February 18, 2025 Edition

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Inside This Issue

• Breeders, Horsemen Unite to Fight Florida Decoupling Bills

• FTBOA Member Spotlight: Craig Wheeler

• Florida-bred Roll On Big Joe Earns 102 Beyer With Palos Verdes Score

• Tampa Bay HBPA Interview With FTBOA Member Jayson Werth

• Breeders’ Cup Late Nomination Deadline Closes Feb. 28

• NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll

• NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

• 2024-2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby & Kentucky Oaks

• Decoupling: What You Need to Know

• Decoupling: A Multibillion-Dollar Threat to Florida’s World-Renowned Thoroughbred Legacy

• Florida-breds in Stakes

• Florida Stallion Progeny

• Florida Breeders' List

• W2W Business Place

Florida Stallion Registration Deadline – Feb 18

(Extended from Feb. 15 due to falling on a weekend/holiday)

Click here for registration form

NEW • Call to Action Florida

Tell the Florida SENATE to vote NO on Decoupling – SB 408.

Click here to send a letter

Tell Florida State legislators to oppose HB 105 (decoupling Gulfstream Park's racing and gaming licenses).

Click here to sign the National HBPA Petition

Breeders, Horsemen Unite to Fight Florida Decoupling Bills

Former Kentucky Senate Leader Thayer to Advise Group 


PRESS RELEASE


OCALA, FL—The Thoroughbred Racing Initiative—an industry collaboration created to fight for live horse racing in Florida and elsewhere in the United States — officially launched today.


The TRI’s immediate mission is to bring the Thoroughbred industry together to provide funding and other resources to defeat anti-racing and breeding legislation in the Florida House of Representatives (HB 105) and Senate (SB 408). Those bills would allow Gulfstream Park to keep its gaming licenses without the current mandate that it also conduct live racing. HB 105 was amended to let Tampa Bay Downs maintain its card club without live racing, although the 99-year-old Oldsmar track issued a statement stressing its commitment to horse racing and saying it did not initiate the bill amendment.


“Thoroughbred racing in Florida is under attack,” said TRI president David O’Farrell, general manager of his family’s Ocala Stud. “The bills filed in the Florida legislature threaten the future of live racing, breeding and our 33,500 jobs and $3.24 billion economic impact. This isn’t just a Florida issue; the ripple effects will impact racing and breeding nationwide. For decades, Florida legislators have protected the Thoroughbred industry, but this bill prioritizes corporate interests over horsemen, breeders and our industry’s huge agri-business and tourism contributions. We must take a stand now to ensure Thoroughbred racing has a future.”


The TRI is the brainchild of O’Farrell, TRI vice president and prominent owner-breeder Jon Green of DJ Stable and trainer Mark Casse, a member of both the North American and Canadian racing halls of fame. Dr. Barry Eisaman, a veterinarian who with wife Shari operate the full-service farm Eisaman Equine in Williston, also is a founding member. 

View Full Story Here
Click for more information to donate to TRI

Craig Wheeler (left) and Mike Hall (right) with Florida-bred Imprimis


FTBOA Member Spotlight: Craig Wheeler

BY SARAH WELK BAYNUM


Craig Wheeler's distinguished career in the Thoroughbred industry began far from the track - in Rhode Island, where his family was more interested in yachting than horses.

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Floridda-bred Roll On Big Joe - ©Benoit


Florida-bred Roll On Big Joe Earns 102 Beyer With Palos Verdes Score

BY BROCK SHERIDAN


Roll On Big Joe, a four-length winner of the Grade 3 Palos Verdes at Santa Anita Saturday, was credited with a 102 Beyer Speed Figure while producing his first career stakes victory. Trained by Bob Hess Jr. for Tim Cohen’s Rancho Temescal LLC, David Marabella’s White Fence LLC and Richard Hale Jr., Roll On Big Joe covered six furlongs in 1:08.60.

View Full Story Here

Video Feature:

Tampa Bay HBPA

Tampa Bay HBPA Interview With FTBOA Member Jayson Werth

This video featuring Florida Thoroughbred horse owner Jayson Werth was produced for the Tampa Bay HBPA by Cheri Prill, Stunning Steeds LLC, Equine Marketing.

Watch Full Video Here

Breeders' Cup Late Nomination Deadline Closes Feb. 28

BREEDERS' CUP PRESS RELEASE


LEXINGTON, KY― Friday, Feb. 28 at 11:59 p.m. EST is the last opportunity to nominate foals born in 2024 to the Breeders' Cup program for a one-time late nomination fee of $1,500 USD.

View Full Story Here

©Remi‬⁩ Bellocq for The Florida Horse

Decoupling: What You Need to Know

Click to Learn More
Download PDF

Sunday, February 16

Monday, February 17

Saturday, February 22

Sunday, February 23

Learn more about each Florida-bred.

Click on the Florida-bred Stakes to be taken to the FTBOA website

with additional information on each Florida-bred.

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WiretoWire

About Us


Florida Equine Communications is the voice of the Florida Thoroughbred industry.

Wire to Wire is the daily racing digest published and distributed digitally by subscription and available at ftboa.com/news/Wire to Wire online is delivered daily to inboxes worldwide.

 

Wire to Wire online features original content produced by our editors with additional 

headline stories pertinent to the industry.


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