The horse racing industry in Florida is world-renowned for both its breeding and racing of thoroughbreds. The Ocala area boasts most of the State’s breeding farms and helps make Florida the second largest producer of thoroughbred racehorses in the United States after Kentucky. Racing in Florida, and particularly at Gulfstream Park, is the envy of...Read More
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 2016-2017 Applications are now being accepted for the FHBPA Scholarship Program for the 2016-2017 school year. Those eligible to apply for these Scholarships include the following persons that work with our equine athletes, and the workers’ dependents, who reside in Florida full-time: licensed trainers, assistant trainers, foremen, grooms, exercise riders, pony persons...Read More
Soon after my arrival as FHBPA Executive Director in February this year, I was greeted with a deluge of positive tests being called against trainers by the State of Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering (the “Division”). I came to learn that Florida passed into law changes to Permitted Medications...Read More
To all Horsemen, I would just like to extend a thank you to everyone that attended the Decoupling Meeting that was presented on May 19th at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion. Your attentiveness and participation throughout the meeting with thoughtful follow up questions was noted and appreciated. I would also like to thank those that volunteered their...Read More
Re-elected on March 24, 2016 to a second term as President of the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association was William P. “Bill” White, who led the organization this past year to defeat what would have been a major overhaul of state pari-mutuel statutes to the detriment of Florida horse racing and breeding operations. With...Read More
ATTENTION FLORIDA HORSEMEN: ANTI-STACKING RULES IN EFFECT There have been reports of positive drug tests being called recently for “Stacking” of the Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory (NSAID) drugs Flunixin (Banamine), Ketoprofen (Ketofen) and Phenylbutazone (Bute). When more than one of these drugs is used (stacked) and detected, the thresholds are greatly reduced. Banamine goes from an individual...Read More
To honor a man of such mythological proportions that the nickname “Giant Killer” he earned so early in life stuck with him for the rest of his stellar Thoroughbred training career, his friends came together at Gulfstream Park to remember him in a winner’s circle ceremony sponsored by the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association...Read More
With the careful tabulation of an external accounting firm, ballots were tallied for the 2016-2017 Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association Board of Directors today, March 15, 2016. “We are pleased to welcome our new Board Members in what will be an even more critical year for Florida Thoroughbred racing,” said Florida HBPA Elections Chairman Marcus...Read More
Even though decoupling as part of the Seminole Gaming Compact legislation was declared “dead” last Friday, March 4, a hostile decoupling amendment had been quietly filed the same day to HB 1187 and later to SB 1050 this week. With pari-mutuel issues notoriously known to surface during the latest stages of the process, United Florida Horsemen stood strong...Read More
Ice, Ice Baby!! As of March 9, 2016, the new ice machine at Gulfstream Park West (Calder) is now operational and is located behind the Maintenance Garage and ready for horsemen’s use! Come on by and get your cool on! Read More
