by Marty Evans, for the Ohio State Racing Commission

Columbus, OH — At its monthly meeting on Jan. 21, the Ohio State Racing Commission adopted Resolution 2015-1. The resolution contains the names of recipients and the amount each will receive from taxes ($1,915,147) on gross casino revenue forwarded to the commission on Jan. 15.

Two breed development funds (Standardbred and Thoroughbred) will each get $363,878.

A total of $249,081 will go to Thoroughbred purse pools at three racetracks. Purse pools at four harness racetracks — led by the $330,036 going to purses at Northfield Park — will receive $919,158 collectively.

Distributions to purse accounts were based upon the number of live racing days at each of the seven racetracks in 2013.

Four racetracks do not have an ownership stake in an Ohio casino. As such, each will receive $71,808. They are Miami Valley Gaming & Racing, Northfield Park, Belterra Park and Scioto Downs.

The commission will get $95,757. The money can be used only to support certain, pre-approved activities that benefit horsemen in the state.

Three requests to change live racing dates at three racetracks were approved.

Belterra Park will add live racing on Memorial Day (May 25) and Labor Day (Sept. 7) and drop scheduled live days on May 21 and Sept. 3; Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course will add a day on Friday (Feb. 13), making up the day lost to inclement weather on Jan. 7; and Miami Valley, forced to cancel on the same day, will now schedule live racing on Monday (Feb. 16).

The commission approved a pair of reports offered by a hearing officer and endorsed his recommendations.

Trainer Steven Ashby was fined $1,000 for a violation of medication rules. He must serve a 15-day license suspension and return purse money won ($1,500).

Trainer Fred Huff Jr. was not fined or suspended, but was ordered to return purse money won ($20,000) by Bell Flower in an Ohio Sires Stake race at Scioto Downs on July 18, 2014. The horse was removed from the test barn before being dismissed by the state veterinarian. Judges at Scioto Downs disqualified the horse in a ruling issued last September.

Chairman Robert K. Schmitz, in his comments, talked about the recent death of Dr. Donald Mossbarger, founder of the Midland Acres Standardbred breeding farm during the 1960s. He called Mossbarger a great and wonderful person. He was a pillar of the Standardbred community.

He also asked the commission staff to compile background information, including regulation, registration and fees elsewhere, on Advanced Deposit Wagering companies in other jurisdictions. The commission was brought up to date on simulcast signals being received by five Ohio member racetracks in the Mid-Atlantic Cooperative.

The next meeting of the commission on Feb. 25 will be held in Room South A on the 31st floor of the Riffe Center at 77 S. High St. in Columbus. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m.