2002 Cal-bred News

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CTBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING DECEMBER 4, 2002, ARCADIA, CA

President s Report: Wes Fitzpatrick noted that the Cal Cup infield party was tremendously well put together, and applauded the team responsible. He further noted that the first iteration of the Great State Challenge was scheduled for December 7 at Sam Houston Race Park, and California breeders look forward to an increase in attention and popularity for this event.

The election of officers will occur at the first board meeting following the January 25, 2002, Annual Meeting of members. This board meeting is currently scheduled for the second Wednesday in February.

General Manager s Report: The Stallion Season Auction was a great success, raising a record $100,600 for the CTBA s Political Action Committee (PAC). All stallion owners who donated seasons will receive a special CTBA gift.

The CTBA Stallion Directory was distributed at the same time as the December issue of the California Thoroughbred this is the earliest distribution ever. The Directory is being sent priority mail to get it into breeders hands at the earliest possible date.

The Sunshine Millions will be held on the same day as the Annual Meeting. The Annual Business Meeting will be held in the CTBA s Carleton F. Burke Memorial Library, with the awards luncheon to take place later that afternoon in the Front Runner Restaurant at Santa Anita. Costs for the awards luncheon will be $60, similar to the price offered in the past. An auditor from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will count votes. During the Business Meeting, committee chair people will give brief PowerPoint presentations of committee activities for 2002.

Doug Burge noted that the CTBA would continue to work with the NTRA and other organizations involved with the Great State Challenge to address various issues that prevented California and other states from having a larger representation. These include better coordination of the overall restricted stakes schedules, an emphasis on all states meeting the required deadlines of choosing their representatives, and the possibility of making the route races more attractive in regards to purses.

The Sunshine Millions early-bird nominations close on December 9, with regular nominations closing on January 11, 2003.

Reminder: Cal-Bred registrations for yearlings of 2002 close on December 31, 2002. The registration fee is $100. After that deadline, the registration fee rises to $750.

Treasurer s Report: John Barr reported that the organization is in excellent financial shape, with an anticipated year-end surplus, well over budget, for the year. The surplus results primarily from registration and advertising revenues, including the stallion directory. The association s accounts receivables from advertising revenues are currently being paid on a prompt basis.

Sales Report. The 2003 Del Mar Yearling Sale is scheduled for Sunday and Monday, August 10 and 11 (the week after the Saratoga Sale). Nominations for the sale close March 3, and nomination forms will be mailed to breeders in January. We continue to strive to offer a first class venue with a continual increase in the quality of stock offered.

Education Report: The last stallion tour, Riverside County, will take place on December 14. The Sacramento area tour was especially popular, with attendees from all over California. Most attendees owned broodmares and appeared to be serious breeders. Also included were representatives from the NTRA and the TB Times. Several complimentary letters appeared on the Thoroughbred Information Agency website. We try to encourage speaking and information sharing during the bus rides.

Racing Report: John Barr reported on the racing secretaries meeting, held in November, where the annual Cal-bred stakes calendar for 2003 was outlined and approved. It is the responsibility of the CTBA to report this schedule along with an analysis of compliance by each of the racing associations to the CHRB. Barr further stated that the format of this annual meeting continues to be an excellent forum for the mutual exchange of ideas regarding restricted Cal-bred racing in California. Leigh Ann Howard noted that daily racing programs were now available at 4:30 a.m. each morning in the San Luis Rey Downs kitchen.

Cal Cup Report: Table sales were a record high. The theme, Tribute to California Breeders, seemed to set the right tone. The centerpieces, with jockeys in each breeder s colors, were a big hit. We received very good feedback on the banners representing breeders of past Cal Cup winners. The food was great! So was the media coverage, especially from TVG. On the other hand, overall track attendance was down by 10,000, perhaps because there was no marquis horse to attract attention. Interstate handle was at an all time high, but there is concern that Internet betting does appear to be cannibalizing on and off track wagering to some extent. Cal Cup sponsors were happy. It was brought to our attention that the shirt sizes were a bit small, and that next year we should order some larger ones.

Legislative Report: We are looking into hiring a student intern to tabulate how all legislators have voted on bills of interest to the industry. The results of this study should assist the CTBA in supporting our legislative friends and working to persuade others.

Magazine: The California Thoroughbred continues to improve. Because we are now able to handle color separations cost effectively in house, we can include more color pages in the magazine. The magazine is working with half the staff it had a few years ago. Old issues of magazines are now being distributed at selected feed and tack stores. We are considering including a booklet of sales information and deadlines as an insert.

Website/Electronic Report: Eric Anderson and Ken Gurnick provided detailed information on accesses to the CTBA website. On November 4, the day after the Cal Cup, there were 10,790 accesses to the site, the single largest single-day number to date. Overall, most of the accesses were on stallion information and foal photos. Advertising accesses ranged from 31 to 73 for the month of November, and it appears that new and different is better, so advertisers are encouraged to change the appearance of their ads frequently to encourage viewers to click.