KEntucky HBPA

Dale Romans has been elected as the new president of the Kentucky HBPA, following the long tenure of fellow trainer Rick Hiles. Romans was voted president by the newly seated Kentucky HBPA board. The longest continuously serving board member, Romans has been on the HBPA board for most of his training career that began in 1986, with much of that as a vice president. Trainers' representative John Hancock and owners' representative Travis Foley are the new vice presidents, taking over for Romans and the late Frank Jones Jr. New Kentucky...

The Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association (HBPA) has hired lifelong horseman Alex Foley as its new executive director, the organization announced Tuesday. The 32-year-old Foley takes over for Marty Maline, who held the position for almost 47 years until his retirement at the end of 2022. Foley is the younger son of veteran trainer Greg Foley and the grandson of the late owner-trainer-breeder Dravo Foley. He graduated from Bellarmine University with a degree in business management and from the University of Louisville's Brandeis School of Law with his Juris...

The Jockeys' Guild has reached an agreement with the Kentucky HBPA and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association on a mount fee increase effective Nov. 29, which is opening day of the Turfway Park Holiday meet, the organization said in a release Wednesday. The mount fee schedule calls for a minimum fee of $125 at all Kentucky racetracks, including Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Ellis Park, Kentucky Downs and Turfway Park. This agreement also provides for $500 minimum fee in races with purses of $1 million or more. "On behalf of our members who...

Frank L. Jones, Jr., a prominent owner, breeder, and servant to the horse industry through decades of work on the boards of several Thoroughbred organizations, passed away Thursday, Aug. 10 after a long illness. The Louisville businessman was 87. In addition to other roles, Jones spent more than 30 years as the owners' vice president of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA), where he was instrumental in negotiating contracts for owners and trainers with racetracks. He was also chair of the Kentucky HBPA's finance committee and a legislative...

After 47 years serving as executive director of the Kentucky HBPA, Marty Maline will retire effective Dec. 31. Joe Clabes, who has overseen the Kentucky HBPA's government affairs and advocacy, has been named interim executive director and will work alongside Maline through December during the transition. "I think more than anything, maybe it's time to turn it over to a younger person with a lot of enthusiasm and they can all improve the organization," said Maline. "We're in good shape. We've got this great office here. There's a whole different...

The Kentucky HBPA is donating $25,000 to the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund set up by Governor Andy Beshear's office. The fund is assisting those impacted by the devastating tornadoes that ripped through eight southwestern Kentucky counties Dec. 11-12, killing at least 77 people and demolishing entire towns. "Our mission since inception has been helping those in need," said Rick Hiles, President of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association. "Our motto is 'horsemen helping horsemen,' but we're also Kentuckians helping Kentuckians. It's just hard to fathom the extent...

A trio of thirty-something trainers has been elected as newcomers to the Kentucky HBPA board with the addition of Jason Barkley, Norm Casse and Bentley Combs. Rick Hiles was re-elected as Kentucky HBPA president, with Frank Jones re-elected as the owner vice president and Dale Romans as the trainer vice president. Also re-elected to the board were owners Mark Bacon, Buff Bradley (who switches over from the trainer side), Mike Bruder and Travis Foley and trainer John Hancock. Trainer R.C. Sturgeon and owner James Williams will serve as alternates. Hiles,...

Owner James 'Mattress Mack' McIngvale, who earlier this week announced that he would be making a bet in excess of $2-million as a hedge against a promotion in which customers of his Gallery Furniture chain will be refunded in the event that favored Essential Quality (Tapit) prevails, has confirmed that the bet will be placed on site at Churchill Downs in order to maximize the money that goes to purses. McIngvale has bet through casinos on similar promotions on the World Series and Super Bowl, where he is able to...

Average daily purses are expected to top $350,000 at this summer's Ellis Park meeting, highest in the track's 99-year history, according to racing secretary Dan Bork. Bork said purses for maiden races will likely top the record $50,000 achieved in 2019 before the pandemic forced cutbacks last year in the wake of a three-month shutdown. Those numbers include Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund supplements. Ellis Park released its 2021 stakes schedule Sunday. The schedule features 14 stakes races and the Henderson track has expanded its Kentucky Downs Preview Day to an...

The Kentucky Legislature's Interim Joint Committee on Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations met Tuesday and took measures that allowed regulations that ban the use of Lasix in 2-year-old races this year and also in graded stakes next year to go into effect. The committee did not hold a vote, a procedure that produced the same results as if had voted to approve the regulations. Tuesday's hearing was the latest in what has been a contentious battle between pro and anti-Lasix forces in Kentucky, a fight that may now be over...

Though he won one of two races for 2-year-olds held last week at Churchill Downs, trainer John Hancock had hoped to do better. A day after the filly Hopeful Princess (Not This Time) broke her maiden, stablemate Cuz (Ironicus) finished seventh in a maiden race for juvenile colts. Hancock said he believes the reason Cuz didn't fare better was because he was, under new rules in place at Churchill, not allowed to run on Lasix. "[Cuz] is an exceptionably nice colt," Hancock said. "We scoped him and he showed signs...

The Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (KHBPA) filed a lawsuit in Franklin County Circuit Court May 15 to stop the planned Lasix phase-out in the state. Natalie Voss of the Paulick Report first reported the news on Thursday. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, Keeneland Association, and Churchill Downs, Inc., are the defendants. "The KHBPA and its members will be harmed if Keeneland's and Churchill's illegal acts are allowed to go forward, as it will impact the conduct of races that horses owned and trained by its members may participate...