National Thoroughbred Racing Association

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) has launched #LoveofTheHorse, a social media promotion in conjunction with the 53rd annual Eclipse Awards. The promotion encourages fans and enthusiasts to share photos of themselves that demonstrate their connection and love of the equine. Participants are encouraged to use the hashtags #LoveOfTheHorse and #EclipseAwards and tag NTRA on Facebook, X and Instagram. The NTRA will share many of the contributions and a few will be featured during the Eclipse Award ceremonies Thursday, Jan. 25 from The Breakers Palm Beach, hosted by Britney Eurton,...

The Thoroughbred Daily News was among six 2023 Media Eclipse Award winners Friday when the awards were announced by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters. The 2023 Media Eclipse Award winners are as follows: Multimedia - TDN Writers' Room Podcast - "Wade and Carson Jost," Sept. 20, 2023; Thoroughbred Daily News Gulf War veteran Wade Jost and his son, Carson, joined TDN Writers' Room podcast hosts Bill Finley, Randy Moss, and Zoe Cadman on Sept. 23 for an in-depth and emotional...

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) has announced the launch of a new campaign, "Safety Takes The Lead," highlighting the sport's recent enhanced safety and welfare protocols, as well as its commitment to do more. The campaign features a new comprehensive safety section on the NTRA website, which includes the latest news on safety and welfare programs, videos, and relevant links. "Nothing comes in front of our sport's commitment to equine and human safety," said Tom Rooney, NTRA president and CEO. "This campaign is designed to help make the public...

The NTRA reported new guidance out of the U.S. Department of Agriculture which will streamline the glanders testing protocol for importing horses into the United States, the organization said in a release Friday morning. USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service update, Veterinary Services Guidance 13407.3, introduces a new procedure effective Oct. 10 for glanders, which has been susceptible to produce false positives when horses were tested during their import quarantine. "One of the number one issues I've heard in this job is how cumbersome USDA testing protocols slow down...

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) has joined the certified public accounting and professional business advisory firm, Dean Dorton, in conducting a nationwide survey focused on Thoroughbred horse farm employee compensation. The survey includes questions related to average hourly and salary pay rates for various positions, bonuses, health insurance, housing, visa programs, internships, retirement plans, and more. All Thoroughbred farm owners are encouraged to complete this survey, which will allow comparison and sharing of state-specific results to those of the nationwide respondents. All information from specific respondents will remain completely...

1/ST Racing & Gaming is ready to shake up the Triple Crown. The company, which operates Pimlico Race Course, has confirmed to the TDN that it is giving strong consideration to moving the date of the GI Preakness S. so that it is run four weeks after the GI Kentucky Derby. "We have discussed it internally and believe it's in the best interests of horses and horse safety to move the race four weeks after the Kentucky Derby," said Aidan Butler, Chief Executive Officer of 1/ST Racing & Gaming. "This...

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced the disqualification of three unnamed players from the NHC and NHC Tour for a period of two years on Thursday. After hearing input from the horseplayer community and others in the industry, the NTRA revealed on Friday that the players who colluded are Jordan Jayne, James Pauly and Ryan Patrick Scully. "Protecting the integrity of the NTRA and the NHC tournament is among my highest priorities in this job," said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. "By not initially releasing the names of the...

The Eclipse Award ceremony will again be held at The Breakers Palm Beach next year. The 53rd annual event, hosted by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, will be held Jan. 25. "After a great success this past year, we are excited to bring the Eclipse Awards back to The Breakers Palm Beach," said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. "The enthusiasm for this event continues to build, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to Palm Beach at the...

Greg Means died suddenly two weeks ago at the age of 62. If his name doesn't ring a bell, it should. For over two decades working with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Greg and his firm the Alpine Group were our principal lobbyists in Washington. It was Greg's responsibility to promote and advocate for the economic health and well-being of our industry during very challenging times as competition from other forms of gaming grew and animal rights advocates questioned our relevance and very existence. He was a great advocate...

As the official charity partner for the 52nd annual Eclipse Awards, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) was commemorated throughout the awards celebration and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association concluded the evening by announcing a $10,000 donation to the TAA. "The work and mission of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is vital to the growth and success of our industry," said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. "NTRA is grateful for the care and due diligence provided by the TAA each and every day to support our retired racehorses and we encourage...

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association is seeking current students or recent graduates for its internship program in Washington, D.C. The NTRA's new Washington office is located on Capitol Hill under the operation of former U.S. Congressman Tom Rooney, the President and CEO of the NTRA. "With the new Congress in January and everything in Washington reopening after COVID, we are very eager to welcome interns into our D.C. office," Rooney said. "The dynamic work environment of Capitol Hill is great for young people, and we hope to bring students with...

by Tom Rooney The Thoroughbred breeding and racing world is descending on central Kentucky this week. The excitement is palpable, Lexington is abuzz, and anticipation is building each day as we get closer to this weekend's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland. And while this event will begin the wind down to the 2022 racing calendar, I am reflecting on my first year as President and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). While I've been a Thoroughbred enthusiast my entire life, this is the first year where I've...