Lonny Powell

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law Monday a budget package that includes a continuation to, and in certain ways a redistribution of, the incentives and promotions that lawmakers have funnelled towards the state racing and breeding industries in recent years. The budget includes the following details: $15 million to Gulfstream Park and $5 million to Tampa Bay Downs for purses "and for the maintenance and operation" of these facilities. This mirrors the amounts listed for such purposes in last year's budget. $6 million to Gulfstream Park and $1.5 million...

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...

Legislative efforts in Florida to decouple the live racing requirement for Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs to operate their respective casino and card rooms-efforts that industry stakeholders largely see as a death knell to the future of horse racing in South Florida--took a few twists and turns in the state legislature Tuesday. A standalone bill that had already passed out of one legislative committee was temporarily postponed in the state Senate. But similar language was inserted as an amendment into a separate and much larger gambling bill (HB 1467)...

After nearly two hours of debate and testimony, Florida's House Commerce Committee on Monday passed bill HB 105, which would eliminate a requirement that Florida's two remaining racetracks hold races in order to offer alternative forms of gambling, such as slot machines, card rooms and casinos. The bill, sponsored by Republican Representative Adam Anderson is now positioned to go to the full house. A similar bill has been filed in the Senate but has yet to be heard in committees. "Today's vote in the House Commerce Committee was disappointing," said...

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...

According to the recently released American Horse Council Foundation 2023 Equine Economic Impact Study, the Florida equine industry contributes $12.8 billion to the Florida economy. Florida Thoroughbreds contribute $3.24 billion annually to the Florida economy, more than one-quarter of that horsepower. The study commissioned by the American Horse Council reaffirmed the status of the Florida equine industry, and specifically Thoroughbred horse racing, as a major sports and agricultural industry within the state. Florida remains the third-leading equine state by population (behind Texas and California) with 335,000 head creating more than...

A panel discussion titled "From Data to Dollars: Understanding Horse Racing's Economic Impact As Racing's Future is Questioned" during Wednesday's Global Symposium on Racing hosted by the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) led off with moderator Alan Foreman confronting "the elephant in the room that we dodge." Foreman, the chairman and chief executive officer of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, said racing is facing an "existential moment" at a time when industry stakeholders increasingly must make the case for the sport's so-called social license to exist in the...

In an effort to further enhance the 2-year-old program in the state of Florida, 1/ST RACING, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA), Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (FTHA) have announced that $1.75 million in Florida-bred racing incentives will be offered at Gulfstream Park in 2023. The renewed Florida-Bred Incentive Fund (FBIF) will pay out a total of $450,000 in bonus money to 2-year-old maiden winners. The FBIF program offers Florida-bred two-year-old open maiden winners a minimum bonus of $2,500 for maiden-claiming races and up to $10,000 for a Florida-bred...

Lonny Powell, the CEO and executive vice president of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners,' was recognized as the Executive of the Year by the Florida Society of Association Executives at its annual conference held July 20-22 in Tampa. The award, which was presented Friday during the conference awards luncheon, honors the association executive who has displayed the highest commitment to professional growth and pride in association management, with evident professionalism and leadership in both services to the association management profession and to the community. "I am very honored to...