Jockey, Author, Dick Francis Dies at 89

—From the Times of London

Had he remained in the racing world as a trainer or thoroughbred expert after retiring from riding in 1957, Dick Francis would have been remembered as one of the most successful jockeys of his era.

Mr. Francis, who died Sunday at age 89, would also be remembered as the jockey who spectacularly managed to lose in the 1956 Grand National, Great Britain's most famous steeplechase. A photograph of him within a whisker of the finish line, aboard Queen Elizabeth's horse Devon Loch, flat on its belly with four legs helplessly splayed out, is one of racing's strangest images. To "do a Devon Loch" is a still a byword for losing a race from a seemingly unassailable position.

But the disaster actually helped launch Mr. Francis's subsequent career as a journalist and then as horse racing's most eloquent writer of thrillers. Almost all his books became international best-sellers, and they made Mr. Francis a wealthy man.

Raised in a village in Pembrokeshire in southwest Wales, Mr. Francis was the son of a horse-dealer, steeplechaser and farmer. Mr. Francis learned to ride when he was 5 and won his first race at age 8. His father felt that a day hunting or show-jumping was much more valuable to a growing boy than a day at school, and allowed Mr. Francis to drop out at age 15.

In 1939, Mr. Francis joined the Royal Air Force and was later commissioned as a pilot, flying fighters and bombers during World War II. In 1947, he married a university-educated and highly literate schoolmistress, Mary Margaret Brenchley, despite opposition from both families on the ground that they had so little in common. He arrived at their wedding with his arm in a sling, having fallen from a horse.

Mr. Francis turned professional in 1948, and was for four seasons in the 1950s Queen Elizabeth's No. 1 jockey. By the time of the Devon Loch debacle he had broken so many bones that he was advised to give up racing. His autobiography, "The Sport of Queens," was published in 1957, and Britain's Sunday Express used him as a racing correspondent for the next 16 years.

Mr. Francis approached the task of writing with little confidence. But journalism didn't pay as well as racing, and realizing that their two sons' school fees had to be paid, his wife suggested that he try a novel. Drawing on his own expertise, he wrote "Dead Cert." It was extremely well received, and, from then on, he produced a book a year.

Horses, in training or racing or being sold or put to stud, are featured in all his books. Mr. Francis's heroes tend to be lonely men, often widowed or divorced; they are frequently beaten up or injured, but they strive doggedly in their pursuit of the villains and in their personal lives, proving more resourceful and resilient than their melancholy natures permitted them to expect.

The books were set in exotic locales, from South Africa to Norway to Russia. Mary Francis explored whatever specialized fields were needed, learning to paint for "In the Frame" and about the wine trade for "Proof." "Flying Finish" involved the transport of horses, so Mrs. Francis learned to fly, an experience she enjoyed so much that she started an air-taxi service conveying people to racecourses.

Mr. Francis always acknowledged his debt to his wife, although he denied one biographer's claim that she was the primary author. After she died in 2000, he was helped by his son Felix. Mr. Francis's latest book, "Crossfire" is due to be published in August.

He would prefer, Mr. Francis sometimes said, to be remembered as a jockey rather than as a writer, but then admitted that, if that were the case, he would be remembered only as the man whose horse stopped in the Grand National.

—From the Times of London —Email remembrances@wsj.com


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704431404575067671970533114.html

Thorofan Fundraiser in NY

THOROFAN HONORS RACHEL ALEXANDRA AS HORSE OF THE YEAR AT HER 4TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

Raising Funds for Bobby Frankel Division of Old Friends at Cabin Creek

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Date: Sunday Jan 31, 2010 Place: Union Grille, Saratoga Hilton 534 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY

Time: Seating 12-5pm

50% of tab will be donated to Old Friends at Cabin Creek by Andy Brindisi RSVP to be eligible for fab door prizes

Union Grille 518-682-2600

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GREAT FOOD, FUN PEOPLE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUNG TO RACHEL IN NEW ORLEANS See famed equine artist Frankie Flores create “Rachel”,
Hear infamous Artie Rigileto Vendors: pictures, jewelry, hats & clothes
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--------

Member of: www.equinewelfarealliance.org

Penn Temporarily Bans Horses Owned by Gill

By Claire Novak

Updated: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 12:55 PM
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010 7:40 PM


Horses entered in the name of Michael Gill, North America’s leading owner by races won and purses earned in 2009, will not be accepted for entry at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course effective immediately.
Chris McErlean, vice president of racing for track owner Penn National Gaming Inc., said Jan. 25 the temporary restriction has been put in place pending a meeting to review the necropsy results of two runners owned by Gill that recently broke down at the Pennsylvania track.

Several other runners owned by Gill have ralso eportedly suffered fatal breakdowns on the track since Oct. 1, although exact numbers have not been confirmed.

Gill, the leading owner in North America by purses earned and races won in 2003, 2004, and 2009—he led by wins and was second by earnings in 2005, the year he won an Eclipse Award—had taken a break from racing in 2006 but returned in 2008. He has 49 stalls at Penn National and stables the remainder of his 120 horses at his private training center, Elk Creek Ranch in Oxford, Pa.

Last year, 2,247 horses raced under his silks to 370 wins and earnings of $6,670,490.

“To my knowledge, regarding further entries at this point, we are going to wait until we have a scheduled meeting with Mr. Gill and his trainers once we get those reports from the most recent breakdowns,” McErlean said. “We want the ability to speak with him and his trainers to find out what’s going on and get some more information at that time.”

The practice of running and reviewing a necropsy exam on horses that suffer fatal injuries at Penn National is one instituted by the track at the start of the year in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission.

“We’ve set up a process between ourselves and the commission to do an informal review of the report, to allow the trainer to tell us of any issues they were aware of, and through looking at vet records to try to piece together any reasons why the breakdown could have occurred,” McErlean said.

McErlean said results of the necropsies should be available by Jan. 27, and a meeting could be scheduled by the end of the week.

The restriction follows a threatened boycott of Penn National’s Jan. 23 card by jockeys that were concerned over a second spill involving one of Gill’s entries in a three-day period. The Darrel Delahoussaye-trained Laughing Moon broke down after the wire under jockey Ricky Frazier in the fifth race Jan. 23. A previous incident occurred Jan. 21, when Melodeeman, trained by Anthony Adamo, suffered a catastrophic breakdown in the second race on the card.

After a lengthy delay, Adamo scratched Justin M, Gill’s only other entry on the card, from the sixth race. Trainers subsequently withdrew horses owned by Gill from ensuing race cards; horses were entered through Jan 28.

Anthony Black, a veteran Pennsylvania rider who was active in forming the Philadelphia Park Jockeys organization, said he spoke to several riders involved in the situation. Black also approached stewards at Philadelphia Park Casino & Racetrack to inform them of local riders’ concerns.

“I talked to three older riders who are based there, and they’re having second thoughts when it comes to riding races with his horses,” Black said. “They’ve not ridden good races, and they realize they haven’t, because they wouldn’t tuck in behind those horses in the blue and white Gill colors—and it makes good sense not to tuck in behind them when they’re breaking down like that.”

Gill, reached Jan. 25, said his horses did not break down at a higher rate than usual for lower-level claimers. He said he has always maintained a practice of complete transparency with racing authorities.

“They can go through all my horses at my farm, at the barn, unannounced, uninvited,” Gill said. “They can take any blood test, jog the horses, look at everything. I’ve always been that way. You find something illegal with these horses, I’ll quit.

“We ran 2,247 horses last year and did we have a bad test? Not one. How many trainers do you think can claim that?”

Gill said he believes his practice of running large numbers of horses and claiming from smaller operations has angered horsemen on circuits from Delaware to Florida. In 2003, he was involved in a similar controversy stemming from the fatal breakdown of the Mark Shuman-trained Casual Conflict, but was exonerated along with his trainer of all wrongdoing in the situation.

“The people that we’re claiming from who happen to have been in that community for the past 20-30 years are unhappy,” Gill said “It’s not new. We’re claiming an inordinate amount of horses and taking too much money off the table. I take grief because I own a lot of claiming horses, but how many people spend millions of dollars on horses that never even make it to the racetrack?”

According to Gill, in 2009 he had two horses that suffered fatal injuries at Penn National for the entire year.

“The horse that broke down (Jan. 23) was sound; he had just won the race before," Gill said. "I’ll show you his vet records. He'd never been ‘tapped.' Maybe the track was a little hard; that’s part of winter racing when you’re running at a track in January where it’s raining, snowing, and freezing, too.”

BLOGGERS NOTE: We shall await the results of the testing before entering Gill as the latest inductee into The Horse Racing Hall of Shame...as we firmly belive in the theory of innocent until proven guilty...it is the American Way.



http://ow.ly/11rZC

Pletcher fined, suspended by CHRB

By Steve Andersen
Daily Racing Form


The California Horse Racing Board fined trainer Todd Pletcher $25,000 and suspended him at least 10 days for a positive test for the anesthetic procaine by Wait a While following a third-place finish in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita in 2008.


The board adopted the recommendation of hearing officer Steffan Imhoff in a closed-door session at its monthly meeting on Jan. 15. Imhoff recommended a 60-day suspension with 50 days of the penalty stayed in the event that Pletcher does not have a positive for medications in classes 1, 2, or 3 during for a year.


Pletcher did not return a phone call Friday seeking comment.


Procaine is a class 3 medication that is commonly used with penicillin, an antiobiotic.


Pletcher, who has a small stable in California this winter, must begin his suspension and pay the fine by Feb. 20, according to racing board executive director Kirk Breed.


In his decision, Imhoff said he gave Pletcher the maximum suspension allowed under racing board rules because the positive occurred after a Breeders' Cup race. He said a majority of the suspension was stayed because Wait a While was treated with procaine at the advice of Pletcher's veterinarian and was not treated with the medication in the 18 days before the race.


Imhoff wrote, "If, as we believe, another procaine injection was given shortly before the race, there is no evidence to suggest this was done by Pletcher, or on his behalf."


Imhoff said the attorney general's recommendation for a $50,000 fine was "too high," but that a drug violation in a $2 million race demands a "substantial" fine.



http://ow.ly/ZKUv

Cincinnati Horse Trainer Charged with Cruelty, Abandonment

by: Pat Raia
January 08 2010, Article # 15610

Thoroughbred horse trainer Chad Moore faces multiple animal cruelty charges in connection with the alleged abandonment and maltreatment of horses at his Ohio farm.

Clermont County animal control officials removed six allegedly malnourished Thoroughbred horses, one pony, and one donkey from Moore's Bethel Farm last month. The carcasses of at least 10 horses were also found on the property, said Clermont County Communications Director Kathy Lehr.

Moore was arrested on unrelated charges shortly after the animals' removal.

On Thursday, he was charged with two counts of animal abandonment and two counts of animal cruelty. Additional charges are pending, Lehr said. Moore remains in the Clermont County jail.

Two mares were euthanized. The surviving animals are receiving rehabilitative care at a private farm.

Read more: Two Seized Cincinnati Horses Euthanized
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=15610

Racing Industry "Catches" Equine Disease

I have got to say, if it wasent for this New Mexican Race-tracks Screening Methods, this disease might never have been detected. Nice catch NM!

EQUINE PIROPLASMOSIS - USA (12): (NEW MEXICO)
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: 28 Dec 2009
Source: The Horse.com [edited]



As part of a racetrack screening program, 3 New Mexico horses have
been identified as infected with _Theileria equi_, a causative agent
for equine piroplasmosis. These infections are noteworthy as these
horses are not epidemiologically linked to those involved in a larger
ongoing investigation centered on horses from a South Texas ranch.

Information on the new cases, and an update on the Texas
investigation, was included in a 24 Dec 2009 report issued to the
World Organization for Animal Health (Office International des
Epizooties, or OIE) by John Clifford, DVM, deputy administrator of
the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The positive New Mexico horses did not show any clinical signs of
disease. Preliminary results of the investigation indicate that the
transmission of the organism might have resulted from management
practices (use of shared needles or substances between horses) rather
than by a tick vector, the OIE report noted. More than 1300 New
Mexico horses have been tested via the screening program.

Officials in the United States have screened all imported horses for
piroplasmosis for nearly 30 years. The disease was officially
eradicated from the United States in 1988. It is spread by some
species of ticks, the use of contaminated needles, and possibly
through blood-contaminated semen of infected stallions.

Clinical signs of equine piroplasmosis can include a host of
nonspecific problems, such as fever or anemia, and some infected
horses might appear healthy. Blood tests are needed to diagnosis the
disease. The only treatment is a potent type of chemotherapy that can
have serious side effects in some horses.

The larger piroplasmosis investigation remains underway, with 357
confirmed positive horses. All of the positive horses have direct
links to the index premises in Kleberg County, Texas. The OIE report
stated these include horses that currently or previously lived on the
index premises or live on a premises immediately adjacent, or [near]
other "dangerous contacts" (a positive foal born to an infected mare
was listed as an example of such).

Positive horses have been located in 12 states, with 289 positive
horses on the index ranch in Texas, 41 on other premises in Texas, 2
in Alabama, 2 in California, 5 in Florida, one in Georgia, 2 in
Indiana, 5 in Louisiana, 1 in Minnesota, 2 in North Carolina, 4 in
New Jersey, 1 in Tennessee, 1 in Utah, and 1 in Wisconsin. All known
positive horses are under quarantine.

More than 1500 horses have been tested for equine piroplasmosis as
part of the epidemiological investigation, including 587 horses
exposed to positive horses outside of the index premises. All of
these cohorts have tested negative, the report stated.

As a result of the current investigation, Canada and several U.S.
states have restricted the importation of horses from Texas. Horse
owners and veterinarians shipping horses are urged to check with
animal health officials in your state of destination to ensure the
animals have met all entry requirements.

[Byline: Erin Ryder]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail

[Although the horses do not appear to be epidemiologically linked to
the outbreak that started in Texas, sharing needles between horses
does not give a horse piroplasmosis unless those needles have been in
a horse with piroplasmosis. In other words, the disease had to have
come from somewhere. The question is where. Will New Mexico cast a
surveillance net to detect where the disease really came from? -
Mod.TG]

[see also:
Equine piroplasmosis - USA (11): multi-state 20091203.4128
Equine piroplasmosis - USA (10) 20091117.3963
Equine piroplasmosis - USA (09): (NJ ex TX) 20091111.3912
Equine piroplasmosis - USA (08): (TX) alert 20091030.3749
Equine piroplasmosis - USA (07): (TX) 20091024.3675
Equine piroplasmosis - USA (06): (TX) OIE 20091022.3631
Equine piroplasmosis - USA (05): (TX) 20091021.3617
Equine piroplasmosis - USA (04): (KS, MO) resolved 20090917.3262
Piroplasmosis, equine - USA (03): (KS, MO) 20090729.2662
Equine Piroplasmosis - USA (02): (MO) 20090612.2172
Equine Piroplasmosis - USA: (FL) quarantine lifted 20090225.0771
2008
----
Equine Piroplasmosis - USA (04): (FL) 20080930.3088
Equine Piroplasmosis - USA: (03) (FL) 20080828.2687
Equine piroplasmosis - USA (02): (FL) 20080823.2626
Equine piroplasmosis - USA: (FL) 20080819.2579]
...................................................tg/msp/lm

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Racehorse's Plight Shines Light On Illegal Slaughter Farms

Posted: 7:28 PM Dec 30, 2009

Freedom's Flight is a beautiful thoroughbred with an impressive pedigree. His bloodlines can be traced to two of the greatest race horses of all time, Seattle Slew and Secretariat.
Reporter: CNN


Font Size: Miami, Florida (CNN) -- Freedom's Flight is a beautiful thoroughbred with an impressive pedigree. His bloodlines can be traced to two of the greatest race horses of all time, Seattle Slew and Secretariat.

But, unlike his kinship, Freedom's Flight's racing career ended before it had even started. It was almost two years ago when the thoroughbred's leg snapped right out of the gate at Miami's Gulfstream race track. The animal's days as a cherished racehorse came to an abrupt end.

"He came from the famous Clairborne farm and ended up on one of the worst farms in America," says new owner Richard "Kudo" Couto.

That "worst" farm in America turned out to be an illegal slaughter farm in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Couto, working for the South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, participated in a raid on the farm and rescued Freedom's Flight. The timing of that rescue may have saved Freedom's Flight's life. The horse was limping around on his broken leg, he had sores on his body, and you could see his bones protruding from his dirty coat.

Some 18 months since his rescue, Freedom's Flight looks more like the stunning race horse that was worth thousands of dollars than the injured horse that was sold for $50 to an illegal slaughter farm.

"Prior to his rescue, I didn't know that illegal slaughter farms existed in the country -- let alone under my nose in my own county," says Couto.

This new knowledge has motivated Couto. "It really made me buckle down and basically dedicate my life to shut this industry down. It's become personal for me," he says.

Couto suspects that there are more than 100 illegal slaughterhouses in the area. There is only one slaughterhouse that operates legally, Cabrera's, and there the United States Department of Agriculture inspectors are housed on its property.

Many of these illegal places are concentrated in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County. The roads are dirt, the vegetation thick and uninviting. This is the western fringe of Miami along the rim of the Everglades, an area considered a sort of no-man's land.

There are signs in English and in Spanish advertising animals for sale. Tarps are put up to hide what is behind the chain link fences, but most of these businesses are open to the public. "You don't have to be a rocket scientist after walking the properties and seeing the dead carcasses, the guts in the trash bins, the slaughter tables, the knives -- all of the tools of running this type of operation is right in front of you," says Couto.

CNN visited several of these establishments. At one location where a pig was being carved on one table and a chicken on the other, we asked to film on the property. "This slaughterhouse isn't as clean as you can see, try Cabrera's," said the unidentified man behind the slaughter table. Like several places we visited there was blood on the floor, dirty butcher knives and an overwhelming stench.

Couto says it isn't the slaughtering of animals that has put him on this mission. It's the way the animals are treated.

"These animals are living in extreme filth. They're beaten. The way they're slaughtered is inhumane," says Couto.

Couto has been on a one-man crusade to shut down illegal slaughterhouses that are operating without licenses and without oversight by the health or agriculture departments. He was first exposed to what he calls the "dark underbelly" of the area when, with the Florida SPCA, he was investigating the slaughter of horses for their meat.

Motivated by Freedom's Flight, Couto left the South Florida SPCA to form his own organization called ARM -- Animal Recovery Mission.

For the past year he has used a video camera to collect evidence. Couto has simply walked right into dozens of slaughterhouses and has filmed bloody slaughter tables.

"I go in acting like a customer," he says, "I ask them, 'How much for the pig?' And they'll say 120 dollars. 'How much for the kill?' '20 bucks. We'll slaughter it for you for 20 bucks.' It's that easy."

One local agency that spends a lot of time in the area because sections of it are considered protected wetland is the Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management. Carlos Espinosa is in charge of enforcing the county's environmental regulations.

"When we come across other issues relating to other departments, we pass that information on to other departments," says Espinosa.

Couto took his story and his videos to every local agency he could think of with oversight responsibility. He tried to set up a task force with agencies in charge of violations such as animal cruelty, illegal structures, illegal businesses, permit problems and zoning issues. A sign-in sheet from one of these meetings shows many of the agencies attended the meeting, but Couto says nothing came of it.

CNN contacted Miami-Dade Animal Services Department, an agency that had a representative at that meeting. Spokesperson Xiomara Mordcovich said the agency does not deal with issues involving farm animals and directed us to the Miami-Dade Police Department.

The Police Department declined an interview. "We are not actively investigating any incidents involving illegal slaughterhouses," the department said in an e-mail. Then it referred us back to Animal Services and also to the code compliance department.

Charles Danger, director of the Miami-Dade Building and Neighborhood Compliance Department, admits that it was because of Couto's persistence that it is now putting together a multi-agency task force he called "Operation Miss Piggy and Mr. Ed."

According to Danger, part of the reason nothing has been done to clean up this area is because of fear for the safety of inspectors.

"Every time we go in there, we have to go in there with the police -- and even the police don't want to go in there," says Danger.

Danger says the Miami-Dade Police Department is now on the new task force, which also includes agencies such as the state health department and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "It comes from a lot of years of illegal operation. We have to do it together because it's not going to be easy," says Danger.

One organization that will keep tabs on the progress is the Animal Recovery Mission. Couto says he will not go away quietly. He calls his mission "redemption and revenge for Freedom's Flight and what he went through."

NYRA announces anti-slaughter policy

Well its about time! NYS has thee most lucrative breeding incentives in the world,....it is the least they can do.

SARATOGA SPRINGS - The New York Racing Association is cracking the whip on owners and trainers who sell their horses to slaughter.

NYRA announced a new policy Thursday -- a month after NewsChannel 13 reported that the organization didn't have written rules regarding slaughter.

While they're racing and winning, they often live the good life. After they've lost their value, it's possible for racehorses to end up at slaughterhouses -- strung up, throats slashed and allowed to bleed out.

More Information:
NYRA Details Anti-Slaughter Policy

Related Stories:

Part 1: Home stretch for thoroughbreds

Part 2: Life after the track

The movement to make sure racehorses don't end up slaughtered for food gained momentum when NYRA adopted strict new no-slaughter rules.

The new NYRA policy says any owner or trainer who sells a horse to slaughter will lose his barn privileges permanently.

"Horse slaughter will not be tolerated and those participating in this practice, either knowingly or for lack of due diligence, will not be welcome at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, or Saratoga," NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward said in a statement.

This policy is a personal victory for John Hendrickson of Marylou Whitney Stables. Shortly after NewsChannel 13 told the story of racehorse slaughter in late October, Hendrickson took the issue to his fellow NYRA board members.

"They were very receptive. There's nobody that's for slaughter," Hendrickson said.

According to the humane society, up to 20 percent of all thoroughbreds end up slaughtered. The thoroughbred retirement foundation works to save racehorses and welcomes NYRA's new no-tolerance policy.

"This sends the absolute right message to owners and breeders, saying we have to think about these horses for their whole lives, not just when they're on the track trying to make money for us," said Diana Pikulski of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.

Click on title above for original article and video;
http://www.topix.com/forum/sports/horse-racing/TV5L6UAUNQ9H9O40K

Ohio Standardbred Barn Fire Kills 2 Men, 42 Horses

Horse owners stood stunned as they watched heavy machinery peel back the metal roof of the collapsed structure so firefighters could sift through the debris and extinguish what remained of the blaze. -- PHOTO: AP
LEBANON (Ohio) - A FIRE ripped through a horse barn at a county fairgrounds Saturday in southwest Ohio, killing two men and 43 horses, authorities said.
The barn roof had already collapsed by the time firefighters arrived at the Warren County Fairgrounds early Saturday morning, according to Capt. Krista Wyatt of the Lebanon Fire Department.
The bodies of the men were pulled from the barn and were badly burned, said Shane Cartmill, a spokesman for the Ohio State Fire Marshal. Cartmill was unable to confirm the identities late Saturday.
A horse owner identified the men as Ronnie Williams and James Edwards, both trainers at a harness racing racetrack based at the fairgrounds. Victor Gray, who owned three of the horses that died, said he'd known Williams nearly 40 years. Lamar Moody, lead trainer at Lebanon Raceway, said two of his employees were not accounted for.
No one was supposed to be in the stables overnight and it was not clear if the two men killed were working early or sleeping in the barn. 'It's a terrible situation,' said Gray. 'This is something that didn't have to happen.' The cause of the blaze was under investigation, but state fire investigators say they have ruled out criminal intent.
Horse owners stood stunned as they watched heavy machinery peel back the metal roof of the collapsed structure so firefighters could sift through the debris and extinguish what remained of the blaze. The horses weren't pets but nonetheless were 'part of the family, our kids,' Gray said. 'We loved those horses.' In 1988, a fire in a similar part of the county-owned racetrack and fairgrounds killed 35 horses. No one was killed in that fire. -- AP

HorsePac: An UnHoly Alliance of Pro-Slaughter Equine Industrialists

In this loosley disguised "HorseSlaughterPac," you will "meet the money" behind the campaigns to keep horse slaughter going; this is what we are up against in Congress.

Message from the president

March 11, 2008

Horse PAC enjoyed its widest support in 2007. With receipts of $347,604 in 2007, Horse PAC ended the year with $490,793 in cash on hand. A record 221 NTRA members contributed to the PAC this year. We thank them for their constancy and support.

The Horse PAC Board also welcomed four new Directors during 2007: George B. Bolton, Marc W. Dunbar, Robert S. Evans and J. Kenneth Luke, bringing the total number of directors to 18 for 2007. Horse PAC may have up to 25 Board members.

Horse PAC disbursements in 2007 were $294,500, a record for a non-election year. The PAC supported 10 of the "freshmen" Members elected at the start of the 2006/2007 Congressional cycle and in all, supported 84 individual candidates from 34 states.

The PAC’s most important determinant for giving remains a candidate’s Committee membership. Horse PAC’s support was spread across key committees that oversee the pari-mutuel horse racing and breeding industries, including Agriculture, Energy & Commerce, Ways & Means, Finance, Homeland Security and Judiciary.

Reaffirming Horse PAC’s mission to support only Federal political candidates and parties at the Congressional level, the Board of Directors in 2007 unanimously passed a resolution barring Horse PAC contributions to United States Presidential candidates.

As we look forward to 2008, we anticipate yet another season of growth for Horse PAC, which continues to be the largest gaming PAC after just five and a half years of operations.

With an election year upon us and a number of key legislative issues still to be addressed in the 110th Congress, we expect an active year on multiple fronts in Washington, D.C. A summary of our key legislative issues and activities in 2007 appears on pages 15 through 18 of this report.

We encourage you to keep abreast of our efforts on Capitol Hill by visiting our Web site, www.SupportHorseRacing.org. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Peggy Hendershot

Horse PAC President

Table of Contents

Message from the PAC President..................................1

Board of Directors ................................................................2

About Horse PAC ................................................................3

Receipts ......................................................................................4

Contributors...............................................................................5

Disbursements ........................................................................7

Legislative Summary.............................................................15





2007 horse pacboard of directors

In 2006, the by-laws of Horse PAC were amended to allow up to 25 members on the Board of Directors. Directors are appointed by the PAC President. The 2007 Horse PAC Board consisted of:

William S. Farish, Jr., Chairman

Antony Beck

George B. Bolton

Case Clay

Laura A. D’Angelo

Marc W. Dunbar

Robert Elliston

Robert S. Evans

Tracy Farmer

Terrence P. Finley

Lucy Young Hamilton

John C. Harris

F. Jack Liebau, Jr.

J. Kenneth Luke

Wilhelmina McEwan

Terence J. Meyocks

Anne W. Poulson

Joseph V. Shields, Jr.

Alexander M. Waldrop

NTRA President and CEO, ex officio

Peggy Hendershot

President & Treasurer

Barbara Fossum

Assistant Treasurer





about horse pac

Horse PAC is the Federal Political Action Committee (PAC) of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). The Committee was activated in 2002 to promote and facilitate the accumulation of voluntary contributions from members of the NTRA and its subsidiaries and affiliates, for the support of political parties and candidates for elective office in the United States. The Committee is dedicated to the support of candidates who have taken responsible positions on issues involving the Thoroughbred racing industry. As a multi-issue PAC, the Committee gives strategic support to federal political candidates who:

• Serve on Congressional committees that oversee livestock and agricultural issues, Internet gaming, taxation, immigration and the Interstate Horseracing Act

• Are established leaders and control Congressional leadership PACs

• Endorse tax legislation benefiting race horse owners, breeders, players and businesses

• Have racetracks, breeding farms, training centers and other equine venues in their districts

• Are members of the Congressional Horse Caucus

• Are emerging leaders meriting "early support"

Key Congressional Committees for the Thoroughbred Industry



Committee
House/Senate
Issue(s)

Agriculture
House and Senate
Livestock, equine identification, Farm Bill

Appropriations
House and Senate
Bills serve as vehicles for other provisions

Banking
Senate
Internet gaming

Senate
Interstate Horseracing Act; general oversight for professional sports, including medication issues

Energy & Commerce
House
Interstate Horseracing Act; general oversight for professional sports, including medication issues

Finance
Senate
Taxes and trade

Financial Services
House
Taxes and trade

Homeland Security
House and Senate
Security for major racing events; anti-terrorism measures affecting consumers; immigration

Judiciary
House and Senate
Internet gaming, immigration

Ways & Means
House
Taxes and trade


Commerce, Science & Technology





receipts

From inception through December 31, 2007, Horse PAC has raised $1,842,970. The committee raised $731,724 for the 2003/04 election cycle and $724,538 for the 2005/06 election cycle.

Horse PAC Annual Receipts, 2002-007

In 2007 Horse PAC continued to lead all gaming PACs by receipts.

gaming pacs receipts





2007 Horse PAC Contributors

Champions – $5,000

Josephine E. Abercrombie

Lee & Carmen Ackerley

John W. Amerman

Craig Bandoroff

Ramona Seeligson Bass

Angela Levy Beck

Bill & Susan Casner

Case B. Clay

Robert & Blythe Clay

CTBA PAC

Adele B. Dilschneider

C. Steven Duncker

Robert S. Evans

Sarah S. Farish

William S. Farish, Jr.

William S. Farish, Sr.

Mr. & Mrs. Tracy Farmer

Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Ford

Mr. & Mrs. William Hamilton

Seth Hancock

Debbie Hancock

John C. Harris

William Heiligbrodt

R.D. Hubbard

E.J & Lynne Hudson, Jr.

G. Watts Humphrey, Jr.

Brereton Jones

Dr. Gary B. Knapp

Beverly Lewis

F. Jack Liebau, Sr.

Maureen O. Luke

J. Kenneth Luke

Wilhelmina McEwan

Robert McNair

Ogden M. Phipps

Arthur F. Preston

Michael L. Rankowitz

Satish & Anne Sanan

Ronald J. Sellitto

Joseph V. Shields, Jr.

Mace Siegel

Samantha Siegel

Smithfield Foods, Inc. PAC

Stuart & Anita Subotnick

William T. Young, Jr.

Winners – $,500 - $4,999

Ron Crockett

Martin Cunningham

Hugh A. Fitzsimons, Jr.

E.K. Gaylord

Helen K. Groves

Waddell W. Hancock, II

Elizabeth Jones

Robert V. LaPenta

Jeffrey & Margery Lewis

Carl F. Pollard

James & Mary Treptow

Robert B. Trussell, Jr.

Alexander M. Waldrop

Randy Zeller

Leaders – $1,000 - $,499

Gregory C. Avioli

Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Barber

Mrs. John Bell, III

Bob Bork

Nicholas Brady

James C. Brady

Mr. & Mrs. Chester Broman, Sr.

Darrell & Lendy Brown

John Brooks

Alexander G. Campbell

Thomas Clark

Deborah A. Easter

Lee R. Einsidler

Robert N. Elliston

Terrence & Debbie Finley

David C. Fogg

Mr. & Mrs. Mustapha Fostock

Thomas Gaines

Martha F. Gerry

Thomas Henrion

Ian Highet

Richard C. Imbert

Barry Irwin

Charles Kidder

John K. Leonard

Mr. & Mrs. Tom Ludt

Robert Manfuso

Mr. & Mrs. Michael Matz

Kiaran McLaughlin

James & Lisa Means

Terence J. Meyocks

Jerry Moss

Mr. & Mrs. Nick Nicholson

Phillip T. O’Hara

Paul Oreffice

John C. Oxley

Raymond Paulick

Robert Penchina

Nancy Polk

Daniel M. Rosenberg

Paul Saylor

Barry K. Schwartz

Fred Seitz

Michael & Lyn Shanley

James Squires

Beverly Steinman

Robert J. Terry

Stella Ferguson Thayer

Elizabeth Valando

D.G. Van Clief, Jr.

Peter S. Willmott

David & Holly Wilson

Jack Wolf





2007 Horse PAC Contributors

Supporters – Up To - $999

Stephen & Laura Avakian

Stephen J. Barberino, Jr.

John H. Barr

Ruth Bedford

Theodore J. Berge

Stacy S. Berge

Gary Biszantz

Frank Bonsal, Jr.

Peter Bradley

Niall Brennan

Bob R. Brooks

J. Mark Burton

Thomas Capehart

Keith E. Card

Keith Chamblin & Laura D’Angelo

Mrs. Roy Chapman

Ellen MacNeille Charles

Sherwood Chillingworth

Cindy Clark

Catesby W. Clay

Mark Corrado

Brian Culnan

Douglas Dean

Marvin Delfiner

David & Christy DiPietro

M.E. Dowell

Mr. & Mrs. Charles DuBose

Christopher Elser

William Entenmann

Tom Evans

Mr. & Mrs. Richard Feldman

Brent & Crystal Fernung

Joseph Flara

Rob & Jolene Fullerton

Jim D. Gallagher

Elbridge T. Gerry, Jr.

Mr. & Mrs. Curtis Green

F. William Gue

Emory A. Hamilton

Vern Heath

Margaret Hendershot

Carolyn Hine

Neil Howard

Bruce Hundley

Robert G. Irvin

Jim D. Jackson

Annie Jones

Bill Justice

Syl Kiger

Caesar P. Kimmel

Patricia A. Klussman

Theodore Kuster

David L. Kyger

John & Louise Lally

William & Sally Landes

Louisa Lenehan

Lara Levine

Bertram Linder

W. Bruce Lunsford

Willliam Maley

Frank Mansell

Dr. Merritt W. Marrs, Jr.

Jaqueline Badger Mars

Tony Metaxas

A. Stevens Miles, Jr.

Maurleen V. Miller

MacKenzie Miller

John & Susan Moore

Mark Moran

Edmund Mudge, IV

Joanne R. Mummert

Frances Myers

John Nash

John A. Nerud

Howard C. Nolan, Jr.

William Parsons, Jr.

John W. Phillips

James A. Philpott, Jr.

Cynthia Phipps

Todd & Tracy Pletcher

Kjell H. Qvale

Dr. David Richardson

Dr. Jack K. Robbins

Josh Rubinstein

Andrew Sauve

Chris Scherf

Peter G. Schiff

Mitchell L. Schlossman

Allen Schubert

Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Smith

George Strawbridge, Jr.

John Stuart

John M. Sullivan, Jr.

Ted Taylor

Peter Van Andel

Dr. Glen C. Warren

Wheelock Whitney

Ward Williford

Henry A. Zeitlin

ntra advantage

Contributors to Horse PAC are eligible for significant savings on nationally known products like John Deere, Sherwin-Williams, UPS and more through NTRA Advantage. When you use NTRA Advantage vendors, a portion of your purchase prices goes to support the equine industry. To enjoy the benefits of group purchasing and one-stop buying, call toll-free at (866) 678-4289 or visit www.NTRAadvantage.com.

or visit www.NTRAadvantage.com





2007 Horse PAC Disbursements

Federal Candidates by Amount*



State
Amount
Rank

KY
$37,500
1

CA
$20,500
2

NY
$19,000
3

TX
$15,000
4

AR
$11,000
5

OH
$10,000
6

VA
$9,500
7

MI
$7,500
8

OR
$7,500
9

GA
$7,000
10

LA
$7,000
11

FL
$6,500
12

IA
$6,000
13

TN
$6,000
14

PA
$5,500
15

AL
$5,000
16

MN
$5,000
17

MT
$5,000
18




State
Amount
Rank

ND
$5,000
19

NH
$5,000
20

SC
$5,000
21

IL
$3,500
22

KS
$3,500
23

MS
$3,500
24

UT
$3,500
25

IN
$3,000
26

NJ
$2,500
27

NC
$2,000
28

CO
$1,000
29

ME
$1,000
30

NM
$1,000
31

OK
$1,000
32

SD
$1,000
33

WI
$1,000
34

WY
$1,000
35

Total


$234,500

*Excludes disbursements to political committees that are not associated with individual candidates.





2007 Horse PAC Disbursements

Federal Candidates by State*



State
Amount
Rank

AL
$5,000
16

AR
$11,000
5

CA
$20,500
2

CO
$1,000
29

FL
$6,500
12

GA
$7,000
10

IA
$6,000
13

IL
$3,500
22

IN
$3,000
26

KS
$3,500
23

KY
$37,500
1

LA
$7,000
11

ME
$1,000
30

MI
$7,500
8

MN
$5,000
17

MS
$3,500
24

MT
$5,000
18

NC
$2,000
28




State
Amount
Rank

ND
$5,000
19

NH
$5,000
20

NJ
$2,500
27

NM
$1,000
31

NY
$19,000
3

OH
$10,500
6

OK
$1,000
32

OR
$7,500
9

PA
$5,500
15

SC
$5,000
21

SD
$1,000
33

TN
$6,000
14

TX
$15,000
4

UT
$3,500
25

VA
$9,500
7

WI
$1,000
34

WY
$1,000
35

Total


$234,500

*Excludes disbursements to political committees that are not associated with individual candidates.





2007 Horse PAC Disbursements

Federal Contributions: ($294,500)

Democrats 54 percent ($158,000)

Republicans 46 percent ($136,500)

House Candidates/PACs 66 percent ($195,000)

Senate Candidates/PACs 34 percent ($99,500)

year-by-year pacdisbursements

Total to Date $1,351,000



0

007 Disbursements

The following candidates and political committees received Horse PAC funds in 2007:

United States House of Representatives



House of Reps
State
Re-election Year
2007 Disbursed
Congressional Committee(s)

Artur Davis
D
AL
2008
$2,500
Ways & Means/CBC

Marion Berry
D
AR
2008
$1,000
Appropriations & Budget/Blue Dog Coalition

Mike Ross
D
AR
2008
$2,500
Energy & Commerce/Blue Dog Coalition/Horse Caucus

Dennis Cardoza
D
CA
2008
$5,000
Agriculture/Blue Dog Coalition/Horse Caucus

Jim Costa
D
CA
2008
$5,000
Agriculture/Blue Dog Coalition

Devin Nunes
R
CA
2008
$2,500
Ways & Means

Loretta Sanchez
D
CA
2008
$1,000
Armed Services/Blue Dog Coalition

Adam Schiff
D
CA
2008
$2,000
Appropriations/Judiciary/Blue Dog Coalition

John Salazar
D
CO
2008
$1,000
Agriculture/Blue Dog Coalition

F. Allen Boyd
D
FL
2008
$1,000
Appropriations/Blue Dog Coalition

Tom Feeney
R
FL
2008
$1,000
Financial Services/Judiciary/Horse Caucus

Ric Keller
R
FL
2008
$1,000
Judiciary/Education & Labor/Horse Caucus

Tim Mahoney
D
FL
2008
$1,000
Agriculture/Financial Services/Blue Dog Coalition

Debbie Wasserman Shultz
D
FL
2008
$2,500
Appropriations/Judiciary

John Barrow
D
GA
2008
$1,000
Agriculture/Blue Dog Coalition

Jim Marshall
D
GA
2008
$1,000
Finance/Agriculture/Blue Dog Coalition

Leonard Boswell
D
IA
2008
$1,000
Agriculture/Blue Dog Coalition

Melissa Bean
D
IL
2008
$1,000
Financial Services/Blue Dog Coalition

Joe Donnelly
D
IN
2008
$1,000
Agriculture/Financial Services/Blue Dog Coalition

Brad Ellsworth
D
IN
2008
$1,000
Agriculture/Blue Dog Coalition

Baron Hill
D
IN
2008
$1,000
Energy & Commerce/Blue Dog Coalition

Dennis Moore
D
KS
2008
$1,000
Financial Services/Blue Dog Coalition

Ben Chandler
D
KY
2008
$5,000
Agriculture/Blue Dog Coalition/Horse Caucus

Geoff Davis
R
KY
2008
$5,000
Financial Services/Horse Caucus

Ron Lewis
R
KY
2008
$10,000
Ways & Means/Horse Caucus






2007 Horse PAC Disbursements

United States House of Representatives ( continued)



House of Reps
State
Re-election Year
2007 Disbursed
Congressional Committee(s)

John Yarmuth
D
KY
2008
$5,000
Education & Labor

Rodney Alexander
R
LA
2008
$1,000
Appropriations/Budget

Charles Boustany, Jr.
R
LA
2008
$1,000
Agriculture

Mike Michaud
D
ME
2008
$1,000
Small Business/Blue Dog Coalition

Dave Camp
R
MI
2008
$2,500
Ways & Means

John Dingell
D
MI
2008
$5,000
Energy & Commerce

Collin Peterson
D
MN
2008
$5,000
Agriculture/Blue Dog Coalition/Horse Caucus

Mike McIntyre
D
NC
2008
$1,000
Agriculture/Blue Dog Coalition

Heath Shuler
D
NC
2008
$1,000
Appropriations/Agriculture/Blue Dog Coalition

Earl Pomeroy
D
ND
2008
$2,500
Agriculture/Ways & Means/Blue Dog Coalition

Frank Pallone
D
NJ
2008
$2,500
Energy & Commerce/Horse Caucus

Steve Pearce
R
NM
2008
$1,000
Financial Serv./Homeland Security/Horse Caucus

Joseph Crowley
D
NY
2008
$5,000
Ways & Means/Foreign Affairs/Horse Caucus

Kirsten Gillibrand
D
NY
2008
$3,500
Agriculture/Blue Dog Coalition

John Hall
D
NY
2008
$1,000
Transportation & Infrastructure

Carolyn McCarthy
D
NY
2008
$2,000
Financial Services /Horse Caucus

Charles Rangel
D
NY
2008
$5,000
Ways & Means/CBC

Patrick Tiberi
R
OH
2008
$1,000
Ways & Means/Horse Caucus

Stephanie Tubbs Jones
D
OH
2008
$1,000
Ways & Means/CBC

Charlie Wilson
D
OH
2008
$1,000
Financial Services/Blue Dog Coalition

Dan Boren
D
OK
2008
$1,000
Fin. Serv./Natural Resources/Blue Dog Coalition

Darlene Hooley
D
OR
2008
$2,500
Energy & Commerce

Phil English
R
PA
2008
$2,500
Ways & Means

Tim Holden
D
PA
2008
$1,000
Agriculture/Blue Dog Coalition

Patrick Murphy
D
PA
2008
$2,000
Armed Services/Blue Dog Coalition

Stephanie Herseth
D
SD
2008
$1,000
Agriculture/Blue Dog Coalition

Jim Cooper
D
TN
2008
$1,000
Budget/Blue Dog Coalition






2007 Horse PAC Disbursements

United States House of Representatives ( continued)



House of Reps
State
Re-election Year
2007 Disbursed
Congressional Committee(s)

John Tanner
D
TN
2008
$5,000
Ways & Means/Blue Dog Coalition

Sam Johnson
R
TX
2008
$2,500
Ways & Means

Jim Matheson
D
UT
2008
$1,000
Energy & Commerce/Blue Dog Coalition

Rich Boucher
D
VA
2008
$1,000
Energy & Commerce/Judiciary/Horse Caucus

Randy Forbes
R
VA
2008
$1,000
Judiciary

Bob Goodlatte
R
VA
2008
$5,000
Agriculture/Judiciary

Ron Kind
D
WI
2008
$1,000
Ways & Means

DCCC
D
$15,000
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

NRCC
R
$5,000
National Republican Congressional Committee

CBC
D
$5,000
Congressional Black Caucus

Blue Dog Coalition
D
$5,000

Total-House of Reps Candidates/PAC


$162,500





2007 Horse PAC Disbursements

United States Senate



Senate
State
Re-election Year
2007 Disbursed
Congressional Committee(s)

Richard Shelby
R
AL
2010
$2,500
Banking/Appropriations

Mark Pryor
D
AR
2008
$2,500
Commerce

Saxby Chambliss
R
GA
2008
$5,000
Agriculture

Charles Grassley
R
IA
2010
$5,000
Finance/Judiciary/Agriculture

Dick Durbin
D
IL
2008
$2,500
Appropriations/Judiciary

Jim Bunning
R
KY
2010
$2,500
Finance

Pat Roberts
R
KS
2008
$2,500
Agriculture/Ethics/Finance

Thad Cochran
R
MS
2008
$3,500
Appropriations/Agriculture

Max Baucus
D
MT
2008
$5,000
Agriculture

Byron Dorgan
D
ND
2010
$2,500
Homeland Security

John Sununu
R
NH
2008
$5,000
Banking

George Voinovich
R
OH
2010
$2,500
Homeland Security

Lindsey Graham
R
SC
2008
$5,000
Agriculture/Budget/Judiciary

John Cornyn
R
TX
2008
$5,000
Judiciary

John Barrasso
R
WY
2013
$1,000
Energy/Environment/Public Works

DSCC
D
$15,000
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

NRSC
R
$15,000
National Republican Senatorial Committee

Total-Senate


$ 82,000





2007 Horse PAC Disbursements

Federal Leadership PACs



Associated Candidate
State
House/

Senate
2007 Disbursed
PAC

Blanche Lincoln
D
AR
S
$5,000
LINC PAC

Dennis Cardoza
D
CA
H
$5,000
Moderate Victory Fund

Mitch McConnell
R
KY
S
$5,000
Bluegrass Committee

Hal Rogers
R
KY
H
$5,000
HAL PAC

Jim McCrery
R
LA
H
$5,000
Comm for Preservation of Capitalism

Tom Reynolds
R
NY
H
$2,500
TOM PAC

John Boehner
R
OH
H
$5,000
The Freedom Project

Gordon Smith
R
OR
S
$5,000
Impact America

Sam Johnson
R
TX
H
$2,500
Secure America’s Majority

Lamar Smith
R
TX
H
$5,000
Longhorn PAC

Robert Bennett
R
UT
S
$2,500
Snow PAC

Eric Cantor
D
VA
H
$2,500
ERIC PAC

GRAND TOTAL


$50,000

Total Leadership

$ 294,500





2007 Legislative Summary

As the trade association for the Thoroughbred industry, NTRA focuses its lobbying efforts on legislation having direct and material effect on its members and their business activities as they relate to race horse racing, breeding and pari-mutuel wagering.

Key issues for the association include safeguarding the industry’s ability to continue to conduct online pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing as authorized by the Interstate Horseracing Act, and tax issues affecting horse owners, breeders, racetracks and players. Notably in 2007, the association secured passage of the Equine Equity Act as part of the Senate-passed version of the Farm Bill.

In conjunction with the American Horse Council, the NTRA also supports Congressional education programs on general issues – such as agricultural matters and immigration – that affect a broad spectrum of horse owners, breeders and industry personnel.

The NTRA’s 2007 legislative activities are summarized below.

Farm Bill/Equine Equity Act

In 2007, the Equine Equity Act (EEA) provision was successfully attached to the Senate version of the Farm Bill, which passed in early December. The House passed its version of the Farm Bill in late summer. The two bills must now be reconciled in Conference, a process that is likely to begin in early 2008. The combined cost of the EEA – $489 million over 10 years – requires a revenue-raising offset under the current "pay-go" rules. An EEA offset has been identified, completing an important step.

First introduced in the 109th Congress and re-introduced in the 110th Congress, the EEA would lower the capital gains holding period for horses from 24 months to 12 months and accelerate and make uniform the depreciation of race horses from seven years (in most cases) to 36 months over four tax years. EEA remains one of the NTRA’s top tax priorities for the current Congress.





Player Withholding Bill

In 2007, NTRA initiated discussions with key Members regarding legislation to eliminate or substantially increase the threshold for federal tax withholding on pari-mutuel winnings (currently set at $5,000), which places the racing industry at a competitive disadvantage. Other forms of gaming such as poker, casino games and slots, are not subject to withholding. Withholding levels for pari-mutuel winnings were last changed (from $1,000 to $5,000) in 1992. The association will seek new "withholding conformity" legislation in 2008.

Proposed Steroid Legislation

In 2007, the NTRA was contacted by staffers for the House Energy & Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Interstate Horseracing Act, regarding the use of steroids in racehorses. The query was part of a larger investigation into the use of steroids in other sports, notably Major League Baseball. NTRA representatives provided information on the horse industry’s medication rules, drug testing practices and penalties. Legislation aimed at eliminating or controlling steroid usage is in development. The association will continue to monitor legislation and public hearings regarding drug testing in professional sports.

Internet Gaming

Four separate pieces of legislation relating to Internet gaming were introduced in 2007: 1) a proposal for a government-funded study of Internet gaming, introduced by Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV); 2) a bill to regulate Internet gaming, introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA); 3) a bill to tax Internet gaming, introduced by Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA); and 4) a bill to expand the definition of what constitutes a "game of skill" that can be played over the Internet, introduced by Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL). All four bills remain stalled at the committee level. State Attorneys General continue to oppose any effort to undermine States’ powers to establish their own gaming laws. NTRA continues to monitor these bills.

2007 Legislative Summary



7

UIGEA Regulations

In 2006, Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) to prohibit the funding of unlawful Internet wagering. UIGEA, contained in Public Law 109-347, recognized horseracing’s authority to continue to conduct online pari-mutuel wagering on horseracing as authorized under the Interstate Horseracing Act (IHA). The statute directed the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve, in consultation with the Justice Department, to produce supporting regulations. Draft regulations were issued on October 1, 2007. The public comment period for the proposed regulations concluded on December 12, 2007. NTRA continues to monitor the proposed regulations.

Immigration

After several failed attempts at immigration reform over the past 18 months, Congress has substantially backed off the issue in 2007 and is not expected to take up comprehensive immigration reform until after the presidential elections in 2008. Democratic leadership has, for the most part, resisted piecemeal efforts to pass parts of the immigration bill. Efforts by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to attach her AgJOBS bill to the Farm Bill and by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) to move legislation that would allow H-2B workers who have worked in the U.S. in the previous three years to be exempted from the annual visa cap of 66,000 were rebuffed. The 66,000 visa cap was met within days of the start of the new fiscal year.

To increase its role in immigration advocacy, NTRA has joined an immigration coalition for associations and industries that rely heavily on H-2B workers. The H2-B Workforce Coalition includes the American Horse Council, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Associated Builders and Contractors, American Nursery & Landscape Association and thousands of other organizations and industries employing immigrant workers.

2007 Legislative Summary





Horse Slaughter

In 2007, the House passed an Agriculture Appropriations bill that de-funds United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection services in connection with the movement of slaughter-bound horses. The Senate version of the Ag Appropriations bill contains no similar language. Democratic House Leadership remains supportive of the anti-slaughter language, as are several key Senators. Whether the language survives in Conference as yet remains uncertain.

Also in 2007, the USDA proposed amendments to the regulations governing the commercial transportation of equines for slaughter. The changes would extend the protections provided by the Commercial Transport of Equines to Slaughter Act (CTESA) to horses bound for slaughter but delivered first to an assembly point, feedlot, or stockyard.

Currently, CTESA protections (including mandated rest periods and access to food and water) apply only to equines being transported directly to a slaughter plant, not to slaughter-bound equines that are moved to intermediate stopping points during the shipping process. The proposed amendment would close the gap in the protections afforded by CTESA.

2008 Outlook

After Democrats assumed majorities in both the House and Senate in late 2006, Horse PAC adjusted its disbursements in 2007 to reflect the new balance of power in Congress.

In 2008, the PAC will continue its pattern of bi-partisan giving. In anticipation of greater activity with respect to tax issues affecting horsemen, racetracks and horse players, Horse PAC will increase its focus on tax committees such as the House Ways & Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. Horse PAC will also continue its strategic support for Congressional committees and PACs such as the Blue Dog Coalition, the Congressional Black Caucus, and Democratic and Republican leadership committees in both the House and Senate.

2007 Legislative Summary



9 0

For more information contact:

Peggy Hendershot

Horse PAC President

(800) 792-6872, ext. 648

www.SupportHorseRacing.org

2525 Harrodsburg Road

Lexington, KY 40504

Phone: (859) 245-6872

Fax: (859) 223-3945