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Harris, Green and Mathis to Join TOC Board

John C. Harris, Ty Green and Andy Mathis have been appointed to the board of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC).

Owner of Harris Farms, Harris was inducted into the California Racing Hall of Fame in 2008 and was honored last year by the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation for his industry service. Harris Farms has been connected to over 50 California divisional champions, including eight California Horses of the Year. He is a former California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) Commissioner and currently serves on the board of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association (CTBA).

Green, also an owner and breeder, is a current Board Member of the CTBA. The San Luis Obispo-based lawyer has raced under the name of SLO Racing Stable since 2010.

Mathis was the 2021 California Trainer of the Year. He was also leading trainer at the 2023 Golden Gate Fall Meet and finished seventh in the standings during the 2022 Del Mar Summer Meet. Based at Golden Gate Field, the 44-year-old is the winner of just under 800 races in his career. His winners include stakes winners Jimmy Blue Jeans and Give Me The Lute.

All three will serve the TOC Board as representatives of the North. According to TOC president and CEO Bill Nader, board members volunteered names to fill vacancies. “We spoke yesterday and had a productive discussion and will officially ratify the new members in short order,” Nader said.

“We are honored that John, Ty and Andy, well-respected North horsemen, will join our board,” said TOC Chairman Gary Fenton. “We are in a period of great transition and their passion, wisdom and institutional knowledge of California horse racing, in particular the North, will be of tremendous value to the board and our members as we work together to find the right path for the future of California racing.”

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New Board Members for TOC

Gary Barber, Gary Fenton, Terry Lovingier, Tim Cohen, and Matt Dohman have been elected to three-year terms for the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC)'s Board of Directors and will take office July 1. They will join Nick Alexander, Joe Ciaglia, Rick Gold, Ryan Hanson, Stephanie Hronis, Lindsey LaRoche, Bob Liewald, Ed Moger, Samantha Siegel, and Johnny Taboada as TOC's 2023-24 Board. Richard Rosenberg, a former board member of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), has agreed to stay on with the organization as an appointed member of the Integrity & Safety and Wagering Committees for the 2023-24 fiscal year.

TOC bylaws require three Board members be from Northern California. Taboada, Moger, and LaRoche fill those seats. TOC bylaws also require at least two owner-trainers, who are Hanson and Moger on this Board.

For more information, including a complete vote tally, visit toconline.com.

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TOC to Honor Mike Pegram

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 we are proud to honor him with this well-deserved award.”

Pegram is probably best known throughout the industry for his many top runners, both individually and in partnership, including champions Real Quiet, Silverbulletday, Midnight Lute, and Lookin At Lucky. He served on the TOC board from 2010 to 2019 and was Chairman from 2012 to 2016. During his tenure, he was instrumental in protecting SB 1072 purse contributions, which provided for a takeout increase with all of the additional revenue going to California purses.

Among the former Chairman's Award recipients Pegram joins are Mace Siegel, John Harris, Bob and Beverly Lewis, Jerry and Ann Moss, and Clement Hirsch.

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Del Mar Aiming to Take Record Purses Higher

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 oval will present 39 major stakes, six of which are designated as Breeders' Cup Challenges races, offering a total of $8,275,000 during its eight-week summer run. It also will continue its “Ship & Win” program to attract more horses to come and take part in the summer festivities and continue with its well-received Maiden Dirt Bonus plan, which was fully implemented last summer.

Del Mar's summer meet set records in 2022 with more than $18.7 million in daily average handle and a robust 9.1 average field size, ranking it high up among the nation's elite racing programs.

“We were absolutely thrilled by the huge response last year from our horsemen and horsewomen and our fans,” said Del Mar's executive vice president and director of racing Tom Robbins. “The racing throughout the summer was extremely safe and first-rate. Obviously, 2022 set a very high bar on all levels; we're excited for the challenge of continuing these very strong trends.”

“Del Mar is the pinnacle of racing in the United States,” said Thoroughbred Owners of California chairman Gary Fenton. “And the success is enjoyed by and trickles down to all of California. Every summer gets bigger and better and it's all due to the tremendous work put in by DMTC and our horsemen and horsewomen.”

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