From CHRB
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 18, 2021) — The California Horse Racing Board conducted a meeting by teleconference on Wednesday, February 17. The public participated by dialing into the teleconference and/or listening through the audio webcast link on the CHRB website. Chairman Gregory Ferraro chaired the meeting, joined by Commissioners Dennis Alfieri, Damascus Castellanos, Brenda Washington Davis, Wendy Mitchell, and Alex Solis.
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 approved an agreement between the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), the Los Angeles Turf Club (Santa Anita), and Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (Del Mar) under which those parties will redirect some of their own revenue from Advance Deposit Wagering into a marketing program to fund player rebates, stakes recruitment, and Ship & Win incentives, among other things. This program replicates the functions of the defunct California Marketing Committee.
- The Board began the regulatory process to update the CHRB classification of drug substances to align with Association of Racing Commissions International (ARCI) Uniform Classification Guidelines. The Horse Racing Safety and Integrity Act body is expected to adhere closely to ARCI guidelines as they promulgate their federal regulations.
- Executive Director Scott Chaney described improvements to the CHRB website, including Racing Reforms Recommendations and the posting of Test Sample Positives in advance of the filing of complaints, pursuant to SB 800.
- The Board authorized the distribution of $9,157 in statutorily mandated race day charity proceeds by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC) to nine beneficiaries. This amount was substantially less than the previous year’s distribution because pandemic restrictions limited the on-track handle on which the program is based. DMTC voluntarily donated $105,058 to bring the total distribution to $114,215.
- Public comments made during the meeting can be accessed through the meeting audio archive on the CHRB website.