Published: December 29, 2010 3:08 pm ET

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Jason Settlemoir, president of the United States Harness Writers Association, has announced that HANA (Horseplayers Association of North America) and driver Yannick Gingras will receive President’s Awards at USHWA’s 'Night Of Stars,' the annual awards banquet, on Sunday, February 27 at the Marriott North in Fort Lauderdale FL.

Horseplayers, both standardbred and thoroughbred, have long been the lifeblood of the equine racing sports, but they and their concerns/suggestions have usually received short shrift from the sports’ organizations and racing officials. The self-formed HANA is trying to change that. The very first sentence of the group's mission statement says, 'HANA is committed to giving horseplayers a voice.'

Among the areas where HANA thinks that racing could present a more attractive product to potential customers/bettors are: universal signal availability to all outlets at all times, without exception; the long-awaited and long-debated lowering of takeout rates (HANA’s ideal figure would be in the 10 per cent range, a number not far off from 'optimilization of handle' studies by university economists); a severe, hard-line stand against drug misusage in racehorses; 'pool integrity,' which they define as a secure tote system that displays correct and final odds as soon as the gate springs; and large, competitive race fields.

The horseplayers association, headquartered in Virginia, has Jeff Platt as its president, while its secretary has been Dean Towers, known to many harness racing participants, an Ontario horse owner that wrote his university thesis on off-track betting.

Those involved with HANA will receive their award on February 27 at the Florida banquet, as mentioned above. Tickets, accommodations, and other information about the weekend can be had from Steve Wolf at stevejw@bellsouth.net.

(With files from USHWA)