Minutes
Ohio HBPA Board Meeting
11:00 am, Friday, March 21, 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, OHBPA Lobbyist Tom Pappas
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 February 14, 2025 Ohio HBPA board of directors meeting. Motion passed.
Special Oeder of Business:
OHBPA lobbyist Tom Pappas updated the board regarding language in the Governor’s budget bill which would give the OSRC the ability to fine up to $50,000 an increase from the current $10,000 limit. The original language would have allowed the stewards or the commission to fine $50,000 but after objections from the OHBPA as well as the OHHA the language had been changed to only allow the commission that ability which is line with the recommendations of the ARCI and many other racing jurisdictions.
President’s Report
President Poole discussed his displeasure with certain social media posts regarding the OHBPA’s support of aftercare programs which had been approved by the Ohio HBPA board of directors.
Executive Director’s Report:
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 has come up with a proposed schedule which has been sent to lawyers from HISA and the FTC with a July 11th, 2025 deadline for filing cross motions but the schedule has not yet been agreed to by the opposition. The executive director also informed the board that the Department of Justice lawyer originally assigned to the case had either resigned or been fired and a new DOJ lawyer was recently assigned to the case.
Extensive discussion was held regarding the track kitchen situation at
Belterra Park for the upcoming meeting. Belterra Park management is
moving forward on securing a contract with Claude Freije to run the track
kitchen in 2025 at the request of the OHBPA. Director Jarvis moved and
President Poole seconded a motion that the OHBPA propose to Belterra Park
management that Article XXII be changed from Belterra’s latest proposal by
striking the proposed hours and days of operation in number 2) and striking
number 3) entirely. Motion passed.
The executive director detailed two barn area walkthroughs he had done
with personnel from the OSRC including executive director Chris
Dragone the past two weeks discussing issues with flooding in barn 27 and
heating and hot water issues in the dorms and several barns, Discussion was
also held regarding the track not starting training 30 days prior to the meet as
required by contract with the board deciding not to make it an issue due to
Thistledown management helping Ohio’s horsemen during the Mahoning
Valley strangles situation the prior year.
Basler gave a detailed breakdown on the use of thoroughbred VLT funds
earmarked for horsemen in Ohio 2024 stating that $36 million went directly
to track purse accounts. The remaining $9 million went to the Ohio HBPA’s
Industry Initiative Fund. Industry Initiative Fund expenditures in 2024
included $9.3 million to the Ohio Thoroughbred Fund, $500,000 to
the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Health Fund to support health and retirement
programs for trainers and barn area employees, $200,000 for thoroughbred
aftercare programs, over $100,000 for benevolence and testing costs for the
Strangles outbreak at Mahoning Valley, $200,000 to other organizations for
programs including scholarships, Ohio Farm Bureau partnership, equine
medication testing research, etc. These expenditures were partially offset by
$400,000 in earned interest in the Industry Initiative Fund accounts but the
deficit for the year was still over $900,000.
New Business:
Purses and Wagering
Handouts were provided to the board showing VLT results for all three thoroughbred tracks in Ohio for February 2025 as well as previous VLT results for comparison purposes. Belterra Park showed a net win of $6,500,102 in February which was down over $730,000 from the $7,230,705 net win in February 2024 at the track. The 2025 figure was hurt by the track being closed for more than 2 days due to river flooding. Thistledown had a net VLT win of $14,260,916 in February which was down over $635,000 from the prior February net win figure of $14,898,612. Mahoning Valley had a net VLT win of $13,864,427 in February down approximately $125,000 from the $13,989,156 net win at Mahoning Valley in February 2024.
Basler detailed that the total funds available for purses at Mahoning Valley Race Course through March 1, 2025 were $$5,841,088 compared to $4,117,723 available for purses at the track the prior March 1 but these results were somewhat deceptive given that there were 8 fewer racing days through the end of February 2025 as compared to the same time period in 2024 due to weather and track condition cancellations. Belterra Park’s corrected purse reports were supposed to have been sent this week but have not yet been received and the previous reports had numerous large errors. Thistledown is well behind on purse reports since the departure of Rebecca Ivey who had done the reports for the track for 20 plus years.
Budget and Finance
Discussion was held regarding a personal benevolence request. President Poole moved and Director Estvanko seconded a motion to approve the repayment of $436.30 in cremation costs in the request upon the receipt of proof of payment. Motion passed.
Discussion was held regarding the next board meeting date with Wednesday, April 16, 2025 being selected as the date beginning at 11am in the Ohio HBPA main office in Grove City.
Adjournment:
President Poole oved and Director Cline seconded a motion to adjourn. Motion passed.