HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE
CTBA BOARD MEETING
MARCH 22, 2001

These highlights from the CTBA board meeting are published to give members a brief look at the topics and issues discussed. These are not the official minutes of the Board meeting. Information here has not necessarily been voted upon, and does not constitute a formal statement of direction, opinion, or policy.

Foot and Mouth Concerns. We must all be alert to the risks of foot and mouth disease entering the U.S. We must take a proactive stance regarding closing borders to horses arriving from infected countries if sound science so warrants. Although horses cannot be infected, they can be carriers of this disease. Bio-sanitary concerns should be closely monitored by the horse industry, and the CTBA will be working with the American Horse Council for guidance on this issue.

Ideas to Improve Our Industry. We discussed ideas for efforts outside regular committee work. Suggestions included making simulcasting outlets more user-friendly, increasing media coverage of racing, developing cooperative working relationships with other breed organizations, and assigning a CTBA field representative to visit farms regularly.

Update of By-Laws. The By-Laws Committee, which met in early March, has reviewed and updated the current by-laws governing the association. Some concerns and possible changes will be addressed with the association's legal counsel. 

Horsemen's Credit Checking Mechanism. The association is working to establish a means whereby members can access industry credit records on potential customers.

INS Amnesty Law. Attorney Bing Bush will be conducting an immigration law workshop to inform farm owners of the provisions of the new INS amnesty law. This workshop will take place on April 6 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at the CTBA offices. An announcement of the workshop as well as a description of the new law will be sent to the membership via regular mail and e-mail.

Cal-Breds Are Popular! Cal-Breds are receiving very favorable publicity nationwide, as there have been 8 Cal Breds winning 12 graded stakes through the first two and a half months of 2001. Cal-Breds also sold well at the Barretts March Two Year Old Sale, with a Bertrando colt that had originally sold at the Del Mar Sale bringing a final bid of $700,000.

Del Mar Sale Looks Promising. Over 500 yearlings have been nominated, of which 90% are Cal-Breds. There are numerous nominations of yearlings by leading California sires, and some Cal-Breds by leading Kentucky sires. Richard Matlow will lead the inspections again this year, with Tom Bunn assisting in certain parts of the state as well as the out of state locations. A copy of the inspection card will be available to provide a written record of the inspection findings to the consignor/breeder.

Racing Excitement Continues! Cal-Breds continue to do very well on the racing front. Due to the number of graded stakes winner competing in the Cal-Bred restricted stakes, the fields in those races have been competitive but small. The second annual Gold Rush Day takes place at Hollywood Park April 28. 

Working in Sacramento. The CTBA had a very good session last week with Republican Governmental Organization Committee members at Blooming Hills, with dinner following in Sacramento. A similar event is being planned for the Democratic members of GO. On April 4, several directors will attend a legislative reception in Sacramento. Work continues on labor bill, account wagering bill, and other horse racing bills. It may be a difficult year to obtain tax relief because of the use of the surplus to fund energy purchases. We have solicited proposals from a PR firm, with the objective of raising the profile of our industry in the minds of legislators, the media, and the public. Our plan is to fine tune the best proposal, review it with other racing organizations, and explore sources of funding.

New Website Manager. New hire Ken Gurnick is on board as website manager. He has been at work on immediate news stories, and has prepared a list of website priorities, including improving flow of information from breeders to the website, publishing more information about legislative activities, and redesigning the home page to make it more user friendly. Modules to add include classifieds and race to sport sources. Ken will also investigate automation of the Cal-Bred foal registration process.

Seminars Well Attended. The Grass Valley seminar on foaling and neonatal issues was a resounding success. There were well over 70 attendees from different breed areas. Dennis Meagher, DVM, spoke on neonatal programs. The Barretts May Seminar will discuss race to sport activities. The Harris Farms seminar will address mating theories, and attempt to give a practical approach to mating decisions, explain genetics, and introduce various popular pedigree and measurement theories.

Comments invited: Anyone with comments on any of the above is invited to e-mail them to the California TB Industry Forum: Pforum@ctbaforum.com, or email General Manager Doug Burge.

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