The next board meeting is scheduled for June 5 at Belmont Park. Thereafter, meetings will be held Sept. 26 at Santa Anita Park and Dec. 11 in Tucson, Ariz.
The Great State Challenge will return to the calendar in 2003 if agreements are reached between a host site and horsemen's groups, and if "financial and other adjustments" are made, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association said Feb. 13 after a board of directors meeting in Florida.The inaugural Challenge was held Dec. 7, 2002, at Sam Houston Race Park in Texas. Sam Houston considered it a success from an on-track perspective, but officials with breed associations indicated the structure of the event would need to be reworked to garner more participation from horsemen.Sam Houston has expressed a desire to host the Great State Challenge again, but the NTRA release made no mention of a potential host site. March 31 is the deadline for any deal.In other business: -- the California Authority of Racing Fairs, Evangeline Downs, Hawthorne Race Course, and New York City Off-Track Betting Corp. were named as new or returning NTRA members; -- NTRA/Breeders' Cup said their joint budget for 2003 would have operating revenues of $57.67 million and operating expenses of $58 million. A breakdown shows $19.15 for purses and awards, $18.28 million for marketing, $14.48 million for television and sponsorship, $5.11 million for general and administrative, and $1 million for legislative and regulatory. The Wagering Integrity Alliance expenses are set at $2.25 million; -- A change in bylaws was approved to each organization with a board seat to establish its own policy on term limits. The NTRA is looking at a potential restructuring of regions represented on the board of directors.
