The annual meeting of the United States Trotting Association (USTA) District 6 was held Saturday afternoon at Pompano Park.

District 6 directors John Yinger, Alan Leavitt, Jerry Haws and Jay Sears led the meeting where approximately 45 people attended. Topics discussed included the 10 proposed rule changes. The major rule change of the day was the new whipping rule that would require drivers to keep a line in each hand from the start of the race until the finish of the race. The proposal to amend rule 18.9 was unanimously passed.

Director Frank Antonacci was re-elected track director from the Red Mile. The annual meeting of all USTA Directors will take place in early February in Las Vegas.

Bonus Cheques Presented

After the first race on Saturday the big cheque presentations were made to the owners and trainers of the three Florida-sired two-year-olds that shared in the $100,000 bonus for winning all four Sire Stakes finals this season. Each set of owners got a cheque for $33,333 and the three trainers each get $3,333.

The three horses, all of them homebred, were Whosgoinwhosstayin, two-year-old colt trotter, bred by Chris & Sophia Valkanoff, trained by Linda Kakaley and co-owned by Kakaley and Valkanoff. He went undefeated in 2008 with 12 wins for driver Mickey McNichol. Pearl Of Capri, two-year-old filly trotter, bred and owned by Frank & Inge Smith, trained by Veral Bowman and driven by Dan Clements with ten wins in 12 starts. Goldstar Rosie, two-year-old filly pacer, bred and trained by Tom Audley and co-owned by Tom Audley, Jamie Marra and Bethany Levine had won seven of eight starts for driver Dan Clements.

(With files from Pompano)