BORK ELECTED TRA PRESIDENT

March 12, 2007 - Robert L. Bork, president and general manager of Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, was elected the 33rd president of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA) at its annual Board of Directors’ meeting Monday at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Fla. Bork succeeded Corey S. Johnsen, former president of Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie, at the conclusion of his two-year term as TRA president.

The TRA is a trade organization of 43 North American racetracks and associations whose races generate more than 75 percent of the $15.1 billion wagered annually on North American Thoroughbred racing.

Bork, a leading racetrack executive with more than 35 years experience in the pari-mutuel industry, held top executive positions at Arlington International, Philadelphia Park, and Garden State Park before joining Sam Houston as senior vice president and general manager in 1995.

Immediately after taking the reins, Bork quickly guided Sam Houston to dramatic growth in attendance and handle, turning the 14-year-old Texas racing facility into one of racing’s premier evening tracks in the country. Sam Houston racing now attracts wagering in more than 500 outlets in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Central and South America. Bork also lifted Sam Houston to national prominence when it hosted the first $1 million MBNA America Challenge Championships for quarter horses on November 6, 2004.

In addition to his long tenure on the TRA Board of Directors, Bork has been secretary of the organization for more than 20 years. Since its inception in 1990 as the 1995 Committee, a technology group established to implement full-card, merged pool simulcasting and now known as the 2020 Committee, Bork has served as its chairman. Within two years, the Committee achieved its primary goal of implementing merged pool simulcasting nationally and since then has coordinated industry-wide review of new and continuing simulcast and wagering technology. Simulcasting now generates more than 87 percent of all North American handle.

Bork is also the president of Valley Race Park, a greyhound facility wholly-owned by Sam Houston Race Park in Harlingen, Tex.

The TRA Board of Directors also elected Oak Tree Racing Association executive vice president Sherwood C. Chillingworth as TRA secretary to succeed Bork.
 

Chillingworth has more than 30 years experience in racing, with nearly 20 years with the Oak Tree Racing Association, a not-for-profit corporation that operates Santa Anita Park for six weeks each Fall. He is a retired lawyer and real estate developer and a graduate of Harvard University and Stanford Law School . He is a past director of the Bay Meadows Operating Co., a past steward of The Jockey Club, former vice chairman and CEO of Santa Anita Realty Enterprises, Inc., and currently serves on the Equibase Management Committee. As a Thoroughbred owner, he has raced five Grade I winners.

The TRA Board re-elected C. Kenneth Dunn, president of Calder Race Course, and David S. Willmot, chairman and chief executive officer of Woodbine Entertainment Group, as vice presidents.

Dunn has served as the president or general manager of major racetracks across the country since 1976 when Dunn was named vice president and general manager of Atlantic City Race Course. During his nine-year tenure, he was instrumental in the installation of night racing at the New Jersey oval.

In 1984, he became general manager and corporate secretary for Fair Grounds in New Orleans and, shortly after, the director of operations of Arlington Park. After Arlington was rebuilt after a fire in 1985, Dunn was promoted to president and supervised the packaging and design of the new Arlington International Race Course. He had been at Calder since 1990.

In 1984, Willmot became a Board member of the Ontario Jockey Club, predecessor of the Woodbine Entertainment Group, and its CEO in 1995. He serves on the board of several industry organizations and is a steward of The Jockey Club of Canada. He also is a former president of the Harness Tracks of America, 2000-02.

Willmot owns Kinghaven Farms, which has bred more than 100 stakes winners, including five winners of the Queen’s Plate, Canada’s premier horse race.

The Board also re-elected William I. Fasy as treasurer and Christopher N. Scherf as executive vice president. Fasy is the chief operating officer of Delaware Park and Ocean Downs and has more than 20 years experience in the hospitality and entertainment business. Scherf has been the TRA executive vice president since 1988.
 

WAGERING TRANSMISSION PROTOCOL VERSION 1.0 RELEASED TODAY BY INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS

August 23, 2006 - FAIR HILL, MD. - A group comprised of representatives from eight North American horse racing organizations today announced the release of Wagering Transmission Protocol™ (“WTP”) Version 1.0. The group also is inviting commentary from interested parties that would improve and enhance the protocol.

WTP is a communication protocol that supports sending transactional detail information of the retail pari-mutuel wager to the event hosting racetrack, and establishes a “host in control” wagering environment. Use of WTP will enable the pari-mutuel industry to migrate from the current “store and forward” pool transmission model to systems that verify wagers at the point of sale and simultaneously record this information at the host racetrack.

WTP was released and is owned jointly by Churchill Downs Incorporated; Magna Entertainment Corp.; New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority; New York Racing Association; National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Inc.; The Jockey Club; Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America, Inc. on behalf of its members; and Woodbine Entertainment Group.

WTP will be licensed for non-exclusive use at no charge in perpetuity for all companies participating in legal pari-mutuel wagering
 

The ownership group, as well as all North American-based totalizator companies, collaborated on the creation and documentation of WTP. Other racing industry organizations that will be involved in the continued development and implementation of WTP are North American racing commissions, primarily through the Association of Racing Commissioners International; Harness Tracks of America; and the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau (“TRPB”).

Broader participation from numerous domestic and international pari-mutuel organizations will be standard procedure, beginning with a solicitation of comments and suggestions on Version 1.0 during the next five weeks.

Comments and proposed enhancements from interested parties concerning Version 1.0 should be submitted in electronic text with supporting documentation to wagering@TRPB.com no later than September 30, 2006, for consideration at a WTP working session that will be held in mid-October 2006. Click here for the WTP document. (pdf file)

Contact: Karl Schmitt
(502) 636-4594
kschmitt@kyderby.com 

TRA MEMBERS REACH $250,000 COMMITMENT TO PERMANENTLY DISABLED JOCKEYS

April 24, 2006  –  The Thoroughbred Racing Associations’ (TRA) member associations have pledged more than $250,000 in early commitment funds to aid the nation’s permanently disabled jockeys. Beulah Park, Canterbury Park, Delaware Park, Finger Lakes Racing Association, Keeneland Association, Penn National Race Course, and Turfway Park quickly have added their support to the campaign announced last Wednesday.  Non-TRA member Charles Town Races & Slots, owned by Penn National Gaming, Inc., also has committed a contribution. 

CONSORTIUM OF RACETRACKS AND RACING ORGANIZATIONS LAUNCH FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN TO AID DISABLED JOCKEYS

April 19, 2006 – A consortium of racetracks and other Thoroughbred racing organizations as well as the Jockey’s Guild have announced a campaign to raise $1 million by Saturday, June 15 to aid 60 permanently disabled jockeys with their health care and daily living expenses. The joint initiative is the first to grow from a series of meetings between the tracks, racing organizations, and the Jockeys’ Guild that began in December 2005.

The funds raised in the campaign will be used to supplement payments currently received by those disabled riders from sources such as Social Security and the Jockeys’ Guild Disabled Jockeys’ Fund. The money generated by the collaborative racing industry effort is intended to provide interim supplements for those riders while the industry continues its search for long-term solutions to meet the needs of those retired riders.

The consortium of tracks and racing organizations that will lead the fundraising effort includes Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”), Magna Entertainment, the New York Racing Association (“NYRA”), Sam Houston Race Park, Thoroughbred Racing Associations (“TRA”), the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (“HBPA”), the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (“NTRA”). Funds will flow through NTRA Charities – Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. NTRA Charities is a 501 (c) (3) charity.

“Many of these disabled jockeys are facing financial concerns because of health care costs, or simply require help in meeting the needs of day-to-day living,” said Chris Scherf, executive director of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations. “We hope that horsemen and tracks throughout North America, along with others associated with Thoroughbred racing, will join our organizations in donating to this worthy effort. As we offer interim help to these permanently disabled jockeys, our organizations will continue to work with the Jockeys' Guild toward a long-term solution that will ease the concerns of these retired riders and enable them to live with dignity and in comfort.”

“This fundraising campaign is an important step forward in the industry-wide effort to provide dignity to riders who were disabled while racing,” said jockey John Velazquez, chairman of the Jockeys’ Guild. “The Guild is committed to this campaign as an important way to protect all jockeys.”

A ten-member board will oversee the distribution of the money collected in the industry’s fundraising effort to eligible permanently disabled jockeys. The money will be distributed to those recipients on a monthly basis. Three members of the board will be representatives of the Jockeys’ Guild; three will be racetrack representatives from Churchill Downs Incorporated, Magna Entertainment, and a TRA track designee; one will be an NTRA representative on an interim basis, and the remaining three members will be representatives of horsemen’s groups, including the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.

All donations will flow through the NTRA Charities – Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and be earmarked to assist eligible former jockeys who have been permanently disabled as a result of racing-related injuries.

“NTRA Charities has served the industry in other times of crisis and we are pleased to join in this effort to ensure the welfare of our permanently disabled riders,” said NTRA Commissioner D.G. Van Clief, Jr.

Individuals and others who wish to contribute to the fundraising effort for disabled jockeys may do so by sending checks payable to: NTRA Charities – Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, c/o NTRA, 2525 Harrodsburg Road, Suite 500, Lexington, KY 40504.

For more information contact Peggy Hendershot at the NTRA, (800) 792-6872. All contributions to the NTRA Charities – Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund are tax-deductible.
 

HEAD STARTER MEETING SET FOR APRIL 11 AT KEENELAND

March 22, 2006 - The Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA) will host a one-day meeting for Head Starters on April 11 at historic Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. The meeting will provide a forum for the discussion of issues, as well as the exchange of ideas and best practices, for Head Starters and will be complemented by the perspectives of jockeys, trainers, and track management.

The Head Starter meeting will begin early on Tuesday morning with a practical on-track overview of the starting gate, with an emphasis on padding and other safety concerns with the gate itself. The on-track session will lead to indoor discussion for the remainder of the day, first with a panel of jockeys providing their preferences and concerns while at the gate. The discussion will include feedback from the attendees on what can be done to address riders’ concerns.

The morning discussions will conclude with the topic of morning schooling, reviewing the importance of morning schooling, its logistics, and horse handling methods.

The afternoon meeting topics will focus on safety, with a discussion that will include safety equipment and practices.

A less formal, Murphy’s Law discussion will focus on anecdotal, yet informative, instances that have tested starters in the face of adversity. It seems when the eyes of the world are watching the gate crew on a big event, one or more horses prove to be a major problem when loading. The topic of trouble at the gate at crunch time also will fill some of the afternoon’s discussion and provide some tips for attendees on how to react in pressure situations.

The meeting will conclude with a planning discussion on how the level of communication between starters across the country can be increased. This will be a free-forum idea session with potential outcomes being computer mailing lists as well as a database for starters.

Head Starter registration is free to all TRA-member racetracks. For more information on registration, please contact the TRA office at 410-392-9200.

The TRA is a non-profit organization of 43 North American racetrack associations whose combined handle represents more than 75 percent of the $16 billion wagered annually on Thoroughbred horse racing.

BEULAH PARK AND RIVER DOWNS JOCKEYS COVERED BY WORKERS’ COMP INSURANCE

January 30, 2006 - Jockeys riding in Ohio at Beulah Park and River Downs are now insured under a newly developed racetrack workers’ compensation program. The coverage has been designed as part of the State of Ohio’s general Workers’ Compensation Fund.

Jockeys racing at Beulah Park have been covered under this new program since the commencement of the track’s 2006 Winter/Spring meet on January 7.

Officials at Beulah Park took the initiative to bring the jockeys under the State’s workers’ compensation insurance. 

They also developed a program where all jockeys riding at the two tracks will be covered for medical expenses and disabilities resulting from racetrack injuries.

“By partnering with the State’s fund, our jockeys now have unlimited accident-related benefits. This is the best coverage provided for jockeys anywhere in the country”, said Beulah Park’s Executive Vice President Mike Weiss. The Grove City racetrack will administer the program for jockeys racing at both tracks, including the payment of premiums on their behalf.

2006 SIMULCAST CONFERENCE SET FOR PHILADELPHIA

The 2006 International Simulcast Conference will be held at the Sheraton Society Hill Hotel in Philadelphia on October 16-18.

The annual conference convenes more than 350 racing employees each year to address the topics of chief importance to the pari-mutuel industry, including simulcasting, account wagering, wagering security, and technology.

The Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA) sponsors the event with the Harness Tracks of America, American Quarter Horse Racing, and the American Greyhound Track Operators Association.

The Sheraton Society Hill is located in America’s most historic square mile that features several Colonial treasures, including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.
 

TRA STATEMENT ON LETTERS OF JOCKEY WELFARE

The Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America, Inc. issued the following statement Friday November 4 in response to letters sent to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Labor Relations Board:

“The TRA and its 43 member racing associations are disappointed by the apparent rush to judgment by certain members of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations without first having a hearing with representatives of the racetracks and horsemen on the issues of jockeys’ accident insurance and prevention.

Letters to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Labor Relations Board do not accurately represent the workings of the horse racing industry or, at least, not as well as they might have done by questioning industry representatives first.

The TRA racetracks support the primary concerns of the subcommittee. The lack of catastrophic accident coverage in the case of Gary Birzer is the result of a choice by the Jockeys’ Guild not to spend a portion of the $2.2 million paid to it by the nation’s racetracks for such a policy. Furthermore, the racetracks already have acted or are acting on the safety concerns enumerated in the letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In particular, the TRA unequivocally disputes certain assertions made in the letter to the National Labor Relations Board.

There is no “argument,” as purported by the letter to the NLRB, that jockeys and freelance exercise riders are independent contractors. It is fact, which has been acknowledged and staunchly defended by jockeys, that they are independent contractors.

The TRA believes current state regulation of the racing industry is effective and does not warrant extraordinary action by federal regulatory agencies.

We welcome the opportunity to testify before the committee and enumerate industry actions that address many of their safety concerns. The industry already has created and funded the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium to create uniform medication rules and standards for the safety of the horse and rider. Industry representatives already have been meeting to develop a national baseline study of physiological and nutritional factors in the athletic performances of jockeys. Improved and safer track surfaces are being explored and implemented by racetracks.

We look forward to continuing to work with members of the committee, as we have done for the past half year, to address the common concerns we have about injury insurance and safety for jockeys.”

DEL MAR WINS SIMULCAST AWARD HONOR

October 4, 2005 -  The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club was presented the ninth-annual Simulcast Award for best simulcast production today at the International Simulcast Conference in La Jolla, Calif. Del Mar was selected the top signal among 21 North American tracks by a panel of five simulcast fans and expert industry observers.

The Simulcast Award honors excellence in the presentation of a racetrack’s live race product to its simulcast outlets.

The Simulcast Award judges cited Del Mar’s overall simulcast package with its evident focus on the simulcast bettor as the primary determinant for top selection. Its clear and supplemental graphics with important announcements, timely display of wagering pools and odds, abundant and equal shots of horses in the paddock and track, and post-race coverage, especially quick results graphics, were recognized as Del Mar’s key areas of accomplishment. Del Mar’s telecast is produced by Churchill Downs Simulcast Productions under the direction of David Loignon, CDSP’s director of production.

This year’s panel of judges consisted of: Maury Wolff, noted racing economist and bettor; Terry Bjork, widely-traveled racetrack visitor residing in the Chicago area; Bob Roberts, turf writer for Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer; Vincent Ralph, avid simulcast fan and bettor who resides in New Jersey; and, a committee of University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program students, coordinated by program director Doug Reed.

CHRISTIANSEN, CHAPMAN HEADLINE SIMULCAST CONFERENCE

August 12, 2005 - The impact computers have on the current pari-mutuel wagering industry, as well as racing’s future, is the focus of this year’s 13th annual International Simulcast Conference in New Orleans on October 3-5.

Eugene M. Christiansen, founder of Christiansen Capital Advisors, will be the keynote speaker to provide his insight to future trends in the gambling industry.

Dr. Randall G. Chapman also will be featured in the October 3 opening session with a presentation on the elements and effectiveness of computerized, or robotic, wagering programs. Dr. Chapman’s pioneering published research is recognized widely as providing the foundation for current computerized pari-mutuel wagering programs.

Christiansen has been an executive consultant to the commercial gambling industry since 1976. His knowledge and nearly 30 years of experience will be utilized to forecast probable short-term and long-term developments in the gambling industry and how they will affect wagering on horse and greyhound racing.

Christiansen has conducted numerous studies of the economics, taxation, financial structure, and regulation of casino gaming, pari-mutuel wagering, and lotteries. In the past, Christiansen’s pari-mutuel studies have explored the feasibility and revenue potential of off-track betting, analyses of gambling taxation, procedures to increase wagering and improve the efficiency of pari-mutuel betting operations, and the changing nature of communications media and the implications of the changes for horse racing.

Christiansen also prepares widely-used statistical reports for North America and abroad, including annual analyses of the U.S. gross wager which appear in the International Gaming and Wagering Business magazine and other trade publications. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, he is a member of the advisory boards of the National Council on Problem Gambling and the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada at Reno.

Chapman is the co-author of Searching for Positive Returns at the Track: A Multinomial Logit Model for Handicapping Horse Races, which is an analysis of the efficiency of racetrack
betting markets. For several years, Chapman and many of his contemporaries have researched mathematical algorithms for highly advanced computer programs that analyze and interpret pari-mutuel pools for positive expected rates of return.

Successful programmers have achieved remarkable success in pari-mutuel wagering.

Chapman, an independent business consultant, has conducted more than 400 executive education programs since 1980 in various parts of the world, including the United States, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Spain, and Thailand, among others. He also has taught at the University of Michigan, Pennsylvania State University, Vanderbilt University, the University of Chicago, Duke University, the University of Melbourne, and Boston University. He also has published more than 50 articles in leading academic and management journals, including the Journal of Marketing Research and Applied Marketing Research.

The annual conference also will feature general sessions addressing other important issues affecting simulcasting today. There will be panel sessions on internet wagering and bookmaking, wireless technology, betting exchanges, the integrity of pari-mutuel pools, and the recent World Trade Organization decision that could affect account wagering in the U.S.

The conference will conclude mid-morning on Wednesday, October 3, with a discussion of poker and how its skyrocketing online popularity could jeopardize racing’s current and future fan base.

This year’s conference also will feature specialized breakout sessions for accountants, Canadian racetracks, and greyhound racetracks, with additional themed breakout rooms headed by racing leaders. The conference, through the TRA’s membership of the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, is approved to offer CPE credits for accounting.

The conference annually attracts more than 350 people from around the world, including Australia, Argentina, Canada, Ireland, England, France, and South Africa. This year’s conference will be held at the Hilton Riverside In New Orleans and is sponsored jointly by the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, Harness Tracks of America, American Quarter Horse Racing, and in conjunction with American Greyhound Track Operators Association.

For registration information and further details on this year’s conference click HERE.

AUGUST 29 DEADLINE FOR SIMULCAST AWARD ENTRIES

RACETRACKS RAISE $140K FOR
PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH

June 3, 2005 - The number of Alex’s Lemonade Stands sprouting up on Belmont Stakes Day continues to rise as participation from Thoroughbred Racing Associations’ (TRA) and other non-TRA racetracks has increased to 31 facilities in the United States and Canada. The racetracks are hosting stands on June 11 in support of Alex’s Lemonade Stand for Childhood Cancer Research, the charity founded by Alexandra “Alex” Scott in 2000.

Alex, who succumbed to neuroblastoma last August at the age of eight, launched her first lemonade stand at the age of four to help raise money for “her doctors” to cure cancer. Since then, children and adults have opened small, local stands in the name of Alex’s Lemonade Stand and more than $1.8 million has been raised and donated to research hospitals and facilities from Pennsylvania, where Alex’s family lives, to California.

Since the last TRA release on June 1, five tracks have been added to the list of participants holding lemonade stands on Belmont Stakes Day.

TRA-member Woodbine Racetrack will add an international flair to Alex’s noble crusade by hosting a stand at its facility located in the Toronto metropolitan area.

The list of participating tracks also has gone beyond the TRA membership and now includes Charles Town Races and Slots, in Charles Town, W.V.; Golden Gate Fields, in Albany, Calif.; Emerald Downs, in Auburn, Wash.; and Suffolk Downs in East Boston.

To complement all fund-raising endeavors, famous 3-D pop artist Charles Fazzino, the official artist for the Belmont Stakes this year, has donated 2,000 posters depicting horses racing with an Alex’s Lemonade Stand in the foreground. The posters will be available on Belmont Stakes Day at participating racetracks for a $10 donation and may be viewed by accessing http://www.tra-online.com/poster.jpg

Support of the charity also has spread to Puerto Rico, where El Comandante Racetrack in Canovanas will host a lemonade stand on June 26, the day of its San Juan Classic, the third leg of Puerto Rico’s Triple Crown.

The TRA is a non-profit organization of 43 racing associations in the United States and Canada whose combined handle represents more than 75 percent of the $16 billion wagered annually on North American Thoroughbred racing.

For more information about Alex's Lemonade Stand, please visit http://www.alexslemonade.com
or call 866-333-1213.

ALEX’S LEMONADE STANDS SHARING THE BELMONT STAKES STAGE

June 1, 2005 - The legacy of a young girl with a indomitable spirit, brought to the racing spotlight by a 3-year-old colt named Afleet Alex with the same tenacious character, has marshalled the support of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations’ (TRA) racetracks for her special charity, Alex’s Lemonade Stand for Childhood Cancer Research.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand will be raising money for childhood oncology at TRA tracks across the nation on Saturday, June 11, as Afleet Alex seeks to follow up his dramatic Preakness victory with a win in the Belmont Stakes, the third jewel in the Visa Triple Crown.

Alexandra “Alex” Scott, who succumbed to neuroblastoma last August at the age of eight, launched her first lemonade stand at the age of four to help raise money for “her doctors” to cure cancer. Since then, children and adults have opened small, local stands in the name of Alex’s Lemonade Stand and more than $1.8 million has been raised and donated to research hospitals and facilities from Pennsylvania, where Alex’s family lives, to California.

Chuck and Carol Zacney, partners in the Philadelphia-area Cash Is King Stable that owns Afleet Alex, have pledged a portion of their winnings each race to Alex’s Lemonade Stand and all of the horse’s merchandising material bears a lemon logo representing the charity.

Alex’s mother, Liz Scott, arranged with Churchill Downs to have a stand opened at the track for the Kentucky Derby and raised $11,000. Two weeks later, Pimlico had a pair of stands for the Preakness and raised another $18,000.

Churchill Downs, Pimlico, and Belmont Park all will have Alex’s Lemonade Stands open on Belmont Stakes Day.

They will be joined by tracks from East to West and North to South. New York’s other open Thoroughbred racetrack, Finger Lakes, also will have a stand.

Pimlico also is auctioning a large placard of the Preakness program page with the autographs of each particpating jockey on e-bay with the proceeds designated for Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

In the home area of Cash Is King Stable and Afleet Alex, there will be stands at Delaware Park, Philadelphia Park, Penn National, the Meadowlands, and Monmouth Park. In the Midwest, Canterbury Park, Prairie Meadows, Arlington Park, Hawthorne Race Course, Keeneland, Thistledown, Fonner Park, Beulah Park, and Turfway Park are joining in the effort.

In the South, Calder, Oaklawn Park, Fair Grounds, Remington Park, Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie, Sam Houston Race Park have committed to stands, while on the West Coast Del Mar and Portland Meadows have made plans for stands. Harrah’s Louisiana Downs will participate by making a donation to the charity in lieu of hosting a lemonade stand.

The TRA is a non-profit organization of 43 racing associations in the United States and Canada whose combined handle represents more than 75 percent of the $16 billion wagered annually on Thoroughbred racing in North America.

For more information about Alex's Lemonade Stand, please visit
http://www.alexslemonade.com
or call 866-333-1213.

TRA COMMITTEE SETS TOTE SECURITY STANDARD

December 11, 2003 - The TRA’s 2020 Committee reached a unanimous decision Wednesday to establish an industry-wide standard for tote systems in the event of a host-to-guest tote communications interruption. The guest pari-mutuel wagering for the host’s entire card will be suspended with the adoption of this new standard.

As the guest system would not have a zero-minutes-to-post reading, the automatic close betting command would not be employed and wagering could stay open past the start of the race if not manually closed. 

In order to avert any past-post wagering, the 2020 Committee determined all wagering on the host card should be suspended automatically by the tote system until the transmission link has been re-established.  

All four tote companies were requested to develop and implement such a system software update as soon as possible.

September 30, 2003 - The Keeneland Association was awarded the seventh-annual Simulcast Award for best telecast production today at the International Simulcast Conference at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport. The conference is hosted by the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, Harness Tracks of America, American Quarter Horse Race Track Association, and in association with the American Greyhound Track Operators Association.

Director of broadcast services G.D. Hieronymus heads Keeneland's television production crew, while Mike Battaglia is the on-air paddock show host for the telecast. The judges cited Keeneland's excellent graphics package as the primary determinant for selecting the Lexington track for this year's honor. Some judges also noted Keeneland skillfully melds pertinent wagering information in its simulcast network with the track's unique racing ambiance.

Keeneland's top competition was last year's winner Hollywood Park and Los Alamitos. Each received first, second, or third-place votes on several ballots.

The Simulcast Award honors excellence in the presentation of a racetrack's live race product to its simulcast outlets.

Some key considerations of the award are picture and graphics quality, as well as how well important information (odds-displays, late changes & scratches, will-pays, results, payoffs, etc.) is presented to simulcast patrons.

A panel of five judges selected Keeneland among 21 entries, which included various Quarter Horse, Harness, and Thoroughbred tracks. The judges' panel consisted of a cross-section of simulcast fans and expert industry observers: Bill Finley, freelance racing writer; Bennett Liebman, coordinator of Albany Law School's Racing and Wagering Law Program; Doug Reed, director of the Race Track Industry Program at the University of Arizona; and two experienced simulcast fans, Dan Papuga of Canterbury, Conn., and Mark Rowe of Highland, Calif.

Entries were the actual simulcast audio and video transmission of a single race sent to wagering outlets, not a collection of highlights or special features. Each entry included the pre-race features, odds, will-pays, commentaries, the actual running of the race, the results, and post-race features, if any.

Previous winners of the award are Churchill Downs (1997), Turfway Park (1998), Penn National (1999), and Santa Anita Park (2000-01), and Hollywood Park (2002).

October 1, 2003 - As the offshore betting market continues to expand, now standing at an estimated $6.2-billion a year, North American horsemen and racetracks face escalating challenges regarding where their simulcast signals are going and whether the appropriate revenue is being obtained.

Those issues were flagged as the most serious concerns about simulcasting in the future during Wednesday’s closing session of the 11th Annual International Simulcast Conference at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport.

Various horsemen’s groups have pushed to the forefront of a move to explore the offshore market and determine both vulnerabilities and opportunities.

The Thoroughbred Owners of California has sent representatives to several offshore sites to gather information. Consultant Drew Couto, who has spearheaded the effort, plans to report to the California Horse Racing Board later this year or early next year on who is running the operations and how they conduct business, said John Reagan, CHRB senior management auditor.

Remi Bellocq, executive director of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, said his group has worked for the past two years to better educate horsemen on the offshore market. The National HBPA has retained Stevenson and Associates Inc. as a consultant and is researching how to protect proprietary rights when signals are taken abroad.

"We [should] work together to make sure our interests are well served, both horsemen and tracks," Bellocq said. "We have to really get on the ball and make sure we know what the market is. … Our main goal is to make sure there is a fair distribution of revenue between horsemen and tracks and to go out there and explore new revenue opportunities."

With the simulcasting world evolving rapidly as betting over computers and electronic devices grows, and more outlets accept wagers internationally with a variety of platforms, the goals of racing groups may change as well, Bellocq said.

In this world, it will become more important for racetracks and horsemen to share information in order to avoid problems and maximize revenue, said T. Pat Stubbs, Del Mar director of corporate development. That has not always been the case in the past.

"We should all be working together," Stubbs said. "If we’re not, we’re working against each other."

When Stubbs pointedly asked Bellocq if horsemen share pertinent information with tracks, Bellocq replied by citing a case in which horsemen discovered wagering was being conducted overseas on an American racetrack signal but that horsemen were not being given any of the resulting revenue from the races. He did not identify the parties.

"The track had never told [the horsemen]," he said. "The track is never going to run after them with a check in hand, saying you left this much money on the table."

Concern about the regulation of simulcasting at all points, including the receivers of signals, also was voiced. Reagan said development of common standards for regulators to use should be a top priority, and others urged that regulators also share information through effective communication.

"If someone knows about an illegal offshore site, we need to know," Bellocq said. "If someone is using our product, we need to know what can we do about it. We’ve got to look into it, we’ve got to explore it."—Michele MacDonald

September 29, 2003 - FAIR HILL, MD. - J. Curtis Linnell has been appointed to the new position of Wagering Analyst for the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau, it was announced by TRPB President Paul Berube Monday.

Linnell will provide specialized expertise on the pari-mutuel wagering system and new technology as the TRPB increases its focus on off-track wagering on behalf of the members of TRPB's parent organization, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA), and Standardbred Investigative Services (SIS). Linnell also provided technical assistance to the NTRA Wagering Technology Working Group in its review of the pari-mutuel wagering system in the United States.

Linnell has been a paid consultant for the TRPB on a variety of wagering and security matters since September of 2002. Since then, he also conducted a seminal simulcasting economic study for the TRA on the impact of negative settlements on host tracks and other guest tracks.

Linnell, a 1987 graduate of the University of Saskatchewan, has served in a variety of supervisory position in mutuels and simulcasting operations at Saskatoon Prairieland Exhibition and the Pacific Racing Association's Hastings Park.

At Hastings Park, he established and managed the largest network in North America for wagering on horse racing from Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand as part of his management of the track's off-track betting facilities, its telephone and Internet account wagering, and simulcasting.

"At its July meeting, the TRPB Board of Directors approved the TRPB's increased emphasis on monitoring the growing wagering network and the development of competing operations," Berube said. "Effectively performing that task requires a very specialized knowledge of wagering and bettors, the pari-mutuel system, and technology. We are confident Curtis Linnell will provide that uncommon combination of expertise."

The TRPB also believed the creation of the position of Wagering Analyst would provide valuable support to the NTRA's efforts to address the security of the wagering system.

Linnell, who currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, will relocate to TRPB headquarters in Fair Hill, Md., with his family.

The confirmed racetracks and pari-mutuel facilities with no cancel delays are: Aqueduct, Arlington Park, Belmont Park, Beulah Park, Blue Ribbon Downs, Calder Race Course, Canterbury Park, Churchill Downs, Dayton Days, Delaware Park, Delta Downs, Dover Downs, the Downs at Albuquerque, Ellis Park, Evangeline Downs, Fair Grounds, Fair Meadows, Fairmount Park, Finger Lakes, Great Lakes Downs, Harrington Raceway, Hawthorne, Hoosier Park, Kamloops, Keeneland, Kin Park, Laurel Park, Lone Star Park, Los Alamitos, Northville Park, Ocean Downs, Penn National, Pimlico, Plainridge,Pompano Park, Prairie Meadows, Remington Park, Retama, Rosecroft Raceway, Ruidoso Downs, Sam Houston Race Park, Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Raceway, Scioto Downs, Suffolk OTB, Sunland Park, SunRay Park, Thistledown, Timonium, Turf Paradise, Turfway Park, Vernon Downs, Woodbine (and all Canadian tracks), and the Woodlands.

Cancel delays still exist at the following locations: Colonial Downs, Del Mar, Fairplex Park, Fonner Park, Freehold Raceway, Gulfstream Park, Horsemen's Park, Les Bois Park, Louisiana Downs, the Meadows, Oaklawn Park, Meadowlands, Monmouth Park, Northfield Park, Oak Tree, Philadelphia Park, Pocono Downs, Portland Meadows, Santa Anita Park, and Yavapai Downs.

Cancel delays permit mutuel tellers, who are responsible for the cost of all tickets they have produced, to cancel an erroneous ticket even after the system has been closed for wagering at the start of the race. Until the cancel time has expired, pari-mutuel wagering outlets cannot begin transmitting their pools to the host track's tote system, thus increasing the amount of time it takes to report final odds and prices.

The September 2 date was chosen by the 2020 Committee during its July 22 meeting to coincide with the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency's (CPMA) directive requiring a zero seconds cancel delay for all outlets participating in wagering pools hosted in Canada.

"The TRA 2020 Committee will continue to work with those associations who could not be at zero today with the intention of moving the entire pari-mutuel industry to zero," said 2020 Committee secretary Bob Bork.

The TRA 2020 Committee consists of representatives of TRA racetracks, the NTRA, the tote companies, communications vendors, the Harness Tracks of America, the American Quarter Horse Association, The Jockey Club, horsemen and other industry groups. It was established in 1990 to develop simulcast wagering and its expansion through the implementation of latest technology.

May 6, 2003 - Matthew Collins McDavid of Bethesda, Md., has been selected as the recipient of the 47th Fred Russell-Grantland Rice TRA Sports Writing Scholarship to Vanderbilt University for the incoming class of 2003.

The four-year, $40,000 scholarship is co-sponsored by Vanderbilt University and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA), and is awarded each year to an outstanding high school senior with special interest and potential in the field of sports writing. The TRA represents 43 member racing associations conducting Thoroughbred racing at 41 racetracks in North America.

McDavid attends Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Md., where he is an editorial staff member of the school's award-winning newspaper, The Black and White. McDavid is also the headline-cutline director and sports columnist for the school newspaper.

In addition to sports writing, McDavid plays for Walt Whitman's lacrosse team and is an avid skier and volunteer. At Vanderbilt, he plans to pursue his strongest academic interests in English and History, while also writing for University publications.

The scholarship honors Vanderbilt alumni Grantland Rice and Fred Russell, two of the greatest sports writers of all time.

Initially, the scholarship was created in 1956 to honor Grantland Rice, the dean of American sports writing, who died in 1954. The scholarship received a funding endowment from the Oaklawn Jockey Club on behalf of the TRA in 1986, and its name was amended to include Fred Russell, the sports writing legend for the Nashville Banner for nearly 70 years. Russell, who passed away earlier this year at age 96, worked closely with the TRA to establish the original scholarship program and served on the selection committee since its inception through 2002.

Previous recipients include noted sports columnist Skip Bayless, who writes for San Jose's Mercury News; John Bloom, the syndicated "Joe Bob Briggs" movie critic/entertainer; Roy Blount Jr., one of American's best known humorists and author of several books, including "About Three Bricks Shy of a Load;" David Sheinin, baseball writer for the The Washington Post; and Tyler Kepner, the New York Mets beat writer for the The New York Times.

Charles J. Cella, president of the Oaklawn Jockey Club, served as chairman of this year's selection committee. For a list of previous winners click HERE:

October 16, 2001 - Santa Anita Park was awarded the International Simulcast Conference Award for best simulcast production for the second consecutive year today in Louisville. Santa Anita becomes the first track distinguished twice with the award since its inception in 1996.

Co-sponsored by Scientific Atlanta and youbet.com, the Simulcast Award honors excellence in the presentation of a racetrack's live race product to its simulcast outlets.

Santa Anita's top competition for the award this year were Arlington Park, Del Mar, Los Alamitos, Mountaineer Race Track, Penn National, Turfway Park, and Woodbine. Santa Anita's director of broadcasting, Amy Zimmerman, heads the in-house television production crew.

A panel of six judges selected Santa Anita from among 21 entries, which included various Quarter Horse, Harness and Thoroughbred tracks.

The judges' panel consisted of a cross-section of simulcast fans and expert industry observers: Richard Eng, turf editor and handicapper for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Las Vegas gaming consultant for the Daily Racing Form; Doug Reed, coordinator of the Race Track Industry Program at the University of Arizona; Dick Wilson, retired racetrack executive; and three experienced simulcast fans from across the United States.

Entries were the actual simulcast audio and video transmission of a single race sent to wagering outlets, not a collection of highlights and special features. Each entry included the pre-race features, odds, will-pays, commentaries, the actual running of the race, the results, and post-race features, if any.

Previous winners of the award are Churchill Downs, Turfway Park, and Penn National.

September 11, 2001 -- Bryan Krantz, president of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America, announced all member racetracks in the United States had cancelled Tuesday's live racing programs in the wake of the terrorist activity throughout the country.

"We in the Thoroughbred racing industry share the wrenching sorrow that all Americans are experiencing today and the TRA member tracks in the United States did not feel it would be appropriate to conduct today's live racing programs," said Krantz, who owns and operates the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. "Today is a day better spent mourning and praying for the victims of these horrible events."

The TRA tracks cancelling live racing Tuesday were Delaware Park, Finger Lakes, the Meadowlands, Philadelphia Park, and Prairie Meadows.

In addition, non-member Thoroughbred tracks the Downs at Albuquerque, Great Lakes Downs, Fairmount Park, Fairplex, and Mountaineer Park also cancelled their live racing for Tuesday.

The TRA and its members will continue to monitor developments throughout the country and business will proceed on a day-to-day basis. Calder Race Course, Churchill Downs, Ellis Park, Hollywood Park, Hoosier Park, Laurel Park, Pimlico, and Sportsman's Park already have announced their simulcast facilities will be closed on Wednesday. Arlington Park has cancelled Wednesday's live racing program.

The TRA is a trade organization of 49 member associations racing at 43 tracks in the United States and Canada.

Robert Craig Murray III of Brentwood, Tenn., has been selected as the recipient of the 45th Fred Russell-Grantland Rice TRA Sports Writing Scholarship to Vanderbilt University in Nashville for 2001.

The four-year, $40,000 scholarship is co-sponsored by Vanderbilt University and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA) and is awarded each year to an outstanding high school senior interested in sports writing.

Murray is a senior at Franklin Road Academy, a private, coeducational school in Nashville, Tenn. He writes for the school's newspaper, Blue Notes, and for the school's web site. In addition to high school journalism, Murray interned with "The Review Appeal, a local newspaper serving Williamson County, and has contributed articles for the Nashville Sports Scene, a magazine that had a wide circulation in Nashville.

Murray's interests are not limited to sports writing, as he also enjoys reading and writing poetry, and is a member of the boys varsity soccer team. He plans to pursue his strongest academic interests through the English, Communications Studies, and History Departments at Vanderbilt.

The scholarship was created in 1956 to honor one of Vanderbilt's most famous alumni, Grantland Rice, recognized as one of the greatest sports writers of all time. In 1986, the scholarship received a funding endowment from the Oaklawn Jockey Club on behalf of the TRA and its name was amended to include another noted Vanderbilt alumnus, Fred Russell, longtime sports writer for the Nashville Banner and a member of the scholarship selection committee.

Previous recipients include noted Chicago-Tribune sports columnist Skip Bayless; John Bloom, the syndicated "Joe Bob Briggs" movie critic/entertainer; freelance writer Roy Blount Jr., author of several books, including "About Three Bricks Shy of a Load;" David Sheinin, baseball writer for the Washington Post; and Tyler Kepner, the New York Mets beat writer for the New York Times.

This year's selection committee consisted of Charles J. Cella, who served as chairman; Fred Russell; and Fitz Totten, Senior Admissions Counselor at Vanderbilt. Click here for list of previous winners.

The Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau (TRPB) announced today the activation of a toll-free integrity hotline as part of its ongoing effort to address and foster the integrity of Thoroughbred racing.

The TRPB Integrity Hotline, 1-866-TIP-TRPB, is a toll-free number that will allow motivated individuals within the racing industry to leave an anonymous and confidential message detailing improper practices that have the potential to adversely affect the integrity of the sport.

Participants in the pari-mutuel industry now have the ability to help preserve and protect their competitive environment. The new hotline is modeled after the United States Trotting Association's, which has proven successful in Standardbred racing during the past few years.

TRPB president Paul W. Berube said, "Integrity in racing can only come from within. Those who work and compete in the industry and who become aware of wrongdoing have an obligation to take action. The TRPB's Hotline will afford them a real opportunity to do so."

Thoroughbred Racing Associations member tracks have been provided with camera-ready templates announcing the hotline for publication in daily programs, condition books, and stall applications. Placards placed in selected locations such as the backstretch kitchen, racing office, and main stable gates at participating tracks also will help to solicit involvement.

Santa Anita Park was awarded the fourth annual Scientific-Atlanta Cup for best simulcast production at the International Simulcast Conference today in Minneapolis. The award was created to honor excellence in the presentation of a racetrack's live race product to its simulcast outlets.

Santa Anita's top competition for the award were Arlington International Racecourse, Churchill Downs, Delaware Park, Del Mar, Meadowlands, and Sam Houston Race Park. Santa Anita's director of broadcasting, Amy Zimmerman, heads the in-house television production crew.

A panel of five judges selected Santa Anita from among 15 entries, which included various Thoroughbred and harness racetracks. Entries were the actual simulcast audio and video transmission of a single race sent to wagering outlets, not a collection of highlights and special features.

Each entry included the pre-race features, including odds, will-pays, and commentaries, the actual running of the race and the results and post-race features, if any.

The TRA panel of five judges consisted of a cross-section of fans and expert industry observers: Jay Privman, president of the National Turf Writers Association and writer for the Daily Racing Form; David Crupi, racebook manager at the Mohegan Sun; Richard Eng, turf editor and handicapper for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Las Vegas gaming consultant for the Daily Racing Form; Dick Wilson, retired racetrack executive; and John Walzak, associate coordinator of the Race Track Industry Program at the University of Arizona.

Previous winners of the Scientific-Atlanta Cup are Churchill Downs, Turfway Park, and Penn National.

Jockey Pat Day and trainer Todd Pletcher wrapped up their respective divisions of the 2000 Visa 3-Year-Old Championship Series Saturday in Saratoga. joining Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus, who had clinched the equine title earlier this month.

Trainer Todd Pletcher edged out his former employer, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, 81-75, to capture his first Visa title. Although Pletcher did not earn any Visa points in Saturday's Grade I Travers Stakes, More Than Ready's victory in the King's Bishop Stakes gave Pletcher 10 points to hold off Lukas. Lukas also earned 10 points for Commendable's third-place finish in the Travers and Millencolin's third in the King's Bishop, but trailed Pletcher by six points going into the final two races. Pletcher won six races in the 47-race series with runners like Graeme Hall, More Than Ready, Summer Note, and Trippi.

For the second consecutive year, jockey Pat Day held off Jerry Bailey to capture the Visa championship title for top jockey. Day picked up 15 points with a victory on More Than Ready and a third aboard Commendable in the Travers. Going into the final two races, Day had a one-point advantage over Jerry Bailey, but since Bailey failed to finish in the money on Saturday, Day finished with a 77-61 winning margin in Visa points.

Pat Day earned six wins, two seconds and a third in the series overall, including Grade I wins with Commendable, High Yield, and More Than Ready. Day joins Gary Stevens and Kent Desormeaux on the list of those to have garnered Visa Championship titles.

James Tafel's Unshaded narrowly defeated front-running Albert The Great to capture the Grade I Travers Stakes Saturday at Saratoga, placing him in a tie with High Yield for fourth place overall in the standings with 32 points. With the 10 points from the King's Bishop, James Scaturochio's More Than Ready moved into second place in the final equine standings with 34 points, ten less than Fusaichi Pegasus.

As the 2000 Visa Champion, Fusaichi Pegasus' name will join previous Visa Series winners-Skip Away, Silver Charm, Victory Gallop, and Charismatic-on a trophy on permanent display at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. In the past, the equine Visa Champion has figured prominently in the Eclipse Awards as Charismatic, Skip Away, and Silver Charm were named divisional champions. Fusaichi Pegasus' owner Fusao Sekiguchi, trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Pat Day each receive a replica of the trophy for their achievement in this year's championship series.

Click HERE for the complete standings in the series.

The International Simulcast Conference, co-sponsored by the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, the American Quarter Horse Racetrack Association, and Harness Tracks of America in association with American Greyhound Track Operators Association, heads to Minneapolis this year on October 2-4.

In its eighth year, the International Simulcast Conference is the only conference to assemble participants from various facets of the pari-mutuel industry with a focus on simulcasting, which now generates more than 82 percent of North American total handle.

The annual conference affords attendees the opportunity to discuss topics pertaining to simulcasting operations. Conference attendance has grown steadily and more than 500 persons in the pari-mutuel industry participated last year in Las Vegas.

General sessions will encompass operational aspects of the simulcasting business, including accounting, mutuels, MIS, television, scheduling, etc.

Through general session presentations and smaller workshop groups, this year's conference will include topics such as player tracking, rebating and its consequential effect on the pari-mutuel industry, legislative issues, accounting procedures, and strategies to increase handle.

This year's conference also will feature a "back to the basics" session for those relatively new to simulcasting operations for a review of the various elements of sending and receiving races efficiently.

Certified accountants can earn CPE credits by attending the conference. There will be a designated session for accountants to review pari-mutuel simulcasting operations and to establish standard procedures for the collection of transactional data.

The deadline for conference registration is September 25.

Fusao Sekiguchi's Fusaichi Pegasus officially has clinched the Visa 3-Year-Old Championship Series title. With two races remaining in the Visa series, Fusaichi Pegasus holds an insurmountable, 11-point lead over nearest rival Red Bullet, 44-33.

Fusaichi Pegasus captured three races in the 2000 Visa series-the Grade II San Felipe Stakes, the Grade II Wood Memorial, and the Kentucky Derby. Trained by Neil Drysdale, Fusaichi Pegasus' name will join previous Visa Series winners-Skip Away, Silver Charm, Victory Gallop, and Charismatic-on a trophy on permanent display at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Owner Fusao Sekiguchi will receive a replica of the trophy which will be presented by Visa chairman Carl Pascarella during the week of the Travers.

While the equine division of the series is decided, the jockey and trainer divisions will be decided by the remaining two races in the series, the Travers Stakes and the King's Bishop, both at Saratoga on August 26. Jockey Pat Day currently has a 62-61 advantage over Jerry Bailey, who moved into second with Graeme Hall's win in Saturday's Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. Kent Desormeaux fell back into third with 60 points after having lead the division for much of the series.

There were three stakes events in the Visa series during the past weekend. Herman Sarkowsky and the Diamond A Racing Corporation's Dixie Union, trained by Richard Mandella, triumphed Sunday in Monmouth Park's headline event, the Grade I Haskell Invitational.

Dixie Union rallied late to capture the 1-1/8 event, edging out Ohio Derby winner and race favorite Captain Steve.

In Saturday's Jim Dandy Stakes, Eugene and Laura Melnyk's Graeme Hall posted a 1-3/4-length victory over Curule. Graeme Hall added the Jim Dandy to his Arkansas Derby score in the series and now has accumulated 14 points.

Personal First, owned by Shively, Killingworth and Waldron, upset Disco Rico and Trippi to win the Amsterdam Stakes Friday at Saratoga.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, with his win by Graeme Hall in the Jim Dandy and a third-place finish by Trippi in the Amsterdam Stakes, seized the lead from D.Wayne Lukas in the trainers' category. Pletcher holds a narrow lead over Lukas, 71-65, with Neil Drysdale in third with 58 points.

The Visa Series concludes on August 26 at Saratoga with the Spa's "Mid-Summer Derby," the Grade I Travers Stakes, as well as the Grade I King's Bishop Stakes. Both will be televised on ESPN, with one-hour coverage beginning at 4:00 p.m. EDT.

The Visa Series was created by the Thoroughbred Racing Associations and Triple Crown Productions to bring greater identity and fan recognition to the numerous 3-year-old stakes and the horses competing in them.

Click HERE for the standings after 42 races in the 47-race series.

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted down Goodlatte's Internet Gambling Prohibition Act by a 245-159 margin in a suspension of the rules hearing yesterday, whereby limited debate and no amendments were allowed. The bill failed to receive the necessary two-thirds passing margin.

The House defeat is a setback for the bill, but does not mean it is dead. Time is running out as this Congressional session goes until August 1, resuming again after the Labor Day holiday for an expected three weeks.

Click HERE for the official Role Call of votes in the House of Representatives.

June 26, 2000 - Matthew James Meenan of McLean, Va., has been selected as the recipient of the 44th Fred Russell-Grantland Rice TRA Sports Writing Scholarship to Vanderbilt University in Nashville for 2000.

The four-year, $40,000 scholarship is co-sponsored by Vanderbilt University and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA) and is awarded each year to an outstanding high school senior interested in sports writing.

Meenan is a senior at the Potomac School in McLean, Va. Throughout high school, he has written for The Current, the school newspaper, serving as its Sports Editor for the past year. He also was the Potomac School Correspondent for Schoolsports Magazine's regional publication.

A four-year varsity cross-country athlete, Meenan was selected as co-captain of the team this year, and has served as a member of his high school's Senior Athletic Committee during the past year.

The scholarship was created in 1956 to honor one of Vanderbilt's most famous alumni, Grantland Rice, recognized as one of the greatest sports writers of all time.

In 1986, the scholarship received a funding endowment from the Oaklawn Jockey Club on behalf of the TRA and its name was amended to include another noted Vanderbilt alumnus, Fred Russell, longtime sports writer for the Nashville Banner and a member of the scholarship selection committee.

Previous recipients include noted Chicago-Tribune sports columnist Skip Bayless; John Bloom, the syndicated "Joe Bob Briggs" movie critic/entertainer; freelance writer Roy Blount Jr., author of several books, including "About Three Bricks Shy of a Load;" David Sheinin, baseball writer for the Washington Post; and Tyler Kepner, the New York Mets beat writer for the New York Times.

This year's selection committee consisted of Charles J. Cella, who served as chairman; Fred Russell; and Garrett Klein, Associate Director of Admissions at Vanderbilt.

Click HERE for a list of previous winners.

JANUARY 14, 2000 - Openings in public relations, marketing, patron/customer services, properties/facilities maintenance, and security departments at various racetracks already have been posted on the Thoroughbred Racing Associations'(TRA) job bank in its first week of operation.

The job bank provides TRA member tracks with the reach of the Internet for employee searches and screening, and the entire industry benefits from the service since anyone can access the job bank and search for employment opportunities in racing at no expense.

TRA executive vice-president Chris Scherf was encouraged by the positive response for the service: "The job bank has received good support. One posting already has generated enough responses to have the ad discontinued. The job bank provides a real service to the TRA member tracks and to those already employed in the industry, as well as to those who are looking to begin a racing career."

The job bank can be accessed from the link on left side of this page. For an overview of how the program works, click HERE, or if you have further questions, contact the TRA office.

JANUARY 10, 2000 - The Visa 3-Year-Old Championship Series kicked off its fourth year this past week with a pair of sprints at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita. Both races provided a thrilling start to the Visa Series as B L's Appeal, a son of Valid Appeal, held off the charge of American Bullet to win Gulfstream's Spectacular Bid Stakes by a head and Swept Overboard, a son of End Sweep, gamely nosed out odds-on choice Forest Camp to win the San Miguel Stakes.

With two races in the series run, B L's Appeal and Swept Overboard are tied for first in the equine division with five points apiece. Trainers Larry Pilotti (B L's Appeal) and John Shirreffs (Swept Overboard) lead the trainers' division and jockeys Mike Smith and Eddie Delahoussaye share the early lead in the jockey category.

This Saturday the Visa Series returns to Gulfstream Park with the Grade III Holy Bull Stakes at a mile-and-a-sixteenth. Likely starters in the $100,000 event include the Scotty Schulhofer-trained Mandarin Marsh, who won an allowance event on the turf opening day at Gulfstream; James Baker's Cosine, who ran third in his last start behind Captain Steve and High Yield in the Hollywood Futurity; and, Kenneth McPeek's Nature, who finished third to highly regarded Mighty in the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs on November 6.

Click HERE for the standings after two races in the 48-race series.

DECEMBER 17, 1999 - Recognizing more and more employment opportunities are generated and found on the Internet, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA) has implemented an on–line racetrack job bank, a job listing and posting service for its member racetracks. TRA members now can use the reach of the Internet to post job listings and screen potential employees with the new TRA on-line job bank, accessed via the World Wide Web at http://www.tra-online.com.

The job bank will provide browsing capabilities to the general public. Those in search of employment opportunities in the industry can search by keyword or browse entire listings and are required simply to have e-mail capabilities.

The free on-line job bank service is available now for TRA member tracks as well as job seekers.

The job bank allows the user to post to or select from six categories: General Office, Executive/Management, Patron Services, PR/Marketing, Racing Department, and Properties/Facilities as well as a general category for jobs that do not fit one of the above.

The TRA will act as the administrator of the classified listings, but each member track’s management will be responsible for placing the actual ads. The TRA will not be involved in any correspondence between potential employer and job seeker.