Columbus, OH – The opening general session of the Board of Directors was the highlight of the second day of the U.S. Trotting Association’s annual meeting on Saturday (March 9).

The day kicked off with the Executive Committee at 8:30 a.m.

The General Opening Session, which commenced at 10 a.m., featured the introduction of five new directors – Cathy Webb (District 2), Salvatore DiMario (District 3), Cathy Dessert (District 4), Cara Collins (District 6), and Edison Hatter (District 8A).

Carson Morris gave an update on SRIF at the USTA Board of Directors annual meeting on Saturday. Mark Hall/USTA photo.

The first guest speaker on the agenda was Carson Morris, senior counsel for Saxton & Stump and a former Deputy Attorney General in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Appeals and Legal Services Section.

Morris reviewed his involvement with the Standardbred Investigative Fund. He discussed how SRIF can work with law enforcement and state racing commissions as necessary but explained how his investigations can differ with those conducted by the states.

“We’re not bound like state actors to account for all of the activities that are going on in their jurisdictions, we can select a few investigations and persist over time if needed to devote the necessary resources to investigate the misconduct in question,” said Morris. “Whereas, state actors struggle with resources, they struggle with time and attention, so the idea is that we can focus on things that those state actors cannot.”

Next, USTA Chairperson Joe Faraldo discussed rule change proposal (#27) to amend Article 11, Section 2 Election of Officers (a) and (b) of the association bylaws to change the term of office of chairperson of the board, vice-chairperson, secretary, and treasurer from one year to two years. The rule change passed unanimously. The term for USTA president will remain four years.

Faraldo conducted the elections of officers, who were all unopposed and accepted also by unanimous vote. The USTA officers elected were: Joe Faraldo (chairperson), Mark Loewe (vice-chairperson), Jim Miller (Treasurer), and Michele Kopiec (corporate secretary). President Russell Williams still has three years left on his term.

In his Executive Vice President’s report, Mike Tanner gave an update on the Equine Injury Database, progress made by the Graded Stakes Committee and on a new website that is being created to attract new fans to harness racing, and he lauded the robust USTA financial picture.

He applauded the USTA’s member services record of a 95% phone call answer rate and the efforts of some of the USTA employees in attendance who work mostly behind the scenes. They were: Michele Kopiec (USTA corporate secretary in charge of the annual meeting and racetrack and licensing manager), Anne Chunko (information and research manager), Aimee Hock (assistant registrar), Jessica Schroeder (membership enrichment and outreach coordinator), three members of the IT department technical support team – Shane Walker, Cory Siwiec and Megan Lunn – and Jane Gray (Treasury).

After Tanner, USTA Financial Officer Dennis Fisher presented the annual financial report.

Following that, Standardbred Transition Alliance Administrator Jennifer Daniels gave an update on that organization that has now been in existence for five years. She explained their mission to accredit, inspect and award grants to approved organizations that acquire, rehabilitate, train and re-home Standardbreds. She reviewed the five years that the STA has done accreditations, the increased level of grants in each of those years and announced that $250,000 in grants for 2024 have been approved by its board.

Daniels also named the five organizations the have been accredited by the STA for 2024 and that $100,000 in grants were recently awarded. Those organizations are: Future for Standardbreds (ME), Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary (OH), New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program (FL, KY, LA, NY, OH, PA), Purple Haze Standardbred Adoption Program (NY), and Sunshine Horses (NY).

Additional details can be found here.

The final speaker on the morning agenda was Inspire PR Group Founder and President Hinda Mitchell, who leads a highly respected and exceptional team of communications and marketing professionals serving clients in the region, U.S. and internationally. Mitchell and her team have worked with the USTA on several projects including our current promotional plan supporting the Racehorse Health and Safety Act legislation.

Mitchell made an extensive presentation on crisis communications with messaging for handling a crisis for USTA members and, specifically, for attacks on harness racing and the current efforts to promote RHSA.

With no further business the morning session concluded.

The directors then attended the annual Recognition Lunch where Florida State Representative Dan Daley and Caesars Entertainment Senior Vice President Joe Morris received President’s Awards from Russell Williams.

The afternoon session consisted of two committee meetings, Racing at 2 p.m. and Registration at 4 p.m.

In a very long afternoon of meetings, a myriad of issues were discussed and decided.

In the racing committee, the following proposed rules were discussed and voted upon during the session:
• Proposal #1 – Accepted, to be implemented January 1, 2025
• Proposal #2 -Rejected
• Proposal #3 –Accepted as amended to amend first sentence to “…it shall be the responsibility of the track member to have one state certified paramedic and one emergency medical technician, or the equivalent…” and to amend the second sentence to “…and staffed with one paramedic or state certified emergency technician…”
• Proposal #4 – Accepted as amended to remove the last sentence “Every non-extended pari-mutuel track member shall be equipped at a minimum with a red beacon-style warning light and siren for the use in the event of an accident.”
• Proposal #5 – Rejected
• Proposal #6 – Accepted as amended to remove “with black tape.”
• Proposal # 7 – Accepted
• Proposal #8 – Rejected
• Proposal #9 – Accepted as amended to add “At all extended pari-mutuel tracks…”
• Proposal #10 – Rejected
• Proposal #11 – Tabled
• Proposal #12 – Rejected
• Proposal #13 –Rejected
• Proposal #14 –Accepted
• Proposal #15 –Rejected
• Proposal #16 –Rejected
• Proposal #17 – Rejected
• Proposal #18 – Rejected
• Proposal #19 –Accepted
• Proposal #20 – Rejected
• Proposal #21 – Rejected
• Proposal #22 – Accepted
• Proposal #23 – Accepted as amended to remove “and/or is a carrier of.”
• Proposal #24 – Rejected
• Proposal #26 – Rejected
• Proposal #28 – Accepted
• Proposal #30 – Accepted

In that racing committee, scheduled to two hours that went about an hour long, there were many things to discuss and decide.

USTA COO TC Lane provided an update on the USTA Officials Scholarship Program.

Wendy Ross gave a recap of the outriding clinic that was held Aug. 31-Sept. 2, 2023 at Eldorado Scioto Downs and Winner Circle Training Center. The clinic was attended by seven individuals, several of which have found work outriding since.

Director Steve McCoy discussed Coggins testing to question whether a Coggins test should be a requirement for Standardbred racehorses.

Sam Beegle spoke on worker’s compensation and questioned how jurisdictions handle it for grooms and warm-up drivers who are not listed on a trainer’s stable roster.

Jessica Schroeder provided an update on the USTA Matching Funds Program.

TC Lane gave an update on the difficulty of acquiring starting gate insurance.

By way of video, Michael Carter provided an update on the Strategic Wagering program.

Mark Loewe discussed Grand Circuit Events and the Graded Stakes committee. Graded Stakes will roll out in 2025 and be included in pedigrees starting in 2026. Races in U.S and Canada will be graded.

By way of video, Mike and Gail McNeely of VanGundy Insurance Agency, gave an in-depth overview of the disability income program with accidental death and dismemberment.

Michele Kopiec gave a presentation on sulky testing standards.

Steve Oldford provided a recap of the 2023 amateur driving club activity averaging 500 races per year and climbing. 2024 World Amateur Cup being held in Finland and John Calabrese will represent the U.S.

In the final committee of the day, Registration, TC Lane led discussions on a long list of considerations.

TC Lane discussed the trends for membership, list of mares bred, horse identification, online products and services as well as outreach. He also gave updates on UC Davis genomic and foal abnormalities.

Assistant registrar Aimee Hock explained the importance of the list of mares bred.

Lane presented the issue of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). Dr. Andy Roberts gave more detail on the procedure and Cathy Webb described her experience with ICSI and requested that, like stallions, mare owners have the same option to use a frozen embryo in the year after she passes or is spayed.

Lane discussed how foals outside the U.S. from frozen semen result in some stallions that produce more than 140 foals. Registration Committee recommended a separate category for foreign registered foals.

In the 2023 statistical review, Lane noted there is a reasonable concern that we are experiencing an inflated number of mares being recorded that may not result in a racing performer. The question is whether this committee would like the USTA staff to begin segregating commercial racing stallions. The committee indicated that they would look into the matter more closely.

The Registration Committee met in executive session to conclude the meeting. The action taken by the committee will be provided to the petitioners in the coming week.

The annual meeting concludes on Sunday (March 10).