FTBOA

The 2024 Florida-bred champions were honored at the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA) Awards Gala Monday night, and MGSW Mystic Lake (Mo Town) topped them all as she was crowned the Florida-bred Horse of the Year. In addition to taking home top prize, the filly also claimed the champion 3-year-old filly and female sprinter titles after assembling a 2024 resume which included wins in the GIII Miss Preakness Stakes and the GII Charles Town Oaks as well as three Listed/Black-type races. Mystic Lake's breeder Peggy Costanzo was presented...

Just as two of our greatest race days unfolded at Churchill Downs, our sport received great news as the Florida Senate held firm and did not take up the decoupling bill that had passed the House a few days earlier. For the first time I can remember, the effort to defeat decoupling brought so many people in the industry together. I personally wanted to congratulate the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative and their team, organized by members including David O'Farrell, Damon Thayer, Barry Eisaman, Mark Casse, Tom Ventura and many others. They...

The Florida Legislature has concluded policy discussions for the 2025 Regular Legislative Session, effectively killing the proposed decoupling provisions of Senate Bill 408, House Bill 105, and House Bill 1467, all of which the Florida Senate declined to approve for final passage, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association said in a press release late on Friday. However, Florida law requires the legislature to pass a balanced state budget each year. To meet this constitutional requirement, the legislature has extended the session through June 6, but has limited the focus...

The Florida House of Representatives on Friday passed controversial Thoroughbred decoupling legislation by a 70-34 vote at 6:10 p.m. HB 167 is a wide-ranging gaming bill, but the only section of it that came up for debate during the Apr. 25 legislative session was the decoupling aspect. As passed by the House, the bill 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. The language of...

A sprawling, 133-page tax package in the Florida House of Representatives that got advanced by that chamber's Budget Committee on Tuesday includes a small section tacked onto the end of the bill that would maintain $27.5 million in annual purse subsidies at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs while stripping out the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA) as a receiving or administering entity for that money. The annual purse subsides were signed into law last year. Although the dollar-amount allocation for Thoroughbred entities would remain the same, the...

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...

By now we are all well-informed of Gulfstream Park's intent to decouple their casino gaming from live racing responsibilities. I have no doubt they are very serious about abandoning live racing while expanding casinos and property development. This cynical action arrives on the heels of historic stimulus legislation--led by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association and our strong allies in Tallahassee--that stabilized racing and breeding economics. The only outstanding ingredient for an ascendant industry--racetrack operators committed to the live race. As you consider the future of the Florida Thoroughbred...

Rated by Merit, yet to be headed in two prior starts including a last-out win in the Florida Sire Series Dr. Fager Stakes Sept. 7, stepped up to seven furlongs Saturday and kept his perfect record in tact with yet another gate-to-wire victory in the Affirmed Stakes at Gulfstream. Bet down to 1-5 off two wins by more than 10 combined lengths, the favorite again jumped to the lead but took pressure from Neoequos through the half in :45.45. Finally turning that rival away off the turn, Rated by Merit...

A tax package that will extend racing and breeding incentives in the state of the Florida, was approved Friday by Florida Legislature according to a release by the FTBOA. HB 7073, which was initially enacted in 2023, continues to provide state funding for HISA along with $20m in purses and/facility improvements split between Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. It also gives $5m to the FTBOA for use as racing and breeding promotions and an additional $2.5m for Florida-bred racing incentives. In total, HB 7073 gives a boost of over...

R Harper Rose (Khozan) represented her fellow Florida-breds well in Saturday's GIII Forward Gal S. over the Hallandale strip as she dropped the hammer down the lane to win. The OBS March grad made her debut a winning one as she streaked to a gate-to-wire finish by 6 1/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park in early August. Stepping into optional claiming company over the same surface Sept. 22, the filly was equally as potent when she won by 5 3/4 lengths. On her home floor last fall, the bay took on...

George Isaacs, general manager of Ocala's Bridlewood Farm, has been reelected as the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA) president, according to a release put out by the organization Wednesday. Following the annual member meeting, the FTBOA held a board meeting and also named Rustlewood Farm's George Russell the first vice president, Summerfield's Francis Vanlangendonck the second vice president, Ocala Stud's Joseph M. O'Farrell as treasurer, and Nick de Meric, who operates de Meric Stables and Sales, as secretary. "I have been fortunate to lead FTBOA at a time...

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association reported a substantial increase in awards will be paid to breeders and stallion owners for 2024 through their Annual Awards Plan that was approved by the Florida Gaming Control Commission, the organization said in a release Thursday. The plan increases, which were enabled with the enactment of HB 7063, would increase Florida breeder and stallion awards by one-third, from the 15% level in 2023 to as much 20% of the announced gross purse in 2024. HB 7063 is a $1.3 billion tax package...