Florida Legislature Considers Decoupling Live Racing from Casino Operations at Gulfstream Park
The Florida Legislature is deliberating a significant change to the state’s horse racing industry through…
Preserving Florida’s Equine Legacy: David O’Farrell’s Stand Against Decoupling Legislation
In a heartfelt letter to the editor published by the Ocala Gazette, David O’Farrell, General…
Florida’s Horse Racing Heritage at Risk: The Perils of Decoupling Legislation
David O’Farrell, a third-generation horseman and general manager of Ocala Stud Farm, warns against Florida’s…
Florida Senate Committee Advances Decoupling Bill with Amended Seven-Year Transition Period
The Florida Senate Committee on Regulated Industries approved Senate Bill 408, a contentious piece of…
Florida Senate Committee Advances Decoupling Bill Amid Industry Opposition
On April 1, the Florida Senate Regulated Industries Committee voted 5-2 to advance Senate Bill…
Florida Senate Committee Advances Decoupling Bill with Seven-Year Racing Guarantee for Gulfstream Park
A Florida Senate committee has advanced a bill that would allow Gulfstream Park to operate…
Florida Senate Committee Pushes Forward on Controversial Decoupling Bill
A Florida Senate committee voted to advance Senate Bill 408, which would remove the requirement…
Insights and Analyses from HRRN’s Equine Forum – March 29, 2025
The Tampa Bay Downs Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association (Tampa Bay Downs HBPA) has intensified…
Tampa Bay Downs HBPA Stands Firm Against Florida’s Decoupling Legislation
The Tampa Bay Downs Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association (Tampa Bay Downs HBPA) has intensified…
Video: Mark Casse: Just the training of horses in Ocala has huge impact on local economy
Dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, who operates one of the largest thoroughbred training centers…
Video: Florida House Committee Passes Decoupling Bill
This week on Rail Talk! Joe Bianca and Jon Green are back from Ocala, and…
National HBPA CEO Eric Hamelback Addresses Florida Decoupling Bill and NYT Article in Quarterly Letter
The Florida House of Representatives’ Commerce Committee recently approved House Bill 105 with a 13-7…
Florida House Committee Advances Decoupling Legislation Amid Industry Concerns
The Florida House of Representatives’ Commerce Committee recently approved House Bill 105 with a 13-7…
Florida House Committee Advances Controversial Decoupling Bill, Threatening Thoroughbred Racing Industry
On March 17, 2025, the Florida House Commerce Committee approved House Bill 105 with a…
Florida Horsemen Face Uphill Battle Against Gulfstream Park’s Decoupling Proposal
The Florida horse racing community is grappling with a legislative proposal that threatens the future…
DAVID O’FARRELL: Florida’s Thoroughbred Legacy Under Attack
David O’Farrell, a third-generation Florida horseman and general manager of Ocala Stud, warns that House…
Video: Randy Hartley: ‘It takes 20 people to take care of 40 horses’
Prominent 2-year-old trainer and consignor Randy Hartley of Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds shares just how labor intensive…
Video: Bill Russell DVM on Peterson Smith Equine Hospital: $22M annual sales, 130 employees, $7M payroll
Powerful testimony from veterinarian Bill Russell, a partner in Ocala’s Peterson Smith Equine Hospital, at…
Video: Chester Bishop, vice president of the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen at March 17 House commerce committee hearing
Chester Bishop, vice president of the 5,000-member Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen, is a Thoroughbred owner and…
Video: Teresa Palmer: HB 105 will have not just economic impact but family impact
“Please consider not only the economic impact but the family impact this bill would have…
Video: Chaplain Bob invites House panel to see ‘whose lives you’re touching… You can stay at my house’
Robert “Chaplain Bob” Miller of the Ocala Farm Ministry, who has been imbedded in with…
Video: Trainer Jena Antonucci: HB 105 does nothing to spur growth such as demonstrated in Kentucky and New York. Five years is not stability for our industry.”
Lifelong Ocala resident Jena Antonucci, who proudly describes herself as a small business and ag…
Video: TRI president and Ocala Stud GM David O’Farrell at March 17 hearing
David O’Farrell is the third-generation general manager of his family’s Ocala Stud, Florida’s oldest active…
Video: Tom Ventura’s testimony at March 17 House commerce committee hearing
Tom Ventura, president of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co., testified against Florida HB 105 (which…
House Committee to Review Bill That Could Impact Florida Horse Racing Industry
On Monday, a House committee will review HB 105, a bill that would eliminate the…
Q&A: Former Kentucky Senate Leader Thayer Now Focused on Blocking Gulfstream Decoupling
Damon Thayer, a longtime advocate for Kentucky’s horse racing industry, served as a state senator…
Allowing Gulfstream Park to operate a casino without live horse racing would devastate families like mine | Opinion
Allowing Gulfstream Park to keep its gaming licenses without the requirement to host live horse…
Expanded Bill on Decoupling Heads to Florida Committee Hearing
A controversial proposal, House Bill 105, that would allow Florida’s thoroughbred racetracks to decouple live…
State legislators hold a critical Florida industry in their hands: horse racing | Opinion
Florida’s thoroughbred horse industry, valued at $3.24 billion annually and supporting 33,500 jobs, is facing…
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse: “Decoupling would be an economic disaster”
“Ocala is my world.” That’s Mark Casse, a Thoroughbred racing Hall of Famer in both…