In a move that can only be construed as positive for the New Jersey horse racing industry, Governor-elect Phil Murphy has announced that he has appointed SBOANJ Director and Deo Volente Farms CEO Mike Gulotta to his Budget Transition Committee.

According to a release by the SBOANJ, Gulotta will make recommendations on state policy, issues and initiatives as Murphy’s administration prepares to take office.

The committees will meet over the next two months and then submit reports and recommendations to the governor-elect and his leadership team prior to inauguration.

Just a few weeks ago, Murphy, a democrat, defeated Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, the Republican candidate and Gov. Chris Christie’s second-in-command, by a margin of 55 to 42 per cent.

Murphy, a 60-year-old resident of Monmouth County and former U.S. ambassador to Germany, has shown his support for New Jersey horsemen and the equine industry. He has made it very clear that he will stand behind the state’s horsepeople and work to make the public aware of the value of the equine industry as a whole. A brief interview with Murphy from this past summer at the Meadowlands Racetrack appears below, and in it he conveyed his support for the state’s equine industry.

“[The Meadowlands Racetrack] is a gem in our state, and I think our best days in the racing industry – whether it’s Standardbred, Thoroughbred, or whatever version of the sport – the best days in the horse industry are ahead of us,” Murphy said during the Meadowlands interview. “We do need leadership that appreciates that – understands what you have to do to move that needle – and I’m honoured to be raising my hand to do that.”

The SBOANJ congratulates Mike Gulotta on this amazing appointment and sees it as a positive for the New Jersey harness racing industry.

(With files from the SBOANJ)