Despite This Preference I Wholeheartedly Support a Strong Ohio Accredited Program at Its

JAMES FRASER

My wife Jane and I have been members of the OTBO beginning in 1974 and reside on a 21- acre horse farm in theCincinnati suburb of Indian Hill just inside the I-275 beltway.I started in the horse business at age 24 in 1968,soon after graduation from the University of Pennsylvania with the purchase of a 50% interest in an Aqueduct S/W and multiple Ohio S/W broodmare from which we have three 4th and 5th generation broodmares along with two other broodmares acquired along the way.We sell all colts and most fillies, retaining a race filly annually with the hope of a future broodmare if quite successful at the track.We foal our mares ourselves and personally van back and forth to Lexington for breed backs such that the mares are out of state for only 5 hours. Currently we breed to only Kentucky stallionsbecause Kentucky has the best sire lines internationally so close, and results in foals with commercial appeal.

Despite this preference I wholeheartedly support a strong Ohio Accredited program at its current 25 % exclusive level for Ohio Fund races while fully eligible for the other 75% of Ohio Fund races. I stood an Ohio stallion from 1984-1987 and have the utmost respect for Ohioans who stand Ohio stallions.Accredited breds represent the fastest and easiest way to rebuild our states foal count by having new owners in Ohio enter the business especially if the OTBO can resume its Ohio yearling and mixed sale.The OTBO needs to accomplish this as well as conducting monthly new owner seminars at each Ohio track during their racing dates.

Ohio’s MSW purses range from 21,600 to 29,500 which compares favorably with surrounding tracks such as Turfway,Ellis, Indiana Grand, Arlington,Hawthorne,and Mountaineer. We even exceed Tampa Bay.We have come a long way since 2011 with only 136 in the foal count now up to above 300 (last full year count in 2015 was 360),thanks to Racino purse contributions and the 3% that comes from the 4 Ohio casinos.

I have been on the OTBO board for the past three years as well as 1986-1992, and advocate for an OTBO yearling and mixed sale, new owner monthly seminars at the tracks, and support for a turf course at Thistledown.I also think the OTBO needs to encourage syndications of Ohio yearling purchases to enlarge ownership participation in Ohio.Professionally I am semi-retired and Chairman of Brakefire,Inc. dba Silco Fire & Security headquartered in Cincinnati with branches in Dayton,Columbus,Akron and Cleveland.