Minutes
Ohio HBPA Board Meeting
11:00 am, Friday, January 16, 2026
Ohio HBPA Main Office
Members Present: President Joe Poole Directors Susan Anderson, Bobby Cline, Christy Estvanko, Jeff Jarvis, Brian Poe, Mike Rone, Doug Shanyfelt,
Members Unable to Attend: Linda Carrera, Tim Hamm, Kim Puhl, George Sikora
Others Present: Executive Director Dave Basler, Lobbyist Kyle Miller
Call to Order/ Approval of Minutes:
President Poole called the meeting to order. After review President Poole moved and Director Anderson seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the November 7, 2025 Ohio HBPA board of directors meeting. Motion passed.
Legislative Update
Lobbyist Kyle Miller provided a legislative update including a handout which detailed the Ohio legislative calendar for 2026 and upcoming fund-raising events of legislators as well as discussing I Gaming.
Executive Director’s Report:
The executive director updated the board on proposed modifications to the HISA Anti-Doping Medication Control Program rules and provided the board the National HBPA’s written comments to those proposed changes.
New Business:
Purses and Wagering
Handouts were provided to the board showing VLT results for all three thoroughbred tracks in Ohio for December 2025 as well as previous years VLT results for comparison purposes. Belterra Park showed a net win of $7,492,331 in December 2025 up over $30,000 from the $7,460,825 net win in December 2024 at the track. Thistledown had a net VLT win of $14,876,799 in December which was down over $1,100,000 from the prior December net win of $16,072,683. Mahoning Valley had a net VLT win of $14,027,658 in December down slightly from the $14,193,804 net win at Mahoning Valley in December 2024.
Basler detailed that the total funds available for purses at Mahoning Valley Race Course through January 1, 2026 was $5,658,806 compared to $4,967,785 available for purses at the track the prior January 1. Belterra Park had a purse account balance of negative $971,166 through December 1, 2025 compared to a balance of $34,768 on the same date in 2024. Through December 1, 2025 Thistledown will have total available purse monies of $2,400,424 once an over $300,000 correction is made to the purse reports for drug testing costs as compared to a total of $2,372,739 available for purses on December 1, 2024.
Government and External Affairs
The executive director discussed a proposed rule changer to 3769-7-14 regarding apprentice jockeys as well as providing the board with the new proposed rule language. The board did not have any objections to the proposed rule changes.
Budget and Finance
Director Estvanko moved and Director Rone seconded a motion to pay each owner(s) of a horse in the 3rd race at Thistledown on November 24th, 2025 $300 from the Industry Initiative Fund to offset race day expenses consistent with actions previously taken by the board in races which were declared “No Contest” by the stewards. Motion passed with President Poole abstaining.
Discussion was held regarding the National HBPA Winter Convention to be held in March in Hot Springs, Arkansas with the executive director polling board members to see who was interested in attending the conference.
Extensive discussion was held regarding Ohio HBPA contributions from the Industry Initiative fund for 2026.
President Poole moved and Director Anderson seconded a motion that a contribution of $35,000 be made from the Industry Initiative fund to the National HBPA to cover 2026 dues, Horsemen’s Journal assessment, Winter Convention registrations and Winter Convention sponsorship. Motion passed.
Director Rone moved and Director Poe seconded a motion that a contribution of $15,000 be made from the Industry Initiative fund to the Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky to support the ongoing equine medication research of Dr. Thomas Tobin. Motion passed.
Director Poe moved and Director Estvanko seconded a motion that up to $55,000 be contributed from the Ohio HBPA Scholarship Fund to support on-track, 4H and FFA scholarships in 2026. Motion passed.
President Poole moved and Director Rone seconded a motion that a contribution of $10,000 be made to the Equine Health and Welfare alliance in support of their equine medication threshold and contamination research projects. Motion passed.
President Poole moved and Director Cline seconded a motion authorizing the executive director enter into an agreement (which had been provided to the board in writing) making combined contributions of up to $58,143 for 2026 to support the Ohio Farm Bureau and the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation supporting sponsorships and programs of those organizations. Motion passed.
Director Poe moved and President Poole seconded a motion that a contribution from the Industry Initiative Fund in the amount of $12,000 be made to the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America in support of a chaplain for the 2026 racing season at Belterra Park and also for a total contribution of $35,000 from the Industry Initiative Fund to the Racetrack Chaplaincy of Ohio over the following 12 months in support of the work done by Reverend Harris at Mahoning Valley and Thistledown race tracks to be distributed monthly at $2,916.67. Motion passed.
Director Poe moved and Director Shanyfelt seconded a motion that a contribution from the Industry Initiative Fund of $50,000 be made to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund partially for 2026 and partially for two previous years when contribution checks from the OHBPA to the PDJF had gone uncashed. Motion passed.
Director Estvanko moved and Director Anderson seconded a motion that the Ohio HBPA will make available from the Industry Initiative Fund up to $100,000 to any TAA accredited facilities which accept donations of horses which made their last start at one of Ohio’s three thoroughbred tracks in the past 12 months or which were stabled at an Ohio thoroughbred track at the time of donation. For each such horse the Ohio HBPA will donate to the TAA accredited facility $1,000 per horse for those which do not require surgery and $2,500 per horse for horses which have surgery set up through the TAA accredited facility to which it was donated. Motion passed.
Discussion was held regarding the next board meeting date with the board setting Friday, March 20, 2026 as the next meeting date beginning at 11am at the Ohio HBPA main office in Grove City.
Adjournment:
President Poole moved and Director Shanyfelt seconded a motion to adjourn. Motion passed.