Minutes
Ohio HBPA Board Meeting
11:00 am, Friday, May 16, 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 Kyle Miller
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 April 16, 2025 Ohio HBPA board of directors meeting. Motion passed.
Special Order of Business:
OHBPA lobbyist Kyle Miller and the executive director led a discussion regarding the budget bill and the possibility of I Gaming potentially being added to the bill which would be detrimental to horse racing in the state unless a percentage of the I Gaming revenue were earmarked for purses.
Executive Director’s Report:
The executive director updated the board that OHBPA legal counsel had entered into an agreement with HISA and FTC legal counsel in the OHBPA’s HISA assessment fee lawsuit for all motions and responses to be due by August1, 2025.
Basler informed the board of two new house rules put into place at Thistledown. The first places any horse beaten by 30 or more lengths on the stewards list which requires a half mile workout in under 52 seconds in order to be removed from the list. The second rule is that the track will not accept an entry on any horse which would be racing for the fifth time in less than 56 days. Thistledown was pushed by HISA to adopt both of these rules and Basler has registered his objections to both rules to track management.
New Business:
Purses and Wagering
Handouts were provided to the board showing VLT results for all three thoroughbred tracks in Ohio for April 2025 as well as previous VLT results for comparison purposes. Belterra Park showed a net win of $5,912,814 in April 2025 which was down nearly $900,000 from the $6,804,278 net win in April 2024 at the track. The 2025 VLT results at Belterra were negatively impacted by being closed for nearly a week due to flooding. Thistledown had a net VLT win of $16,204,136 in April which was up approximately $100,000 from the prior April net win. Mahoning Valley had a net VLT win of $15,040,270 in April up nearly $400,000 from the $14,649,914 net win at Mahoning Valley in April 2024.
Basler detailed that the total funds available for purses at Mahoning Valley Race Course through May 1, 2025 was $2,288,727 compared to $943,687 available for purses at the track the prior May 1. Belterra Park had a purse account balance of $2,329,208 through April 1, 2025 compared to a balance of $4,343,182 on the same date in 2024.
Budget and Finance
Discussion was held regarding a personal benevolence request. No motion was made on the request.
Extensive discussion was held regarding the stabling situation created by the Belterra Park flooding this spring.
Director Jarvis moved and Director Estvanko seconded a motion that the Ohio HBPA will reimburse stall rent for up to 15 days for those horsemen who weren’t able to get into Belterra Park as scheduled April 15th for stabling due to the flooding in the barn area. Reimbursement will be no greater than $12 a day per stall and shall be for a number of stalls not greater than what the trainer was assigned at Belterra Park nor greater than the number the trainer had at the track or training center where the stall rent was charged based on the invoice provided for the stall rent. Reimbursement requests shall be made on forms made available by the Oho HBPA and must be submitted by June 10th, 2025. Payment will be made by the Ohio HBPA directly to the track or training center on behalf of the trainer. Motion failed with Directors Anderson, Jarvis, Poe and Shanyfelt voting yes and Directors Cline and Estvanko abstaining. Director Hamm was not on the call for the vote.
Discussion was held regarding the next board meeting date with the board setting Tuesday, June 24, 2025 as the next meeting date beginning at 11am via freeconferencecall.com.
Adjournment:
Director Shanyfelt moved and President Poole seconded a motion to adjourn. Motion passed.