The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today the formation of the Horseplayers’ Coalition, a consortium of horseplayers whose common objective is to seek legislative and regulatory solutions to tax and business issues that impact racing fans and pari-mutuel racetracks.
The Horseplayers’ Coalition will provide grass roots support for the NTRA’s lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill. Participants can track the progress of legislation online at www.horseplayerscoalition.com, where they will also find legislative news, press releases and position papers on a variety of legislative issues. The Web site will also be the portal for Coalition members to send grass roots communications to members of Congress using stylized message points.
“Our nation’s horseplayers provide the capital that fuels so much of the horse industry, and the new Horseplayers’ Coalition will finally give this group a means of speaking with a unified voice in Washington, D.C.,” said Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of the NTRA.
“The concerns of horseplayers are an important part of the NTRA’s lobbying efforts,” said Peggy Hendershot, Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs for the NTRA. “We encourage all fans to take an active role in these efforts by joining the Coalition. Together we can make a real difference in addressing the many issues, like withholding and taxation, that affect players on a daily basis.”
The cost to join the Horseplayers’ Coalition is $25. Individuals may enroll online at www.horseplayerscoalition.com. They may also join by sending a check for $25, payable to NTRA, to Horseplayers’ Coalition, c/o NTRA, 2525 Harrodsburg Road, Suite 400, Lexington, Ky., 40504.
Horseplayers can also join the Coalition by participating in the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship Tour (NHC Tour). A portion of each $125 NHC Tour registration fee will be earmarked for the Coalition, and supporters will also automatically receive access to NTRA Advantage, which provides preferred pricing on products and services from such NTRA Advantage Partners as John Deere, UPS, OfficeDepot, Sherwin-Williams, Toshiba and others.
The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and New York City. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA web site, NTRA.com.
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