Columbus, OH — Saturday’s (March 8) second day of the U.S. Trotting Association’s Board of Directors annual meeting got off to an early start at 8 a.m. with the Marketing/Communications Committee meeting.
USTA Executive Vice President and CEO Mike Tanner led discussions about USTA website protocols and policies as well as Hoof Beats magazine. He also provided the committee with social media analytics for 2024.
Tanner presented the committee with more than a dozen scenarios of stories submitted for posting on the ustrotting.com newsroom and asked for input on whether the committee would have accepted or rejected the stories. He also explained that current Hoof Beats monthly issues have fewer pages than past editions largely due to the contraction of print media in general and the decrease in quality writers to contribute to the magazine. In general, the committee expressed support for Hoof Beats and the monthly schedule.
Tanner concluded by sharing information and analytics on the USTA’s seven social media platforms that include Facebook, X, and Instagram on both USTrotting and HarnessRacing.com as well as USTrotting TikTok. Highlights included more than 31 million Impressions and 7.2 million video views.
The Board of Directors opening session followed at 10 a.m. Two new directors were welcomed to the Board. Marilyn Breuer-Bertera introduced Senior Vice President of Racing for Caesars Entertainment Joe Morris (District 2). Stacy Chiodo (District 12), a New Jersey horsewoman who races primarily at The Meadowlands and was the first female driver to break the 1:50 barrier, was presented by Jeff Gregory.
Next on the agenda was a presentation by USTA President Russell Williams who discussed some of the major challenges to the harness racing industry, how the USTA has addressed those and the best ways “to advance and promote the industry.”
Williams identified animal rights organizations and activists, state racing commissions, medications and prohibited drugs, and decoupling as some of the major challenges currently facing harness racing.
“Think about the great horses,” said Williams in encouraging the directors to take action. “They find a way to win the races. That’s what this board has to do.”
He explained how the USTA has successfully addressed other issues in the past few years. The organization created Support Our Standardbreds, a program that provides financial assistance for horses that have been abandoned or subject to removal by legal intervention, and was instrumental in the creation and funding of the Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA).
The USTA has opposed and lobbied against the federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which currently regulates most of Thoroughbred racing and has proposed the alternative Racehorse Health and Safety Act. The Harness Racing Medication Collaborative (HRMC) that includes esteemed veterinarians has done extensive research and provided scientific based, peer reviewed recommendation for therapeutic medication thresholds specific to Standardbreds and harness racing.
Williams also noted the formation of the Standardbred Racing Investigative Fund with their investigations and coordination with law enforcement as well as track and safety committees, originally formed by John Campbell, that will present recommended model rules to the USTA Board at its 2026 meeting.
Tanner gave his annual report, then Financial Officer Dennis Fisher, who with his pending retirement in January 2026, made his final financial report to the Board.
Tanner cited the threat of a recent New York Times story that encouraged national decoupling and part of his anti-HISA efforts in a presentation at the RTIP in Arizona. He encouraged horsemen’s associations to have better relationships with their state and local political representatives and stated that it was important for the Board to come out of the meetings with initiatives on integrity, budget, philosophy, and member relations.
Industry updates were given by Chairperson Joe Faraldo on the HRMC and by Don Marean on the STA.
Faraldo cited the impressive group of veterinarians on the HRMC and their work on recommendations for thresholds for a number of therapeutic medications that differ from the Thoroughbred levels.
He was encouraged by new testing equipment that could identify “performance enhancing drugs that we don’t have tests for,” and also referenced The New York Times story as a “hit piece,” and wake-up call expressing concern that “we’re not getting our message to the public, who are not getting the message to legislators.”
Finally, Faraldo announced that the SOA of NY has struck a deal with the New York Racing Association to provide revenues with the implementation of fixed odds wagering in the state.
STA President Marean emphasized that everyone in the room had one thing in common, the horse, and that the industry has an obligation to care for them.
“We recognize the need to provide funding for our horses that fell between the cracks,” said Marean.
He stated that in its six-year history, the STA has accredited six aftercare organizations with 13 facilities nationwide and has donated $725,000 in support to those organizations.
At the annual recognition luncheon, Williams presented Presidents Awards to USTA Vice Chairman and Hanover Shoe Farms VP Mark Loewe and USTA Director of Information Technology Sherry Antion-Mohr and a 20-Year Service Award to Driver-Trainer Committee chairperson Jeff Gregory.
The Racing Committee was the only one to meet Saturday afternoon.
In the Regulatory Committee update, Faraldo gave a report on the USTA Sulky Standards Committee, which acted and revoked approval of a race bike that failed after initial approval meeting testing standards. USTA COO TC Lane informed the Board that a full 60-hour accreditation course for racing officials will be held June 23-30 at Eldorado Scioto Downs in conjunction with the ROAP.
In the Fairs Committee update, USTA Membership Enrichment & Outreach Coordinator Jessica Schroeder reported that the USTA Matching Funds Program has assisted over 150 fairs and county horsemen’s associations since 2006.
In the Pari-Mutuel Committee update, Loewe discussed the implementation of Graded Stakes, which is now available in USTA pedigrees for races in the U.S. and Canada.
In the Driver-Trainer Committee update, Mike and Gail McNeely of VanGundy Insurance Agency gave an in-depth overview of the disability income program with accidental death and dismemberment as well as equine liability and mortality written by VanGundy, underwritten by Chubb Insurance and noted that there are no rate changes for 2025.
The second of the two HarnessRacing.com Annual Meeting Preview Shows was broadcast at 3 p.m. featuring live interviews with STA Administrator Jennifer Daniels and USTA Assistant Registrar Aimee Hock and interviews recorded Friday (March 7) with Standardbred Racing Investigative Fund counsel Carson Morris and USTA President Williams.
The Saturday agenda concluded with a full board, closed session of the USTA Investigative Subcommittee.