Board prepares for busy fall

The Indiana Standardbred Association (ISA) Board of Directors met for their monthly meeting Monday, September 14 with all 15 directors in attendance. Regular business was discussed before talking about some new initiatives coming up this fall.

Adam Kallick and Matt Norris gave legislative updates regarding the upcoming elections in November. They noted chairpersons of committees would not be named until late November or early December.

The ISA is planning another Legislative Day, Wednesday, September 30 with a few legislators planning to attend. The evening will provide a look inside Standardbred racing for the guests, including dinner in the Clubhouse, starting gate rides, and a visit to the backstretch. The event is similar to what has been done in the past to educate and familiarize those in the State House about Indiana’s horse racing program.

Several chairs of various ISA committees gave reports. Rhys Helt talked about the application for recommendation that has been submitted to the Indiana Horse Racing Commission prior to their October 9 meeting. Jamie Macomber updated the board that everything is on schedule for the upcoming Midwest Standardbred Horse Sale (MSHS) and catalogs are out. Zach Miller noted college assistance applications for the Spring semester are due December 31 while Doug Rideout provided insight on the second series of the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit, which is going well with a lot of participation.

Carrie Hollman explained a few events coming up, including an Owner’s/Breeders’ Night and Halloween bags for kids at the MSHS. Hollman has also been working with Daryl Miller about an informational meeting to include breeders, possibly holding it this winter in the Northern part of the state with guest speakers, legislative updates, and information on the stability of the horse racing program in the state. Miller hopes to incorporate an auction, similar to what other states do, to raise funding for various activities for the state.

Another big topic at the meeting was information on the upcoming Impact Study, which will be conducted by Purdue University. Tony Renz, executive director of the ISA, has been working closely with Purdue and all the breed organizations in the state. They have an all-breed meeting coming up this month and hope to have copies and I-Pads ready to go to collect data to accurately fulfill the latest Impact Study. President John DeLong said he hopes to get breeders to participate in this study and noted the importance of having as much data as possibly to correctly represent racing in the state. He also said downtown efforts are the most important things we can do, and completing the Impact Study by everyone involved strengthens the state horse racing program with accurate data.   

Impact Study information is filled out anonymously, even on the I-pads. Renz noted last time the majority of data received was online. DeLong said the survey takes about 12 minutes to fully complete. The ISA will purchase an ad in the Midwest Harness Report to help spread the word about filling out the survey and the ad will provide a QR Code for easy access to the survey.

Hollman also reported an uptick in membership for the ISA, which is now up to 1,000 members. She said the current QR Code available for membership has been very successful with 125 members joining through that portal.

The ISA will once again supply candy and participate in the upcoming Trunk or Treat event at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. They have also secured gifts for the Indiana Sires Stakes Finals Super Night, including cooler chairs, blankets, gift certificates to the Backstretch Café, and they are working on t-shirts. ISA Horsemen’s Representative Rick Uppal will retrieve the items from the ISA Office and get them to Harrah’s Hoosier Park before Super Night.

Renz also reminded directors about the upcoming FFA National Convention coming to Central Indiana. The event brings lots of visitors out to the track for tours, and Renz asked for volunteers.

Renz and DeLong also talked about a recent Hambletonian meeting, as planning is already underway for the major sporting event coming to Indiana. Gabe Prewitt is working on the stakes schedule for that day while Joe Morris is finalizing the racing dates for next season.

Renz noted John Adamsky, who facilitates the ISA’s Website and graphics, is finalizing a commercial that should be ready to show at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. He hopes to have the commercial completed by Super Night.

President DeLong reported financials for pari-mutuel racing look good even with the purse increases.

Renz asked to get all ISA Directors fitted with shirts representing the ISA for upcoming events. The board also agreed to skip the October meeting due to the timing of so many events in the early part of that month. The board will reconvene for the November meeting Tuesday, November 10.

Daryl Miller also noted the tight time frame this year for the Northern Indiana Open Barn event, offering a day to inspect yearlings and visit numerous farms prior to the sales. The date is tentatively set for September 28 and 29 to avoid sales in Lexington and also give buyers time prior to the MSHS.

Renz asked the board about bringing Indy Sports Corp out for racing this fall to help familiarize them with the racing program as well as provide an insight into the property as they prepare for next year’s presentation of the Hambletonian. Renz hopes to get them secured for the upcoming Caesars Night as the first option for a visit.

Ernie Gaskin gave some updates on the Hambletonian Society and delivered a message from the executive board of the Hambletonian. He said they wanted him to congratulate each director for their hard work and vision that has catapulted Indiana racing to the forefront and most recently acquiring the Hambletonian. He noted Indiana is setting the standards, and they are looking at the whole structure of racing in Indiana. Gaskin explained he has been in the state since the beginning and the sport has been places he never before imagined, and a lot of thanks goes to the ISA board for leading those efforts. He also noted the dedication and hard work of President DeLong through recent years that has also led to these successes.

Jamie Macomber also pointed out the hard work and expertise Rhys Helt has brought to the board. Helt brings a unique perspective from the financial world and has made some minor adjustments to the financials of the board that has already paid off. She noted how important it is to try to keep him on the board as he moves into the upcoming election. Helt, a longtime owner, has an enormous passion for racing and has volunteered countless hours to assist with book work and behind the scenes organizational skills to set the ISA up for success.

Renz continued the conversation by saying each person on the board has their role and they are getting recognized nationally.

Conversation was held about the upcoming election for the ISA board. Ballots will go out in the mail next week. Renz added there is language in the ballot regarding the directional location proposals. Members will be asked to vote on that language in addition to the director positions that are up for election.

Ballots will be counted by the election committee prior to the next ISA meeting Tuesday, November 10.