From CHRB
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Mar. 23, 2014) – The California Horse Racing Board conducted its regular meeting Friday, March 21, 2014, at Cal Expo. Chairman Chuck Winner presided. 1st Vice Chair Bo Derek, 2nd Vice Chair Richard Rosenberg, and Commissioners Madeline Auerbach, Steve Beneto, Jesse Choper, and George Krikorian were in attendance.
The audio of this entire Board meeting is available on the CHRB Website (www.chrb.ca.gov) under the Webcast link. In brief:
· The Board finalized the Northern California racing calendar for 2015 by allocating racing dates for the latter half of the year to Golden Gate Fields and the northern fairs. The Board earlier approved the racing calendar for the first half of 2015 by allocating dates for the current meet at Golden Gate Fields through June 15.
The racing season will continue with dates allocated to the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton (June 17 through July 6) followed by the State Fair at Cal Expo (July 9 through July 26), the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa (July 30 through August 16), the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale (August 19 through August 30) and somewhat concurrently at Golden Gate Fields (August 21through September 13), the San Joaquin County Fair in Stockton (September 18 through September 27), the Big Fresno Fair in Fresno (October 1 through October 12), and finally at Golden Gate (October 15 through December 20). The various locations will designate their precise racing dates within these block allocations when each submits its license application three months before the start of its meet.
· The Board approved for 45-day public notice a proposed regulatory amendment to require that authorized bleeder medication be administered by independent, third-party veterinarians along with a requirement for a prescription for furosemide (Lasix).
· Commissioner Auerbach reported that the newly designed stakes schedules in Southern California following the closure of Hollywood Park will include all stakes races historically run in Southern California.
· The Board agreed to write a letter to California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones urging him to find a resolution to a newly raised problem with underwriting for catastrophic injury insurance for California jockeys. This policy is in addition to workers’ compensation insurance that continues to cover all jockeys and fully pays for all medical expenses relating to a work-related accident.
· The Board voted to support Senate Concurrent Resolution 95, which would designate the race track at Cal Expo as the Kirk Breed Memorial Race Track, honoring the late Kirk Breed, who served as general manager of Cal Expo and also on its Board of Directors before being named CHRB executive director.
· The Department of Finance reported on an ongoing operational audit of the CHRB, prompted by a reorganization of state government last year that placed the CHRB within the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.
· The Board approved for 45-day public notice a proposed regulator amendment to delete from the license application the requirement for synthetic surfaces and to require the past two years of stakes schedules, a listing of pari-mutuel takeout rates, and the names and working schedules of racing veterinarians.