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Team Bios

Name

Mike Jamison – I was born and raised in Cincinnati, graduate of Ohio University, married for 32 years and the proud father of two.  In 1990 I convinced 9 others to throw in some money and buy an Ohio bred horse named Ft. Mitchell, we won our first race and I’ve been involved ever since.  After many years in media sales, approximately six years ago I accepted the position of Vice President of Advertising Sales for the Daily Racing Form and have the opportunity to work with various industry stake holders in the thoroughbred business.  Hopefully my experience can help advance the thoroughbred business in Ohio.

Nancy Lavrich – I have been a horse owner for over 45 years, and spent my early days in the Hunter/Jumper discipline. I got involved in racing 30 years ago as an owner and soon afterwards, started to breed. My focus has always been quality over quantity and hopefully, improving my stock along the way. My journey of breeding 5 generations of this family has produced multiple OH Division Champions, 2 Broodmares of the Year and a 3-time OH Horse of the Year.
I am a retired Respiratory Therapist and have worked for both Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. I have a son and a daughter and live in Ohio. I stay busy taking care of my horses of all ages and 3 German Shepherd dogs.
Sam Klein – In the beginning, 1991, we ran our first horse at Mountaineer Park  with Angelo Daria.  It all started then – I was hooked on racing horses.  In the early days I could not afford to run at Thistledown because the day rates were too high…but I never gave up and never looked back!  I’ve been around the block, met so many good people, learned so much and have had so much fun.  1991- Present
Michael Friedman – Beachwood Ohio. I have been a thoroughbred owner since 1995.  I have run automobile dealerships for 25 years in the Greater northern Cleveland Ohio area which is 15 min from Thistledown, which allows me to be close to the races when needed.
I have had many nice horses, and I have been fortunate enough to win the Best of Ohio multiple times.
My best horses have been Leona’s Reward who made over 1 million dollars in her career and she is now a mother of 2.
Candy Bites and Hijo de Sheltowee were stakes winners as well for me and always fun to be around.
I am a breeder now and while it’s very expensive the reward of seeing one of your babies make it to the track and win is a huge accomplishment.
I have a ton of experience in Ohio racing. I am a good listener and I get along well with others.  I definitely feel I am an asset to the OTBO board and I look forward to working with my fellow board members again in 2024.
Many thanks to my many trainers that I have worked with the past 30 years
I have learned a lot from them and they have made this game very enjoyable for me and my family.

Brian Raimonde – I am a lifelong resident of Ohio. I am a graduate of The Ohio State University. I have been active in the Ohio Breeding program as a farm manager since 1998. In late 2005, I established Raimonde Farms, LTD, a 50 acre, multi-faceted operation located in Wooster, OH. Since then, I have personally become a breeder as well as an owner. We specialize in carefully selected matings, with our ultimate goal being to offer outstanding Ohio accredited as well as Ohio foaled prospects to potential owners. We also choose a few to keep and race for the farm as well. I have bred or co-bred the stakes winners Blanconia, Pat’s Karma, Lionistic and two time Ohio sprint champion Diavoletto. I have also been closely involved with the breeding and foaling management of other stakes horses, such as Mo Don’t No, Edge of Night and Morestride to name a few.

I am continuously working to improve bloodlines and strengthen both areas of the Ohio breeding program. Currently, Raimonde Farms LTD stands Drill, Botswana Taps, Hostile Takeover and second year sire, Mr. Freeze. These quality stallions support the benchmark of the farm, the broodmare band. Thoughtfully chosen, these mares have produced the caliber of horses that will continue to cement longevity of racing in Ohio.

Steve M. DeMaiolo – I am a retired physician who lived a few miles from the Mahoning Valley Race Track. My interest in horse racing was fostered by regular trips to Waterford Park with my parents as a young boy. I have raced and bred horses for nearly fifteen years. I am a Graded Stakes Winning owner and have bred over fifty Ohio racehorses, including two-time Ohio Horse of the Year, Mo Don’t No. I remain enthusiastic and passionate about Ohio Racing. I never lose sight that my opportunity to compete in our sport is a blessing made possible by the efforts of EVERYONE involved and the gift that is the thoroughbred race horse.

Cathy Gale – Let me start by saying I’m so excited for the opportunity to be part of a team that not only increases awareness but offers opportunities for all Ohio Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners no matter the size of their farm.

I bring with me organizational skills and experience from working with the Ohio Dept. of Education in Advanced driving seminars along with years of experience hosting numerous seminars. I look forward to hosting events and seminars for thoroughbred breeders, Owners and their families ex: Youth Day a Thistledown and upcoming breeding seminar at Mahoning.

My love for breeding and racing started in 1979 at a Standardbred farm in Grafton, Ohio while still in high school. Long hours in the foaling barn, working with the yearlings and exercising horses on the farm track led me to my passion for Thoroughbreds.

Along with my husband Dan, we own and operate Phantom Farm. Our farm has produced extremely competitive horses for the Ohio program. I have been riding horses since the age of 8. I’m involved in many aspects of the horse industry: breeding, racing, barrel racing, and I was an outrider for standardbred racing. In 2010 the biggest outride event for me was for the Michigan Colt Stakes Silver Circuit which was  very exciting. I barrel race and compete at regional, state, and national levels. World Qualifier 6 times; Finalist 4 times; winning go rounds 4 times; and finishing top 10 in my division 4 times. I have been the Huron Co. Fair Superintendent for the 4-H Equine program and Draft horse program for the past 12+ years.

Horse’s have helped me in many aspects of my life teaching me patience, responsibility and discipline. I firmly believe A great journey begins with a single step and for many of us we just need a nudge. I, along with O.T.B.O., would like to be part of that nudge!!

Kevin McIntyre – After graduating with a Bachelors Degree from Kent State University in 1994 I began a career in Law Enforcement. In 2008 I started my Property Management Company as a second stream of income. Upon retiring from Law Enforcement I began looking to fulfill a life long dream of owning a Thoroughbred Farm.  Currently, I own and operate, in partnership with my girlfriend Jill Himes, Five Diamonds Equestrian Center, LLC which is situated on our 100 acre property known as Show Valley Farm located in Canal Fulton, Ohio. Jill and I  purchased the farm, which was used as a Quarter Horse Breeding facility, in 2015. Updates and renovations to the pastures and barn were completed in 2017 at which time we walked our first horse through the doors. The facility currently has space for 20 horses with capabilities to expand to 30 as we grow. We are a dedicated to Thoroughbred Racehorses both active and retired. We offer full care for retirements, layups, letdowns and tailored rehabs under the guidance of the Veterinary services of Cleveland Equine Clinic.

I began my dream of working with racehorses when I was 7-8 years of age while going to Thistledown, Beulah Park, and Waterford Park with my family. It was at these tracks I became enamored by the athleticism of the Thoroughbreds. I would often sneak out of the hotel room before dawn at Waterford during our summer vacations, to sit rail side and watch the horses train. As I grew older I visited many tracks across the country, and took a liking to Keeneland and the Lexington area in general. It was from these Kentucky visits the idea of bringing a piece of that Lexington heritage to Ohio was born. Fast forward to today, and that is exactly what I have been blessed to achieve. At our facility, the horse comes first. These athletes provide so much to so many of us in the industry, we feel obligated to give them everything possible in return while they are entrusted in our care. To date we have handled over 160 racehorses through our facility from as far as Southern California to Ontario Canada and all parts in between.
Outside the day to day operations with our clients and horses I maintain all the facilities at the farm as well as Hay production, Pasture Management and Supply Chain.
I hope this gives you a little better picture of my experience in the Thoroughbred world, specifically as it relates to Ohio.

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out. Again, I am excited to be included in the conversation and becoming more engaged in making Ohio Thoroughbred Racing more sustainable and attractive to the lay persons standing on the “fence” wanting to become involved. 

Alan White – I started out training Quarter horses in the early 1980’s. I ran the fair circuit, and bush trucks in Illinois, Indian, Michigan, and Ohio. I ran my first T.B. in 1989 and trained T.B. till 2016. I was a member of the Ohio Quarter horse Racing association from 1989 till 2008. I was on the HBPA Board from 2006-2014. 

In 2011 I sold my farm in Newark Ohio and moved to Indiana where I purchased a small 25-acre farm in 2012. In 2016 I decided to sell my farm and move back to Ohio. In 2018 my two sons and I decided to breed a couple of mares. We now stand 2 stallions, Notional and American Past time. We have 14 mares on my farm in Granville called White Farms LLC.

Michael Annechino – Executive Director

2024 marks my 44th year of horse ownership. Over that time, I have campaigned more than 750 horses – so yes, I am more than crazy – and held licenses or raced in 28 states and 2 countries. The most expensive horse in the entire group was a horse I claimed for $14,500 in 1983 at TDN named George Morris. It only took me… 29 years… to win my first stake race (at Fort Erie against quarter horses in a Battle of the Breeds!) but since then, with the help of some tremendous trainers and big-hearted horses, we have won 15 more (13 in Ohio!) – all with horses we claimed for less than $8000 or were purchased for less than this from Ohio breeders. I am a true “working man’s” owner who appreciates the tireless devotion and hard work that those who participate in racing dedicate to the sport we all love.

My passion for thoroughbred racing reaches well beyond the racetrack. The sport/business has a tremendous economic impact on the lives of everyone involved and the communities they live in. We face increasing competition and additional financial burdens from a variety of sources – different gambling options; real estate development and repurposing; rising costs; increased regulation; etc. that are threatening our very existence and viability.

As a Board Member and Executive Director of the OTBO, my goals are to improve overall awareness of our business; develop programs and opportunities that improve our members viability; strengthen all aspects of the Ohio Program; increase the number of participants involved in racing; and foster good working relationships with our 3 outstanding racetracks, the OHBPA, and the OSRC so that together we can do all we can to keep racing in Ohio alive and well long into the future.

Richard Zielinski – I’m from North Ridgeville, Ohio.  I have owned and trained horses in Ohio for 30 years. The highlight of those years has been the opportunity to train Altissimo, a 3 time horse of the year.  But I’m thankful for all of the opportunities I’ve had along the way. I have trained for a lot of good people, who have devoted a great deal to this sport.

I served for 12 years as a board member of the Ohio HBPA. During that time that many positive changes were enacted that benefitted horse racing in Ohio.

I am now looking forward to being a member of the OTBO board and will do anything in my power to help our industry continue to move forward in a positive way.