The Indiana Horse Racing Commission recently hired Mike Smith as executive director. Smith retired as former executive director of the Casino Association of Indiana in October 2015. He replaces Joe Gorajec who served as IHRC executive director since the commission was formed in 1990, but was fired last year because he and IHRC board members could not agree on job priorities. Also, his strict enforcement of racing regulations upset some horsemen.
Prior to joining the casino group, Smith served as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives from 1993-2002, including a period as Republican floor leader.
Smith said he too will be a strict enforcer of regulations, despite IHRC board members and area horsemen requesting more marketing. “First and foremost, you have to be a regulator. That’s the Number 1 issue. 1-A will be promotion. People want to know they’re on a level playing field, that things are on the up and up. People will buy a lottery ticket that has 290-million-to-one odds if they think they really have a chance to win, that the game is being played legitimately.”
Smith said he intends to regulate the sport fairly and launch new promotions to attract new horse-farm operators and more and younger bettors. That’s because the number of Indiana-bred foals has dropped from 2,733 in 2011 to 1,717 in 2015, according to the IHRC. In addition, wagering has dropped at Indiana tracks and off-track betting parlors from its peak of $190 million in 2005 to $83 million last year. “You’ll see us try to work with every stakeholder to leverage every possible dollar for promotion. We want to have the best place in the world to come and race,” Smith said.
IHRC Chairman Thomas Weatherwax said of Smith, “His hands-on background in horse racing coupled with his successful business experience and as a leader in the Indiana General Assembly make him uniquely qualified to lead the IHRC. The Commission continues its commitment to maintain the highest integrity for Indiana’s racing along with fostering and promoting an environment that will encourage investment and growth of Indiana horse racing to expand the industry’s role in Indiana’s economy. Knowing that Mike shares the commission’s goals, we believe his leadership will continue our progress.”
Already, Smith and his staff are preparing to launch a more aggressive social media marketing campaign. He said Jessica Barnes, the IHRC’s director of racing and breed development, has brought him a stack of ideas on how to grow the horse racing industry in Indiana.
