Do You Want to Keep Quarter Horse Racing Alive in Florida?

AQHA

EMAIL THE GAMING BILL SPONSORS

TO: FQHRA Members & AQHA Florida Members

DATE: February 21, 2018

SUBJECT: EMAIL THE BILL SPONSORS!

This is a second call to action requesting your help to email the gaming bill sponsors! Now is the time for the Florida Legislature to decide to either save or put the quarter horse racing industry out of business. Let them know you want to keep quarter horse racing alive in Florida and to please save our industry!

ACTION NEEDED:

Email Senator Travis Hutson (hutson.travis@flsenate.gov) sponsor of SB 840 and Rep. Mike LaRosa (mike.larosa@myfloridahouse.gov) sponsors of HB 7067 and tell them you want two things:

– Do not de-couple quarter horse race tracks or allow race tracks keep their cardrooms and slot machines without live quarter horse racing, and;

– Clarify the law so that both a quarter horse and the quarter horse race are BOTH registered with the AQHA. FQHRA’s position on current pari-mutuels is simple: just follow the law. If a quarter horse track has a permit to run 40 days of horse races, then they should be required to run the appropriate number of live races and not be rewarded with the ability to have card rooms or slot machines without following the intent and spirit of the law.

FQHRA’s position on current pari-mutuels is simple: just follow the law. If a quarter horse track has a permit to run 40 days of horse races, then they should be required to run the appropriate number of live races and not be rewarded with the ability to have card rooms or slot machines without following the intent and spirit of the law.

2018 Florida Quarter Horse Racing

PROPOSED CHANGES:

s. 550.002(28), F.S. – “Quarter horse” means a breed of horse developed in the western United States which is capable of high speed for a short distance and used in quarter horse races registered with the American Quarter Horse Association.

CURRENT SITUATION:

Pari-mutuel quarter horse racetracks, quarter horse permitted casinos and card rooms and the resulting horse breeding activity in Florida is an important business enterprise. Revenue derived, both directly and indirectly, constitutes a significant part of the tax structure which funds the operation of the state. However, due to activities performed in recent years as a result of unclear laws regarding quarter horse racing and the need to protect the health, safety, and welfare of both the public and horses, the current gaming laws of the state regulating the quarter horse industry need to be clarified to ensure the fulfillment of the legislative intent to provide for “legitimate” quarter horse racing.

AQHA RACING RULES:

In the rules of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), RAC 300.3 states “in cases where races eligible for AQHA recognition are run under the supervision of a Racing Authority, the Racing Authority’s rules take precedence. While rules of Racing Authorities take precedence, AQHA, for purposes of AQHA records and programs, reserves the right to deny or revoke recognition of a race which does not observe the rules and regulations contained herein. American Quarter Horse racing is defined as two or more American Quarter Horses registered with the American Quarter Horse Association, entered and competing in the same race at the same time from a regulation starting gate, at distances and conditions recognized by AQHA and running at full speed, unimpeded by obstacles, thru a common finish line. Also see rules RAC301 and RAC302.”