Meeting led by P.J. Campo ~ 30 attendees
Update on South Florida Racing. No deal yet. Talks get close or agreement is reached at the local level, then Churchill doesn’t accept them. Stay tuned.
Track/barn/stall Issues:
- Possibility that the new chute and path for horses in Barns 21 and 22 will be widened, rather than making an on and an off chute.
- Railing for the new chute is being prepared.
- Gate extensions for stall doors in 21 and 22 are available.
- additional lighting for the track has been ordered. Recall that these solar lights are special ordered and will take a while.
- Rocks on the horse path. Once a week, the crew will “walk” the path and pick up rocks.
- When there’s a loose horse on the track, the gates will be left open, at the request of the outriders.
- Permitting is underway for a viewing stand by the new barns.
- Two large ice machines have been ordered for the new barns.
- Between barns 4 and 5 the fence will be extended to prevent hoses from going into the ditch.
- The barn access road will be re-paved at some point in the near future.
- A larger issue is the lack of a dedicated receiving barn and a lack of a workable race day process for ship-ins. This makes the state vets’ jobs very difficult. Talks on these issues will continue.
- Equilab will spray for mosquitos at the new barns on a weekly basis.
- Under consideration: Harrowing the entire width of the track at the first break the right way (to give a compete fresh tack for galloping and working; harrowing two widths of the harrows the right way and the outside rail (for wrong way joggers) the second break.
- In the next day or two, trainers will be asked to fill out a form on two-year-olds: How Many and When! Management is working on how to accommodate the new two-year-old racing scenario.
Other Issues:
- Make sure your owners have their new licenses!!
- After the Eclipse Awards, the Paddock/Walking Area will have plants with horses’ numbers (where to put the Jockeys up).
- The Parking Lot exit to Aventura will get better lighting.
- The Parking lots will be re-lined and re-configured re stop sign placement to solve the safety issues.
- Owners and Trainers should resubmit FHBPA membership cards to be eligible for Claiming Protection. Sign up at the FHBPA office.
Chaplain Tom’s notes: • A van will be made available to transport backside employees back and forth on the Gulfstream property and for off-property events.
- Flu shots were available at no cost on January 9.