janet vanbebber | Horse Racing Free Tips

Two board members from the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) warmed up their vocal chords and shared a sliver of their vast expertise concerning the value of racing integrity teams during a panel at the Global Symposium on Racing, sponsored by the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program, this past week.

Don Ahrens of Sam Houston Race Park and Jason Klouser of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission explained how these special squads, working alongside agencies like the Breeders' Cup, the U.S. Trotting Association, the American Quarter Horse Association and various state racing commissions and tracks, ensure that safety and security is center stage from the test barn to the winner's circle.

“We have developed an approach with these integrity teams which can be tailored to any situation, racetrack or regulatory body, and it really directs all of our resources to the protection of the equine athletes and ensure a level playing field for the participants, so the wagering public can bet on a product they can trust,” said Klouser.

Ahrens and Klouser are part of the ORI cadre which at its core is based on training and networking. Operating behind the scenes, members wage a daily effort to strengthen racing's regulatory efforts.

ORI member conducting mock search at last year's ORI Conference | ORI

ORI member's tradecraft will be on full display from Mar. 3-6 when the ORI meets for what will be its 28th Training Conference. This time around, the multi-day event will be held at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.

Chaired by Klouser, the preliminary agenda includes a diverse set of speakers who will be covering some of the most important issues pertaining to investigations in racing today.

“Our training conference continues to grow exponentially,” said Klouser. “That speaks to the organization's reputation and the importance of our network of investigators.”

This year's keynote address will be given by TDN's CEO/Publisher Sue Finley, who will discuss the changing landscape of media coverage and how it relates to racing integrity issues.

“We are excited to have Sue come and speak to the group since she has such an impressive list of accomplishments and we know she is going to deliver a unique set of perspectives concerning the media,” said Klouser.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from the following:

William Behe, United States Attorney's Office, Penn National Race Fixing Prosecution
John Burgess, British Horse Racing Authority, BHA Overview and Case Study
Angela Pezel-McCloskey, USDA Inspection Services, Unregulated Horse Racing in North America
Ismael Navarreto, Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission, Hidden Ownership & Fraud Case Study
TC Lane, U.S. Trotting Association, USTA Regulatory Authority
Cammie Helleski, University of Kentucky, Societal License to Operate
Janet VanBebber, American Quarter Horse Association, AQHA's Role in Racing
Vicky Kuora, FBI Violent Gangs & Safe Streets Task Force, Illicit Use of Xylazine
Ann McGovern, Horseracing Integrity Safety Authority, Review of Churchill Downs Catastrophic Injury Report
Shawn Loehr, Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit, HIWU Update
Mickey Peterson, New Jersey Racing Commission, Preparing the Harness Horse for Racing
Robert Martin, Parx Racing, Stable Area Access System
Julie Engiles, Penn Vet-New Bolton Center Pathologists, Role in Equine Fatality Prosecutions
Adam Morris, Governor's Office of General Counsel, Racing Official Prosecutions
Michael Spada, Pennsylvania State Police, Case Study
Carlos Quintana & Mónica Andreu, Comisión de Juegos de Puerto Rico, Regulating Racing in Puerto Rico

Click here for more information about ORI's 2024 Training Conference.

The post Investigators Point To Training Conference Mar. 3-6 At Parx appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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For the first time, the elite racing American Quarter Horses from around the world that gather for the Bank of America Challenge Championships will step onto that stage in the state of Indiana, as Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville, Indiana, welcomes the event in 2022.

“We are thrilled to partner with Indiana Grand to host this championship event,” said AQHA Chief Racing Officer Janet VanBebber. “This racetrack and its leadership have welcomed horsemen and promoted American Quarter Horse racing, and we look forward to the opportunity to host the 2022 Bank of America Challenge Championships at a new and growing venue.”

Indiana Grand will become one of only 10 racetracks in history to host the Bank of America Challenge Championships. The program, operated by the American Quarter Horse Association, provides greater opportunity to all racing American Quarter Horses. It offers stakes races held in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, and the horses that qualify through these races are invited to the season-ending Challenge Championships. There are races offered for older horses, fillies and mares, derby and futurity horses, as well as distance specialists. The program pours almost $3 million in purses into the industry every year.

In the past two years, five of the AQHA racing champions earned their championship titles with significant help from the horses' efforts in the Challenge program, with these collective horses earning more than 20 percent of their career earnings from Challenge races.

Indiana Grand has seen its product grow year-over-year, with a 5.3 percent increase in purses and a 35 percent jump in handle in the past five years. The track had the fifth-highest average handle per race for all Quarter Horse tracks in the country at $110,819.

In 2021, the racetrack will add two regional Bank of America Challenge stakes races to its program, including the $30,000-added John Deere Indiana Juvenile Challenge and the $20,000-added Merial Indiana Distaff Challenge.

“Being able to expand our American Quarter Horse program to include the Bank of America Challenge elevates our entire racing operations in Indiana,” said Eric Halstrom, Indiana Grand vice president and general manager of racing. “This challenge will shine a spotlight on our ever-growing American Quarter Horse industry and grant many of our local horsemen the opportunity to participate on a national level. We are excited to partner with AQHA on this endeavor and look forward to welcoming new American Quarter Horse participants and fans into Indiana for the first time in the history of the Challenge.”

To learn more about the Bank of America Racing Challenge, visit www.aqha.com/bank-of-america-racing-challenge.

The post Indiana Grand To Host AQHA’s Bank Of America Challenge Championships In 2022 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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