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In the world of Florida politics, there is a word that makes every horse breeder in Ocala lose sleep: decoupling. It sounds like a boring clerical change, but in reality, it is more like a bad divorce where one side wants to keep the house and the bank account while kicking the partner to the curb.
For the thoroughbred industry, decoupling is the ultimate nightmare because it would allow tracks to keep their casinos while ditching the actual racing that made them famous in the first place.
This past legislative session, the industry was looking at a serious threat in the form of HB 881. This bill was basically a “get out of racing free” card for tracks like Gulfstream Park. The idea was to let them keep the slots and poker rooms humming without having to worry about the overhead of live animals. The House was clearly feeling the casino energy, passing the measure with a 77-34 vote that mostly saw the Republicans saying “yes” and the Democrats saying “no.”
The Senate Says “Not So Fast”
Just when it looked like the bill was going to get a ‘yes,’ it ran straight into a brick wall in the Senate. The upper chamber basically looked at the proposal and decided they had absolutely no appetite for it. They didn’t even give the companion bill a single hearing, which effectively left the whole plan for dead on the floor.
Even if the Senate had been into it, they would have had to deal with Governor Ron DeSantis and his veto pen. DeSantis has made it very clear that he thinks this move would be a disaster for Florida’s economy. He’s gone on the record saying that decoupling would essentially put down an industry that brings $3.24 billion into the state and supports over 33,000 jobs. When the governor says he isn’t interested in harming a signature agricultural industry, people tend to listen.
A Win for the Underdog (and the Horse)
Lonny Powell, the CEO of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association (FTBOA), wasn’t shy about celebrating after the session wrapped up. He pointed out that the industry stayed united and defended itself against another “piecemeal” attempt to break things apart.
The 2026 version of the bill tried to be sneaky by offering a slow-motion exit—where racing wouldn’t actually stop for years after a notice was filed—but the industry saw it for exactly what it was.
While the “decoupling” camp is licking its wounds, the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative (TRI) and its partners are already looking at the next step. They know this issue is going to come back up as soon as new leadership takes over the House and Senate next year.
For now, the “Horse Capital of the World” has protected its choice, but the battle for the future of Florida racing is far from over. As TRI senior advisor Damon Thayer put it, they are now moving to create a path that keeps the industry stable without needing a legislative divorce.
“We are proud that, for the second year in a row, decoupling legislation before the Florida Legislature has been defeated by our industry-wide coalition representing owners, trainers, breeders, veterinarians, sales companies, and the many small businesses that create the Thoroughbred industry’s massive ecosystem,” Thayer said.
