Ohio Thoroughbred Racing News

The Ohio HBPA Board of Directors is seeking the opinions of its members regarding a proposed plan to change the current Ohio Thoroughbred Fund Stakes Schedule in 2020. The proposed changes would create a “Best of Ohio” type program at each thoroughbred track featuring five $100,000 stakes races. This would replace the current program which has the Best of Ohio at one track each year with five $150,000 stakes. The proposed changes would not impact…

Belterra Park has added three Mondays in September to the live racing schedule to make up for the three programs which were cancelled in July due to excessive heat. The track will now race on Monday, September 9th, 16th and 23rd.

Training has been cancelled at Thistledown on Wednesday, August 7th due to adverse track conditions. A decision on live racing Wednesday will be made later this morning. Make up days will be scheduled for the two cancelled live days thus far at the track, Wednesday, July 7th and yesterday.

By Sid Fernando “Back in the early 1970s, you’d see horses bleeding from the nostrils more commonly than you do now,” said trainer Barclay Tagg, who took out his license in 1971. “I had a horse back then that came back after a race, and he was being washed up and suddenly he starts gushing blood from the nostrils. You barely see them bleed from the nostrils now, and that’s because of Lasix.” Tagg said…

Here is a link to the Town Hall Radio Show produced by the Ohio Farm Bureau which featured the Ohio racing industry. Ohio’s Equine Industry on Town Hall Ohio

Beginning on Monday, February 25th the main office for both the Ohio HBPA and the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Health Fund is moving to 3860 Broadway, Grove City, OH 43123. Please make a note of it and send all future communications to the new address listed above.

The Ohio HBPA and the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association are jointly funding an Ohio Racing Economic Impact Study. As part of that study information is being gathered from Ohio racing industry participants through an Ohio Racing Economic Impact Survey. We ask that you click the link below and take 5 to 10 minutes required to fill out the survey to help the Ohio HBPA insure the successful future of Ohio racing. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OHRacingImpact

Mahoning Valley in cooperation with the Ohio HBPA has scheduled five make up dates for weather and track related cancellations thus far during the 2019 winter-spring meeting. Make up days will be help on Friday, March 15th and Friday. March 29th. The meet which was scheduled to end on Saturday April 20th will now be extended with racing dates added on Monday, April 22nd through Wednesday, April 24th.

Two scholarships are being offered to the sons or daughters of current Ohio HBPA members in 2019. The scholarships are for a total of $7,000 and begin at $1,600 in the first year then increase yearly to $1,700, $1,800 and finally $1,900 in the fourth and final year. The application process and awarding of the scholarships is being handled by College Now Greater Cleveland Inc. These scholarships are offered to the dependents of any Ohio…

Racing and training have been cancelled at Mahoning Valley on Wednesday, January 30th due to extremely cold temperatures and dangerous wind chill factors.