Kentucky State Senate | Horse Racing Free Tips

Staunch Horse Racing Supporter Damon Thayer Will Not Seek State Re-election

Kentucky State Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, (R-Georgetown), a staunch supporter of horse racing in the Bluegrass, will not seek re-election for the 17th Senate District and allow his term to expire in December 2024, the Commonwealth of Kentucky Senate Majority Caucus said in a release early Wednesday afternoon.

“I have decided not to seek re-election to the state Senate in 2024,” Senator Thayer said. “The end of my current term next year will mark 22 years in the Senate and 12 as Majority Floor Leader. After conversations with my adult children, close friends and colleagues, I have concluded this is the right decision.”

Thayer is the longest-serving Republican Senate Majority Floor Leader in Kentucky history. The 17th Senate District, which includes Grant and Scott Counties and portions of Fayette and Kenton Counties, is within what has become known as Kentucky's Golden Triangle.

As a leading voice for Thoroughbred racing, Thayer has championed the passage of historical horse racing and last year successfully co-led the fight to dissolve penny breakage, which has already returned millions of dollars back to horseplayers.

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Kentucky State Senate Resolution ‘Urges’ Federal HISA Funding Review

Kentucky's state senate adopted a resolution by voice vote Mar. 29 that will “urge” the overseers of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) and elected federal politicians “to review the funding methodology of HISA and ensure that they provide uniform treatment to all states,” according to a summary of the measure posted on the web page of the Kentucky General Assembly.

Senators Damon Thayer and John Schickel sponsored the resolution, which was both introduced and passed on Wednesday.

The resolution describes itself as a means of “expressing concerns regarding the unintended consequences of the current funding methodology of HISA.”

A phone message left for Thayer on Thursday seeking details about what impact he believes the state resolution might have at the federal level did not yield a return call prior to deadline for this story.

The text of the resolution reads as follows:

“WHEREAS, the Senate recognizes the need for the safety and welfare of horses and jockeys, confidence in the fairness of competition, consistent oversight and regulation, and national uniformity and harmonization in the rules of the horse racing industry; and

“WHEREAS, the Senate believes that HISA, IF implemented properly, can achieve these objectives and enhance the reputation of horse racing in the United States; and

“WHEREAS, the Senate is aware that concerns have been raised by others regarding the unintended consequences that may arise from the current funding methodology, which does not provide uniform treatment to all states and may place undue economic pressure on horsemen and the racing industry in Kentucky; and

“WHEREAS, the Senate acknowledges that it is important to the prosperity of Kentucky horse racing that the safety of the human and equine athletes and the integrity of the sport be paramount;

“NOW, THEREFORE, Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

“1. The Kentucky Senate urges the Federal Trade Commission and the HISA Authority to review the funding methodology of HISA and ensure that they provide uniform treatment to all states.

“2. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to the Commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission, the Board of Directors of the HISA Authority, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, and Kentucky's Congressional delegation.”

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Beloved Midwest Jockey J.J. Sunseri Succumbs To Injuries From Automobile Accident

He may have weighed 110 pounds – but most of that was his heart.

James “J.J.” Sunseri, 70, of Erlanger, Ky., born as Tito Libero Cavanti in Ascoli Piceno, Italy on May 4, 1950, passed away on Jan. 2, 2021, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident on Dec. 13, 2020.

Sunseri was adopted in the United States when he was thirteen by Joseph and Dorie (Osinski) Sunseri of Erie, Penn., who preceded him in death. He was a graduate of Erie Cathedral Prep High School in 1968. After high school, he spent a year at Penn State Behrend Campus where he found his passion for horses.

Sunseri spent his adult life as a professional jockey with nearly ten thousand Thoroughbred mounts over 45 years. He rode races in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, and Florida, entering the winner's circle 545 times. Sunseri also appeared in the movie “Dreamer” as the stunt jockey.

Sunseri received numerous awards over the course of his career including a Kentucky State Senate citation for his professional dedication. He was also a member of the Florence Elk Lodge #314 for 17 years serving in several capacities, including chaplain.

He was a great storyteller and dancer. He never forgot a birthday or special occasion for anyone in his huge extended family. He was always sending cards with underlines on the meanings he wished to emphasize. His love for his cousins and their children went beyond happiness. Mr. Santa is what he was! He gave love and smiles to all who knew him.

He is survived by his “Lady” Judith Costigan of Cincinnati OH, an uncle, and many aunts and cousins.

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Vote on HHR By Full KY House Could Come Thursday

A vote on the fate of historical horse race (HHR) gaming in Kentucky by the full House of Representatives could come as early as Thursday after lawmakers Wednesday morning continued to fast-track the “emergency” Senate bill to legalize the slot machine-like form of betting by defining “pari-mutuel wagering” to include previously run races.

About 17 hours after SB 120 passed the full Kentucky Senate by a 22-15 vote, the proposal sailed through the House Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations Committee Feb. 10.

Representative Adam Koenig (R-Erlanger), who chairs that committee, said after the bill cleared his committee that the earliest it could be debated and voted upon on the House floor is Feb. 11.

“There are some more conversations to be had in our caucus,” Koenig told Casino.org reporter Steve Bittenbender via text message.

If the vote doesn't happen Thursday, the next earliest date on Kentucky's legislative calendar for the House to be in session is Tuesday, Feb. 16. This Friday is marked as a “draft day” for lawmakers, and the traditional weekend off extends through Monday next week because of the Presidents Day holiday.

Proponents of the bill are aiming to align HHR in a way that they believe will make the slots-like form of gaming constitutionally legal so the machines can keep generating $2.2. billion in annual handle. The Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund's purse-money cut from HHR is three-quarters of 1% of that handle.

HHR was put into peril Jan. 21, when the Supreme Court of Kentucky denied a petition for rehearing an earlier judgment that called into question the legality of HHR because it didn't amount to “pari-mutuel wagering.” The question over that legal definition, led by anti-gambling activists, has worked its way through the court system ever since HHR was first allowed by the state in 2012.

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