by Pete Denk

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association will award the Sales Integrity Task Force with its 2008 Industry Service Award at the TOBA National Awards Dinner on September 6 in Lexington.

The task force is a collection of bloodstock agents, breeders, executives, and others involved in the Thoroughbred industry.

“The individual and collective contributions from all members of the Sales Integrity Task Force must be recognized for their selfless giving of time as well as their expertise,” TOBA President Dan Metzger said. “Our industry was facing a daunting challenge and we responded with an unwavering commitment to integrity.”

TOBA created the Sales Integrity Task Force in 2004. The task force was reconvened in 2007 in response to a proposed bill in the Kentucky state house that would have required licensing of bloodstock agents and disclosure of ownership and medical information of horses at auction.

The task force recommended a bloodstock agent code of conduct, steroid testing, voluntary ownership and medical disclosure, and an updated list of prohibited practices. Sales companies Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland both adopted the task force’s recommendations.

TOBA manages the Sales Integrity Program, which was charged with overseeing the changes.

“The united and overwhelming support for the task force’s recommendations demonstrated that we can improve our industry by working together,” said Metzger, who also is a spokesperson for the Sales Integrity Program.

Members of the 2007 Task Force receiving the special honor include: John Adger (Stonerside Stables); Mike Akers (Dapple Bloodstock); Headley Bell (Nicoma Bloodstock); Jimmy Bell (Darley USA); Reynolds Bell Jr. (Reynolds Bell Thoroughbred Services); Wayne Boyd (Western Kentucky Horse Sales); Bill Casner (WinStar Farm); Robert Clay (Three Chimneys); Joe Costa (Tattersalls Sales); Charles “Redd” Crabtree (Crabtree Farms); Bruce Crowe (United Mountain Horse Association); Bill Farish (Lane’s End); Bill Heiligbrodt (Heiligbrodt Racing Stable); Jess Jackson (Stonestreet Farm); Ken Jackson (Kentuckiana Farms); Bill Landes (Hermitage Farm); Norman Luba (Kentucky Quarter Horse Association); Tom Ludt (Vinery); Reiley McDonald (Eaton Sales); Martha Jane Mulholland (Mulholland Springs Farm); Nick Nicholson (Keeneland Association); Denny Nunnelley (Kentucky Quarter Horse Racing Association); Frank Penn (Pennbrook Farm); Walt Robertson (Fasig-Tipton); Earl Rogers (Kentucky Walking Horse Association); Geoffrey Russell (Keeneland Association); Dermot Ryan (Ashford Stud); Satish Sanan (Padua Stables); Fred Sarver (American Saddlebred Horse Association); Fred Seitz (Thoroughbred trainer/Brookdale Farm); John Sikura (Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms); Mark Taylor (Taylor Made Farm); D.G. Van Clief (Fasig-Tipton); John Ward (Thoroughbred trainer); Jack Wolf (Starlight Stables); and Bayne Welker (Mill Ridge Farm).

Alex Waldrop, president of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, was the moderator for the task force. Jimmy Bell, Reynolds Bell Jr., Casner, Farish, Ludt, Ryan, and Wolf also serve on TOBA’s Board of Trustees.

Pete Denk is sales editor of Thoroughbred Times