Second Massachusetts Horsemens Group Forms

Blood-Horse

The sizable faction of owners and trainers dissatisfied with the leadership of the New England affiliate of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association has splintered to form the new Massachusetts Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association.

“We filed all of the paperwork with the office of the Massachusetts Secretary of State yesterday,” said Billy Lagorio, who was elected as president of the group Aug. 1.

The MTHA is not affiliated with the national Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and it has not approached the organization, according to THA president Alan Foreman.

Lou Raffetto, the consultant to the NEHBPA, told Blood-Horse that the NEHBPA remains the legitimately recognized representative of the local horsemen, per terms of the federal Interstate Horse Racing Act.

Suffolk Downs chief operating officer Chip Tuttle said the track’s existing recognition agreement with the NEHBPA is legally in effect through July 31, 2016. In March, the state legislature authorized Suffolk to retain its simulcasting rights through that date, as long as the track operated at least one day of live racing per year.

At issue are the track’s simulcasting rights and the current application of Suffolk Downs, which announced the end of live racing at the 80-year-old track last September, when its gaming partner was bypassed for the single Boston-area casino license, to run three days of live racing in 2015.

Track management and the NEHBPA board reached agreement in the spring on a three-day meet, with racing to be held on one Saturday in three consecutive months, with an average daily purse distribution of approximately $500,000 per day. But the faction of local horsemen that has splintered objected strongly to the planm, because the owners and trainers are adamant that a three-day meet with that purse structure benefits out-of-town horsemen at their peril.

“We had our grassroots group and we wanted something more official. Our position was never to be a rival organization, but it appears that the direction the other side is heading in didn’t leave us much of a choice,” Lagoria said. “There are plenty of people dying to join us. The cards are going out and they are signing them. We are just looking to find real answers to the racing problem.”

Lagorio maintained that the NEHBPA technically has no membership in the absence of live racing in New England.

Meanwhile, the national HBPA has crafted a letter voicing its support for the legitimacy of its New England affiliate and submitted it to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. The five-member panel has taken no action on Suffolk’s dates application because of the ongoing dispute at two past monthly meetings, but pledged to hold a binding vote at its next hearing Aug. 6.

“The New England chapter was one of the founding members of the HBPA (at Rockingham Park) in the 1940s and has been a member in good standing since. In that letter, we re-affirmed our support of the NEHBPA and its ability to continue representing the owners and trainers in contractual matters, ” said Robin Richards, president of the national HBPA.

Meanwhile, the potential interest of The Stronach Group in leasing Suffolk Downs for a future race meet or buying the track—in the event that it were able to control the lucrative simulcasting rights and revenue—remains a hot topic of discussion.

“The cards are out on the table. Stronach is very interested and they want in. That is our best chance to get live racing back right away,” said Lagorio, who has been training in New England for more than 30 years. “I don’t see any benefit for the horsemen locally from only three days of racing. Suffolk Downs is just looking to make money on our simulcasting signal. That is what we make our living doing. But they want to scalp off of the import signal. Stronach sees a market here that has not been abused and left by the side of the road. The Interstate Horse Racing Act did not have it in mind for Suffolk to be an off-track betting parlor, and it shouldn’t be.”

The next MGC hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. EDT, Aug. 6.

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