Posted: 7/26/2010

National HBPA Announces Support for the Continued Development of a Racing Industry Interstate Racing and Wagering Compact

Minneapolis, MN, Sunday, July 25, 2010 – During the National HBPA Board of Directors meeting held on Sunday, July 25, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the largest racing horsemen’s representative association in North America voted to offer its conditional support towards the horse racing industry effort to develop an interstate racing and wagering compact. The Board meeting was part of the National HBPA’s 2010 summer convention, which was held at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Minneapolis and hosted by the Minnesota HBPA.

The National HBPA will continue to participate in the development of such a compact as long as it is founded on the following five tenets:

1. The implementation of rules based on industry consensus,
2. A structured process which provides horsemen with an opportunity to be heard on both the local and national level,
3. Reasonable uniformity of rules based on industry consensus,
4. Concrete protections against unilateral rule-making, and
5. Commissioners selected on the basis of merit and experience.

According to National HBPA President and Chairman Joe Santanna, “As an organization, the National HBPA believes that an interstate racing and wagering compact could be important and beneficial to our industry as we continue efforts to better standardize rules across jurisdictions – as long as the process gives all affected parties fair representation and input. The National HBPA will support and participate in the development of such an interstate compact as long as we have a comfort level that all participants in our industry – including horsemen – will be allowed fair and reasonable input into all decisions.”

The National HBPA, based in Lexington, Kentucky, is the largest racing horsemen’s representative association in North America, with 30 affiliate organizations and over 30,000 member horsemen. Big Dee’s Tack & Vet Supplies, Equineline.com, and Horseman’s Labor Solutions are proud corporate partners of the National HBPA, and TVG is the official television partner of the National HBPA.