President’s Message

Dr. Fager

President’s Message by Anthony Spadea, Jr

Dear Members, Supporters and Fans:

As lifelong fans of thoroughbred racing, we have a certain enthusiasm for telling stories about racing.

But we have another story that we need to tell that isn’t just about racing or wins and losses. Racing is of course all about the elite horses who thunder down the stretch, but these horses are also connected to our communities, to our farms and all the small businesses that depend on breeding farms and hay farms and the vitality of live racing as part of our farming culture.

It is hard to stand out when tax revenues from casinos, sports betting and the state lottery have soared to historic levels, but that has never been our story.

Even six years after the final race at Suffolk Downs, the New England Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association is still in the race for a new thoroughbred racetrack in Massachusetts. During this racing drought, we have weathered efforts to eliminate funding for our retirees and protected our breeding program.

Your HBPA is working hard to protect our programs and keep us in a position to secure a new racing facility. What are the odds?

Better than Rich Strike in the 2022 Kentucky Derby at 89-1

Thank you for your passion and your commitment to our mission.

Anthony