Virginia Racing Commission

MINUTES OF THE WORKING SESSION

Tuesday, June 9th, 2015

Virginia State Capitol House Room 1 1000 Bank Street Richmond, Virginia 23219

Commission Members In Attendance:

• J. Sargeant Reynolds, Jr.
• Chairman D.G. Van Clief, Jr.
• Vice Chairman Carol G. Dawson I.
• Clinton Miller Charles Steger, PhD

Commission Staff:

• Bernard J. Hettel, Executive Secretary
• Rich Harden, Equine Medical Director
• Courtney C. Reid, Program Support Technician Office of Agriculture and Forestry
• Sam Towell, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Reynolds at 12:41PM; all of the Commission members were present. The first agenda item was the continued discussion of the designation of a majority Horsemens group for both the Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds. After discussion, it was decided that criteria for defining a horsemen, will include, any owner or trainer that started a horse or maintained 1 or more horse(s) in training in Virginia the last three years. There was extensive discussion about the electoral process of board members for both Horsemens groups. The Commissioners requested for the process to be explained in writing as a part of the groups review for the APA hearings. The APA hearings for recognizing the majority Horsemens groups and the industry nonprofit stakeholder will be at the next Racing Commission meeting on July 1st, 2015.

The next agenda item was discussion of the industry nonprofit stakeholder. Jeb Hannum, Executive Director of the VEA, informed the group he as working to deliver the requested documentation for his group and is in preparation for the July 1st hearing. He also updated the group on potential racing sites throughout the Commonwealth. The Committee assignments were put on the table for a later meeting.

Bernard Hettel, Executive Secretary, informed the Commission of discussions he has had with ADW companies seeking possible expansion of participation in the Commonwealth. A review of Administrative Regulations to include current statutes will be done by VRC staff and the Attorney General’s Office; changes will be presented at a future Commission meeting. Several members of the public made comment, including Tom Eshelman from the Shenandoah County Fair; Mr. Eshelman reported on the success of the Wine and Trotter Festival on June 6th and his hopes to get pari-mutuel racing at the site in the near future.

The working session was adjourned at 2:20 p.m.

Virginia Racing Commission

MINUTES OF THE WORKING SESSION

Thursday, May 28th, 2015

Patrick Henry Building East Reading Room 1111 East Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219

Commission Members In Attendance:

• J. Sargeant Reynolds, Jr., Chairman
• D.G. Van Clief, Jr., Vice Chairman
• Carol G. Dawson I. Clinton Miller Charles Steger, PhD

Commission Staff: Bernard J. Hettel, Executive Secretary Rich Harden, Equine Medical Director David S. Lermond, Deputy Executive Secretary/Fiscal Officer Kimberly C. Mackey, Office Administrator Courtney C. Reid, Program Support Technician Office of Agriculture and Forestry Sam Towell, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Attorney General’s Office: Joshua Laws, Esq.

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Reynolds at 9:59 AM; all Commission members were present. Chairman Reynolds explained to the group the necessity of this working session to be prepared for the July 1st VRC meeting. The first item for discussion on the agenda was the designation of a majority Horsemens group for both Standardbred and Thoroughbred groups. Several people added input into what they believe the definition of a horseman should entail. Vice Chairman Van Clief suggested a horsemen be a current license holder and also have had started a horse or maintained 1 or more horses in training in Virginia within the last thirty six months and going forward it would be 12 months.

Josh Laws, Assistant Attorney General, reminded the group that as of July 1st , in the Code of Virginia §59.1-365 , the ‘recognized majority horsemen group’, is “the organization recognized by the Commission as the representative of the majority of owners and trainers racing at race meetings subject to the Commission’s jurisdiction.” Mr. Laws informed the group of a required APA hearing must be held for recognizing both the Horsemens groups. After discussion, it was decided that this could be done before the meeting on July 1st . Commissioner Miller suggested the criteria needed for recognition should be put in the notice for the meeting and a deadline for submission should be made in order for review.

At 11:27 Chairman Reynolds suggested a quick break; the group reconvened at 11:47.

The next agenda item discussed included criteria for recognizing an industry nonprofit stakeholder. Jeb Hannum, Executive Director of the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA), echoed the importance of recognizing this group on July 1st due to the necessity to distribute the source market fee paid by ADW companies. Mr. Laws added that an APA hearing is required for recognition of the industry nonprofit stakeholder and the VEA will need to provide supplemental documentation prior to the hearing, in addition to being able to show intentions to promote, sustain and advance horse racing in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The next agenda item was a review of standing and potential VRC committees, which include a facilities committee, legislative review committee, and stakeholder committee. Chairman Reynolds suggested he and Vice Chairman Van Clief review the participation in the current committees at a separate time and then make changes. Administrative regulations needing to be amended will be submitted to Josh Laws for review and will be an agenda item at a future VRC meeting for approval. Discussion of an economic study occurred, it was suggested that this topic return to discussion in the Fall when more funding is available.

Lastly, during the public comment period, Nick Hahn advised the group of the importance of jobs the horse industry and the economic impact it has in the Commonwealth. Also, Tad Burman suggested if the OTBs open in the future, they need to make more incentives for bettors to come to the OTBs and participate.

The working session was adjourned at 1:05 p.m.

Grade I Santa Anita Oaks winner, the Virginia-bred Stellar Wind, returned victorious in the Grade II Summertime Oaks on Saturday. Kept three wide through the final turn, the daughter of Curlin edged out Tara’s Tango in the shadow of the wire in the 1 1/16-mile dirt test. The Keswick-bred miss is now three-for-three at Santa Anita.

As for what’s next?

“I think we’d like to keep her on dirt for now,” owner Kosta Hronis said. “If we stay home here at Del Mar, we’d probably have to switch her over to the grass. If we keep her on dirt, we might go to Saratoga.”

Here’s the race:

Grade I Santa Anita Oaks winner, the Virginia-bred Stellar Wind, returns to the site of her Grade I victory this weekend in the Grade II Summertime Oaks. Most recently fourth in the Grade I Kentucky Oaks, the daughter of Curlin has been at Santa Anita since mid-May, recording a bullet 4 furlongs in :46 1/5 on June 16 and 6 furlongs in 1:11 3/5 June 10.

Bred by Keswick Stables and Stonestreet, Stellar Wind is trained by John Sadler for owner Hronis Racing.

Want to read more? Check out the Equibase race preview here.

Here is your convenient guide to all of the Virginia-connected runners this weekend at Belmont!

Friday

Enchanting Lady

Owned by Northern Virginia-based Kaleem Shaw, this 3-year-old Tale of the Cat filly runs in the Jersey Girl Stakes. Winner of the Santa Paula Stakes at Santa Anita this year and the Landaluce Stakes at that same venue last summer, she is making her second East Coast start after a ninth-placed finish in the Grade III Eight Belles at Churchill on Derby Day.

 

Cat Tree

Running in the Treemont Stakes, this Discreet Cat 2-year-old is coming off of an impressive maiden win at Churchill last month. Owned by PTK, Cat Tree was bred in Kentucky by new Middleburg, VA resident Jim Fitzgerald. Jim and his wife moved to Virginia over the winter and foaled 14 mares in Virginia this spring.

Diplomat

Owned and trained by Jimmy Day, this son of Kitten’s Joy will contest the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational with an eye towards repeating the victory he scored in this year’s Carolina Cup.

Saturday

V.E. Day

Owned by Maggie Bryant, the 4-year-old son of English Channel hopes to get back to the winning ways of 2014 that saw him in the winner’s circle for the Grade I Travers and the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga. He competes in the Grade II Brooklyn Invitational.

 

Sky Kingdom

Also contesting the Brooklyn is another Jim Fitzgerald-bred. This 6-year-old son of Empire Maker is coming off of a win in the Grade III Tokyo City Cup Stakes (a race that he also won in 2013).

General A Rod

Contesting the Grade I Knob Creek Manhattan Stakes is this Hare Forest Farm-bred colt (Ann and Dick Poulson). The 4-year-old son of Roman Ruler won the Challenger Stakes at Tampa in March and enters this race off of a fifth-placed finish in the Grade II Charles Town Classic Stakes.

Noble Moon

In what could prove to be one of the most exciting races of the day for Virginians, the Grade I Metropolitan will see five different VA-connected horses enter the starting gate. Ned Evans-bred Noble Moon hopes to recreate his victory in the Grade II Jerome at Aqueduct last year. He enters this race off of a second-placed finish in allowance company at that venue.

Wicked Strong

Broken and trained early at Centennial Farms in Middleburg—and part-owned by Maggie Bryant—last year’s Grade I Wood winner last saw the winner’s circle in the Grade II Jim Dandy. He comes into this race off of a third-placed finish in the Grade III Excelsior at Aqueduct.

 

Honor Code

This classy son of A.P. Indy is part-owned by Virginia Racing Commission chairman Sarge Reynolds. Winner of the Grade II Gulfstream Park Handicap in March, Honor Code was last seen finishing fifth in the Grade II Alysheba at Churchill on Derby Day.

Tonalist

You remember this Woodslane-bred (Lauren and Rene Woolcott) and Virginia-raised colt for his victory in the Grade I Belmont at this venue last year. The son of Tapit just won the Grade III Westchester Stakes at Belmont on May 2, his only start of 2015.

Bayern

This son of Offlee Wild enters the gate for Virginia owner Kaleem Shah on the heels of a sixth-placed finish in the Grade II Churchill Downs Stakes—but you remember him for his victory in last year’s Grade I Breeders’ Cup Classic. Bred by Helen Alexander, the 4-year-old also won last year’s Grade I Haskell.