HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 
MEETING OF THE
CTBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MAY 15, 2002

Meeting called to order at 10:02 am. The president announced that a quorum was present.

1. Approval of Minutes. The minutes from the March 6 and April 18 meetings were approved.

2. President's Discussion. The Board discussed the generous offer from Walter Thomson to give his Rancho Felicia to the CTBA as a horse retirement sanctuary, and agreed that a feasibility/funding study was necessary. In recent discussions with Mr. Thomson it has been made clear that the CTBA is not a charitable organization to which people can gift for the purpose of receiving a tax deduction. Such a contribution to the California Thoroughbred Foundation would indeed allow for a tax benefit. The California Thoroughbred Foundation is a separate entity with its own Board of Directors and articles of incorporation. The Foundation works closely with the CTBA. The Santa Ynez Valley Thoroughbred Association has also expressed interest in assisting with this project. The CTBA will facilitate a meeting between interested parties to further discuss the specifics regarding the proposal.

3. General Manager's Report. In his report, Doug Burge stated that the CTBA has been working since January with the Board of Equalization to define what is meant by "breeding stock" in the new Breeding Stock Tax Exemption law. Our original concerns dealt with the possible exclusion of breeding prospects. The CTBA has been successful in negotiating favorable definitions to the regulations. The new language currently reads: By the age of four, to be considered "breeding stock" a horse must have either (1) been trained for racing, (2) raced, or (3) been previously bred.

Mr. Burge reported that the CTBA was working closely with the Thoroughbred Owners of California in conjunction with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association to allow members of both organizations to purchase large John Deere equipment through the NTRA purchasing plan. NTRA Purchasing is a subsidiary of the NTRA, and offers substantial cost savings on many products and services. A large number of breeders in California are also race horse owners. The CTBA and TOC believe that the annual contribution from the purse account should allow the inclusion of those who are members of both organizations. 

There was general agreement that further investigation into group purchasing possibilities would be desirable.

4. Treasurer's Report. Treasurer John Barr reported that the organization operated within budget for the first quarter. 

5. Education Committee Report. The Harris Farms Seminar will take place Friday and Saturday, September 20 and 21. The title is: "Dreams, Reality, and the Marketplace". Julie Krone will be our dinner speaker.

6. Sales Committee Report. The Board was presented with the list of 166 yearlings that are final selections for the Del Mar Select Yearling Sale. The CTBA expects to catalog roughly 160 select yearlings at the August venue. The Sales Committee is very high on the overall quality of yearlings accepted. To remedy concerns by nominators regarding the detail of the physical inspection cards, the committee is working toward improving its inspection checklist to provide greater specificity in evaluating conformation points.

The CTBA has received an unusually large number of requests for a second sale this year. A survey will be sent to owners of all rejected nominees to determine the real interest in this concept. 

The committee will discuss the issue of using two inspectors for the yearlings, as well as the possibility of including a "Freshman Sire Showcase" marketing concept to support freshman sires.

7. Racing Committee Report. The NTRA has agreed to contribute another $25,000 to each of the Great State Challenge races, making each race now worth $275,000. This first annual event will be held December 7, 2002, at Sam Houston Race Park.

8. Cal Cup Report. A meeting was to be held later on May 15 to discuss theme, prices, and types of races carded in the past, which no longer earn black type. The committee supports modifying one of the starter handicaps on Cal Cup Day to make that race a listed stake with a purse of $100,000. The committee will also discuss means by which the purses in the two juvenile races might be increased.

9. Legislative Committee Report. The board discussed the excellent contributions of Bob Fox, our legislative analyst, to our organization. 

10. Magazine Committee Report. The June cover will feature John and Betty Mabee, and the issue will contain quotations from people who knew John Mabee. This issue will also include a feature on sales repositories, as part of the ongoing efforts to assist local breeders in effectively marketing their Thoroughbreds. The July issue will feature the Del Mar Sale supplement, which includes an article by board member Dan Schiffer on legal issues at sales.

11. Horse Welfare Committee Report. The committee has held its first meeting, and has chosen to focus on second careers and rehabilitation. The committee will publish an article in the June magazine stating its goals.

12. Website Committee Report. The board discussed the need to continue to support the website (www.ctba.net) , as it is proving a popular and valuable communications mechanism. A review will be made to determine better ways to use the site space to include more ads, and to make them more visible. 

The June meeting will be held on June 19, 10:00 a.m., in the Hollywood Park Board Room. The August meeting will be held at Del Mar on August 13. The September meeting will be held at Harris Farms on September 20, 9 am. There will be no July meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:58 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Joan M. Rogers
Board Secretary