Ohio commission hires Hoffman as consultant

The Ohio State Racing Commission has retained Dean A. Hoffman of Columbus on a contractual basis to provide publicity consulting services as part of the commission's efforts to rebuild horse racing in Ohio.

 

"We're excited about the future of horse racing in Ohio, and we need to begin to spread the word about the good things that are happening,” said Robert K. Schmitz, chairman of the commission. "Mr. Hoffman has been involved in Ohio harness racing for many decades and we're sure he can assist our rebuilding efforts in both Standardbred and Thoroughbred racing.”

 

Last June Ohio's first racino opened at Scioto Downs and purses and pari-mutuel handle both showed marked increases afterwards. Other tracks are planning to open racinos in the coming year.

 

"We want people to breed mares to Ohio stallions, buy Ohio-sired yearlings, and race at Ohio tracks,” said Schmitz. "The Ohio program is going to see dramatic increases in the next few years.”

 

Hoffman is a member of harness racing's Hall of Fame Communicators Corner and has written extensively for Standardbred publications in the United States, Canada, and around the world. He is the author of five books about harness racing. (OSRC)