Wednesday, March 24

Legislative Update:

The IHHA and the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen had an insightful meeting today (Wednesday) and the IHHA has decided not to endorse the current proposal being considered by the T-breds and Hawthorne at this time. Upon further review, some details were left unanswered/vague. As a result, negotiations are continuing.

In the mean time, it is important for everyone to know that beginning Friday, March 26, the Illinois General Assembly will begin a two and a half week Spring break. They will reconvene on Tuesday, April 13. The IHHA will use that time to further our discussions with all parties involved. We will also continue to educate legislators about the plight of our industry and the importance of getting a fair deal for horsemen. We encourage our members to do the same.

The IHHA completely supported HB4194 two years ago and still supports it today. As a reminder, this is the bill that Speaker Madigan’s office has told us to use as a model.

A few of the highlights are:
It provides a 15% AGR (adjusted gross revenue) to purses.
It provides an additional 2 1/4 % for breeder’s funds which goes for Springfield, DuQuoin and the County Fairs.
It eliminates recapture.
It evens the horrendous splits at the OTB’s.
It preserves live racing into the future.

Please check back on a regular basis for continued updates.