against HISA it would hear. National HBPA Legal Counsel remained optimistic that the Supreme Court will hear the National HBPA case vs HISA and that we will ultimately prevail but it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the case will be heard before the Fall of 2025 due to scheduling issues.
Basler detailed to the board that the OHBPA lawsuit against HISA regarding Ohio HISA assessment fees had been filed on February 4, 2025 but at this point no hearings had been scheduled. Legal counsel had reached agreement with HISA reserving our rights in the case should the HBPA decide to pay the HISA assessment fees directly from the purse accounts rather than our owners and trainers being charged a per start fee. After discussion President Poole moved and Director Shanyfelt seconded a motion that the Ohio HBPA pay from the purse accounts at each track the HISA assessment fees pending the outcome of the OHBPA suit versus HISA on this issue. Motion passed.
Extensive discussion was held regarding the track kitchen situation Belterra Park for the upcoming meeting. Based on discussions that Director Jarvis and Cline has with Claude Fredje who had previously run the track kitchen at Belterra he is interested in doing so again. The board desired Mr. Fredje to run the kitchen again in 2025 and for the OHBPA track kitchen committee to express that desire to Belterra Park management and try to negotiate the provision in the track contract between the parties to reflect that.
New Business:
Purses and Wagering
Handouts were provided to the board showing VLT results for all three thoroughbred tracks in Ohio for January 2025 as well as previous VLT results for comparison purposes. Belterra Park showed a net win of $7,460,825 in December 2024 which was essentially flat with the $7,468,544 net win in December 2023 at the track. Thistledown had a net VLT win of $16,072,683 in December which was down approximately $440,000 from the prior December net win figure of $16,516,013. Mahoning Valley had a net VLT win of $14,193,804 in December 2024 up over a half million dollars from the $13,617,988 net win at Mahoning Valley in December 2023.
Basler detailed that the total funds available for purses at Mahoning Valley Race Course through February 1, 2025 were $6,694,360 compared to $5,808,029 available for purses at the track the prior February 1. The executive director has been assured by Belterra Park management that updated purse reports will be sent before the beginning of the 2025 racing season.
Thistledown long time purse report accountant Rebecca Ivey who left the company in November still has not been replaced and Basler is still awaiting updated purse reports for the track.
Budget and Finance
Following discussion Director Hamm moved and Director Estvanko seconded a motion that the Ohio HBPA pay from the Industry Initiative Fund $300 to the listed owner/owners of each horse in the fifth race at Mahoning Valley Race Course on January 23, 2025, which the stewards declared a no contest due to a horse losing its rider leaving the gate and impeding several other horses during the running of the race, to offset racing related expenses for those horse as no purse money was paid for this race. Motion passed.
Discussion was held regarding the next board meeting date with Friday, March 21, 2025 being selected as the date beginning at 11am via freeconferencecall.com
Adjournment:
President Poole moved and Director Cline seconded a motion to adjourn. Motion passed.