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Former WTBOA GM Ralph Vacca Passes Away

Former Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association General Manager Ralph Vacca passed away in his home in Auburn, WA, July 20. He was 84. Among those surviving Vacca are children Darrell (Linda) Vacca, Melanie (Tom) Bidman, Dionne Stein, Kyle Vacca and Rachel (Rich) Pring; grandchildren, Rafe, Josh, Kevin, Garrett, Teddy and Julian; great-grandchild, Caelin; brother, Richard (Linda) Vacca. A memorial scholarship in Ralph Vacca’s name is currently being established. Remembrances may be sent: c/o Washington Thoroughbred Foundation, 3220 Ron Crockett Dr NW, Auburn, WA 98001.

Born in Seattle, the first of two sons born to Ralph A. and Rose Vacca grew up in the Rainier Valley and received some of his earliest equine experience at Stoner Creek Farm in Paris, Kentucky, giving him opportunity to learn the various phases of the horse business. In April 1959 Vacca returned to Washington, joining the then WHBA (later the WTBOA) staff as field secretary. Vacca returned to Kentucky in 1961 to take a position in the advertising department of the Thoroughbred Record and later joined the Daily Racing Form. He returned to the WHBA in 1964, as advertising manager for association’s magazine and subsequently was promoted to editor and in 1973, he was appointed “interim” WHBA general manager and by the following November he was awarded the position outright. Vacca retired from WTBOA in 2007, after 47 years with the association.

In May 2020, then Governor Gary Locke appointed Vacca to the Washington Horse Racing Commission.

Throughout the years, Vacca served on the Washington Thoroughbred Foundation and THRUST boards, the Equine Art committee, and was actively involved in the Backstretch Chapel, Emerald Backstretch Daycare Center and WTBOA Youth programs. He also was on the WSU Equine Advisory Board and King County Agricultural Commission. Among his awards were induction into the Washington Racing Hall of Fame (2013) and the S. J. Agnew Special Achievement Award (1990).

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Stronach 5 Cancelled When Races Taken Off The Turf At Laurel, Gulfstream

The Stronach 5 for Friday, July 24 has been cancelled after three races at Laurel Park and one at Gulfstream Park were taken off the turf.

The popular wager with the $100,000 guaranteed pool and industry-low 12-percent takeout will return Friday, July 31.

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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Thoroughbred Owner Conference Rescheduled For Breeders’ Cup Week In Lexington

OwnerView announced today that the seventh Thoroughbred Owner Conference, originally scheduled to be held July 19-22, 2020, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has been rescheduled and will be held in Lexington, Ky., from November 2-5, 2020, to coincide with the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The Breeders' Cup will be held November 6-7 at Keeneland.

“While we were disappointed that we were unable to host this year's Thoroughbred Owner Conference in Saratoga Springs, we are delighted to be able to bring the owner conference back to Lexington, the 'Horse Capital of the World,' during the week of the Breeders' Cup,” said Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView. “We are thankful for the support and flexibility of the New York Racing Association and the Breeders' Cup.”

The rescheduled owner conference will be held at the Embassy Suites on Newtown Pike in Lexington, Ky. The conference agenda includes nine panels on topics including the economics of racehorse ownership, syndicates, safety reforms, aftercare, and diversity. The conference will open on Monday, November 2, with an evening reception at The Kentucky Castle. Other social events include a conference dinner at the Fasig-Tipton sales grounds and tours of stallion farms.

This year's owner conference will offer a new registration option for virtual attendance. A virtual conference registration enables access to all business panels and the ability to participate in question and answer sessions for those panels.

For guests who attend the owner conference in person, social-distancing protocols will be in place, including limiting the number of guests seated at tables and increased spacing of tables. OwnerView will be continually monitoring the status of COVID-19. If an in-person conference is deemed unsafe, in-person registrations will be refunded or converted to a virtual registration.

For more information about the owner conference, including the full schedule of events and registration, please visit ownerview.com/event/conference.

OwnerView is a joint effort spearheaded by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to encourage ownership of Thoroughbreds and provide accurate information on aspects of ownership such as trainers, public racing syndicates, the process of purchasing and owning a Thoroughbred, racehorse retirement, and owner licensing.

The need for a central resource to encourage Thoroughbred ownership was identified in the comprehensive economic study of the sport that was commissioned by The Jockey Club and conducted by McKinsey & Company in 2011. The OwnerView site was launched in May 2012.

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OwnerView Conference Moved to Ky, Breeders’ Cup Week

OwnerView’s seventh Thoroughbred Owner Conference, originally scheduled to be held July 19-22 in Saratoga Springs, NY, has been rescheduled and will be held in Lexington, Ky., from Nov. 2-5, to coincide with the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The Breeders’ Cup will be held Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland.

“While we were disappointed that we were unable to host this year’s Thoroughbred Owner Conference in Saratoga Springs, we are delighted to be able to bring the owner conference back to Lexington, the ‘Horse Capital of the World,’ during the week of the Breeders’ Cup,” said Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView.” We are thankful for the support and flexibility of the New York Racing Association and the Breeders’ Cup.”

The rescheduled owner conference will be held at the Embassy Suites on Newtown Pike in Lexington. The conference agenda includes nine panels on topics, including the economics of racehorse ownership, syndicates, safety reforms, aftercare, and diversity. The conference will open Monday, Nov. 2, with an evening reception at The Kentucky Castle. Other social events include a conference dinner at the Fasig-Tipton sales grounds and tours of the region’s stallion farms.

This year’s owner conference will offer a new registration option for virtual attendance, which will allow registrants access to all panels and the ability to participate in question and answer sessions for those panels.

For guests who attend the owner conference in person, social-distancing protocols will be in place, including limiting the number of guests seated at tables and increased spacing of tables. OwnerView will continually monitor the status of COVID-19 and if an in-person conference is deemed unsafe, in-person registrations will be refunded or converted to a virtual registration.

For more information about the owner conference, including the full schedule of events and registration, please visit www.ownerview.com/event/conference.

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