Minutes
Ohio HBPA Board Meeting
11:00 am, Friday, November 7, 2025
Ohio HBPA Main Office
Members Present: President Joe Poole Directors Linda Carrera, Bobby Cline, Christy Estvanko, Jeff Jarvis, Brian Poe, Kim Puhl, Mike Rone, Doug Shanyfelt, George Sikora
Members Unable to Attend: Susan Anderson, Tim Hamm
Others On Call: Executive Director Dave Basler, Lobbyist Tom Pappas
Call to Order/ Approval of Minutes:
President Poole called the meeting to order. After review Director Poe moved and President Poole seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the September 16, 2025 Ohio HBPA board of directors meeting. Motion passed.
Legislative Update
Lobbyist Tom Pappas provided a legislative update including a handout which detailed the Ohio legislative calendar for the remainder of 2025 and upcoming fund raising events of legislators.
Executive Director’s Report:
The executive director updated the board that the FTC had approved HISA’s proposed 2026 budget and assessments. The total HISA assessments for Ohio’s three tracks will rise by approximately 24% from 2025 to over $6,500,000 in 2026
New Business:
Purses and Wagering
Handouts were provided to the board showing VLT results for all three thoroughbred tracks in Ohio for September 2025 as well as previous years VLT results for comparison purposes. Belterra Park showed a net win of $7,217,277 in September 2025 up over $700,000 from the $6,515,096 net win in September 2024 at the track. Thistledown had a net VLT win of $14,988,905 in September which was down slightly from the prior September net win of $15,086,389. Mahoning Valley had a net VLT win of $13,670,913 in September up over $200,000 from the $13,425,169 net win at Mahoning Valley in September 2024.
Basler detailed that the total funds available for purses at Mahoning Valley Race Course through October 1, 2025 was $8,512,549 compared to $5,340,974 available for purses at the track the prior October 1. Belterra Park had a purse account balance of $638,254 through June 1, 2025 compared to a balance of $2,860,484 on the same date in 2024. Through October 1, 2025 Thistledown will have total available purse monies of $1,929,241 once an over $300,000 correction is made to the purse reports for drug testing costs as compared to a total of $2,481,114 available for purses on October 1, 2024. The Thistledown number is somewhat misleading because of cancelled race days due to track condition in July three fewer race dates had been run in 2025 through the end of September than were run through the end of September in 2024 at the track.
Benevolence, Policies and Organization
Following discussion regarding the 2026 Ohio Thoroughbred Fund program and budget Director Cline moved and Director Puhl seconded a motion that the Ohio HBPA will agree to fund the 2026 OTF Program with all bonuses and percentages remaining the same as 2025 from the Industry Initiative Fund provided that the budget categories for Administrative Cost, Advertising/Trophies and Promotion/Research do not exceed the previously budgeted amounts of $100,000, $27,900 and $121,000 respectively. Motion passed.
Following discussion Director Cline moved and Director Rone seconded a motion to propose a change to condition 10 of the 2026 Ohio Thoroughbred Race Fund Rules and Conditions to read as follows: All Ohio -funded non-claiming races must go if there are six or more betting interests. All Ohio-funded claiming races shall be used with six or more betting interests, Registered Ohio-breds shall be preferred in all races after any condition eligibility preference is observed. If an Ohio-funded overnight race draws 14 or more entries, the race shall be split. The Ohio Thoroughbred Race Fund share of the purse may be split accordingly. Motion passed.
Director Jarvis led a discussion regarding Article 12 of the contract between the Ohio HBPA and Penn National for Mahoning Valley Race Course which involves the allocation of stalls at the track.
The executive director briefed the board on a request by a member to propose a rule change to 3769-7-23 to allow a jockey’s agent to have up to three riders which must include one apprentice rider. Following discussion Director Carrera moved and Director Estvanko seconded a motion that the Ohio HBPA propose the rule change discussed to the Ohio State Racing Commission. Motion passed.
Budget and Finance
President Poole moved and Director Estvanko seconded a motion to pay each owner(s) of a horse in the 7th race at Thistledown on October 1st, 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.
Director Puhl moved and President Poole seconded a motion that the Ohio HBPA pay the Race Track Chaplaincy of Ohio $2916.67 per month on a monthly basis through April 2026 for services provided by Reverend Harris at Mahoning Valley Race Course during the Fall and Winter-Spring meets at the track. Motion passed.
Discussion was held regarding a multi-page handout provided to the board detailing the 2026 proposed Ohio HBPA budget. Director Cline moved and Director Carrera seconded a motion to approve the budget. Motion passed.
Discussion was held regarding the next board meeting date with the board setting Friday, January 16, 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.