About KEEP
Joe Costa

Joe Costa ,
Red Mile/Tattersalls

Joe Costa is President and CEO of the historic Red Mile/Tattersalls, which will be hosting its 130th season of harness racing this year. A 52-year-old native of New Jersey, Costa moved to Lexington four years ago to accept the position of general manager, and was promoted to his present position a year later. Costa, a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University, became familiar with the Midwest while attending his first years in college at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He holds a real estate broker's license and was operations manager of the Nigito Reality Company in River Edge, New Jersey for a number of years, as well as managing the Standardbred breeding farm Joie De Vie.

Our Mission

To increase awareness of the benefits of Kentucky's horse economy and to promote jobs and economic opportunities for Kentuckians through the Commonwealth's world-class horse industry.

Goals

Educate the public and key state constituencies about the benefits the entire horse industry provides to all sectors of Kentucky's economy

  • Develop a state grassroots network involving Kentucky's horse economy in all 120 counties
  • Build a state coalition of diverse organizations supporting Kentucky's horse economy.

Encourage the development of a pro-jobs and economic opportunities agenda for the Kentucky horse economy to include:

  • Increased state advocacy and promotion of the Kentucky horse industry
  • Initiatives to stimulate jobs and economic growth through economic incentives and tax reform to solidify Kentucky's horse economy leadership to attract new horse industry interests to the state.
  • Expansion of existing state horse economy programs for all breeds such as the Kentucky Breeder's Incentive Program, to encourage ownership of Kentucky-bred horses
Key Initiatives
  • Distribution of fact-based Kentucky horse economy information.
  • Team 120: A broad-based grassroots network of horse economy participants in every Kentucky county.
  • A state advisory committee consisting of prominent horse industry representatives from all sectors of Kentucky's horse economy.
  • A state coalition of organizations with horse economy-related interests including state and local chambers of commerce, rotaries, businesses, labor and trade associations.
Charter Member Organizations

Chairman

Brereton Jones
Governor of Kentucky (1991-95)
Airdrie Stud

Vice-Chairman

Bill Casner
Chairman and Co-Founder
WinStar Farm

Copyright © 2007 Kentucky Equine Education Project [KEEP] All Rights reserved