National Thoroughbred Racing Association

"One of the most urgent issues facing our industry is that of improved electronic security for the pari-mutuel wagering system." This simple declaration was part of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA)'s five-year strategic plan covering 2006 through 2010, and published in 2005. Approaching two decades later, there has been little progress on the topic, and recent wagering incidents in the summer of 2022 highlight the long-term failure to address these problems. If you think the stewards are always in charge of stopping wagering when the race begins, think again....

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) has officially opened an office in Washington, D.C. NTRA president and CEO Tom Rooney, a former Congressman, has indicated the office will be fully staffed and open for visitors. "I've been hired and tasked to go to Washington and be the voice of the Thoroughbred racing industry to our nation's policy makers," said Rooney. "Having spent a decade in Congress, I know how Washington works. The biggest part of that is by showing up and being in person. By opening this office, we'll be...

Keeneland CEO and president Shannon Arvin has been elected chair of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). The organization held it fourth quarter board meeting for its 2022 fiscal year Thursday, the first under the NTRA's new president and CEO, Tom Rooney. Arvin, a Lexington native and the third generation of her family to be Keeneland management, is the first female chair in the 23-year history of the NTRA. In other NTRA business at the meeting, the board approved the 2023 fiscal year budget, which runs from Apr. 1, 2022...

Edited Press Release The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today approved the rules and accreditation standards that comprise the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) Racetrack Safety Program, a major milestone in HISA's mission to protect the wellbeing of equine and human athletes along with the integrity of the sport. With FTC approval, HISA will now move forward with robust industry education efforts ahead of the program's July 1, 2022 implementation date. "The Racetrack Safety Program's multi-faceted approach will enable veterinarians, horsemen and all racing participants to optimize the safety of...

Time is barreling onwards towards July 1, when the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) is scheduled to go into effect, and the pulse of the industry appears to be one of growing trepidation over what promises to be a sweeping reorder of its working mechanics. That is hardly surprising, given the program still lacks a central enforcement agency, thanks to stalled talks towards the end of last year with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). What's more, in Lisa Lazarus, the board of directors has only just formally instated...

Jonathon Kinchen, winner of the 2015 NHC Tour (National Horseplayers Championship) and widely recognized from duties at NYRA and FOX television, has been suspended from the NHC and NHC Tour for a period of two years, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced Tuesday. Kinchen was disqualified from the NHC after it was learned that he was not in Las Vegas in person for the competition, as required by rule. "Maintaining the integrity of the NHC is of the utmost importance," said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. "We look...

According to figures released Wednesday by Equibase, $12,218,407,637 was wagered on horse racing in the U.S. in 2021. The figure marks the first time betting has topped $12 billion since 2009 when $12.315 billion was bet. "Against an extraordinarily difficult backdrop, the resiliency of Thoroughbred racing was on full display in 2021, as we concluded the year with significant growth in purses and total handle of more than $12 billion, the highest since 2009," NTRA President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Rooney said in a statement. "We thank our customers...

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Labor (DOL) will publish a joint temporary final rule to make available an additional 20,000 H-2B visas for the first half of fiscal year 2022 that ends Mar. 31, 2022, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced in a Monday press release. "Tremendously high demand for H-2B visas has led to this unprecedented move by the DHS and DOL," said NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop. "Competition for these visas has been fierce for many years, but is particularly so in...

Alex Waldrop, who will retire at year's end as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), was honored with the 2021 Clay Puett Award for outstanding contributions to the racing industry during last week's University of Arizona Global Symposium on Racing. The award was established in 1994 and is named after Clay Puett, an Arizona resident whose innovations, including the development of the mechanical starting gate, helped to revolutionize racing around the world. Under Waldrop's leadership, the NTRA has focused its lobbying on legislation having...

Thomas J. (Tom) Rooney, a former U.S. Congressman, has been named to succeed Alex Waldrop as the president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). As has been previously announced, Waldrop will retire at the end of this year. Rooney is an owner and breeder and has been part of his family's Shamrock Farm, a Thoroughbred breeding and lay-up operation in Maryland. The farm was founded by his grandfather, Art Rooney, Sr. He has also served on the board of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association for the past...

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Eclipse Awards, the NTRA is holding a promotion in which fans will be asked to chose the top 10 horses and the top jockey and trainer during the five-decade era. Click here to play. Here are this writer's picks. It wasn't easy. Horses: Secretariat: Champion 2-Year-Old Male (1972); Champion 3-Year-Old Male (1973); Champion Male Turf Horse (1973); Horse of the Year (1972, 1973). Could be the best horse who ever lived. What more needs to be said?   Seattle Slew: Champion 2-Year-Old Male...

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association has launched the NTRA Eclipse 50 Contest to provide fans the opportunity to vote for their top 10 favorite Eclipse Awards champions, as well as their favorite champion jockey and trainer from the last 50 years. Voting is currently underway at www.ntra.com and will conclude Jan. 25. One contest participant will be selected to win a trip for two to Lexington to spend a day at the races at Keeneland Race Course, tour the Four Roses Bourbon Distillery and visit historic Spendthrift Farm. The complete...