TBA Announces Nominees for 2009 Divisional Champions
The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey (TBA) has announced the nominees for the New Jersey-bred Divisional Champions of 2009.
The awards winners and their connections will be honored at the TBA’s annual awards banquet on May 15 at Monmouth Park. The connections for broodmare of the year, stallion of the year, and horse of the year will be announced during the awards banquet
The nominees for the 2009 New Jersey-bred Divisional Champions are:
Two-Year-old Colt or Gelding:
Love Who
Pinelands Pete
Richiefromshoprite
Two-Year-old Filly:
Karmageddon
Lil Kiara
N J Esq
Our Eponene
Three-Year-old Colt or Gelding:
Clear Faith
Quepos
Three-Year-old Filly:
Chocolate Blush
Little Stitch
Love That Dance
Handicap Horse:
At the Disco
Hermosillo
Lucky James
Handicap Mare:
Talkin About Love
Way With Words
Sprinter:
Joey P.
Lucky James
Unwritten
Turf Runner:
Big Dealer
Talkin About Love
casagrande says racetracks entitled to reap benefits of sports betting
Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, R-Monmouth and Mercer, said today that any constitutional amendment that would allow sports betting in New Jersey must include the horse racing industry. The Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee passed a concurrent resolution today, SCR49, that would permit the Legislature to authorize such wagering, while a similar bill was held in the Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee.
"It does not make sense to exclude the horse racing industry from sports wagering and only authorize the casinos," said Casagrande, who is a member of the Assembly committee that would hear the bill. "That industry is under the same intense competition as the casinos. By legalizing sports betting and collecting the revenues currently generated each day through on-line gambling, New Jersey has a chance to help both interests.
"All the state's gaming enterprises should share in the proceeds derived from sports betting," continued Casagrande. "A fair and even-handed approach is needed in addressing this issue, not favoring one group over another. The policies that resulted in pitting these interests against each other have failed both industries. Under our new governor and newly formed commission on gaming, we must work together for the benefit of both."
Lobbyist report
The regional competition for the gaming dollars has created a make or break situation for the State of New Jersey and its new Governor Chris Christie. With Pennsylvania and Delaware approving table games at their casinos and racinos and New York looking to accelerate the development of Aqueduct into a full fledge racino, New Jersey’s gaming industry is on the brink of collapse.
With an over $10 billion budget deficit, New Jersey’s elected officials are finally engaged. Recent press accounts show that such important decision makers as Senator Paul Sarlo, Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, and Senator Jennifer Beck, the only State Senator to have two racetracks in her district, are pushing for immediate action. As Senator Beck said at a recent conference on the future of horseracing at the Meadowlands, “For too long the State of New Jersey has done nothing to address the growing competition on New Jersey’s borders. As a result, we have seen a decline in gaming revenues across the State of New Jersey.” Senator Sarlo agreed. However, he said that he was no longer looking at “just vlt’s and slots” but a full fledge casino at the Meadowlands.
Unfortunately, the group of individuals that comprised Governor Christie’s transition team on Gaming did not concur in their final report to the Governor. The Gaming Transition Team recommended consolidating racing and putting NASCAR at the Meadowlands but did not include a recommendation to explore expanding gaming at the Meadowlands Racetrack to include additional options such as vlt’s and slot machines.
To say the least, advocates for horseracing and horse breeding were disappointed with the recommendations, but understood where they came from given the fact that the casino industry held five of the ten seats on the Gaming Transition Team and the horseracing industry had one seat.
Thankfully, the Gaming Transition Team was just one of the reports the new Governor received. He also received a report from an Agriculture Transition Team urging the Governor to explore the expansion of gaming at the racetracks to include alternatives such as slot and vlt’s. The Agricultural Transition Team did not include any representatives from the casino industry or the horse racing and/or breeding industry illustrating that individuals from the “general public” as well as individuals involved in “agriculture” understood the economic and societal benefit of horse racing and horse breeding in New Jersey. The Agricultural Transition Team obviously understood that you cannot make consumers travel to Atlantic City to gamble if there were more convenient and accessible locations near their home or business even if these options were out of state.
All observers expect an answer to the future of gaming in New Jersey by the end of 2010. With the state budget deficit in the billions, the casinos losing 31% of their gaming to racinos in other states on our border, and horse racing losing money, waiting is no longer an option.
Four Winds Farm Thanks all for their support
Four Winds Farm would like to thank all the wonderful people who contributed to help make Mary Zalinsky's last days a little easier. Sadly she lost her battle to cancer but fought hard for almost 2 years. Special thanks to the Race Track Chaplaincy for their help. As most workers in this industry, Mary lived paycheck to paycheck and your generosity allowed her to spend her remaining time with her family and new little granddaughter.
2010 Board of Trustees Election Results
The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey has elected three directors to serve on the Board of Trustees. Peter Roberts has been re-elected to the board and will be joined by new trustees Joe Jennings and Robert Matthies.
The election results were announced during the TBANJ annual year end membership meeting held on December 2nd at the Colts Neck Inn.
Peter Roberts’s major objectives have been to make foaling mares in New Jersey more attractive and help improve the quality of New Jersey thoroughbreds. He has accomplished these goals largely by initiating important program rule changes during his first term on the board of trustees. Peter sponsored the recent rule change making it easier to return a mare to New Jersey to foal. The amendment revises the requirement that a resident mare must be in New Jersey continuously from September 1 to foaling. It changes the return date to November 1.
He also sponsored the proposed new rule, modeled after a Kentucky rule, relating to extraordinary equine medical situations. It allows stallions and pregnant mares to be temporarily transported out of state to seek veterinary care during the required residency period without upsetting their New Jersey status.
Joe Jennings has owned and operated Walnford Stud in Allentown for 30 years. The farm currently stands the stallions, Defrere, Crafty Friend and Iron Deputy. Joe is firmly entrenched in the New Jersey breeding industry and he will continue to be committed to this state’s thoroughbred program.
Joe has served as a TBA board member at various points over the last twenty years. Joe feels that the obligation to being a board member is not something to be taken lightly and that the thoroughbred breeders must work hand-in-hand with the racetracks to help expand our industry’s popularity. He will work doggedly to make sure we continue to preserve our unique breeders’ awards program and try to find ways to permanently fund it.
Robert Matthies realized his lifelong goal to be a breeder of thoroughbreds and has become active in breeding operations. Robert will bring his passion for the industry coupled with proven leadership, and a strong knowledge of the legislative process along with the experience of working collaboratively to value opposing viewpoints to develop consensus and resolution.
Robert will “hit the ground running” and will work in concert with the TBA president, executive director, and trustees to do everything possible to ensure the necessary funding for our breeders awards. He feels that every effort to sustain and increase the funding levels is necessary to ensure the long-term viability of our industry through a strong New Jersey-bred incentive program which must resonate from our association and earn support from all segments of our industry.
Monmouth park, new jersey horsemen and jockeys select rerun as aftercare program for retired racehorses
OCEANPORT, N.J. – The New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority and the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NJTHA) have selected ReRun, the nonprofit Thoroughbred adoption group, for an onsite program to provide aftercare for Thoroughbreds at the end of their racing careers.
The NJTHA will donate funds annually to Rerun to be used for the aftercare of Thoroughbreds based at Monmouth Park. The jockeys at Monmouth have also agreed to contribute $1 per mount fee toward the program.
“ReRun has been providing an invaluable service to New Jersey Horsemen for many years,” said Dennis Drazin, president of the NJTHA. “We are committed to making sure that our owners have options for their Thoroughbreds when their racing careers are over and pairing up with ReRun meets that commitment.”
“The jockeys at Monmouth Park and nationwide recognize the importance of an organization like ReRun,” said Terry Meyocks, president of the Jockey’s Guild. “The Monmouth riders are proud to play a part in ensuring the health, safety and welfare of our equine athletes.”
Monmouth Park will host a “Running for ReRun” day on Aug. 9, when humans will take to the track for a one mile fun run/walk. Proceeds from this event, expected to reach thousands of dollars, will benefit ReRun
“We recognize as an industry that we all need to be responsible for our horses, both on and off the track,” said Robert Kulina, vice president and general manager of Monmouth Park. “With that said, Monmouth Park has always been in the forefront of providing post racing options for Thoroughbreds and we will continue to do so long into the future.”
Monmouth Park is a signatory of the NTRA’s Safety Alliance which requires participating tracks to establish an aftercare program for retired racehorses as part of the accreditation process. In 2007, Monmouth Park provided ReRun with an on-site office at the track to better assist owners and trainers in placing their horses.
ReRun, founded in 1996, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to rehabilitating and retraining ex-racehorses when their racing careers have ended. ReRun’s President and Adoption Coordinator Laurie Lane said, “We applaud this important step by the New Jersey Horsemen, jockeys and the racetrack to provide for their racehorses both during and after their careers.”
More information about ReRun is available at www.rerun.org.
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