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 The Thoroughbred Racing
Associations (TRA) was formed in 1942 when
World War II threatened to force a halt to
all racing in the country. Realizing the
Thoroughbred industry needed guidance and a
plan to continue some racing to ensure the
continuation of Thoroughbred breeding,
Alfred G. Vanderbilt, then president of
Pimlico and Belmont Park, planted the seed
to form a commission of racetracks. The
first conference held in Chicago on March
19, 1942, attracted a who’s who of racing at
the time, including Jockey Club chairman
William Woodward, prominent breeder A.B.
Hancock, and track presidents Henry Parr III
and Carleton F. Burke, among others. From
that seed, the TRA grew. In 2011, the TRA
has 48 member associations conducting racing
at 41 racetracks in the United States and
Canada.
Through the years, the TRA has played a
leading role in the establishment of many
programs beneficial to the racing industry.
In 1946, the Thoroughbred Racing Protective
Bureau, a subsidiary of the TRA, was formed
to preserve integrity and security in
racing, and today maintains the most
extensive, private collection of records on
individuals and horses as well as tattoo
information.
In 1972, the TRA, in conjunction with the
Daily Racing Form and National Turf Writers
Association, established the Eclipse Awards
to recognize racing’s national champions.
In 1990, the TRA formed Equibase with The
Jockey Club, thereby creating an
industry-owned database of racing
information that enabled the unfettered
growth of full-card simulcasting. The more
intangible services of the TRA exist within
the unified racetrack voice it provides in
regulatory, legislative, and other industry
matters.
At the same time, TRA also led the effort to
implement full-card, merged pool
simulcasting. The TRA's 1995 Committee,
named after its target date, demonstrated
the benefit and feasibility of merging pools
nationally with the inaugural Breeders' Cup
Pick 7 in 1991 as fax machines were utilized
to create a common pool.
A year later, the Breeders' Cup Pick 7
became the first national pool merged
electronically and simulcasting began a
phenomenal growth spurt, now accounting for
almost 90% of North American pari-mutuel
wagering.
The 1995 Committee has been renamed The TRA
2020 Committee as it continues to deal with
evolving technology.
The role and services of the TRA include:
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Serving as a strong and unified voice of
the Thoroughbred racetrack operators and
as such should include as many
Thoroughbred tracks as possible,
provided each track adheres to the TRA
Code of Standards and By-Laws.
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Placing the maximum emphasis on the
integrity of racing.
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Representing the TRA members in the area
of Federal legislation, by sponsoring
and/or performing activities connected
therewith.
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Serving as a clearing house for
information, reports, statistical data,
ideas, promotions, problem areas, etc.
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Creating various programs, activities,
ventures, and enterprises related to
Thoroughbred racing.
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Maintaining liaison with (a)
organizations and associations
representing other segments of the
Thoroughbred industry, and (b) with
organizations and associations of other
horse breeds.
The
TRA annually hosts the International
Simulcast Conference to keep the industry
abreast of technological advances and other
issues regarding simulcasting. The fall
conference attracts more than 250 attendees
each year.
The TRA collects and compiles information of
professional interest to its membership. In
1999, the TRA initiated an electronic
database of industry-related material for
member tracks, which is accessed via the
internet. The private document database
allows member tracks to view, print, and
download economic impact studies, TRA
surveys, federal legislation, and a variety
of other reports.
Finally, the TRA website offers a host of
services, primarily to TRA racetracks, but
also to the industry as a whole. The
website, www.tra‑online.com, currently
provides the following services:
Contact the TRA:
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