NTRA board member Brian Krantz said that the
organization will "not be able to arrive at a resolution of
its membership dispute until after" a meeting next month at
Gulfstream Park in FL, according to Matt Hegarty of the
DAILY RACING FORM. Last Thursday at the Univ. of AZ
Symposium on Racing, Churchill Downs Chair Tom Meeker
presented a proposal from 20 of the 22 defecting tracks to
the NTRA board, but both NTRA and track officials "declined
to comment specifically on the proposal." NTRA
VP/Communications Chip Tuttle did say "substantial progress
was made on the membership issue," which Hegarty wrote added
to "speculation that the organization and the tracks are
close to reaching an agreement." An agreement is "expected
to address the NTRA's partnership with TVG," and the tracks
are "also expected to ask the NTRA to consider a change to
its board election procedures" (DAILY RACING FORM, 12/9).
NTRA CEO Tim Smith said that the organization is
"considering proposals to alter its relationship" with TVG,
"including ceasing to take wagers for TVG through a hub" in
OR. Smith: "Opening a hub is not central to the NTRA's
strategic mission. Getting more people exposed through a
basic cable-type horse racing channel is central to our
goal. So I think this will need to be worked through with
TVG, but those discussions have at least started."
Meanwhile, Smith said that the NTRA's ad campaigns "had
succeeded in raising the profile of the sport," but he added
that the organization's advertising "now must begin
attracting more fans to racetracks" (DRF, 12/10).
