LEXINGTON, KY - The Association of
Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) has installed Judy Wagner as its new
Chair for 2016-2017.
Recently re-appointed to the
Louisiana State Racing Commission by Governor John Bel Edwards, Wagner is the
first horseplayer to assume the helm of North America’s umbrella group of
racing regulatory bodies.
Mrs. Wagner is the only woman to have
won the National Handicapping Championship (2001) and is a member of the
National Handicapping Championship’s Hall of Fame. In 2007 she
joined the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) National Player’s
Committee.
In 2014, Mrs. Wagner was appointed as
the first and only horseplayer to the NTRA Board of Directors. In 2015,
she was elected to a three-year term.
A native of Mississippi and former
school teacher, Mrs. Wagner fell in love with horse racing and owned horses
from 1995 to 2006. She has been a national leader in lobbying
Congress on matters pertaining to tax fairness for horseplayers as well as
owners and breeders.
Wagner succeeds Arkansas State Racing
Commissioner Mark Lamberth as the ARCI Chair. Lamberth will continue to
serve on the ARCI Board and Executive Committee.
The ARCI Board also selected the
Chair of the Washington Horse Racing Commission, Jeffry Colliton, as Secretary
and Chair-elect. J. Michael Hopkins, long time Executive Director
of the Maryland Racing Commission was elected Treasurer.
In addition to automatic
representatives from New York, California, New Jersey, Ontario, and Kentucky
the following individuals were re-elected to “at-large” positions on the ARCI
Board of Directors: Dan Hartman – Colorado Division of Racing
Events; Larry Eliason - South Dakota Commission on Gaming; Tom Sage –
Nebraska State Racing Commission; David Lornergard- Trinidad and Tobago
Racing Authority; Steve Suttie – Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency; Tom DiPasquale –
Minnesota Racing Commission; John Wayne – Delaware Thoroughbred Racing
Commission; Bill Phillips - West Virginia Racing Commission, and Edward Menton
- Mobile County (Alabama) Racing Commission.
