Kentucky horse industry rallies in support of HHR legislation

Time is running short for a fix to Kentucky’s Historical Horse Racing (HHR) problem. After a September ruling by the state’s supreme court rendered the machines illegal, a lifeline of racing in the Commonwealth will need to be saved by the legislature.

On Monday, at a press conference outside trainer Tommy Drury’s barn at Skylight Training Center in Goshen, Kentucky, horsemen made their case for HHR machines while noting their loss mean the end of their livelihoods.

RELATED: Impact of losing HHR could go beyond the track

“The average people in Kentucky, obviously they know the Derby and they know Keeneland and they know Churchill, but there’s some that don’t realize Kentucky racing is year-round,” Drury said. “There are a lot of smaller horse trainers that, not only do they race in the summertime at Ellis Park and wintertime at Turfway Park.

Drury had his best year yet in 2020, training Art Collector winner of the Blue Grass Stakes (G2) and Ellis Park Derby before scratching from the Kentucky Derby and running eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

Drury spoke of the rest of his racing operation, which primarily operates out of Skylight and discussed how the HHR money that has boosted purses across Kentucky since it began in 2011, has impacted him on a personal level.

“I’ve got a family here, I’ve got kids here,” Drury said. “Being able to travel around the country is just not something that’s feasible for me. We’ve been struggling along the last several years to get through the winters at Turfway Park and the purse structure continues to drop, we continue to lose horses, it’s obviously made our job more difficult to stay in the business.”

Jockey Declan Cannon said the impending drop in purses and revenue --  which management at Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs have said could result in their permanent closure -- could force him out of Kentucky.

Cannon has been riding part of the year in Kentucky for the last five years, but this is his first year wintering at Turfway Park, which has seen a surge of trainers and riders staying this year due to competitive purses and a new Tapeta track surface.

“It’s paramount that we keep racing strong here,” Cannon said. “Traveling in the winter is very expensive and it’s nice to be home for the winter… When you say Kentucky it says horse racing. They know that’s the home of horse racing. It’s a great place to be and it's so important that we keep it protected.”

Trainers and jockeys like Drury and Cannon are not the only ones to be impacted by the HHR money, speakers at the press conference pointed out. For Steve Wade, owner of Skylight Supply, a tack shop that has been open since 1985,the results of trainers moving their operations out of the Bluegrass State could crush his family’s business.

Wade estimated that Thoroughbred racing represents the majority of his sales and to lose them means the store would cease to exist.

“It’s going to affect everybody in this state one way or  another,” Wade said. “Financially, it’s just going to be devastating.”

Agreeing with Wade was longtime farrier Gary Churchman, who has been working in Kentucky for over 40 years. Like Drury, he said the racing industry in the state has allowed him to be with his family instead of needing to travel for income

“I don’t like statistics and numbers, it’s lives and people,” Churchman said. “It’s people that raised their families and put them through college or put them back into our industry if they choose. I’m afraid that’s going to go away.”

Churchman compared the possible job loss caused by HHR removal to “Ford, GE and the teacher’s union all going away at the same time.”

Kentucky State Senator John Schickel has said he plans to introduce a bill to keep HHR legal on Tuesday, and have it discussed in committee on Thursday. The machines face issues of another sort in the legislature, as another bill to tax the machines at a higher rate has been introduced.

After the press conference, Kentucky HBPA executive director Marty Maline said he believes the impression that the machines are undertaxed is mistaken.

“Just look how much the general fund is making from HHR, it’s millions,” Maline said. “So it is fair, but you also have to look at how many people are impacted by the industry.”

The HBPA released information claiming HHR has sent $52 million directly to Kentucky’s general fund, with another $45 million per year being paid through direct and payroll benefits.

The Kentucky legislature must resolve the issue by March 30, when the current session must adjourn according to state law.