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Response to Jason Litt From KTA President Braxton Lynch

(Editor's note: the following is a response to the letter to the editor sent to the TDN by Jason Litt)

The KTA is run by a volunteer board of industry professionals. To become a director of the KTA you have to be chosen by your peers and voted in by the likes of those same peers. Obviously Jason Litt did just that, and we are all thankful for his time served on the KTA Board of Directors. Jason's 'why' has never been in question. He is a tremendous judge of horses and has made a career of helping his clients reach the pinnacles of racing. We wish him nothing but the best and continued success for him and his team. In fact, that is our 'why' at the KTA. Our board of directors work tirelessly to ensure that there is an industry for us all to participate in. Our actions are based on a collective consensus of the board as a whole, and not on the thoughts of any one individual board member. We will continue to work with the coalition that is fighting to keep HHR in Kentucky.

Braxton Lynch, President, Kentucky Thoroughbred Association

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Jason Litt: Why I Left the KTA

It's no secret the horse industry is struggling. But like any good optimist, I'm always open to new ideas. I recently read Simon Sinek's book, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. The oversimplified concept of the book is how understanding your 'why' can contribute to your success.

This is my 'why' I chose a career in horse racing.

I love horses. From the unbelievable softness of a newborn foal to the rippling musculature of a stallion, they are majestic.

As an agent, breeder and owner, I enjoy being a custodian of the breed–a breed of horse that's over 300 years old, a breed that is noble, intelligent, honest and highly competitive. I often remind myself that it's a privilege, not a right, to be a part of the Thoroughbred horse racing industry. I've been fortunate over the last 20 years to work with amazingly talented horses, including some champions. I love the notion that 50 years from now, some of the horses I've been involved with may continue to have an impact on the breed.

I love competition. In 1999, I visited Keeneland for the first time for the September yearling sale with my father, Howard Litt. My father loved the sport. He loved the Damon Runyon-style characters that exist in every racetrack ecosystem, and he loved the mental gymnastics required in handicapping and athleticism of the horses. He sparked my competitive spirit when he made the statement as we were watching horses go through the ring, “Wouldn't it be cool if out of all of these horses you could pick a good one?”

Simply put, horse racing is hard. The lows of the game can deflate the most optimistic of individuals. We've all experienced hot nails, quarter cracks, spiked temps, colic, skin disease and failed fence jumpers, yet we are all bound by our persistence, determination and staying power. There is nothing more gratifying and fulfilling than winning a race and sharing that sense of accomplishment with a group of owners, friends and colleagues. Watching the replay on a continuous loop and recapping every nuance of the race with anyone that will listen isn't bad, either.

I hope you have an understanding of my 'why.' When I joined the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association three years ago, I was open-minded and excited about making a difference. Unfortunately, the gap between my 'why' and that of the KTA is too large to bridge, and therefore I am stepping down as a Director and making my reasons public. It's never too late to learn from our mistakes, hold people accountable for their actions or lack thereof and to embrace bold ideas.

Unfortunately, the recent events regarding HHR show how unprepared the organization has been to address an issue that has been working through the courts for over seven years. There is no disputing how important the revenue from HHR has become to the health of our industry. It is the KTA's role that all members in the assembly understand and appreciate the importance of our industry to both Kentucky's economy and image. The fact that there has never been a successfully organized KTA effort to educate legislators or develop a plan to support the election of legislators that will have a favorable perception of our industry is shocking.

I can no longer in good faith be associated with an organization that has been caught so unprepared to take a stand to protect the Kentucky Thoroughbred and all the jobs associated with this industry.

Sincerely,

Jason Litt

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Selected Virginia Stallion Season Auction Offerings To Benefit Kentucky HHR Lobbying Efforts

The developing situation regarding the status of historical horse racing (HHR) in Kentucky has created an “all hands on deck” scenario within the state's racing industry to ensure the crucial revenue source remains in place.

That call has been heard outside the state as well. The Virginia Thoroughbred Association will feature a group of offerings during its upcoming stallion season auction where the full proceeds will benefit the Kentucky Equine Education Project's lobbying efforts toward restoring HHR in the state and putting it on firmer legal ground.

The auction, set to take place Wednesday, Feb. 10, features four seasons donated thus far by Kentucky stallion operations where the money will go toward the KEEP Alliance, a branch of KEEP specifically dedicated to lobbying, grassroots campaigns, and otherwise raising awareness among key people and groups about the importance of HHR in Kentucky.

As of Friday morning, the seasons benefitting the KEEP Alliance come from Airdrie Stud's Complexity, Spendthrift Farm's Goldencents, Gun Runner of Three Chimneys, and Not This Time of Taylor Made Stallions. Farms are welcome to donate further seasons to benefit the KEEP Alliance prior to the auction.

VTA executive director Debbie Easter said the seasons were added to the auction in recent weeks, helping push the total number of different stallions on offer near 220 from 11 different states.

“Obviously, it's a good cause,” Easter said. “Everybody gets too regionalized sometimes, and it's important for us to work together to help each other. This is an important thing for Kentucky, and helping keeping things going along is important. Horse people working together always do better than working apart, so we're trying to move the needle a little bit.”

Virginia's Thoroughbred economy is familiar with the benefits HHR can have on a program.

Gov. Ralph Northam signed an HHR bill into law in 2018, which set into motion the re-opening of Colonial Downs and significant funding sources to fuel purses and incentive programs on and off the racetrack. The Virginia-Certified program paid out a record $1.77 million in awards in 2020, and Easter said HHR revenues have just started to kick into that pool, leaving even more room for growth in the future.

“We certainly know how important HHR is going to be to us,” Easter said, “and we've certainly seen what it's done for Kentucky, and they can't afford to lose that.”

While Virginia has been able to show positive growth with the help of HHR, it's widely accepted that Kentucky's Thoroughbred market is the tide that lifts and sinks the other regional-market boats in North America.

Even the largest foal-producing jurisdictions outside of the Bluegrass State are supported heavily by Kentucky stallions, and its starting gates are filled by Kentucky-breds. A weakened Kentucky racing industry would have ripple effects on the state's breeding program, and the rest of North America would feel the aftershock whether they race or breed in the state or not.

“Debbie was very enthusiastic about helping us,” said Elizabeth Jensen, KEEP's executive vice president. “I think everybody realizes as goes Kentucky, so goes the rest of the country's racing industry, so we need to keep it strong and vibrant here. We're happy that our counterparts in Virginia are willing to help us out and support us.”

Beyond the season donations, Jensen said Kentucky's major stallion operations have supportive of the advocacy measures to preserve HHR in the state. She noted that farms including Ashford Stud and WinStar Farm have made cash donations, and many stallion stations have sent out emails to their client lists urging them to take action.

“Preserving historical horse racing has to be the entire industry in Kentucky's priority right now,” Jensen said. “If we lose that, we lose 1,400 jobs overnight, and losing those purses and the horses that we're getting at Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs during summer racing, and just the whole racing circuit in Kentucky will be severely impacted if we don't get this done.”

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Bill To Legalize HHR In Kentucky Passes Committee Unanimously, On To Senate Floor

Senate Bill 120, which would expand Kentucky's definition of parimutuel wagering to include historical horse racing (HHR), passed the state's Senate Committee on Licensing and Occupations unanimously Thursday morning. The committee, led by bill sponsor Sen. John Schickel (R-District 11), heard testimony from representatives of the horse racing industry as well as The Family Foundation, which has long opposed HHR.

Trainer Tommy Drury provided the committee with perspective on the “trickle down” impact of the horse racing industry, beyond the people it employs directly and to the vendors who provide hay, grain, and other services to his barn.

Drury also pointed out that even with purses fueled by HHR, some Kentucky tracks are already struggling. He pointed out that for a given set of maiden conditions, the purse at Turfway is $32,000 while the same conditions at Oaklawn match a purse of $82,000.

In fact, Drury, who bases in Kentucky year-round, said he could afford to continue training while providing a consistent base for his family in part because Churchill Downs Inc., purchased Turfway Park and increased purses from where they had been — a move he credits to the income from HHR.

But predictably, The Family Foundation cast doubt on racing's portrayal of the HHR issue. The state supreme court ruled last fall that the Exacta Systems machines installed at Keeneland and Red Mile did match the legal definition of parimutuel wagering, and ruled Jan. 21 it would not rehear the case as requested by the tracks. Family Foundation spokesman Martin Cothran was critical of the tracks' decision to keep HHR running between the ruling in the fall and the appeal in January.

“They were the ones who asked the court if what they were doing was on the up and up,” he said. “Now we have that answer, and they've been ignoring it.”

Contrary to the usual terminology used by the racing industry, Cothran referred to the HHR machines as “slots” and pointed to CDI executives as beneficiaries of the games moreso than their employees.

“This company is associated in the minds of many people with a horse race which is considered by many to be the most exciting two minutes in sports and of which many of us, as Kentuckians, are quite proud,” said Cothran. “But in fact, this company has moved further and further away from racing, becoming an ever-more lucrative, multi-billion dollar casino corporation. Its stock is also publicly traded, which means it is owned by shareholders, many of whom live outside of the state.

“In 2019, 76.7% of this company's employees were hourly and the median compensation was $23,670 … and that calculation includes the compensation of the company's opulent executive cast. The CEO's total compensation in 2019 was $10,601,294 — 447 times the median compensation to gain entry. We wonder what that comes to as an hourly wage, and how it compares to the wages the company pays the grooms and the hotwalkers it is using to represent the industry.”

The primary question that seemed to concern committee members was whether the legislature could pass a law allowing historical horse racing to become part of the legal definition of parimutuel wagering, or if that would require an amendment to the state's constitution, which states that only lottery, charitable gaming, and parimutuel wagering are permitted. Racing supporters believe a legislative fix is sufficient, while The Family Foundation believes it requires constitutional amendment.

Schickel stated during the hearing he did not favor a constitutional amendment to address the question, as he does not want to open the door for casino gaming in Kentucky. While giving 'aye' votes, several committee members admitted they weren't sure which side was correct and suspected the issue would continue to be contested in court.

The bill will now move to the floor of the state senate. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported Thursday that it's generally expected to succeed there, but the state house of representatives is another question. The current bill does nothing to change the structure of tax revenue from HHR, which was one concern cited by critics. Besides that issue, there remain a number of socially conservative areas of the state which do not benefit from the racing industry as greatly or directly that are likely uncomfortable with additional gaming in the state.

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