Five Directors Re-Elected to TOC Board

(from TOC release)
Five incumbents and one new board member have been elected directors of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. They will take office July 1.

Brian Boudreau is the newly-elected director. The TOC membership re-elected Bob Bone, Billy Koch, and Donald Valpredo, in the “owner” member category. Also re-elected were Ron Ellis and Phil Oviedo as “owner-trainer” member representatives. 

Boudreau, an owner and breeder, has lived and worked on his Malibu Valley Farms in Calabasas since 1978. He bred California's champion 2-year-old filly of 2002, Humorous Lady, and Crackup, the runner-up for champion 2-year-old colt honors that same year. He also campaigned Sicy d’Alsca, Regal Thunder, and Hegemony.

Bone became an owner in 1990 and now has more than 50 horses with 10 different trainers. He was voted Owner of the Year by the TOC membership for 2003, 2004, and 2005, He serves on TOC’s racing affairs committee.

Valpredo has been a TOC director since 2000 and involved in California breeding and racing since 1963. Valpredo serves on TOC’s racing affairs committee and chairs the legislative and government affairs committee.

Koch has been a member of the TOC board for the past three years and currently serves on the executive committee as its secretary and as chairman of the owner relations, marketing, and industry affairs committee. In 2001, Koch created Little Red Feather Racing, which currently manages 19 horses.

Ellis has been training racehorses since 1980. His first horse, To B. Or Not, was a multiple stakes winner and launched him on a successful career. His other stakes winners include Twice the Vice, Exotic Wood, Pirate’s Revenge, Benchmark, Atswhatimtalknbout, Don’t Get Mad, and just retired national champion 2-year-old of 2003, Declan’s Moon.  Ellis serves on TOC’s medication and integrity committee.

Oviedo has been training horses for 30 years, the last 12 in California. A native of Phoenix, he served on the Arizona HBPA board and was involved in establishing an extensive off-track wagering program. He currently serves on the Northern California subcommittee of the racing affairs committee.
   
An annual election is held to fill five of the 15 TOC board seats – four owner representatives and one owner-trainer representative – on a staggered term structure. This year, there were 11 candidates for six seats, due to an "owner-trainer" vacancy created mid-term.

The newly elected directors join Madeline Auerbach, Martin Bach, Tom Bachman, Bob Baffert, Kim Kuhlmann, Marsha Naify, Harry Pellman, Mace Siegel, and Pablo Suarez in comprising TOC’s 2008-09 board.