SHAKOPEE, MN – At their monthly meeting on Thursday, September 28, 2023, The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association board of directors unanimously approved a resolution to explore the addition of a “Minnesota registered” designation for horses. The classification, added to the Minnesota bred foal numbers, could keep the Minnesota racing program viable in the face of decreasing foal crops.

“The Board has concerns that with the foal crop down what the impact will be on racing at Canterbury in three or four years,” said Vice President Rick Bremer. “There may not be enough horses to fill races.”

While any proposal would need to go through the regulatory process, it’s important framework to begin a discussion. Similar state registered programs are in place in Delaware and Virginia.

One possibility is that once a weanling or yearling has spent six consecutive months in Minnesota it can apply to become Minnesota registered. The privileges would include the ability to run in Minnesota bred overnight races and stakes, though not include the additional breeders’ money for winning open races.  That would be restricted to horses foaled in Minnesota only.

“Having the ‘home team’ running at the local racetrack is so important,” said Bremer. “We only have a small number of foaling farms here in Minnesota, but there is a larger variety of possible boarding barns around the state that could handle that.”

As the numbers stand today, the 2023 foal crop looks to be less than 80 foals for the first time and some type of action will need to be taken to keep Minnesota racing vibrant.  According to a 2017 study by the University of Minnesota, the state’s racing industry’s economic impact was over $400 million dollars and 5500 jobs. It’s clear that the loss of racing in the state would impact the state’s economy.

Theoretically, under the Minnesota registered program, a horse could, essentially, have “dual citizenship.” A mare could foal in Iowa, making the foal an Iowa bred, and the spend six months as a youth in Minnesota and become Minnesota Registered, thereby making the foal eligible for both the Iowa and Minnesota state bred stakes. This would make the horses even more valuable for breeders and owners.

The state legislature has been at loggerheads when it comes to sports betting, with the House bill limiting the franchise to the state’s Native American Nations while the Senate bill would include the tracks in the sports wagering calculation. The lack of a consensus has kept the state from adopting sports betting while the surrounding states have been able to move forward, and slot machines or even historical horse racing machines appear to be a longshot at best for Canterbury and Running Aces. Creative solutions need to be found.

“We’d really like to hear from industry participants,” said Bremer.  “Pro, con, other ideas…anything would be helpful.”

To make your voice heard, you can leave a comment here or on social media. You can also reach MTA board members here: https://minnesotabred.com/about/board-of-directors/ or via email to Executive Director Kay King at kay@minnesotabred.com. Many folks comment on social media about the problems of Minnesota racing, it’s past time to step up and start offering solutions.