HOW DOES NIXED FEE PROGRAM AFFECT NTRA'S MARKETING PLANS?

          The NTRA has "backed off its voluntary" 1% fee on
     thoroughbreds purchased at public auction, according to
     Glenye Cain of the DAILY RACING FORM, who writes that the
     decision was made "at the recommendation" of the NTRA's
     Advisory Committee, which was "created in response" to
     protests over the proposed fee.  Advisory Committee Chair
     Nick Nicholson said that the NTRA "would return to the
     original voluntary fee," one-tenth of 1%.  NTRA CEO Tim
     Smith "blamed poor communications" for the 1% program's
     "failure," saying "We did ask people about it, but evidently
     we didn't ask enough."  The NTRA's approved budget "depended
     partly on a good response" to the program.  Smith, on the
     budget: "It included [$4.6-4.7M] that we had anticipated
     from the buyers' program, which we now realize won't
     happen."  Smith added that the NTRA "had already made" $3.2M
     in cuts, including $1.5M in advertising, TV and marketing
     and $350,000 in personnel, in order to "adjust to the
     program's aborted launch" (DAILY RACING FORM, 9/15).