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Tax Court Judge Suggests Owner Send Retired Racehorses To Slaughter

Perhaps best known for his work on the Michael Jackson estate, Tax Court Judge Mark Holmes is often regarded as eloquent in his appraisal of cases before him.

However, when creating a bench opinion on the case of Joseph G. Bucci, his writing became a bit uncouth. Bucci, the owner of American Rock Salt, was facing tax and accuracy penalties of $711,980 for 2016 and 2017, mainly in reference to his Thoroughbred racing and breeding business, which the IRS had deemed a hobby rather than a business.

Judge Holmes sided with the IRS at Bucci's hearing, at which Bucci represented himself. Though Judge Holmes commended Bucci on his founding of American Rock Salt, his main focus was that Bucci chose to house his retired racehorses on his property when they were done racing and being “profitable.”

Judge Holmes noted that sending the horses to Canada or Mexico for slaughter would have made more economic sense in Bucci's case. He said that most racehorse owners who have horses that are incapable of racing will find a way to get their horses to Canada or Mexico for slaughter or “glue factories” (slaughter is legal in both Canada and Mexico).

However, it is evident that “most” racehorse owners do not export their horses for slaughter – or glue factories, of which very few use any equine body parts to make glue today. Many industry players stand in solidarity against equine slaughter, including The Jockey Club, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, and the New York Racing Association, among others.

Many tracks, including Delta Downs and Evangeline Down, owned by Boyd Gaming, have written rules to punish those who send horses to slaughter by permanently denying the owner or trainer stalls at their tracks.

Real Rider Cup Surpasses Major Fundraising Milestone

Founded by Anita Motion in 2017 as a celebratory way to bring racing personalities together to raise funds and awareness for Thoroughbred aftercare, the Real Rider Cup today announced that it has raised over half a million dollars since its inaugural event.

The Real Rider Cup, now running its seventh consecutive year, has endured through a pandemic and changes of venue, and triumphed with added beneficiaries and additional legs of competition. The concept of inviting racing personalities to ride their Thoroughbreds in a show jumping competition was unique at the time, but the spirit of collaboration towards the shared goal of providing quality homes and fulfilling careers for Thoroughbreds beyond racing holds true to this day.

“The way that the Real Rider Cup has been embraced and the legs it has grown is inspiring and rewarding,” said Motion. “Our industry believes in Thoroughbred aftercare and it shows.”

Current beneficiaries of the Real Rider Cup, who represent the diverse types of organizations that make up the aftercare industry, work together to produce what now includes two separate legs of competition. Competitors, who pledge to raise a minimum of $1,000 each for the cause, still include representatives from across the racing industry but now also individuals from within the aftercare industry as well.

“We're honored to have been a beneficiary of the Real Rider Cup since the beginning, but we're especially proud to now work alongside New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program and the Fair Hill Thoroughbred Show to support Anita in producing the event,” said Retired Racehorse Project executive director, Kirsten Green. “It's important to demonstrate that we can all work collaboratively towards a shared goal, and the Real Rider Cup illustrates that collaboration exceptionally well.”

With the second leg of the Real Rider Cup set to be held at Fair Hill September 15^th, there is still plenty of time to get involved. Rider registration is open through September 8^th with a variety of sponsorship packages available.

Learn more at www.therealridercup.com.

Proceeds of the Real Rider Cup benefit the Retired Racehorse Project, New Vocations Thoroughbred Adoption and the Fair Hill Thoroughbred Show.

Fair Hill Thoroughbred Show is a 501(c)3 organization supporting riders of Thoroughbreds by providing affordable show fees, scholarships, stakes classes and prizes in every division. By supporting their riders, we are helping more OTTBs find second careers.

The Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) is a 501(c)3 charitable organization working to increase demand for off-track Thoroughbreds in the equestrian world. In addition to producing the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, the world's largest and most lucrative retraining competition for recently-retired racehorses, the organization also publishes Off-Track Thoroughbred Magazine, produces the Master Class retraining clinic series, and presents programming at major horse expos and events around the country. The RRP maintains an educational library of content to empower more equestrians to ride a Thoroughbred.

Founded in 1992, New Vocations has grown into the largest racehorse adoption program in the country. Its mission to rehabilitate, retrain and rehome retired Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorse has led to the placement of over 7,000 individuals, with 500 retirees entering the program each year. With facilities in Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania, New Vocations serves over 40 racetracks, working directly with owners and trainers in need of aftercare options.

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Murray State Taking Steps Toward Kentucky’s First School Of Veterinary Medicine

The Murray State University Board of Regents adopted a resolution of support at its Friday, Aug. 25 meeting to create a task force and begin a feasibility study to examine the statewide shortage of veterinarians and work toward the development of a School of Veterinary Medicine at Murray State University.

The state of Kentucky currently does not have a School of Veterinary Medicine, and approximately 70 students from Kentucky are accepted each year to out-of-state veterinary schools. In the United States, there are only 32 veterinary colleges accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are 86,300 veterinarians in the United States and this occupation is expected to grow by over 19% by 2031. The BLS also reports a total of 122,800 veterinarian technologists/technicians are working today and the field is expected to grow by 20% by 2031.

Murray State's Hutson School of Agriculture has the largest estimated pre-veterinary medicine/veterinary technology enrollment of any university in Kentucky, and is just one of three programs in Kentucky that is fully accredited by the AVMA.

Murray State students are provided valuable hands-on learning opportunities that prepare them for success upon graduation. The University's A. Carman Animal Health Technology Center, located on Murray State's West Farm in Calloway County, offers state-of-the-art equipment and supplies to prepare students for a career in the field of veterinary medicine.

The Breathitt Veterinary Center at Murray State University, under the direction of the Hutson School of Agriculture, is located in Christian County and is a nationally preeminent animal disease diagnostic laboratory dedicated to protecting the invaluable assets of Kentucky's equine, livestock and poultry industries. The center is the only Level 1 Laboratory Status designated by the USDA National Animal Health Laboratory system and one of only 60 laboratories in the United States (one of 23 laboratories with Level 1 status). The center serves as an important teaching and learning facility for Murray State students.

“I am grateful to our Board of Regents for adopting this resolution of support as we look toward this opportunity of researching and pursuing a School of Veterinary Medicine at Murray State University,” said Murray State University President Dr. Bob Jackson. “Statistics indicate that there are an insufficient number of veterinarians to meet the growing needs both within Kentucky as well as nationally. Further, a significant number of students in the Commonwealth are attending out-of-state universities to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. We have a tremendous obligation to continue to identify needs and create opportunities for our region and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Importantly, we will work with the General Assembly, Governor; Commissioner of Agriculture; Council on Postsecondary Education; Kentucky's federal congressional delegation and state, local and federal agencies, among others as we advance this initiative.”

“I am very excited about this potential opportunity for our students and for our state,” said Murray State University Hutson School of Agriculture Dean Dr. Brian Parr. “This effort represents a great need in the field of animal agriculture. The PreVet/Vet Tech program in the Hutson School of Agriculture has long been a program of excellence that has seen great growth over the last two decades. I believe that this initiative is the next logical step in the development of our school to help meet the needs of the agricultural industry.”

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HISA Seeking Proposals For Federally Mandated Furosemide Study

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority released a request for proposals for research on the administration of furosemide to Thoroughbred racehorses during the 48-hour period before the start of a race. This research is required as part of HISA's Congressional mandate.

The conclusions of this research will be used to guide HISA's Furosemide Advisory Committee in its recommendations to the HISA Board on next steps regarding the administration of furosemide.

Responses to the RFP are due by Nov. 15, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Questions about the RFP and the process for submitting a response can be sent to Dr. Jennifer Durenberger at jennifer.durenberger@hisaus.org and/or Sam Reinhardt at samuel.reinhardt@hisaus.org. Final proposals can also be submitted via email to Dr. Durenberger and Mr. Reinhardt once completed.

The RFP can be viewed here.

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