Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau
420 Fair Hill Drive, Suite 2
Elkton, Maryland 21921-2573
Telephone: (410) 398-2261 Fax: (410) 398-1499
E-Mail: trpbinfo@trpb.com
Web Site: www.trpb.com

Officers:

Franklin J. Fabian President & Treasurer
James P. Gowen Vice President & Secretary
Board of Directors:

John E. Mooney, Chairman - Delaware Park
Franklin J. Fabian - TRPB
Charles J. Cella - Oaklawn Park
Sherwood C. Chillingworth - Oak Tree Racing Association
Nick R. Eaves - Woodbine Entertainment Group

  

Kevin Flanery - Churchill Downs
Christopher McErlean - Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
Mike Rogers - Laurel Park
Stella F. Thayer - Tampa Bay Downs
Bill Thomason - Keeneland
In January 1946, the TRPB was incorporated as a private investigative agency whose principal mission was to address issues of integrity and security in the Thoroughbred horse racing industry. A wholly-owned subsidiary of the TRA, TRPB represents a unified effort by TRA-member racetrack associations to maintain high standards, protect the legitimate business interests and integrity of the sport, and foster and maintain public confidence.

Henry Parr III, who was TRA President in 1946 and the President of Pimlico Race Course, once explained the situation that prompted the creation of the TRPB: "Racing was in jeopardy of losing its patronage. All sports were being held suspect because of prevalent scandals of bribery and game fixing."

Selected to head the new organization was Spencer Drayton, Sr., formerly an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and administrative assistant to then FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, an avid racing fan. Drayton modeled the TRPB along the lines of the FBI and brought in several FBI colleagues to assist him.

On March 9, 2005, the TRPB Board of Directors elected Franklin J. Fabian to serve as President-Treasurer of the TRPB, only its fourth president throughout TRPB’s 66-year history. Mr. Fabian served previously as an Assistant Section Chief in the Counter-terrorism Division of the FBI’s Washington, D.C. headquarters.

In 2013, TRPB will continue to provide member tracks of the TRA with a wide variety of investigative, security and analytic services. Investigations of an administrative or criminal nature typify the often complex matters pursued thoroughly by professional and qualified TRPB agents. Upon request, TRPB supervises the security and policing operations at TRA-member racetracks during their live race meeting. TRPB’s Information System, a repository which maintains, catalogues and disseminates racing and wagering investigative, intelligence and security information, is without parallel in the racing industry. Taken together, TRPB's array of services creates an ongoing self-policing effort.

In late 2003, TRPB created its Wagering Integrity Unit, which continues to share its extensive knowledge of pari-mutuel wagering and totalisator operations by providing analytic products, presentations and consultation to TRA members, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and domestic and international regulatory and law enforcement organizations. In 2006, the unit launched its “Betting Analysis Platform,” which collects and analyzes wagering information on a near-real time basis from TRA-member racetrack associations and identifies wagering events requiring further investigation. Through this innovative project, unparalleled in the industry, TRPB has delivered to its TRA membership integrity tools to monitor wagering and participant activity.

As part of its overall work, TRPB maintains close liaison and professional interaction with local, state, and federal law-enforcement authorities nationwide in its effort to develop intelligence concerning unethical persons and criminal operations potentially injurious to the Thoroughbred sport.

TRPB is recognized internationally for its expertise in all facets of racing and wagering integrity and security. TRPB interacts with a number of international racing organizations in the exchange of racing information. These include The British Horseracing Authority, the Horse Racing Protection Foundation (an affiliate of the Japan Racing Association), France-Galop, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Security Department, Racing Victoria, and the Korea Racing Association.

Beginning in 1947, TRPB initiated the lip-tattoo system for identification of Thoroughbreds for race-time purposes. Through the use of a distinctive "parallel cluster" lip-tattoo die brand designed and patented by TRPB, the Thoroughbred industry is provided with the most effective, practical, and economical method of horse identification available today.

The TRPB also participates nationwide in conferences, seminars, workshops, and other assemblies considering programs related to integrity, security, safety, enforcement, and ethics in racing.