NTRA | Horse Racing Free Tips

H-2B Visa Program Under Threat From Department Of Labor Appropriations Bill

The U.S. House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider the fiscal year 2022 Department of Labor Appropriations bill on Thursday, July 15, and language within the bill could devastate the H-2B visa program. The NTRA urges industry members to contact their Representative immediately and ask for this language to be removed from the bill.

The language of concern appears on pages 46-50 of the bill and would make the H-2B visa program difficult for many employers to use. Specifically, the draft bill would:

Prohibit industries from using the H-2B program if they experienced unemployment in any of the previous 12 months over 10 percent;
Prohibit construction industries from using the program even in seasonal locations or occupations;
Increase the baseline for wages to at least 150% of the federal or state minimum wage, whichever is higher;
Require wage compliance with a collaborative bargaining agreement for your industry in your area, even if you are not a party to the agreement;
Ban participation in the program for labor/workforce related infractions outside of the scope of the H-2B program.

“This appropriations bill contains alarming language for any business or industry that relies on the H-2B visa program to operate,” said NTRA president and CEO Alex Waldrop. “We ask trainers and others in horse racing to contact their Representative today to help get this language removed.”

As suggested by the H-2B Workforce Coalition, of which the NTRA is a member, industry members should:

Call your representative today and ask him or her to urge the House Appropriations Committee leadership and their Party Leadership to remove Sections 116, 117 and 118 of Fiscal Year 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Appropriations Bill before the legislation is considered by the Appropriations Committee on Thursday. You can reach your Representative through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121. Once connected to the office, please ask to speak to the staff person who handles Department of Labor appropriations.
Send an email to your Representative using this link

The H-2B visa guest worker program is a nonimmigrant visa program used by many industries that need temporary non-agricultural help when domestic workers are unavailable. For the horse racing industry, trainers rely heavily on the H-2B program to fill various backside positions.

About the NTRA
The NTRA, based in Lexington, Ky., is a broad-based coalition of more than 100 horse racing interests and thousands of individual stakeholders consisting of horseplayers, racetrack operators, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity, welfare and integrity of Thoroughbred racing through consensus-based leadership, legislative advocacy, safety and integrity initiatives, fan engagement and corporate partner development. The NTRA owns and manages the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance; NTRA.com; the Eclipse Awards; the National Horseplayers Championship; NTRA Advantage, a corporate partner sales and sponsorship program; and Horse PAC®, a federal political action committee. NTRA press releases appear on NTRA.com, Twitter (@ntra) and Facebook (facebook.com/1NTRA).

The post H-2B Visa Program Under Threat From Department Of Labor Appropriations Bill appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Letruska Retains No. 1 Position In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska has retained the No. 1 position in the latest NTRA National Thoroughbred Poll following a quiet week in which none of the top rated horses were in action. As a result, the first eight places in the poll remained unchanged.

Letruska, trained by Fausto Gutierrez, has won four of five starts this year, including the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park, the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park, and the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs. A daughter of 2010 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Letruska has 13 first-place votes and 298 points.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, is in second place with six first-place votes and 266 points. Maxfield dominated the June 26 Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs with a powerful 3 ¼-length win to improve his overall record to seven wins in eight starts.

Godolphin's Mystic Guide, winner of the Group 1 Dubai World Cup and second in the Grade 2 Suburban at Belmont, is in third place. Trained by Mike Stidham, Mystic Guide received seven first-place votes and 244 points.

Klaravich Stables' 4-year-old gelding Domestic Spending is in fourth place with seven first-place votes and 225 points. Trained by Chad Brown, in 2021 Domestic Spending has won the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic in a dead heat at Churchill Downs, and the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes at Belmont.

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's 4-year-old Silver State, undefeated in four starts this year, is in fifth place. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Silver State, winner of the Grade 1 Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont, has one first-place vote and 205 points.

Godolphin's 3-year-old Essential Quality, winner of the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, is in sixth place. Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality has two first-place votes and 193 points.

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go, also trained by Cox, runaway winner Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap on July 2, and victorious in Gulfstream Park's Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January, is in seventh place with 133 points.

Michael Lund Petersen's 4-year-old Gamine (90 points), the 2020 champion female sprinter, who is three for three this year, is in eighth place for trainer Bob Baffert.

George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp's 4-year-old Max Player, upset winner of the Suburban, is in a ninth-place tie with My Racehorse Stable, Spendthrift Farm and Madaket Stables' 6-year-old Monomoy Girl.

Max Player, trained by Asmussen, and the 6-year-old Monomoy Girl, a two-time Eclipse Award winner, trained by Cox, each has 55 points.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through Nov. 6.

The full results for the NTRA Thoroughbred Polls can be found on the NTRA website at: https://www.ntra.com/ntra-top-thoroughbred-poll-july-12-2021/

The post Letruska Retains No. 1 Position In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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NTRA, Dean Dorton Offer Survey on Farm Compensation

In conjunction with the accounting and business advisory firm, Dean Dorton, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association is undertaking a nationwide survey focused on Thoroughbred horse farm employee compensation. The survey includes questions related to average hourly and salary pay rates for various positions, bonuses, health insurance, housing, visa programs, internships, retirement plans and more. The survey will serve to compare and share state-specific results to those of the nationwide respondents. All information from specific respondents will remain completely anonymous.

Deadline to complete the survey is July 20: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/thoroughbredfarmcompensation2021

The post NTRA, Dean Dorton Offer Survey on Farm Compensation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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NTRA, Dean Dorton Undertake Nationwide Survey On Thoroughbred Farm Compensation

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) in conjunction with the accounting and business advisory firm, Dean Dorton, is undertaking a nationwide survey focused on Thoroughbred horse farm employee compensation. The survey includes questions related to average hourly and salary pay rates for various positions, bonuses, health insurance, housing, visa programs, internships, retirement plans and more.

All Thoroughbred farm owners are encouraged to complete this survey, which will allow the NTRA and Dean Dorton to compare and share state-specific results to those of the nationwide respondents. All information from specific respondents will remain completely anonymous.

The deadline to complete the survey is Tuesday, July 20. The survey is available at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/thoroughbredfarmcompensation2021

About the NTRA
The NTRA, based in Lexington, Ky., is a broad-based coalition of more than 100 horse racing interests and thousands of individual stakeholders consisting of horseplayers, racetrack operators, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity, welfare and integrity of Thoroughbred racing through consensus-based leadership, legislative advocacy, safety and integrity initiatives, fan engagement and corporate partner development. The NTRA owns and manages the NTRA Safety & Integrity Alliance; NTRA.com; the Eclipse Awards; the National Handicapping Championship; NTRA Advantage, a corporate partner sales and sponsorship program; and Horse PAC®, a federal political action committee. NTRA press releases appear on NTRA.com, Twitter (@ntra) and Facebook (facebook.com/1NTRA).

About Dean Dorton
For more than 35 years, Dean Dorton has served a broad spectrum of people and organizations involved in the equine industry, from small boarding farms to large multi-departmental farms involved in boarding, breeding, selling, and stallion management; from racing stables to a racetrack; from bloodstock agents to equine veterinary firms; and from industry associations to equine insurance agencies. For more information visit www.deandorton.com.

The post NTRA, Dean Dorton Undertake Nationwide Survey On Thoroughbred Farm Compensation appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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