Keith Hernandez brings fresh ideas and experience as the new president of the LTBA
by Denis Blake
If you are the president of a Fortune 500 company, you will likely enjoy a robust salary, first-class travel and a fancy company car. If you are the president of a state breeders association, you get none of that, and that’s perfectly fine with new Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association President Keith Hernandez. The longtime breeder and owner is more than happy to do his part to promote and improve the LTBA and the accredited Louisiana-bred program, and he knows that even though the state’s program is already looked at as one of the best in the country, efforts still need to be made to keep it at the top.
Although Hernandez is a prominent breeder and owner, often in partnership with his father, Earl, and friend John Duvieilh, he understands what it’s like for horsemen who will never appear in the top 10 standings, so he strives to work for what’s best for the entire industry. As a board member of the Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA), which represents owners and trainers, he also brings a holistic view of racing and is keenly aware how all segments of the industry, from owners, trainers and breeders to jockeys and grooms to track management, play a vital role.
Communication
One of the most important pieces to complete the puzzle to ensure success not just for horse racing, but really any industry, is communication, and Hernandez sees some room for improvement in that area. He thinks he can help facilitate that as one of only two members of both the LTBA and Louisiana HBPA boards, along with Michele Rodriguez.
“There were times that there wasn’t a lot of communication between (the LTBA and Louisiana HBPA),” said Hernandez, whose farm is located in the New Orleans area. “And sometimes things got misconstrued.”
Hernandez said he first wanted to understand how the LTBA worked before he stepped into the role of president, which is a challenge he is now ready to tackle.
“When I first got elected to the LTBA board, they really wanted me to become the president, but I didn’t because I wanted to be there a while first and get some things done, like the 25-percent breeders awards.
“We got a lot of things accomplished in the legislature, hired new lobbyists, and we got some new sources of money coming in that we never had in the past,” he added. “I just wanted to get some work done there without being the president. It came up again this year, and I felt like I was prepared enough at this point to do it.”
Getting the Word Out
Recognizing the importance of communication not just between horsemen in the state but also with those outside of the state, Hernandez wants to emphasize getting the word out about how dynamic and lucrative the Louisiana program can be for breeders, as well as the end-users who drive the demand for those horses, which of course, are owners and trainers.
“I mean we have our program, one of the best in the country if not the best in the country, and people just don’t know about it,” he said. “We have to find new ways of reaching out, so I have a big social media push going on right now. You’re going to see us more on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, all those places that you need to be on, because that’s what people look at today.”
Hernandez also plans to highlight the Louisiana program with advertising on “At the Races with Steve Byk,” which airs daily on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and online. It reaches racing fans and horsemen around the world.
Hernandez said that once people dip their toes in the water of Louisiana racing, they are likely to stick around.
“I know how much people like racing in New Orleans in the winter,” he said. “There are trainers like Brendan Walsh and Mike Stidham, who now have Louisiana-breds. You see trainers coming here and trying to get Louisiana-breds, and then they want to stay here and race.
Opportunities
“I think there’s tremendous opportunities because there are lots of people outside of Louisiana who really don’t know how good it actually is here.”
Of course, there are some outsiders who realize the strength of the industry in the state, as Louisiana-breds routinely outperform Texas-breds at the two sales at Lone Star Park near Dallas, with some going to buyers outside of Louisiana and even outside of the region.
Hernandez also wants to see strong sales in Louisiana, keeping in mind that it’s just one part of the industry.
“We’ll do anything we can to have a good sale, but you also have to realize that maybe 80 percent of horses never go through a sale,” he said.
Even with advantages like year-round racing, three state-bred races each racing day and a special day showcasing Louisiana-breds at all four tracks, Hernandez also knows that no matter how good the Louisiana program is, it might not be feasible for an interested breeder from another state to go all in. Instead, there’s a better chance of getting someone to send in a few mares and foal back at their own farm, even if it’s out of state. To that end, he wants to highlight the fact that breeders outside of the state can still participate.
Outreach
“We are trying to reach people that live in say Texas or Florida who have their own farms,” he said.
For those breeders, it’s a big ask to have them pay board to keep a mare in Louisiana year-round when they have their own farm in another state.
“If they keep the mare here for 90 days out of the entire year, they can still have an accredited Louisiana-bred,” he said. “They only get half the breeders awards, but they can take their horse home after foaling. I think we’re going to get more play on that.”
While foal crops in general have long been on the decline and virtually every state has seen its numbers drop, Hernandez is pleased that Louisiana is performing better than most.
“We actually have 399 new mares registered in the program that weren’t in the program last year,” he said. “My whole goal is to eventually slow down (the declining foal crop) and stop it, and then turn the numbers around. This year will be very close to even, so it’s encouraging to see all the new mares show up.”
Hernandez is also keeping an eye on the decoupling situation in Florida, where the future of live racing, particularly at Gulfstream Park, is uncertain. There’s a bill in play in that state that would remove the live racing requirement tied to casino gaming, but Hernandez believes the political climate related to horse racing is different in Louisiana.
Legislative Relationships
“We have a tremendous relationship with the legislature,” he said. “They love horse racing, and they see the economic impact.”
His point is proven by the fact that the state’s then-Attorney General and now Governor Jeff Landry was the keynote speaker at the National HBPA’s annual conference in 2023 in New Orleans, where he spoke warmly about the importance of horse racing to Louisiana.
“I tell people all the time, especially if they are in government, that if you don’t invest in horse racing, then shame on you,” he said.
Hernandez stressed how many times money turns over due to the agricultural nature of breeding Thoroughbreds. While a slot machine needs a bit of electricity and occasional maintenance to operate, a young racehorse needs a groom, trainer, hay, veterinary care, van transportation and farrier work, plus with much more. And the farm on which that foal is raised is buying feed, tack, tractors, trucks and more, while also providing a variety of employment. Money paid out in purses and breeders awards cycles through the state’s economy many times over (and, to the benefit of government, is often taxed many times over).
“It’s a great economic boon for the state,” he added. “The last time we had a study done, it was a $1.5 billion industry for Louisiana.”
A Sport for Everyone
While horse racing is big business in the state, Hernandez is quick to point out that all horsemen, even those with just a horse or two, are important.
“One thing I learned, and I’m not sure I realized it 15 years ago when I first got on the HBPA board, is that everybody counts, from the people with the most money in the world to the to the guys that are barely hanging on. We need every one of them.
“I’m trying to find ways to help people stay in the business,” he continued. “We are looking at ways to redistribute the stallion awards a little differently that will hopefully help some people get a few more payouts and keep more people in the business.”
As all horsemen know, time is money. And while saving breeders and owners a bit of time might not directly put money in their bank accounts, Hernandez is excited that money will get into those accounts faster thanks to a new system using direct deposits instead of paper checks for breeders awards. It’s just one of the time-saving benefits of a new computer system for the LTBA.
Updated Systems
“This computer system has been in the works for a long time, but it’s almost done and it’s going be really nice.
“Members will be able to see all their awards,” he added. “You’re going to be able to go back 10 years to see awards and check on futurity payments and more. It’s taken a while because you can’t just buy software like that off the shelf, but it’s going to be first class.”
Hernandez also wants to highlight the synergy between the LTBA and Louisiana HBPA. On the LTBA side, you have some of the biggest state-bred purses, both for overnight races and stakes races, and breeders and stallion awards anywhere in the country, and on the other side you have benefits that can’t be found in most other jurisdictions.
“Most people don’t even know that the Louisiana HBPA has a workers’ compensation program and a pension program for trainers,” he said.
Quality Stallion Offerings
For breeders, Herandez believes that Louisiana not only offers incredible purses and awards, but a stallion roster that is hard to match outside of Kentucky, not to mention one offering better value.
“I think this is the strongest stallion position we’ve had in years,” he said. “We don’t have big numbers, like at one time we had 300 stallions and now we’re down to around 50. That’s pretty much the way it is now, you come with strength, not numbers.”
That strength is consistently being displayed on the track with Louisiana-breds by Louisiana stallions excelling not just at home but around the country.
“That’s something we are really proud of,” he said. “The Louisiana-breds by the state’s sires are winning everywhere.”
Star horses like Free Like a Girl (by El Deal), Touchuponastar (Star Guitar) and Secret Faith (Aurelius Maximus) have all made their home state proud without relying on high-priced stallions from Kentucky.
And they’ve also proven fruitful for their breeders because of the Louisiana-bred program.
“We were looking at the data for Kentucky-breds, and if you win a Grade 1 race, you get $7,500,” he said. “But Free Like a Girl won an ungraded $500,000 race (the Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes at Charles Town Races) and got 25-percent (of the purse capped at $200,000). She’s made $386,000 just in breeders awards.”
Hernandez knows that nothing simply sells itself, even the Louisiana program that is the envy of most other states, so he’s going to continue to work to get the word out and look for ways to improve the industry for all Louisiana horsemen.
“I promise to work hard for everybody and to try to open up some new avenues that we haven’t used in the past to draw people to the state to breed horses and participate,” he said. “I can tell you we’ve never run for more money in our entire lives, and we’ve never run for more breeders awards.
“I think Louisiana is strong and there is a lot of enthusiasm right now, and hopefully we can build on it.”
