Florida

Florida's polarizing decoupling legislation, which would remove a statutory requirement that Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs run a minimum number of live Thoroughbred races in order to operate the respective casino and card room at each venue, recently had its first reading in the House of Representatives and remains pending at the committee level in the Senate. The bill has the backing and was launched at the impetus of Gulfstream's corporate owner, The Stronach Group (TSG). But in a solidarity twist that supersedes his family's business ties, 92-year-old Frank...

I have been personally committed to fighting the decoupling legislation that is under consideration in Florida and wanted to update you on this effort. My goal and hope have been to ensure that our voices--as horse owners, horse breeders, horse trainers and horse lovers--are truly heard throughout Tallahassee this legislative session. The main mission is to unite and strengthen all the different groups--new and old--across the Thoroughbred industry supporting Florida racing and breeding.  While we seek to defeat the decoupling bills, we must protect the industry and its significant impact...

Breeders and horsemen aiming to fight Florida's decoupling bills launched the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative (TRI) Tuesday, billed as "an industry collaboration created to fight for live horse racing in Florida and elsewhere in the United States," according to a release from the new organization. Thayer Communications & Consulting's Damon Thayer, a 22-year veteran of the Kentucky State Senate and Majority Floor Leader for 12 years, has been picked as senior adviser of the group. Decoupling has been an issue at the forefront of the sport for the past month, when...

Florida's controversial decoupling legislation took an ominous step forward Wednesday when a House subcommittee not only advanced a bill that would remove the requirement that Gulfstream Park run a minimum number of live Thoroughbred races in order to operate its casino, but also amended the bill to say similar terms would apply to cardroom gaming license-holders, too, meaning Tampa Bay Downs would also have the option to cease racing if the bill got signed into law. The House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee reported HB 105 as "favorable" by a...

A Letter To The Industry from Damon Thayer The Florida State Legislature is facing a crossroads similar to what we in Kentucky's General Assembly faced in early 2021. At stake, as it was in Kentucky, is the future of the labor-intensive horseracing and breeding industry in that state. With strong support from horsemen whose livelihoods were at risk, Kentucky lawmakers passed legislation that allowed the racing industry to invest in itself by protecting tracks' ability to conduct and benefit from another parimutuel product known as historical horse racing (HHR). Today,...

Let's acknowledge straightaway that this cursory look at some (and only some) of the major regional programs can represent little more than a gesture of respect. As a rule, after all, we're talking about stallions that serve an almost exclusively local market, and those that do so best will have a corresponding local reputation that scarcely needs amplifying. Moreover the same caveats apply, here, as to our recent survey of Kentucky options: namely, that the one or two we single out are purely subjective picks; and, above all, that you...

Horse racing is woven into the cultural and economic fabric of Florida as well as the United States. For generations, our sport has brought communities together, created jobs, served as the foundation for vibrant local economies and sparked an economic-driving industry. However, the proposed changes in Florida House Bill 105, supported by The Stronach Group (TSG), threaten to unravel this legacy by decoupling live thoroughbred horse racing from gaming operations. This legislation is not just a Florida issue; it represents a dangerous precedent that could jeopardize the future of horse...

The Kentucky Thoroughbred Association (KTA) is the latest organization to come out in opposition to the recent decoupling proposal in the state of Florida that could result in the cessation of racing at Gulfstream Park. At one point in time, Florida mandated that its racetrack conduct live racing operations in order to run a casino. Since those original regulations were eased, many tracks have suspended racing while continuing to run a casino. As the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association did on Jan. 9, officials at the KTA also issued a statement against...

The bombshell announcement issued last week by The Stronach Group (TSG) that Gulfstream Park could close within three years, if not sooner, sent shockwaves through the industry. To close Gulfstream would affect a lot more than Florida racing. It would have serious ramifications for virtually every faction in the sport. The Stronach Group is looking to decouple its casino and racing licenses and has threatened to close the track in three years if the horsemen's group does not back legislation allowing decoupling. Their hope is that they can use the...

The Stronach Group (TSG) has told Florida industry stakeholders they can guarantee racing at Gulfstream Park only through 2028 if a proposed bill to decouple Thoroughbred horseracing from casino licenses passes the state legislature. In a closed-door meeting with the Florida horsemen and women Wednesday morning—a recording of which was obtained by TDN—Keith Brackpool, a former TSG executive now reportedly working in an advisory capacity for the company, also warned that "if there's no decoupling, then there's no guarantee of when we will continue to race," according to the recording....

In response to news that emerged Jan. 7 regarding changes to decoupling regulations in the state of Florida, officials at the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (THA), Inc. issued a statement on Thursday opposing any such changes. The state of Florida at one point required its racetracks to conduct live racing operations in order to run a casino, but those rules have been eased, many tracks have suspended racing while continuing to operate their casinos. In its release, the THA clarifies that the horsemen's organization at Gulfstream withdrew its membership from the...

1/ST Racing's Gulfstream Park and the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association (FHBA) have reached an agreement to support changes to Chapter 550 of the existing State Legislation--decoupling regulations--that will enable Gulfstream Park's live racing schedule to become independent of the venue's parimutuel license, it was announced by 1/ST Racing Monday. The basis for the agreement, "unique and designed to address the needs of Florida and consistent with similar gaming entities in the region," said 1/ST, "allows 1/ST to pursue necessary opportunities for development at Gulfstream Park. The agreement ensures...