- Members' Guide
- Graded Stakes Races

TOBA Committees

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee oversees the regular business and management of the organization between meetings of the Board of Trustees. The 2007-2008 Executive Committee is composed of five officers and five at-large seats. The five officers are: Bill Casner (Chairman), Daniel J. Metzger (President), Tracy Farmer (Vice-President), Reynolds Bell, Jr. (Secretary) and E. Duncan Taylor (Treasurer). The at-large seats currently include Gary Biszantz, Seth Hancock, B. Wayne Hughes, Stuart Janney III and Peter Willmott. At-large positions are filled by the appointment of the Chairman and approved by the Board of Trustees.

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee is responsible for selecting the new candidates for possible election to the Board of Trustees. Also, this committee's work includes the evaluation of incumbent trustees as to their possible candidacy for additional terms on the Board.

The Committee handles the actual invitations to new candidates, incumbent candidates, and the preparation of the election ballot which is mailed to the full membership each year in early July. The three members are Jimmy Bell, Seth Hancock and Debby Oxley.

Owners Committee

The role of the Owners Committee is to: 1) attract and assist new owners, and 2) improve the experience of existing owners. To accomplish to first objective, TOBA distributes promotional materials to prospective owners, supplies printed information to more serious potential investors as well as new owners, and offers educational, non-commercial seminars and clinics, sponsored by The Blood-Horse and The Racing Game, Inc. While we are unable to endorse any person or entity, or direct any individual to a particular industry professional, we seek to provide interested persons with the knowledge required to make informed decisions. Secondly, TOBA strives to improve the experience of owners. We are developing relationships with racetrack's Horsemen's Liaisons to assist them in offering premium service to owners. Also, through associations with members of the media, we are working to ensure owners receive deserved recognition throuought TOBA's National Awards Dinner. The Owners Committee is comprised of E. Duncan Taylor (Chairman), W. Cothran Campbell, H. Greg Goodman, David Hayden, Nick Nicholson and Samantha Siegel.

American Graded Stakes Committee

The American Graded Stakes Committee (AGSC) began in 1973 as an official working committee of the TOBA. For the last 34 years, TOBA has been the custodian of the process of grading the some 474 races meriting that status. The committee's purpose is to maintain the integrity of the sales catalogue page when various graded races are listed. The buyers and sellers of Thoroughbreds need to make sure that Grade I, Grade II and Grade III races consistently represent the competitive field quality their grade indicates. The AGSC meets every November to review the five-year data on all eligible races. Each of the last five runnings of eligible races are viewed equally, but trends of improvement or decreasing quality are duly noted. The current members of the AGSC include six TOBA Members: Peter Willmott (Chair), John Amerman, Rollin W. Baugh, William Heiligbrodt, Fred Seitz and Seth Hancock and five Racing Official Members: Rogers Beasley, P.J. Campo, Michael Dempsey, Michael Harlow and Thomas Robbins. Andrew Schweigardt serves as Secretary to the committee.

International Cataloguing Standards Committee

The International Cataloguing Standards Committee (ICSC) is a working sub-committee of the Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers (SITA). ICSC meets twice a year. In June, the meeting is usually held in London and the second meeting is held in Paris prior to the Pre De L'Arc de Triomphe . The central function of the ICSC is to oversee and approve the publication of the "Blue Book," the ICSC Standardization Guide, which lists all the group races in the world. This book is published by The Jockey Club (U.S.) and is printed in Lexington, Ky. Currently, the secretary of the ICSC is Carl Hamilton of The Jockey Club. Rollin W. Baugh and Daniel J. Metzger represent TOBA on this committee. The ICSC is an important watchdog of international stakes quality and provides an approval process of requests to have races sanctioned as Group races.

International Thoroughbred Breeders Secretariat

The Committee holds an annual meeting at rotating sites with different countries serving as "host." Sixteen countries are represented. The agenda of the meeting centers on health, disease concerns, and breeding trends and techniques. Representatives from each country are assigned appropriate topics to research and prepare a written report in advance of the annual meeting. TOBA's representatives are Daniel J. Metzger and Dr. David Powell. The Secretary of the Committee is Samuel G. Sheppard, of Newmarket, England.

Publications Committee

The five member board of trustees of The Blood-Horse are: Stuart S. Janney III (Chairman), Antony Beck, William Farish, Jr., G. Watts Humphrey (Vice Chairman), and D.G. Van Clief, Jr.