Minutes
Ohio HBPA Board Meeting
11:00 am, Monday, July 15th, 2024
Ohio HBPA Main Office, Grove City, OH
Members Present: President Joe Poole Directors: Nancy Adams, Susan Anderson, Linda Carrera, Bobby Cline, Jeff Jarvis, Bruce Miller, Mike Rone, Kristi Tumblin
Members Unable to Attend: Mark Doering, Brian Poe, George Sikora
Others Present:
Executive Director Dave Basler, Tom Pappas and Associates Lobbyist Kyle Miller
Call to Order/ Approval of Minutes:
President Poole called the meeting to order. After review President Poole moved and Director Miller seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the May 17, 2024 Ohio HBPA board of directors meeting. Motion passed.
President Poole moved and Director Cline seconded a motion to grant excused absences to Directors Poe and Sikora. Director Poe was on a pre-planned family vacation and Director Sikora was recovering from knee replacement surgery. Motion passed.
Executive Director’s Report:
The executive director updated the board on the upcoming OHBPA board of directors election detailing that 12 trainer/owner-trainer candidates and 7 owner only candidates had turned in their completed election packets and would be on the ballot. This is a record number of people running for election to the board based on the 30 years of previous elections that Basler had access to records on.
The executive director updated the board on the payment of Strangles benevolence to members who had horses which were quarantined for more than 30 days during and immediately following the Mahoning Valley meet detailing that 46 checks had been cut totaling $33,955.
Discussion was held regarding a Strangles benevolence request from a member who technically fell outside the guidelines set by the board for benevolence but who had several horses who had tested positive for Strangles and were quarantined at both Mahoning Valley for a time and subsequently at a private barn. Director Jarvis moved and Director Carrera seconded a motion that the member receive benevolence for the 21 horses requested for a period of 32 days. Motion passed.
President Poole moved and Director Cline seconded a motion to enter executive session to discuss legal matters involving a Belterra Park contract issue and a separate legal issue involving HISA assessment fees. Motion passed.
President Poole moved and Director Carrera seconded a motion to leave executive session. Motion passed.
Director Adams moved and President Poole seconded a motion that the executive director be authorized to negotiate and enter into a 6-month extension of the HISA stand-still agreement which expired on April 22, 2024. Motion passed.
New Business
Purses and Wagering
The executive director updated the board regarding purse account balances detailing that Mahoning Valley had $3,457,068 available for purses as of July 1, 2024 up a little over $100,000 from the previous year figure of $3,339,992. The 2024 figure doesn’t include $914,530 in funds escrowed for HISA assessments at Mahoning Valley under the stand-still agreement.
Thistledown had $11,634,110 available for purses as of May 1, 2024 down nearly $900,000 from the $12,415,082 available on May 1, 2023 but this amount was wholly attributable to over $1,006,910 in purse funds escrowed for HISA assessments at Thistledown under the stand-still agreement.
Belterra Park had $4,343,182 available for purses as of April 1, 2024 slightly more than $1 million above the April 2023 figure of $3,318,362.
Handouts were provided to the board showing VLT results for all three thoroughbred tracks in Ohio as well as previous VLT results for comparison purposes. Belterra Park showed a net win of $6,804,278 in June 2024 down over $160,000 from the $6,967,716 net win in June 2023 at the track. Thistledown had a net VLT win of $14,434,199 in June which was down over $1.2 million from the prior June net win figure of $15,708,163 and marked the sixth straight month of year over year declines in VLT net win at the track. Mahoning Valley had a net VLT win of $14,523,804 in June 2024 up nearly $1 million from the $13,564,288 net win at Mahoning Valley in June 2023.
Government and External Affairs
Discussion was held regarding the upcoming horse sales being run by both the OTBO and Buckeye Classic Thoroughbreds. No motions were made.
Following discussion regarding a tornado which destroyed three barns and killed over 10 horses as well as destroying a large amount of personal property at Will Rogers Downs in Oklahoma Director Adams moved and Director Miller seconded a motion that a contribution of $5,000 be made from the Industry Initiative Fund to the Will Rogers Disaster Fund being administered by the Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma. Motion passed with Director Jarvis voting no.
Adjournment:
President Poole moved and Director Carrera seconded a motion to adjourn. Motion passed.