Keeneland’s Thomason Elected NTRA Chair

[Wandering Eyes]

Bill Thomason, who serves the Keeneland Association as its current president and chief executive officer, has been elected the Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). The announcement came Thursday following the organization’s regularly scheduled third-quarter Board Meeting. He has been a member of the NTRA’s Board of Directors since 2012.

Additionally, Craig Fravel, President and CEO of Breeders’ Cup Limited, was elected to the position of vice chair of the NTRA. Thomason and Fravel will serve as chair and vice chair, respectively, of a newly established executive committee of the Board which will also include Greg Avioli, president and CEO of the Thoroughbred Owners of California; Alan Foreman, chairman and CEO of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association; and Mike Ziegler, director of racing at Churchill Downs Inc.

“The NTRA remains one of the most important national organizations in horse racing,” Thomason said. “The entire industry has realized the benefits of the NTRA’s legislative advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. Likewise, programs like the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance are leading the way toward establishing a safer and fairer racing environment for all participants in our sport. I look forward to working on behalf of the NTRA with our board and many industry partners who share our commitment to Thoroughbred racing.”

NTRA also announced the addition to the Board of Glen Berman, representing the Florida HBPA; Jim Gagliano, president and COO of The Jockey Club, who is replacing longtime board member Robert Clay; Del Mar President Josh Rubenstein, replacing Craig Dado; and Ziegler, who is replacing William Mudd as the board representative for Churchill Downs Inc.

“We welcome each of the new members to the NTRA Board of Directors and thank each of the outgoing board members for their commitment to the NTRA, especially Robert Clay for almost 20 years of faithful service to the organization,” said NTRA President and Chief Executive Officer Alex Waldrop.

The Board received updates on the NTRA’s various federal legislative activities, including the impacts of new regulations modernizing withholding and reporting of pari-mutuel winnings, and also received updates from the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance, the National Horseplayers’ Championship and the Eclipse Awards.

 

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