The Ohio State Racing Commission Aug. 20 brought the grade II Ohio Derby back to the schedule this year by ordering a reduction of five live racing days at Thistledown, traditional host for the only graded stakes in the Buckeye State.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association issued a statement July 16 confirming it will have to negotiate with racetracks for purse revenue from video lottery terminals.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Host track Thistledown, the Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, and the Ohio State Racing Commission are discussing ways to restore the grade II Ohio Derby in 2009, officials said April 21.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Thistledown, at the suggestion of the Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, has suspended the $300,000 Ohio Derby (gr. II) for 3-year-olds. The race was to have its 75th running in 2009.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Requests by Beulah Park and River Downs to schedule their customary Thoroughbred meets for 2009 were officially granted Dec. 19 by the Ohio State Racing Commission.
Friday, December 19, 2008
With a little more than two weeks remaining before the scheduled shutdown of the barn area at Beulah Park, management and horsemen still have no deal to continue live racing in January. But developments on a national level could quickly turn things around.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Winter racing at Beulah Park was plowed under and the spring/summer meet at River Downs went up in flames Nov. 21 when the Ohio State Racing Commission awarded 2009 dates that represent a loss of more than 160 days of Thoroughbred racing at the two tracks.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Beulah Park and the Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association have "agreed to disagree" on contractual issues, but a temporary agreement has allowed the track to restore previous purse levels and export its signal.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Beulah Park, locked in a dispute that centers on revenue from advance deposit wagering, intends to resume live racing Oct. 22 but with greatly reduced purses and no export of its signal outside of Ohio.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Declines in on-track wagering, a dispute with the New York Racing Association over signal fees, and horsemen's refusal to allow six major advance deposit wagering outlets to take its signal has led River Downs to cut purses 15%-18% effective May 8.
Friday, May 02, 2008
The Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and Thistledown have an agreement in principle for 122 days of live racing at the Cleveland-area track this year.
Monday, March 17, 2008
The clock is ticking on negotiations between the Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and Thistledown, the Cleveland-area racetrack whose 2008 Thoroughbred meet is in jeopardy because of a conflict over racing dates.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
The Ohio horse industry, in an effort to make its voice heard around the Buckeye State, has formed a coalition similar to the Kentucky Equine Education Project, a horse industry advocacy group in Kentucky.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
A controversial plan to shave live racing dates at Thistledown in 2008 could result in the halt of full-card simulcasts at the Cleveland-area racetrack in 2009.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Thistledown, the Ohio racetrack that has shaved about 50 racing dates off its schedule since 2005, has requested another major reduction for 2008 to maintain profitability.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Beulah Park again is importing signals from two California racetracks, and purses at the Ohio track have been restored to previous levels after an agreement was reached with the Thoroughbred Owners of California.
Friday, March 23, 2007
The owner of Beulah Park said a decision by the Thoroughbred Owners of California to pull signals from his Ohio racetrack will only hurt horsemen by triggering a purse cut.
Monday, February 19, 2007
The Thoroughbred Owners of California plans to withhold the state simulcast signal to Beulah Park beginning Feb. 20 following a vote of its board Feb. 15, TOC president Drew Couto said.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
The Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association is challenging in federal court the constitutionality of an Ohio law governing the sending of simulcast signals.
Friday, January 26, 2007
The Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association has indicated Thistledown is authorized to send its signal to Youbet.com, but the California account wagering company has indicated it may not be willing to offer the signal.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
The three major horsemen's groups involved in racing in Ohio have all endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment to allow slot machines at the state's seven racetracks and two locations in downtown Cleveland.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
On the heels of an announcement by Beulah Park officials that the track's winter/spring meet produced an all-time record handle, the Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association claims the success did little for purses.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
The Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association voted Dec. 13 to oust president Gus George and replace him with Jim Yaegel, who will complete the term through the fall of 2006.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
The Ohio State Racing Commission is expected to approve a cut in the number of live Thoroughbred and harness racing dates in the state during its Nov. 19 meeting.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Racetracks and horsemen in Ohio have signed an agreement that allows River Downs to offer its signal to account-wagering services effective Sept. 2, a track official said.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Racetracks and Thoroughbred horsemen in Ohio remain in a stalemate that has removed the River Downs live signal from all account-wagering services, including one in which the track has ownership.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
The Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association has approved the transmission of Thoroughbred signals from Ohio to the TV Games Network and XpressBet, and also approved the sending of the signal from Thistledown to Youbet.com. However, it has failed strike a deal with AmericaTAB, the account-wagering company owned by Ohio interests.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
The Ohio State Racing Commission tightened its medication rules Jan. 20 to greatly reflect the model rules offered by the national Racing Medication and Testing Consortium. In another change, money will be deducted from each purse to defray all or part of the cost to test blood and urine samples.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Racing interests in Ohio continued to negotiate Nov. 1 to seal the deal on a 2005 live racing schedule that would reduce dates for Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing by more than 10%. But time was running out.
Monday, November 01, 2004
Racing interests in Ohio continued to negotiate Oct. 27 to seal the deal on a 2005 live racing schedule that would reduce dates for Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing by more than 10%.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
A plan to reduce live racing dates in Ohio by more than 10% in an effort to keep the horse racing industry afloat may hinge on an agreement between three Thoroughbred tracks and the Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Horsemen's groups have until Oct. 14 to state their positions on a proposed reduction in live racing dates in the Buckeye state, the Ohio State Racing Commission said during its Sept. 17 meeting.
Friday, September 17, 2004
Racetracks and horsemen's groups are considering a proposal by the chairman of the Ohio State Racing Commission to radically reduce live racing dates--several hundred could be eliminated--in order to boost purses and increase field size in 2005.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
A stalemate between Thoroughbred and Standardbred horsemen in Ohio continued when the Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association declined a proposal by the Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association to submit to mediation to resolve financial issues tied to state law.
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
The Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and Beulah Park have struck a deal on revenue splits for account wagering, but the chief negotiator for the horsemen's group called it a big-picture issue that needs attention and leadership on the national level.
Monday, March 08, 2004
The Ohio State Racing Commission Feb. 19 deferred action on a request from the Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association to withhold Thoroughbred signals that originate in the state from account wagering companies. It scheduled a hearing for March 1 to further discuss the issue.
Thursday, February 19, 2004
The Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association has asked the Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association to agree to mediation in an effort to resolve "program and policy differences" between the Thoroughbred and Standardbred industries in the state.
Thursday, January 29, 2004
The Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association has refused to permit signals from Ohio racetracks to go to Indian casinos in Oklahoma, a move one Ohio racetrack official has questioned.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
A two-month shutdown of Beulah Park was averted Dec. 18 when the Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and track management agreed to at least negotiate revenue splits from account wagering. If no deal is in place by Feb. 10, horsemen will withdraw permission for Ohio's live racing product to be sent to account-betting providers.
Friday, December 19, 2003
The Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association has told regulators state laws favor the Standardbred industry to the point where Thoroughbred racing is unfairly paying millions of dollars at a time when it badly needs the money.
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
The National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, in an attempt to solidify revenue derived from pari-mutuel wagering, will soon release a comprehensive position paper that touches on everything from source-market fees to rebates.
Wednesday, January 29, 2003
The Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association has called for changes in a formula it said cost Thoroughbred horsemen more than $13 million in 2001 alone. It planned to present a position paper to the National HBPA Jan. 29 during its winter convention.
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
The Ohio Thoroughbred industry is in the midst of a grass-roots campaign to solicit support for a measure that would allow voters to decide whether video lottery terminals should be allowed at the state's racetracks.
Tuesday, July 31, 2001
