Thoroughbred Racing Initiative

What’s at stake with Florida’s decoupling bills: $3.24B industry, 33.5K jobs, 87K Thoroughbreds thoroughbredracinginitiative…

Illustrating the Thoroughbred industry's regional interdependencies, the world comes to Lexington for the famed @keeneland Sept yearling sale, w vast majority of those sold ending up in FL for their pre-training and/or to be sold at @OBSSales before spreading across North America to race. It's a perfect time to honor @TOBAhorses state breeders of 2025, and our senior advisor @damon_thayer served as the awards luncheon emcee at @coolmoreamerica. 📸Mahan Multimedia.

Through the vision of our founders and board, TRI has formed a broad-based Florida and national coalition w singular goal of protecting live horse racing & working to create environments where our labor-intensive industry & the larger agribusiness not only survive but thrive. Our board members are in leadership positions throughout the industry, starting with @OcalaStud's David O'Farrell (photo), chairman of @TOBAhorses. So we are thrilled at the recognition our board members received at Thursday night's TOBA awards dinner honoring the best of 2025. Board member @AronWellman7's @EclipseTBP earned Partnership of the Year for a huge season that included campaigning Journalism. TRI VP @JonGreen2022's @DJ_Stable was a finalist for Owner of the Year (the winner being mighty @Godolphin), for a year that included racing champion Nitrogen, trained by TRI board member @markecasse. #defeatdecoupling #SkinInTheGame 📸 Mahan Multimedia @BloodHorse story: tinyurl.com/mt2h5nzm

New on @Rail_Talk: Hear our senior advisor @Damon_Thayer w TRI VP and #RailTalk co-host @JonGreen2022 & @JoeBiancaWPT providing update on where things stand in battling #decoupling & working to preserve live racing in South Florida or finding an alternative that allows FL racing & breeding to not only survive but thrive. Says Thayer: “Changing legislation is very difficult. It’s really hard a thing to do & it takes a united front. And TRI has mostly a united front. We have the @GulfstreamPark horsemen’s group, the Tampa horsemen’s group. We have leading trainers, owners & breeders, stud farms, the van companies, veterinary clinics, @OBSSales Not to mention the people from outside FL who understand the critical importance that FL plays in the North American horse racing, breeding and training ecosystem…” Tune in 👉 tinyurl.com/mcuymjk8

Great news! Judge throws out @GulfstreamPark's lawsuit v gaming commission, preserving requirement track maintain live racing to have slots operation. @BloodHorse's @DowneyProfile has details. @damon_thayer @JonGreen2022 @markecasse @EisamanEquine @OcalaStud @AronWellman7 @FloridaHorsemen @NationalHBPA @OBSSales @TOBAhorses bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/…

Kentucky racing wouldn’t be where it is today if not for foresight of KY legislature. W our senior advisor @Damon_Thayer, we were proud to team w #ChurchillDowns to host a bipartisan group of key lawmakers from other racing states: FL Sen @JasonBrodeur, who was so critical in blocking decoupling legislation that would have devastated FL Tbred industry; Maryland Minority Leader @SenatorHershey; Ohio Sen. Bill DeMora; and @JulieEmerson, chief of staff for @LaGovJeffLandry. Horse racing depends on strong national ecosystem & we welcome interaction among policy-makers who can influence our labor-intensive agribusiness.

#WayBackWednesday Continued thanks to our friends in @FLSenate who appreciate the Thoroughbred industry's huge agribusiness and ecosystem, again turning back crippling decoupling legislation. @FloridaHorsemen @damon_thayer @JonGreen2022 @markecasse @OBSSales @NationalHBPA @EisamanEquine @rail_talk floridapolitics.com/archives…

.@Casino_org writes about decoupling's death in @FLSenate. Quotes @Damon_Thayer: “We are appreciative of the lawmakers who understand the $3.2 billion annual economic impact and 33,500 jobs at stake in Florida’s horse racing, breeding, and training agribusiness.” @FloridaHorsemen @JonGreen2022 @markecasse @OBSSales @OcalaStud @EisamanEquine @NationalHBPA casino.org/news/gulfstream-p…

What happens in Florida doesn't stay in FL. We are proud of our coalition working together to protect live horse racing in Florida. Killing decoupling bill in legislature just first step. Now we pivot to creating plan to let FL racing, breeding, training thrive in decades to come. We're all better working together. 📸@CoglianesePhoto @damon_thayer @JonGreen2022 @OBSSales @markecasse @EisamanEquine @FloridaHorsemen @nationalhbpa @rail_talk

Sr advisor @damon_thayer's statement below on behalf of TRI after #decoupling dies in @FLSenate as legislature adjourns #GoodDay #MuchMoreToDo "We are proud that, for the second year in a row, decoupling legislation before the Florida Legislature has been defeated by our industry-wide coalition representing owners, trainers, breeders, veterinarians, sales companies and the many small businesses that create the thoroughbred industry’s massive ecosystem. We are appreciative of the lawmakers who understand the $3.2 billion annual economic impact and 33,500 jobs at stake in Florida’s horse racing, breeding and training agribusiness. "But our work is far from done. Now TRI and our coalition partners will pivot toward creating a path forward for a stronger Florida thoroughbred industry that provides long-term stability and prosperity. Let’s be clear: We want Gulfstream Park to be part of that future, but we’re also planning alternatives. This legislative offseason, we’ll be tirelessly working with our friends in the Legislature on statutes, where necessary, that will ensure the Sunshine State’s signature thoroughbred industry not just survives but thrives for decades to come." @JonGreen2022 @markecasse @EisamanEquine @AronWellman7 @OBSSales @OcalaStud @rail_talk @NationalHBPA @tharacing @KyTbred @KyHBPA @Steve_Byk @CBredar @thepressboxlts