The Biz | Horse Racing Free Tips

Additional H-2B Visas Available For Second Half Of Federal Fiscal Year

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a joint temporary final rule that was published today in the Federal Register and offers 22,000 additional H-2B visas to employers for the second half of the federal fiscal year that ends on September 30, 2021. These visas are used by employers, such as racehorse trainers, who seek seasonal guest workers. They are capped at 66,000 annually, with an even split of 33,000 available for each half of the federal government's fiscal year. Six thousand of these supplemental visas will be reserved for nationals of the Northern Triangle countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

“The 22,000 H-2B visas offered through this rule issued by the DHS and DOL will be helpful to employers who rely on the H-2B visa program, including trainers, but many more of these visas are ultimately required to satisfy the need,” said NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop. “For that reason, the NTRA, through its involvement in the H-2B Workforce Coalition, supports additional relief from the burdensome annual H-2B visa cap through a permanent returning worker exemption.”

Employers can find eligibility and filing details here.

This past December, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 became law and included a provision that provides the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with the discretionary authority to release an additional 64,176 H-2B visas when significant need is demonstrated. The NTRA supports all efforts to make additional visas available to seasonal businesses struggling with labor issues.

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.

Demand for H-2B visas often exceeds their availability and the cap level is quickly reached, leaving employers in need. For the second half of federal fiscal year 2021, DHS announced that by February 12 it had received enough H-2B worker petitions to reach the congressionally mandated cap of 33,000 visas allotted.

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Louisiana Downs Welcomes Back Fans For Camel And Ostrich Races

Louisiana Downs will present Camel and Ostrich Races on Sunday, May 30. The wildly popular special event, combined with live Thoroughbred racing and simulcast racing from tracks across the country, is always entertaining for the entire family.

The first live Thoroughbred race runs at 2:45 pm (Central) with the 100-yard camel and ostrich races taking place between the horse races.

Ostriches usually weigh an average of 200 pounds, but some males can tip the scales at 340 pounds. Known for their long neck and legs, ostriches also have extremely distinctive eyes and are very fast; our jockeys will have to hold on tight to the finish line.

A fully grown adult camel can exceed six feet in height at weigh up to 1,000 pounds. Unpredictable at best, camels can be good-tempered, patient and intelligent. The moaning and bawling sound they make when they're loaded up and have to rise to their feet is like the grunting and heavy breathing of a weight-lifter in action, and the crowds chime in to root for the favorite!

“Following the COVID-19 pandemic, we are thrilled to welcome back fans and host this family-friendly event,” said David Heitzmann, Director of Racing at Louisiana Downs. “We felt this would be an excellent way to kick off our new Sunday through Tuesday live racing schedule.”

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Agenda Set For Track Superintendents’ Field Day At Indiana Grand

After a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the 20th Annual Track Superintendents' Field Day is set to be held June 14-15 at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino and registrations are on pace for possible record attendance. Organizers have announced the agenda for the gathering that brings together track superintendents and staff to discuss best practices related to track maintenance, safety and operational issues for racing and training facilities.

“Track Supers Field Day has been growing just about every year, and we've seen even more interest this year as the industry continues to focus on the vital issues of track maintenance and safety,” said Roy Smith, founder of the event and track superintendent at Indiana Grand. “This year we've tried to expand the scope of the meeting to include more attendees from training centers and farms with training tracks, and so far we've had a very good response. We are still accepting registrations, so we encourage anyone who works with track surfaces to join us.”

An optional golf event will be held June 13, and then the meetings will begin on June 14 with workshops all day and a trackside BBQ that night with cigars and live music. Meetings will continue on the morning of June 15, followed by a keynote address at lunch and then an afternoon of racing at Indiana Grand.

There are no registration fees for track supers and staff thanks to the support of sponsors.

The speakers on the agenda include Joe Morris, senior vice president of racing for Caesars; Mike Ziegler, senior vice president and general manager of Churchill Downs; Dr. Michael DePew, an agronomist/soil scientist and industry-leading leading soil expert; trainer Michael Dickinson, president of Tapeta Footings Inc.; Dr. William Farmer, equine medical director for Churchill Downs Inc.; Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National HBPA; Ginny Smith of Advanced Turf Solutions; and Brett Davis and Mark Lowery of New Holland.

For more information, go to www.tracksupers.com.

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California Horse Racing Board Will Not Suspend Baffert’s License Without Due Process

The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) is aware of the situation surrounding Bob Baffert and the alleged positive relative to the Kentucky Derby.

Racetracks in Kentucky and New York have temporarily precluded Mr. Baffert from entering horses and/or using stalls. To date, the regulatory bodies in those two states – the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and the New York State Gaming Commission – have not taken any action against Mr. Baffert's license. They face the same issue the CHRB does in that regulators cannot suspend or revoke occupational licenses without a hearing and due process. Should any regulatory body take action against any licensee, we would reciprocate that action in California.

Further, Noodles, a 2-year-old unraced colt in Mr. Baffert's care, suffered a non-racing or training-related death this weekend at Los Alamitos. That fatality will be posted on the CHRB website today, as is the practice, with the note: “Respiratory – Pneumonia (pending).” A necropsy will be performed and a fatality review conducted pursuant to the law and CHRB regulations.

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