Beam Appointed to Ohio Fund Advisory Panel

Craig Beam, owner and operator of Thorobeam Farm in Sabina, Ohio, has been named by Gov. John Kasich to the Ohio Thoroughbred Race Fund three-member committee.

Beam joins previous appointees Kimpton Williams and Daniel J. Gutterman on the OTRF advisory committee. The OTRF supports breeding in the state and has grown substantially because of racetrack-based video lottery terminals.

Beam, 64, and his wife Cathy have been racing horses since 1992.

"We bought a yearling at the 1992 Keeneland sale and also bought a racehorse at the track," Beam said. "We went to some of the Ohio Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners seminars early on and things just evolved from there. For a long time we bred our mares in Kentucky and Florida, and then a few years ago, when Ohio was on the upswing from the racinos coming into play, we decided to move all of our mares back to Ohio, and to focus on the accredited program."

One of Beam's top horses was the filly Amen Hallelujah, who was named 2009 Florida-bred champion 2-year-old filly. The multiple graded stakes winning daughter of Montbrook--Sara's Success, by Concorde's Tune was bred by Thorobeam Farm and earned $610,081.

Beam also stood the multiple stakes-winning Concorde's Tune stallion Mr. Silver in Ohio for several years.

"One of the reasons I am looking forward to my new position is that I hope to further the breeding program in Ohio," Beam said.