The Alberta Standardbred Association issued a release this afternoon stating it is extremely concerned with Northlands Park's recently-announced agreement with the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association.

The ASHA release appears below in its entirety.

July 3, 2008

Re: Standardbred Racing 2009

The Alberta Standardbred Horse Association (ASHA) is extremely concerned about the process of the unexpected announcement from Northlands Park regarding an agreement between Northlands and the Horsemens' Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA), and the negative impact such an agreement would have on the horse racing industry and specifically standardbred racing in 2009 and beyond.

ASHA will be meeting with Horse Racing Alberta and other industry partners on
July 9 to address these issues.

Standardbred racing has been a part of Alberta's vibrant history for over 100 years, and ASHA's Board is confident that standardbred racing will continue to play an important role moving forward.