TOC Press Releases

TOC Industry Summit Draws Broad Interest

Arcadia, Calif. – The Baldwin Terrace room at Santa Anita was filled to capacity Saturday morning for the first-ever Owner-Trainer Industry Summit hosted by the Thoroughbred Owners of California. Nearly 150 people listened to industry representatives and expressed their concerns about some of the most pressing issues facing California horseracing.

First up was a panel on California’s satellite wagering system, which included Tom Varela of SCOTWINC, George Haines of Santa Anita, Craig Fravel of Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Robert Hartman of Golden Gate Fields and Chris Korby of CARF. Discussion focused on possible long-term solutions for the aging satellite network. Established nearly 25 years ago, the system includes 32 wagering sites throughout California, predominantly at fairs. It has been losing money in recent years due to a combination of factors including migration of handle from brick and mortar locations to Internet wagering, high fixed costs, and outdated facilities. Proposed solutions include opening up-to-date “mini-satellites” in locations such as sports bars, card clubs and Indian casinos, as well as reducing the 20-mile radius restriction for placement of new mini-satellites in relation to existing California wagering facilities.

The second panel included John Harris of the CHRB, Tom Robbins of Del Mar and Trainer John Sadler, who discussed California’s year-round racing calendar and what it might look like in the future. Possible scenarios discussed included reductions in race days and longer breaks between race meets. In response to a question from the audience, Harris explained the process of race date allocation and the importance of consensus among all industry partners – including the owners, trainers, racetracks and labor.

The closing panel on track surfaces included Drs. Lucy Anthenill and Francisco Uzol of the UC Davis Laboratory, Dr. Rick Arthur of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and CHRB, trainers John Shirreffs and John Sadler, Fravel, and professional handicapper Toby Turrell. Drs. Anthenill and Uzol presented statistics on findings from their necropsy program on racehorse fatalities from 2005 through 2009 on dirt, synthetic and turf tracks. Additional data was presented by Dr. Arthur on catastrophic injuries both in racing and in training. Fravel presented statistics reflecting Del Mar’s experience in relation to horse injuries, field sizes, and various runner statistics before and after the installation of Polytrack. Shirreffs and Sadler detailed some of their experiences on synthetic surfaces, explaining the reasons they favor a return to traditional dirt tracks, while Turrell spoke about some of the mis-perceptions about handicapping synthetic versus dirt track races. Several members of the audience expressed their opinions about track surfaces, including trainer Darrell Vienna and owner Jerry Moss – both in favor of a return to traditional dirt tracks. What some feared might become a shouting match between the two camps turned out to be a civil and useful dialogue, with panelists and audience members alike expressing a desire to work together to find a solution to California’s track surface issue.

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