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Scott Serio / Eclipse Sportswire

With a legislative hearing scheduled Wednesday, the Florida horsemen’s association that initially supported legislation to allow Gulfstream Park to decouple its horse racing and slot-machine licenses served notice Monday that it now opposes the bill due to its potential impact on racing in the state.

In a news release distributed by the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen stated that its board met Monday to address House Bill 105, the pending legislation seeking decoupling in Florida that would allow Gulfstream Park to separate its gaming license from the requirement to continue to conduct live racing.

The board voted unanimously against decoupling and joined numerous other industry groups opposing the passage of HB 105. “The future of Thoroughbred racing in South Florida is too important and too uncertain if House bill 105 is passed,” it said. “We cannot take that risk without a definitive plan going forward.

The organization, which initially supported the legislation pushed by Gulfstream’s owner, The Stronach Group, said it wants to actively engage and work with 1/ST Racing, the TSG subsidiary that conducts racing, and Gulfstream regarding the future of racing in South Florida. ” We have requested a series of meetings with 1/ST and Gulfstream so that the interested parties can collectively come up with a sustainable solution that would be in the best interest of racing,” it said.

“Unless and until that solution is developed and agreed upon, the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen will be against decoupling or any legislation that threatens continued thoroughbred racing in South Florida,” it said.

The Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen, which represents trainers and owners at Gulfstream, initially backed the decoupling legislation when it surfaced in early January, noting that that 1/ST had guaranteed that live racing would continue for at least the next three years and pledged to provide “additional contributions by Gulfstream Park to horsemen’s workers’ compensation premiums and meaningful increases to Thoroughbred aftercare efforts in Florida.”

Most other horsemen’s groups, including the national HTBA and its affiliate chapter at Tampa Bay Downs, came out in opposition to the measure, saying that it endangered the future of racing in the Sunshine State.

The Florida House industries and professional-activities subcommittee is scheduled to meet Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EST in Tallahassee to discuss the bill.