News and Notes for May 10, 2019

NEWS AND NOTES FOR MAY 10, 2019

ATB’S IN WEEKEND STAKES
Ima Discreet Lady (Discreet Cat – Ima Three Blinger) is looking for her third straight stakes win in today’s $50,000 Goldfinch Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going 6 furlongs at Prairie Meadows.

Bred by Larry S. “Stan” Huntsinger and owned by Duane Coker and Raymond Todd White, she won the $50,000 Bara Lass Stakes at Houston on March 23rd by 3 ¾ lengths.  Her next out was a 2 ¼ length win in the $50,000 Bluebonnet Stakes on April 18th at Lone Star.

The filly was purchased by the owners for $38,000 at the 2018 Texas 2-Year-Old in Training Sale.  Trained by Karl Broberg, she has odds of 9-5.

HOMELAND SECURITY TO ACCEPT PETITIONS FOR 30,000 H-2B VISAS
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Monday that it will begin accepting petitions on Wednesday, May 8 for 30,000 additional H-2B visas restricted to returning workers for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. Rules set to be published in Wednesday’s Federal Register include the following language:

“Starting on the expected date of May 8, 2019, eligible petitioners seeking additional H-2B workers can file Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, and must submit a supplemental attestation on Form ETA 9142-B-CAA-3 with their petition.”

Details on eligibility and filing requirements are available in the final rule and at USCIS.gov.

The supplemental H-2B visas are available only to returning workers who received an H-2B visa, or were otherwise granted H-2B status, during one of the last three fiscal years (FY 2016, 2017, or 2018), and availability is restricted by prioritizing only those businesses who would suffer irreparable harm without the additional workers.

“We applaud the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor for this joint rule making available an additional 30,000 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for Fiscal Year 2019,” said NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop. “Even though these supplemental H-2B visas are available only to returning workers and there is an irreparable harm limitation, many Thoroughbred trainers will no doubt qualify for these visas because of the labor shortage that is now the norm on racetrack backstretches.”

Waldrop further added, “We urge Congress to pass legislation to permanently and significantly expand the number of H-2B visas made available on an annual basis.”

NOTES: The deadline to accredit foals of 2018 for a fee of $75 (TTA member rate) is May 31.  Contact Jennifer Gibbs at 512.458.6133 or jenniferg@texasthoroughbred.com with any questions. Things will be moving quickly in the legislature over the weekend – stay tuned for updates!