Dobson joins American Graded Stakes Committee

Everett Dobson, a prominent owner and breeder, has been appointed to the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, according to the organization, replacing David Willmot, who was required to step down from the committee after nine years under term-limit bylaws.

Dobson was appointed to the committee at a meeting of the TOBA board on Tuesday. The graded stakes committee also met that day.

Dobson will join a committee that annually determines which stakes races in the U.S. receive grades. The other committee members are TOBA members Dr. J. David Richardson, Reynolds Bell Jr., Craig Bernick, Michael Levy, and J. Michael O’Farrell and racing officials Allison DeLuca of Tampa Bay Downs, Rick Hammerle of Santa Anita Park, Ben Huffman of Churchill Downs and Keeneland, Martin Panza of the New York Racing Association, and Thomas Robbins of Del Mar.

Over the past several years, the number of races held at U.S. tracks has been declining significantly due to efforts by tracks to maintain field sizes in the wake of large declines in the foal crops from 2010-12. The graded stakes committee, however, has not made any significant reduction in the number of grades assigned, a trend that might change this year, according to Andy Schweigardt, the secretary of the committee.

“There were some committee members who raised concerns about the decline in the number of races, and that will certainly be a topic going into the December grading session,” Schweigardt said.