TRI

Robert “Chaplain Bob” Miller of the Ocala Farm Ministry, who has been imbedded in with horse-industry families, told the Florida House commerce committee that it’s ‘the hardest-working community I’ve ever lived in, and I’ve lived in a lot of places in the world.

Lifelong Ocala resident Jena Antonucci, who proudly describes herself as a small business and ag business owner, is the first female Thoroughbred trainer to win a Triple Crown race. That, she acknowledged when testifying before the Florida House Commerce Committee on March 17 “is mind-blowing.

David O’Farrell is the third-generation general manager of his family’s Ocala Stud, Florida’s oldest active thoroughbred farm that currently is home to 361 thoroughbreds and employs 82 families. O’Farrell also is chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association as well as president and a founding member of the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative, created to fight for live horse racing.

Tom Ventura, president of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co., testified against Florida HB 105 (which would let Gulfstream Park keep its gaming licenses without live horse racing) during the March 17 House Commerce Committee meeting.

On Monday, a House committee will review HB 105, a bill that would eliminate the requirement for Florida thoroughbred tracks—Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs—to host a minimum number of live races to operate their casinos. Damon Thayer, a former longtime Kentucky state lawmaker and senior adviser for the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative, a group opposing the legislation, spoke with FOX 35 News+ to discuss concerns about the bill.

Damon Thayer, a longtime advocate for Kentucky’s horse racing industry, served as a state senator from 2003 and spent 12 years as Senate Majority Leader. His most significant legislative achievement was securing authorization for historical horse racing machines, which have since strengthened Kentucky’s racing circuit. After announcing he wouldn’t seek re-election, Thayer transitioned into a lobbying role, focusing on racing issues, particularly opposing a Florida bill that would allow Gulfstream Park to separate its racing license from its casino operations.

Allowing Gulfstream Park to keep its gaming licenses without the requirement to host live horse racing would bring severe economic harm to Florida without offering any real benefit.

A controversial proposal, House Bill 105, that would allow Florida’s thoroughbred racetracks to decouple live racing from their casino operations is moving forward in the legislature. The bill, now expanded from five to 29 pages, is set for a key hearing in the House commerce committee. Opponents argue that this bill will devastate Florida’s breeding industry by removing financial incentives for breeders, lowering purse minimums, and increasing state regulatory control over training tracks

Florida’s thoroughbred horse industry, valued at $3.24 billion annually and supporting 33,500 jobs, is facing a major threat from House Bill 105. This legislation would allow casino owners to sever live racing from their operations, leading to the closure of key tracks like Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. Without these tracks, Florida’s thoroughbred breeding and racing industry could collapse, forcing jobs and economic benefits to relocate to states like Kentucky.

“Ocala is my world.” That’s Mark Casse, a Thoroughbred racing Hall of Famer in both America and Canada. In this interview with Alicia Hughes shot at the Casse Racing training center in Ocala, Casse speaks out about the devastating consequences for a labor-intensive industry if decoupling legislation passes.