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Proposed H2-A Visa Legislation Changes Opens Door to Backstretch Workers

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A raft of changes to the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program woven into the recently introduced Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act could open up the visa to the immigrant backstretch workforce.

Designed specifically for agricultural workers, the H-2A program has for a long time effectively excluded equine backstretch workers from participation as it is designed for non-immigrant ag’ workers who perform seasonal or temporary jobs.

“For decades, that has been strictly defined in regulations to mean the length of the job contract is limited to 10 months and the underlying job must be BOTH seasonal and temporary,” according to a governmental factsheet on the proposed legislation.

The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act, introduced by House agriculture committee chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, would change that by stipulating H-2A visas are for agricultural labor or services of a temporary nature only, “removing the requirement that it also be seasonal,” the governmental factsheet states.

The proposed legislation, which contains language specifically related to the “management and training of equines,” would also clarify that “temporary” is in relation to the “length of the job contract (a maximum of 350 days), rather than the underlying nature of the work being performed,” the factsheet adds.

“While this legislation is within the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee, through my work traveling the country working on the farm bill, it was clear to me that the agriculture industry is in crisis when it comes to having the labor necessary to maintain a resilient food supply. The existing H-2A program is not sufficient to meet the needs of today, much less the demands of the future,” wrote Thompson, in a letter advocating for the bill.

“When farms and ranches cannot secure the labor they need, the results are felt far beyond rural communities. This ultimately affects healthy food availability, consumer prices, and the economic strength of the broader food supply chain,” Thompson added.

“There’s broad definition to include equine, so, Thoroughbred and other sectors within our equine community are included,” said Oscar Gonzales, vice chair of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), a long-time advocate in Washington for immigration reform as it relates to backstretch workers.

Gonzales served as deputy chief of staff to former secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack.

Among the key provisions of the bill as written, Gonzales identified language allowing for existing unauthorized workers to gain access to the program, provided they meet certain eligibility requirements (like background checks and an in-person interview).

“Another part that is critical, the paperwork part of the legislation appears to be much more simplified and streamlined, so that an employer won’t have to exhaust their resources to just get through the application process,” said Gonzales.

Currently, the backstretch workforce has been largely limited to H-2B visas only.

The H-2B visa program affords non-agriculture seasonal immigrant workers jobs in such industries as hospitality or with animals, but has its limitations. It comes with a restrictive annual quota, and is typically only granted for a year, but it can be extended for up to three years.

According to Gonzales, he and Will Velie, an immigration attorney with close ties to the racing industry, are in the process of establishing their own political action committee, called the Horseman Labor PAC.

The committee, he said, is designed “to advocate politically, to be able to raise funds and support candidates who advocate equine labor issues.”

The post Proposed H2-A Visa Legislation Changes Opens Door to Backstretch Workers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Five Fastest Maidens for the Week of June 8-14, 2026

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The 2-year-olds are just getting started, but this week’s highlight is the fastest juvenile we’ve seen so far this year.

5) LEGAL HEIR, SA, 6/14-7th, 6 furlongs (turf) (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 83
(c, 3, by Nyquist-How My Heart Works, by Not For Love)
O-Charles Henderson. B-Bowman & Higgins Stable (Md). T-Vann Belvoir. J-Kazushi Kimura.

Henderson bought Legal Heir in December for $120,000 in a digital sale after the $550,000 2-year-old purchase had missed his entire juvenile campaign then failed to win in four starts at 3. But he had shown sharp speed, and in his fourth start for Henderson another cutback to 6 furlongs led to a frontrunning victory. His dam is out of a half-sister to Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed.

4) LAKEN, IND, 6/9-3rd, 1 1-16 miles
Beyer Speed Figure- 84
(f, 3, by Good Magic-Pure Poison, by Honor Code)
O/B-Jackpot Farm (Ky). T-Vickie Oliver. J-Mario Gutierrez.

Laken is bred to improve around two turns, and she did so nicely in decisively handling a Godolphin full-sister to Essential Quality (moved up from 3rd to 2nd by DQ). Her unraced dam is out of a half-sister to Preakness winner Shackleford.

3) BALLOTEER, CD, 6/12-5th, 5 furlongs (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 84
(c, 2, by Early Voting-Just Joking, by Distorted Humor)
O-Doubledown Stables. B-Jory Sherman & Don Blowe (Ky). T-James DiVito. J-Luis Saez.

Balloteer jumped out to a nice lead and maintained a safe cushion over fellow firster and even-money Flightline colt Greenwell. He breezed :10 1/5 and brought $475,000 at OBS March despite zero stakes winners from 17 runners produced by his first two dams–although his third dam is 1989 sprint champion Safely Kept.

2) BIG DESTROYER, AQU, 6/12-10th, 6 furlongs (turf) (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 86
(g, 3, by Midshipman-Peru (GB), by Motivator (GB))
O-LJSS Thoroughbreds. B-Nursery Place, John Donaldson and Happy Broadbent (Ky). T-Miguel Clement. J-Flavien Prat.

Since officially taking over from his late father 13 months ago, Clement has kept their stable humming with one added twist: his success with first-time starters. He has been winning at an 18% clip overall but at 26% with firsters–and the corresponding 13% flat-bet profit rises to 21% on grass. Big Destroyer is the latest example, rallying from slightly behind the leaders to score smartly in this grass sprint and key a 1-2 Clement finish.

1) KENNYTEN, SA, 6/12-4th, 5 furlongs (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 91
(c, 2, by Drain the Clock-Fairywren, by Goldencents)
O-Holly and David Wilson. B-Nicholas Lotz (Ky). T-Vladimir Cerin. J-Ricardo Gonzalez.

In the early 2000s, the Wilsons experienced Gr. I success with Early Pioneer and Designed for Luck, both $62,500 claims by Cerin. By contrast, Kennyten was a $140,000 OBS 2-year-old buy three months ago. Cerin quickly saw the colt was fast but wasn’t sure he was fit enough yet to handle Zedan-Baffert 1/5 favorite Nayar, an $850,000 purchase from the same sale. “I was wrong!” Cerin said after 8/1 Kennyten drew off by 7-1/2 lengths in the fastest Beyer by a 2-year-old thus far in 2026. Cerin credited another of the Wilsons’ trainers, Michael McCarthy, for recommending the purchase, lavishing praise on McCarthy as a “future Hall of Famer.”

The post Five Fastest Maidens for the Week of June 8-14, 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Proposed H2-A Visa Legislation Changes Opens Door to Backstretch Workers

---

A raft of changes to the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program woven into the recently introduced Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act could open up the visa to the immigrant backstretch workforce.

Designed specifically for agricultural workers, the H-2A program has for a long time effectively excluded equine backstretch workers from participation as it is designed for non-immigrant ag’ workers who perform seasonal or temporary jobs.

“For decades, that has been strictly defined in regulations to mean the length of the job contract is limited to 10 months and the underlying job must be BOTH seasonal and temporary,” according to a governmental factsheet on the proposed legislation.

The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act, introduced by House agriculture committee chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, would change that by stipulating H-2A visas are for agricultural labor or services of a temporary nature only, “removing the requirement that it also be seasonal,” the governmental factsheet states.

The proposed legislation, which contains language specifically related to the “management and training of equines,” would also clarify that “temporary” is in relation to the “length of the job contract (a maximum of 350 days), rather than the underlying nature of the work being performed,” the factsheet adds.

“While this legislation is within the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee, through my work traveling the country working on the farm bill, it was clear to me that the agriculture industry is in crisis when it comes to having the labor necessary to maintain a resilient food supply. The existing H-2A program is not sufficient to meet the needs of today, much less the demands of the future,” wrote Thompson, in a letter advocating for the bill.

“When farms and ranches cannot secure the labor they need, the results are felt far beyond rural communities. This ultimately affects healthy food availability, consumer prices, and the economic strength of the broader food supply chain,” Thompson added.

“There’s broad definition to include equine, so, Thoroughbred and other sectors within our equine community are included,” said Oscar Gonzales, vice chair of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), a long-time advocate in Washington for immigration reform as it relates to backstretch workers.

Gonzales served as deputy chief of staff to former secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack.

Among the key provisions of the bill as written, Gonzales identified language allowing for existing unauthorized workers to gain access to the program, provided they meet certain eligibility requirements (like background checks and an in-person interview).

“Another part that is critical, the paperwork part of the legislation appears to be much more simplified and streamlined, so that an employer won’t have to exhaust their resources to just get through the application process,” said Gonzales.

Currently, the backstretch workforce has been largely limited to H-2B visas only.

The H-2B visa program affords non-agriculture seasonal immigrant workers jobs in such industries as hospitality or with animals, but has its limitations. It comes with a restrictive annual quota, and is typically only granted for a year, but it can be extended for up to three years.

According to Gonzales, he and Will Velie, an immigration attorney with close ties to the racing industry, are in the process of establishing their own political action committee, called the Horseman Labor PAC.

The committee, he said, is designed “to advocate politically, to be able to raise funds and support candidates who advocate equine labor issues.”

The post Proposed H2-A Visa Legislation Changes Opens Door to Backstretch Workers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Five Fastest Maidens for the Week of June 8-14, 2026

---

The 2-year-olds are just getting started, but this week’s highlight is the fastest juvenile we’ve seen so far this year.

5) LEGAL HEIR, SA, 6/14-7th, 6 furlongs (turf) (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 83
(c, 3, by Nyquist-How My Heart Works, by Not For Love)
O-Charles Henderson. B-Bowman & Higgins Stable (Md). T-Vann Belvoir. J-Kazushi Kimura.

Henderson bought Legal Heir in December for $120,000 in a digital sale after the $550,000 2-year-old purchase had missed his entire juvenile campaign then failed to win in four starts at 3. But he had shown sharp speed, and in his fourth start for Henderson another cutback to 6 furlongs led to a frontrunning victory. His dam is out of a half-sister to Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed.

4) LAKEN, IND, 6/9-3rd, 1 1-16 miles
Beyer Speed Figure- 84
(f, 3, by Good Magic-Pure Poison, by Honor Code)
O/B-Jackpot Farm (Ky). T-Vickie Oliver. J-Mario Gutierrez.

Laken is bred to improve around two turns, and she did so nicely in decisively handling a Godolphin full-sister to Essential Quality (moved up from 3rd to 2nd by DQ). Her unraced dam is out of a half-sister to Preakness winner Shackleford.

3) BALLOTEER, CD, 6/12-5th, 5 furlongs (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 84
(c, 2, by Early Voting-Just Joking, by Distorted Humor)
O-Doubledown Stables. B-Jory Sherman & Don Blowe (Ky). T-James DiVito. J-Luis Saez.

Balloteer jumped out to a nice lead and maintained a safe cushion over fellow firster and even-money Flightline colt Greenwell. He breezed :10 1/5 and brought $475,000 at OBS March despite zero stakes winners from 17 runners produced by his first two dams–although his third dam is 1989 sprint champion Safely Kept.

2) BIG DESTROYER, AQU, 6/12-10th, 6 furlongs (turf) (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 86
(g, 3, by Midshipman-Peru (GB), by Motivator (GB))
O-LJSS Thoroughbreds. B-Nursery Place, John Donaldson and Happy Broadbent (Ky). T-Miguel Clement. J-Flavien Prat.

Since officially taking over from his late father 13 months ago, Clement has kept their stable humming with one added twist: his success with first-time starters. He has been winning at an 18% clip overall but at 26% with firsters–and the corresponding 13% flat-bet profit rises to 21% on grass. Big Destroyer is the latest example, rallying from slightly behind the leaders to score smartly in this grass sprint and key a 1-2 Clement finish.

1) KENNYTEN, SA, 6/12-4th, 5 furlongs (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 91
(c, 2, by Drain the Clock-Fairywren, by Goldencents)
O-Holly and David Wilson. B-Nicholas Lotz (Ky). T-Vladimir Cerin. J-Ricardo Gonzalez.

In the early 2000s, the Wilsons experienced Gr. I success with Early Pioneer and Designed for Luck, both $62,500 claims by Cerin. By contrast, Kennyten was a $140,000 OBS 2-year-old buy three months ago. Cerin quickly saw the colt was fast but wasn’t sure he was fit enough yet to handle Zedan-Baffert 1/5 favorite Nayar, an $850,000 purchase from the same sale. “I was wrong!” Cerin said after 8/1 Kennyten drew off by 7-1/2 lengths in the fastest Beyer by a 2-year-old thus far in 2026. Cerin credited another of the Wilsons’ trainers, Michael McCarthy, for recommending the purchase, lavishing praise on McCarthy as a “future Hall of Famer.”

The post Five Fastest Maidens for the Week of June 8-14, 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.