by Marty Evans, for the Ohio State Racing Commission

Columbus, OH –– At the monthly meeting of the Ohio State Racing Commission Thursday (Dec. 18), the 2015 breed development programs for thoroughbreds and harness horses were approved.

The commission endorsed the proposed Ohio Thoroughbred Race Fund (OTRF) budget–$5.4 million, almost double this year’s amount.

The stakes program will include five Best of Ohio Stakes worth $150,000 and 36 others worth half as much. Those $75,000 stakes next year have each increased $25,000.

Breeders’ awards for broodmare and stallion owners will more than double to $1.39 million and $265,000 respectively.

The amounts expected to fund overnight purses for Ohio-breds and supplements to other races will jump from $1.02 million in 2014 to $2.32 million.

The increases in OTRF expenditures have been fueled by tax proceeds from casinos, estimated at $1.56 million in 2015, and contributions by the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) of an estimated $1.8 million from Video Lottery Terminal revenue accruing for horsemen at three thoroughbred racetracks in 2015. The HBPA will also provide the fund $1.7 million in January that previously accrued from VLT revenue paid to horsemen.

The 2015 Ohio Sires Stakes Program, overseen by the Ohio Standardbred Development Fund Committee, was also approved by the commission.

Sires Stakes purses can be expected to exceed $5 million for the first time, a result of the higher number of horses expected to compete and $25,000 purse increases in eight championship races for 2&3-year-olds. Each championship purse is $225,000 next year.

Scioto Downs will host those races on Saturday, Sept. 12. Also, four $50,000 championships for horses’ 4-year-old and up are scheduled at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway on Oct. 23-24.

The racing commission approval of expenditures by the state’s breed funds for 2015 also includes $100,000 from each that will be contributed to the School of Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University, specifically for equine research.

The commission also selected Northfield Park as the Ohio’s racing industry’s settlement agent for 2015. Among other things, the settlement agent collects fees from the state’s seven commercial racetracks and disburses the appropriate amounts to racetracks offering the races that are wagered upon in Ohio.

The commission will meet next at the Riffe Center in Columbus on Jan. 21. The meeting will be held on the 31st floor and begin at 10:00 am. Chairman Robert Schmitz said the commission would address medication rules and whipping rules next year and the rule change process could begin by the January meeting.