from the Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund

Schenectady, NY — The following is a statement from Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund Trustee Mike Kimelman.

“As of today, I will be stepping down as a Trustee of the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund. It has been a privilege to help guide such a prestigious program as the New York Sire Stakes, however, I feel that I no longer have the amount of time to dedicate to this task to do the job the way I would like.

“From my time joining the Board until today, I have been proud to be part of initiating many improvements for the New York Sire Stakes, such as streamlining the racing schedule, greatly increasing the breeders incentive and doing our best to protect the integrity of the program. I leave with much confidence in the executive staff and I step away knowing that the program is in good hands.

“I would also like to thank New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball, New York Stake Gaming Commission Chairman Barry Sample, and fellow horseman Peter Arrigenna, for their thoughtful commitment to agriculture, breeding and racing in New York. It has been a privilege to serve with them on the Board, along with Ron Ochrym, Acting Executive Director of the Gaming Commission, whom we’ve worked with closely. Nothing we accomplished could have been done by one individual, but together we were able to help set the stage for a bright future for the program.”

Questions about the NYSS program can be directed to Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund Executive Director Kelly Young at Kelly.young@gaming.ny.gov or 518.388.0178.