Ohio State Racing Commission Meeting

John Izzo attended the Ohio State Racing Commission meeting on Thursday, October 24.  River Downs, in Cincinnati, will now be known as Belterra Park.  Kevin Kaufman, General Manager of Belterra Park, gave a Power Point presentation on how nice Belterra Park will look when completed.  They thanked everyone for their help for making the new track a safe place, including Jeff Johnston from the Jockeys’ Guild.  

Penn National addressed the commissioners and stated they will proceed with building 760 stalls at the Mahoning Valley Race Course.  Chairman Schmitz was upset that there are not more stalls, and he and the other commissioners understood that there would be more.  River Downs and Thistledown each have in excess of 1000 stalls.  The Chairman does not think this should be a money issue.  He wants to have a phone conversation with folks higher up the ladder than Mark Lowe to discuss this.  Thistledown was approved for 122 live race days in 2014, and Dayton Raceway was approved for 56.  Days for the remaining five tracks will be discussed at upcoming meetings. 

The Commission is beginning the rule-making process with amending two existing rules.  The first will require Ohio-registered broodmares to be in the state no later than August 15^th of the year of foaling.  The other rule change will allow the Commission more flexibility in deciding the proper number of living quarters at each track.  The Commission distributed another $2.1 million of casino tax money to breeding programs, purses, expenses at the race tracks, and the Commission’s operating fund.  Total distributions in 2013 was in excess of $9 million.  The next distribution is expected in January.

Chairman Schmitz addressed the difference that the USTA has with the RMTC and emphasized his belief that there is a difference between Standardbred horses and Thoroughbred horses.  He had Joe Crugnale state that the lab will be ready to conduct post race drawn blood samples for TCO2 beginning 1/1/14.  During public comments, a member of the Quarter Horse Racing Association briefly addressed the Commission about quarter horse racing.  A Standardbred horseman addressed the Commission about the condition of fairgrounds during fair racing.  The next Commission meeting will be November 21, 2013, at 10:00 am.