Thoroughbred Owners of California

Long-time owner and breeder Mike Pegram will receive the Chairman's Award Aug. 12 from the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) at the TOC's Southern California Annual Meeting at Del Mar. Alternately named the Ed Friendly Industry Service Award, the Chairman's Award is presented annually to recognize outstanding contributions and service in racing. "Mike is an exceptional leader who continues to make a lasting impact on both this organization and California racing," said TOC Chairman Gary Fenton. "His dedication, hard work, and commitment are an inspiration to all of us, and...

Round 2 of the free Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) Horseplayers Tour has been set for the Santa Anita card on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29. To enter, visit the Horseplayers website and click on the sign up link. Selections will open between 5:00 and 10:00 p.m. ET approximately 24 hours prior to the contest. The top-10 finishers will be announced after a 48-hour audit period. The top-10 finishers in each feeder round must join the NHC Tour to be able to compete in the Final Round on Dec. 26....

Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) has named Robert Katayama of Clovis and Lisa Rodrigues of San Diego as Rookie of the Year award winners for 2022. The award honors enthusiastic new owners who are committed to racing in California. Nominations are considered annually. "The TOC Owner Relations Committee looks forward to the Rookie of the Year nominations and awards each year," said Owner Relations Chairwoman Stephanie Hronis. "We celebrate new owners and their commitment and appreciation of the equine athlete. This year we are thrilled to recognize a Rookie of...

Last month, a lengthy Financial Times feature detailed the growing share of overall handle generated through Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW)--both in California and nationwide. CAW players are a small group of high-volume and largely anonymous gamblers with an outsized impact on the betting markets due in no small part to the sophisticated wagering tools at their disposal. Because of their high stakes play, they're offered inducements in the form of rebates and reduced takeout rates largely not available to the average punter. CAW proponents argue that these deep-pocketed players provide...

Edited Press Release Del Mar Thoroughbred Club projected its most lucrative racing season ever last summer, then backed it up with a record-breaking meet that saw purse levels total above $25 million for the session resulting in an unprecedented average purse payout of more than $800,000 per day. Those numbers, the highest in California racing history, are in the track's sites once again with the aim to go even bigger for this year's 31-day stand, which will be the iconic track's 84th season. As it did in 2022, the seaside...

The main takeaway from last year's California purse and handle numbers is one of stasis, with no significant movement in any one direction compared to 2021. A roughly 2.5% increase in the number of California races run in 2022 over 2021 is framed against a half-percentage point decrease in purses and an even smaller fraction of a percentage decrease in all-source handle. "It was like holding serve in 2022," said Bill Nader, newly minted president and chief executive officer of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), which once again put...

The Board of Directors of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) unanimously named Gary Barber to fill the board vacancy created by the recent resignation of Bill Strauss. Barber is a long-time Thoroughbred owner, both on his own and in partnership with others, whose stars include Grade I-stakes winners/champions: War of Will, Got Stormy, Belvoir Bay, Salty, The Deputy, Wonder Gadot, Lexie Lou, Comma to the Top, Tourist, Catch a Glimpse, Becrux, Cost of Freedom, Jack Milton, Channel Maker, Get Her Number, Vequist, and Gretzky the Great. In addition to...

Jack Owens, who recently retired as the longest-serving board member of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, passed away Nov. 21 after suffering a heart attack. Owens was first elected to the TOC board in 1995 and retired from board service in July. During his board tenure, Owens served six years as Chairman. He also served as Vice Chairman representing Northern California, Chairman of the Legislative and Government Affairs Committee, and as an active member of the Racing Affairs, Wagering, Bylaws Review, and Purse committees. A graduate of Stanford, Owens practiced...

Last week, industry organizations announced the launch of the California Horse Power Coalition, a collaborative endeavor sold as something of a unified foghorn to extol the good word of the sport's economic and cultural impacts. The list of Coalition members reads like a who's who of California racing industry mainstays, including Del Mar, Santa Anita, the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA), the California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (CTBA) and others. To discuss this new venture--along with a suite of other timely industry talking points--the TDN spoke with newly minted...

The Board of Directors of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) unanimously named Tim Cohen to fill the board vacancy created by the recent resignation of Mike Harrington. Per the bylaws, Cohen will be required to run in the 2023 board election. Cohen, owner of Rancho Temescal, runs under Rancho Temescal LLC, often in partnership with his father, Jed Cohen's, Red Baron's Barn LLC. Prior to managing Rancho Temescal, Cohen worked in the hospitality industry, managing luxury hotels and restaurants. "I look forward to joining the Board and further the...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority will be implementing changes to HISA Rule 2276, which pertains to full outer rim shoes and toe grabs. The rule will not be enforced for horses racing on dirt that are shod with traction devices on their hind feet in the form of either a full outer rim shoe or a toe grab, both up to 4mm in height. All other provisions of the rule will remain the same and be enforced Aug. 1 as previously announced. Click here to read the full HISA...

Edited Press Release The Thoroughbred Horsemen's Associations, Inc, Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Thoroughbred Owners of California, and Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association collectively have established a diverse group of experienced horsemen, regulators, and veterinarians to review the extensive documents regarding HISA's proposed rules. Each reviewer provided written comments in an open letter to HISA and they are summarized below. Racetrack vs Training Facilities--The inclusion of training facilities in the statute was designed to ensure that horsemen could not evade the requirements for racetracks by stabling at training facilities. HISA needs to...