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President Lifts Several Immigrant, Non Immigrant Travel Restrictions; H-2B Visa Cap Reached

President Joe Biden issued a Proclamation on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2020, to revoke Proclamation 10014 (Suspension of Entry of Immigrants Who Present a Risk to the United States Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak) and sections of related Proclamations that added nonimmigrants to the travel suspension. Click here to view President Biden's Proclamation.

Originally issued on April 20, 2020, by then-President Trump and extended by him in June and December through sections of Proclamations 10052 and 10131, respectively, Proclamation 10014 prevented certain immigrants and nonimmigrants from traveling to the United States. Included in this group were individuals who either were selected to receive the opportunity to apply for visas – including H-2B visas – through the Fiscal Year 2020 Diversity Visa Lottery or who had already received such visas, causing labor challenges for many industries, including the horse racing industry. President Biden's Proclamation revokes these restrictions.

In other foreign worker developments, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it had received enough H-2B worker petitions by February 12 to reach the congressionally mandated H-2B visa cap of 33,000 visas for the 2nd half of fiscal year 2021.

In December, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 became law and included a provision that provides the DHS with the discretionary authority to release an additional 64,716 H-2B visas when sufficient need is demonstrated. The NTRA, through its involvement with the H-2B Workforce Coalition, supports efforts to make these additional visas immediately 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, racehorse 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.

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Indiana Derby Day To Remain On Wednesday In 2021

Indiana Grand Racing & Casino is set to open its 19th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing Tuesday, April 13. To complement 120 days of live action, a total of 40 stakes with purses in excess of $3.65 million will be offered led by the 27th running of the Grade 3 Indiana Derby set for Wednesday, July 7.

Six stakes will be featured on Indiana Derby Day. In addition to the Derby, the 26th running of the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks will be included on the program as the day embraces its new Wednesday slot.

“We moved Indiana Derby Day to Wednesday in 2020 due to crowd restrictions and other safety protocols in place due to COVID-19,” said Eric Halstrom, vice president and general manager of racing. “The move proved to be very popular with racing fans across the nation and the Derby program set an all-time track record for total handle, just missing the $6 million mark. We feel by moving our big day to mid-week, the program receives the recognition it deserves with such high-quality stakes on the card.”

Another big date on the schedule will be the $150,000 Caesars Stakes and the $150,000 Indiana Grand, Indiana's richest turf races. Set for Wednesday, Sept. 8, the two Listed events will be complemented by the $75,000 Back Home Again Stakes and the $75,000 Circle City Stakes, which sport new names in 2021. Both races were part of an online contest to rename several stakes, garnering more than 250 responses.

“Our online presence has jumped over the past year and we value the support of those racing fans,” added Halstrom. “We wanted to include them in revamping our 2021 stakes schedule and by offering a contest with a prize, it was a way to engage them in the process. We got some really good suggestions, which we have used on 12 stakes for the year.”

Four brand new open stakes have been added to the schedule in 2021 and were part of the online contest to create names for the events. Joining the list this year will be the William Garrett Stakes, the IU Hoosiers Stakes, the Send it in Army Stakes and the Clarksville Stakes. Each will offer purses of $65,000 in their first running in 2021.

“We saw an opportunity to add some open stakes to our summer lineup and we think this will create a lot of variety to our schedule,” said Chris Polzin, director of racing/racing secretary. “Plus, the Garrett and IU Hoosiers (set for Aug. 11) gives us two more stakes to showcase on our turf course.”

Indiana Grand will also place the spotlight on the state bred program with Indiana Champions Day Saturday, Oct. 30. The afternoon card will feature four stakes with purses in excess of $350,000, including the $100,000 Lady Fog Horn and the $100,000 Unreachable Star Stakes for Indiana sired fillies and colts, respectively.

“Indiana Champions Day will be a culmination of the season and a way for us to honor and showcase the top horses in the state,” added Polzin. “More than $2.25 million over 28 stakes are dedicated to the Indiana breeding program for horses either bred and/or sired in Indiana.”

A full list of Thoroughbred stakes for the 2021 racing season is now available at www.indianagrand.com.

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Major Boost Puts Del Mar Summer Purses Over $700,000 Daily; Ship And Win Bonuses Doubled

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., will implement a major purse increase for its upcoming summer race meeting opening on Saturday, July 17, including substantial increases in all overnight purses and record incentives for owners and trainers that ship out-of-state horses to race at Del Mar through its popular “Ship and Win” program, track officials have announced.

Average daily overnight purses for the 2021 season will be increased by over 30% as compared to 2019 levels during which the track operated an uninterrupted racing schedule. With the increases announced today, Del Mar expects to average more than $700,000 a day in purses this summer.

The “Ship and Win” program for horses entering from outside California is doubling both its participation fee for owners (from $2,000 to $4,000) and its purse bonus from 20% to 40% for all eligible races. The purse bonus will be upped to 50% for dirt races in the “Ship and Win” program.

“We've got some real momentum in California as we prepare for the 2021 season and, based on the inquiries we're receiving, owners and trainers are taking notice,” said Del Mar's executive vice president for racing, Tom Robbins. “Our partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners of California, TVG and The Stronach Group has us on track for one of the most lucrative seasons in Del Mar history, which will be a boost for California racing and help set the stage for us to host the Breeders' Cup here again in November.”

The 2021 purse enhancements are due in part to a partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners of California, FanDuel Group's TVG horse racing television network and advance-deposit wagering platform and The Stronach Group's 1/ST Racing. The multi-party agreement, announced earlier this year, is expected to inject up to $15 million into California Thoroughbred purses and programs over the next two years.

In addition, Del Mar's total handle for its 2020 racing seasons was well above initial projections – despite fans not being allowed onsite – adding funding to the purse increases for the upcoming live racing season.

Among the increases for overnights, maiden special weight races will jump from $55,000 during the 2020 summer meet to $70,000 this summer, maiden-claiming $20,000 races rise from $19,000 last year to $25,000 and open $40,000 claiming races purses will increase from $37,000 to $47,000.

As an example of how these increases affect the “Ship and Win” program, a maiden special weight race on the main track this summer will carry a purse of $105,000 ($70,000 plus a 50% bonus) plus a $4,000 starter bonus for out of state horses that qualify for the program.

“Anticipation for Del Mar's race meetings is always high among horsemen but it will be even more so this year with the increased purse structure announced today,” said Gary Fenton, chairman of the TOC. “We look forward to continuing our work with the state's key racing stakeholders to further strengthen California's year-round racing program.”

Track officials also noted that Del Mar's 2021 stakes schedule will be released in the coming weeks and that purse levels will be raised for several of its summer stakes races.

Del Mar will offer a 31-day summer racing season this year after racing 27 days in 2020. It will open with Saturday and Sunday cards (July 17-18), then switch to a Thursday through Sunday schedule for the balance of the meet. The summer season will close, as usual, on Labor Day, Monday, September 6.

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Kentucky Derby Museum Begins Construction On Expanded Black Heritage In Racing Exhibit

Construction is underway on the first floor of Kentucky Derby Museum, where an expanded Black Heritage in Racing exhibit will open at the end of March.

The exhibit, a permanent display inside the Museum since 1993, documents the stories and contributions of Black horsemen in the sport of horse racing. With support from Churchill Downs and the James Graham Brown Foundation, the Black Heritage in Racing exhibit will move from the second floor to a larger and more prominent location on the first floor of the Museum.

The new exhibit space is just under 930 square feet, which is 20 times larger than the current exhibit space. This increased footprint will allow the Museum to display more of its collection of artifacts pertaining to Black History in the sport, add new components such as oral history interviews and artwork, and provide visitors the best experience possible. The exhibit walks guests through Black Heritage in horse racing history, from the early days when Black horsemen dominated the sport, to the Jim Crow era that led to the exclusion of Black jockeys, and to modern times.

Black Heritage in Racing Collection

The Black Heritage in Racing Collection at the Museum features several components, including the expanded exhibit, a new tour, and “Proud of My Calling,” a monthly, 60-minute live acting performance that brings the stories of Black horsemen to life. A Black Heritage in Racing traveling exhibit will be created to travel to museums, community centers, visitor centers and churches. Additionally, the Museum's Education Team teaches thousands of students each year through two programs focusing on Black Heritage in Racing during field trips, in-school teaching and virtual learning.

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