ANYONE WILLING TO SAVE CA RACING?
By Ray Paulick
I always felt as though Marje Everett unnecessarily shoe-horned in the Hollywood Park fall meeting when it was added to the Southern California racing schedule in 1981. Until then, there had been a break in the action at the area’s major tracks from the end of the Oak Tree Racing Association meeting at Santa Anita Park in early November until the traditional Dec. 26 opening day of the Santa Anita winter-spring meet. That break gave horses, horsemen and fans a brief reprieve from the daily grind.
It may have been good business at the time for the former Hollywood Park owner to add the autumn meeting, especially since it helped her land the inaugural Breeders’ Cup in 1984. And there have been many outstanding and exiting races offered during that meeting over the last 28 years.
Lately, however, the Hollywood Park fall meeting merely serves as a reminder of how tired and old horse racing has become in Southern California as it limps to the end of the racing year.
Perhaps we should count our blessings that Hollywood Park is still in business, given its present ownership by a land development company that has a wrecking ball at the ready as soon as it can obtain financing. Its caretaker management team, led by Jack Liebau, who turned Bay Meadows in Northern California into a useless pile of rubble, is doing little more than going through the motions, knowing the end is near. Can they really be blamed? The track is on life support, with Liebau playing the role of assisted suicide doctor Jack Kevorkian, aka Dr. Death.
But when some look at what’s going on during the fall meeting at the “track of the lakes and flowers,” they might wonder if it would be better to put Hollywood Park out of its misery and move on…to wherever that is. California horse racing’s “leaders” have no plan for the future.
Field size is abysmal, and the quality of racing, even on weekends, may be at an all-time low. Saturday’s nine-race program has just 58 horses entered. There are six claiming races, three five-horse fields and three six-horse fields. The average field size before scratches is 6.44.
That follows a Wednesday card with an average field size of 6.375, a Thursday program with 7.375 and a Friday card that has 6.625 horses entered per race.
The falling economy and real estate crisis has hit California especially hard, affecting horseplayers and horse owners. There aren’t enough horse owners with ready-to-run Thoroughbreds to fill the cards adequately for a year-round circuit anymore in Southern California. The daily diet of bad betting races is only discouraging to horseplayers.
The California Horse Racing Board won’t make any significant changes because it is rudderless. Is anyone willing to step up and save California racing?
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: Breeders' Cup, California Horse Racing Board, Hollywood Park, jack liebau, marje everett, oak tree racing association, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, santa anita park
December 11th, 2009 at 9:16 am
No.
December 11th, 2009 at 9:51 am
This is an open letter to anyone that cares about Horseplayers and Horse Racing in California.
It is time for one person, group, or anyone who cares to provide Horseplayers with a list of offshore entities, rebate shops, or whatever it takes to get a better deal for yourself. It’s obvious that the industry Executives in California don’t give a damn. Look for the geniuses in California to raise the take by February. Maybe 1% or 2% on WPS and 2% to 4% on exotics. Horseplayers didn’t destroy California racing but as usual they are the ones that are going to be asked to pay for the mistakes of the past. How’s that 40 million for the synthetic surfaces doing? Who has been held accountable for the bad decisions? The answer is not one friggin person. How many other bad decisions did this group of egomaniacal idiots of high social standing that run California Racing make that have led us down this path? These people remind me of a bunch of “Al Davis types” who were sharp guys 20 or 30 years ago but have degenerated into a group of incompetents.
When is someone going to ask the question of certain Racing Officials like Dr. Rick Arthur and some Racing Executives maybe from Del Mar? Who if anyone received personal compensation for installing and promoting synthetic surfaces in California? Who has received money for perpetuating the myth that synthetic surfaces would be better for us? Ask the question and get these guys on the record! Is Polytrack the Horse Racing’s version of a Multi Level Marketing plan? Would it make a difference if the truth were told?
It is my hope that at least one reporter will ask some tough questions of the distributors and manufacturers. Do they have sales agreements with Polytrack? Were some of these people commissioned sales people or paid advisors?
I believe as Breeders’ Cup winning Trainer John Shirreffs does that synthetic surfaces are one of the worst things ever to happen to racing in the United States. There is little doubt that they wear out after two years and all 19 tons of material needs to be replaced. Just Compare Del Mar 2007 to 2009 or Arlington Park 2007 to 2009. Only one of the claims made by the synthetic advocates has proven to be true. They are better in rain. That’s it. By the way, how much rain has Del Mar gotten over the last 30 years during the live meet? It’s rained maybe two days in the last 30 years. LOL
The problem in California in my opinion is that the some of the Track Owners, Racing Executives, Racing Officials, and Politicians beholden to the Indian Casinos have absolutely ruined Horse Racing. You didn’t have to be a prophet to see this coming. The Racing Media has also been absent in most (not all) cases and has contributed to the decline by choosing to ignore the tough stories.
Some Horseplayers think that the villains in all this are the Trainers who push the envelope, Whales who get to bet (or cancel bets) after the start, and the list goes on. Yes, these are significant problems but the real villains are the some of the Track Owners and Executives who think of Horseplayers as a “necessary evil”. Behind the scenes some of them joke about the degenerates who are their customers. They love it when Horseplayers concentrate their ire on anyone but them. They laugh! Those who think that these people are something special are sadly mistaken in some cases. They are the sleazy and slimy ones who have ruined and are currently ruining racing in my opinion. The buck stops with them and they need to be held accountable!
Thanks for nothing,
Andy
December 11th, 2009 at 9:53 am
California decided its fate when it went from dirt to poly fiber and recycled rubber tracks. Enjoy those poly specialist out there because that is all you have. Go back to dirt or die.
December 11th, 2009 at 10:17 am
Governor Arnold should call a summit conference and invite all segments(including customers) to make a new master business plan that all can live with.
We need a new start. All issues should be on the table.
The people love horseracing. Give the people a new chance.
rwwupl
December 11th, 2009 at 10:20 am
The horse player’s who think all of California’s problem are a result of polytrack haven’t been paying attention. Our problems started long before the tracks were chanrged from dirt. I don’t think these tracks have delivered as promised but to put all the blame on poly aint’ right.
December 11th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Quote: “There aren’t enough horse owners with ready-to-run Thoroughbreds”
Having been an owner in So. Cal. for many years (in top end barns) I have to say this: to much money taken out of the winning purse money.
Trainer:- 10%, maybe 7.5% would be more justified.
Jockey:- 10%, a joke, for what they do 5% would be better. Taken to post, assisted in the stalls, saddle removed and carried to scales, for a percentage of 10%, give me a break.
20%, (more if a barn percentage if charged) is far to much.
As an individual owner I care about my horses, the trend towards partnerships takes away a lot of that, partnerships just want the horses to run like machines.
December 11th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Agree with much of what Andrew said.
Similar “egomaniacal idiots” are destroying racing all over the country, state by state, and they’ve been at it for years.
You wrote the other day about Stronach’s determination to go it alone 10 years ago and how that helped end any chance of the NTRA succeeding as a central authority for racing. But the failure of the NTRA was really a foregone conclusion, because the NTRA never had the requisite power to say no to Stronach or anyone else.
Racing is like the US under the Articles of Confederation. Without real power vested in a central authority empowered to act for the good of the whole, it’s falling apart piece by piece.
The chaos in California is symptomatic of the overall problem. Sure, the CHRB is rudderless. What good did it do when it had leadership?
It’s NOT the economy. US racing was in deep s*** long before the economy tanked. During the Great Depression, horseracing was enormously popular. It could be popular again, if it were managed and marketed nationwide as sport must be in the 21st century.
December 11th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Andrew is right on the money with his letter. California racing has become a total joke. Maybe some of the racing executives should read the book ” The Big Store” by Dennis R Katz
December 11th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Horse racing is failing in CA because CA racing has a whole has failed to “Put the Horse First”.
When you don’t take care of something, it doesn’t take care of you.
December 11th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Even at the edge of the abyss, arrogance, mediocrity, lies, fraud and a total lack of compassion toward horses abound. California “leadership” has let its serial abusers gain critical mass. Poobahs can no longer control and cover-up the mess.
Blaming dirt and mandating synthetic was a coward, corrupted and expensive way to avoid blaming themselves and their drugs for abusing, injuring and killing so many horses. Synthetic postponed the inevitable: drastic but healthy change.
A central authority is sorely needed now.
Instead of using a ounce of prevention CA racing will need a pound of cure. Crucial reforms may even come too late. It certainly will be too late for the thousands of California horses sent to slaughter from tracks and busted breeding farms during the past two 1/2 years as a consequence of reckless state breeding practices favoring quantity instead of quality.
Short fields? California ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Even before the bust, the state had too much bad racing and too many inferior horses being bred. It is destructive for horses and the business to run badly managed, depreciated, exhausted and lame horses full of “therapeutic” drugs into the ground. California tracks have been squeezing the last drop out of their “inventory”. Tracks and fairs fight over the sorry left-overs like vultures.
Face reality before it’s too late.
December 11th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
American racing is a bunch of political fiefdoms dominated by selfishness and lack of vision beyond the almighty dollar. Look at how the KEEP crew in Kentucky have effed up their goal of slots at tracks without a vote of the people. A couple of years ago I would have bet on a close yes vote but the honchos decided to play hardball politics with a clumsy Governor, and they failed to kill the King which is fatal in the assassination game. Now I’d bet against a yes vote by the people because those same people have been turned off by the political tactics which just saw Haydon get slaughtered last week despite huge dollars spent on his behalf by KEEPers. Great letter Andrew and great points Noelle about the Articles of Confederaton analogy.
December 11th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
One can sift thru some very good rhetoric here but it is mostly too late to save it. Cal racing has been hit with wave after wave of inexperience and corruption with the TOC playing a major role in its demise. there hasn’t been a good racing operator since Kilroe. Coutu, claiming, cal board, vets, bute, lasix, taxes, casinos, Magna, track net media, mainly consolidated from core greed and incompetence. Cal racing had it all. Location, character, caring, climate, quality, movie stars and a diversified horse herd.
Horse racing’s greatest assets are not real estate, they are the horse herd and experience and both assets are portable…..and they are gone!
December 11th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
NO. LET THEM GET BURIED UNDER THEIR SYNTHETIC SURFACES
December 11th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Well done, Andrew. Synthetic surfaces have isolated California racing.
December 11th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
This is a rough crowd.
Ray’s original headline is off. It should be “Is anyone able”; people are willing, they just can’t do it without radical restructuring.
And all you synthetic bashers — don’t let the facts get in the way of your story. The rate of fatal injury is way down on synthetics. Who will be the first track out there to rip up the synthetic and put back dirt. “We know fewer horses were dying, but our bettors and horsemen prefer dirt.” What’s a few more dead horses, as long as they’re not on national TV…
December 11th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Blacktieaffair there are more injusries on synthetics than dirt has ever seen. Why do you think the fields are getting smaller. CAUSE MORE HORSES ARE GETTING INJURED!!! Of course this is not the only issue but one of the major ones.
December 11th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
I’ll be in California during the holidays to visit family.
Due to the state’s archaic simulcast laws, If I choose to visit the off-track wagering facility in Pleasanton, the number of imported tracks and races will be limited.
Therefore, I’ll be subjected to the lousy racing — featuring short 5- and 6-horse fields — offered at California tracks.
That’s IF I choose to partcipate. I’m guessing I’ll find something else to do while I’m out there.
December 11th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
blacktieaffair:
Remember that the statistics they give you are manipulated and here’s why.
They are comparing 2007 and 2008 (not 2009) against the worst years of dirt. Remember the dirt tracks had bases that were over 40 years old. How can you compare the first two years of synthetics with new material and new bases to the worst years of dirt? Why doesn’t Mr. Arthur compare the dirt years when the base was newer? Because he is a synthetic advocate and he would rather promote his ideology and mislead the public in my opinion.
What is it that people don’t understand about synthetic material wearing out?
Del Mar 2007 was nothing like Del Mar 2009.
————————————————————————————————————————————–
http://www.nctimes.com/sports/columnists/nahill/article_1c54cc9e-4cc1-5dbb-a9c7-de2ca01c6406.html
Excerpt:
Bill Casner, co-owner of WinStar Farm and Colonel John, loved Del Mar’s track in 2007.
“The first year it was slow but safe,” Casner said. “It was pretty good last year. This year it sounds like a herd of buffalo down there on the track.”
———————————————————————————————————————-
The stuff loses it’s cushion and all 19 tons need to be replaced to maintain the original specifications. The same goes for Hollywood and the same goes for Arlington and all the rest with Hocus Pocus surfaces.
The synthetic infomercial was misleading at best and those who bought into them have been “PUNKED”. HRTV and TVG have also contributed to the myth of synthetics and perpetuated their false claims.
December 11th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Look at all the money from handle that goes into CTBA,TOC,CTT,NTRA , Marketing fund and the list goes on. Rumor has it that At least 40 million a year. That could go in purses. There should be one organization to handle everything. Someone needs to check this out if it’s true.
December 11th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
They installed those Syhtetic surfaces WITHOUT EVEN TESTING THEM! Fools.
There are more injuries now than ever before. Those tracks are the biggest mistake ever made. Don’t believe what the tracks and their puppets say. Those tracks are a disaster.
December 11th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Again, check out Gosden’s interview with HRTV, specifically surfaces.
You dirt people have to learn to get over your simple minded, stuck in the mud, 19th century mindsets (which had a ton more turf/grass races and WAY longer distances with higher frequency of one horse racing…grow up!). Don’t take my view on the syn debate here in the US,?…check out international venues and conditions books. Also check into the IRS and for profit conditions to be considered a business v. hobby with racing. As much as we may hold some contempt for the wealthy and privelaged of yesteryear (Riddle, Whitney, Woodard, et al) that embellished racing in the golden age of US racing…this gotta make a profit in an entertainment venture is also killing the industry.
Syn’s aren’t killing US racing. Quality of product, too much product (at cheezy levels with overlap) and too much take out from the betting venues (and yes, that includes internet entities) and the governments are degrading this game.
Can anyone one person save CA racing?…NO. Ms Everett may have found a niche (p.s. didn’t she get run out of Illinois?) during her time in history, but the game has degraded to a point that she wouldn’t have even inserted herself today.
Why doesn’t international racing have the nashing of synthetic teeth like we in the US have?
December 11th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
It doesn’t help that California is the epicenter of the animal “rights” movement. How long do you think an industry can stand anti-slaugher of unwanted livestock? Constant attacks on the very breeding of horses? Pushing costly synthetics in the name of “save the horsies” that turned California into the land of the unwanted surface- with little or no improvements in safety (hind end problems anyone?), handicapping handicapping as well. Let California be the first example of animal whackos compassionate stupidity killing the industry. Learn from it, get these fools out of our midst.
December 11th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
As a side note, the implementation of synthetics and it’s disjointed policy is just another indictment toward the notable lack of a centralized, regulatory and enforcing power for the horse racing enterprise that is called US Racing.
December 11th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Susan White:
You have taken the argument of animal welfare to the extreme. I do not believe in stopping breeding or racing. What I complain about is the disposal.
California the “epicenter”??? Does the state have a tendency to be what many construe as “liberal”. Absolutely! Just remember, Ronald Reagan came from California as President. John Wayne made it his home. It doesn’t mean the state is full of nuts. As I also remember, they both enjoyed and respected horses. Treating them humanely seemed to be acceptable to them. And Nixon signed the 1971 Wild Horse Burro Act, which has since been putrified by the states and DOI/BLM.
I’d also ask you to check out the status of the California economy with regard to agriculture. In fact, check it out as an entity in world terms…pretty way up there (tree huggers and all). Do they get everything right? No. But they don’t certainly deserve to be dismissed by the likes of you. Seems to me the likes of Bertrando, Unusual Heat and others are breeding unfettered, save for the economy. Swaps’s dam died of neglect/starvation when slaughter was in full swing in California and the US. No treehuggers or PETAs complaining then.
No ma’am, California liberals aren’t racings problem in California…racing management or the lack thereof is.
December 11th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Susan White:
p.s. Exceller and Ferdinand are so much unwanted livestock???? Priceless! And slaughter is alive and well in California, even with their anti-slaughter laws. So I do not know what you are complaining about unless you battery cage hens or stock calves.
December 11th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
California will always ail when it come to racing because nobody WANTS to truly solve the problem.
It’s not as simple as signals, surfaces and take out.
December 11th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Re: Marge Everett
She was found to have bribed Illinois governor Otto Kerner in return for choice racing dates for Arlington and Washington Parks.
December 11th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
I’m sure Zenyatta will save California racing. She can do anything…
December 11th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
ta-pete-a FYI Kerner served his time in the heart of the Bluegrass at the Lexington Federal Prison on Leestown Road. There used to be a wing just for Illinois pols there.
December 11th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
“there aren’t enough horse owners…” and “.CA Horse Racing Board is ruderless”.
is it that there are insufficient owners or insufficient healthy horses? When I look at these trainer websites I see lists of 100s of horses maybe 25% of which are actually racing. Many of these trainer websites unwittingly indicate that almost to a man/woman these trainers are playing numbers games with their racing stock instead of conducting their training methods to preserve the horse.
thus, after how many countless years of driving almost every single owner out of the game since all of the horses have been permanently injured, we have an “entry” problem in CA apparently. Surprise.
Increasing horse ownership requires a trainer community responsible in terms of training methods that preserve stock. this is not happening now, and never has. We thus have the throw away owner. Injure this horse, and bring on the next.
Several things could be done that would immediately change this situation:
1. Trainer probation the minute a horse breaks down, pending investigation. That alone will eliminate 75% of your breakdowns, guaranteed. Make the trainer responsible for injuring their stock.
2. Training standards to entry eminating from the CA horse racing board. Where are you Rick Arthur? Specify what the horse “must” do in terms of minimum track work BEFORE entry, based on sound exercise physiology. This will eliminate the Bonnie Brown Eyes and Mi Rey being prevented from entry due to lack of appropriate training.
3. The NTRA getting involved in rider availability so that trainers can physically conduct appropriate training. Rider availability is an obstacle to well-meaning trainers.
4. And then rider education and responsibility in preventing injuries. How may horses are injured by stupid riding, lack of warm up, etc. etc. etc.
Finally, I’d recommend changing emphasis on the type of owner we are selling to. Get people interested in athletics–Jim Rhome comes to mind–instead of profiteers. There is a huge untapped market of the former.
December 11th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Ray - The answer isyou, Then bring it nationwide. Hope you still have time for the PR!!!
December 11th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Rattherrapid- You suspend a trainer because a horse he had training in his barn broke down? So my ready to run horse was in the barn of a trainer that had a horse go down, and now my trainer has been suspended? What should I do with my horse? Move him to another trainers barn? What happens if my new trainer has a horse break down?
Rather- you should change your name to Ratherstupid. Have you ever owned a horse or paid a training bill? We will never know, as you take the coward’s route of posting under some stupid screen name. Give us a link to a trainer’s website that shows 100s of horses under a trainer’s care, and only 25% are race ready.
December 11th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Lack of leadership—that sums up the root problem in California.
Too many trust-fund babies—who couldn’t find a job if left to their own devices—have ruled the roost for too many decades here. Until proven entrepreneurs replace them at the helm of the CHRB, TOC, CTBA and the tracks we can only expect more of the same myopic groupthink that has led us to the precipice.
December 11th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
rick barton–i said probation pending investigation. if there is negligence shown in the training or pre-race diagnostics, an appropriate suspension would follow. Should investigation fails to turn up negligence, then probation ends. if you want examples of what my post refers, look up the website of the trainer of Mi Rey–a horse that broke down at delmar with a criminally negligent breezing schedule. avoid picking on that trainer–check out Dunkirk, Warpass, and name horses that have gone down with highly questionable handling. the injury problem is an unbroken record the sport fails to address because it seems, most fail to understand.
as to what you do with your horse–why would you put it in the shedrow where there is training negligence? i have owned over 20 tb race horses over the last 25 years.
December 11th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Rick
You still got to insult Rattherrapid without knowing his real name, isn’t that good enough, or do you want to find his home and throw rocks in it?
Do you like John Smith better, or is that my real name?
December 12th, 2009 at 12:14 am
Breakdowns can be cut back with the elimination of BUTE before the pre race examination. I had this discussion with Rick Arthur the state vet. He said they discussed this at their Del Mar meetings. A horse is given BUTE the day before they race. The horse passes the pre race exam and can still be running sore. The reason they wont stop this practice is the size of the fields will be reduced so they would rather roll the dice. California is doomed as the purses are cut but I still continue pay 75 dollars to train my horses with no help from the tracks. This is not just happening in California, but across the country. Racing is going the way of boxing and yes we can lose a great sport. There are many issues contributing to the declining industry including off track wagering, marketing and animal abuse and the general populations view that it is cruel. If we don’t start by taking care of the animals then the sport will continue to decline. Breeding practices have to be looked at as too many inferior horses are bred that will never make it. Stallion books need to be reduced and their offspring need homes after their racing careers are over. For every Zenyatta there are a hundred Ferdinands.
December 12th, 2009 at 12:36 am
Susan White - Those of us who oppose mindless violence everywhere - including its exercise against horses - can oppose it forever if that is what is required to stop it.
When “humans” (are you actually human?) like you assert that slaughter is “necessary”, then the rest of us must remain in opposition,. Slaughter is violent. cruel, painful and ugly,,, and pointless.. There is no excuse, ever, for sending an American horse to that awful fate.
December 12th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Jr right and wrong ! The disgusting stench of a 30 year program of bute and lasix instituted by veterinarians and promoted and ratified by the nepotistic alliance of TOC and Cal Board have resulted in a three decade trail of dehydration, brittle bones and domination of claiming horses. Placing a premium on mediocrity always through ignorance always produces a classless outcome. Thoroughbred horse racing is not going the way of boxing. It is going the way of standardbred and dog racing, with the only distinguishing difference being diversified distances and approximately 15-20% no price races. But the latter is being destroyed by a handful of uneducated kids who are undermining the allowances system by writing races for five and half furlong sprints and predominantly cheap claiming races. Senior managements by abdicating authority and allowing the destruction of quality for gimmicks.
December 12th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Susan White wrote:
“It doesn’t help that California is the epicenter of the animal “rights” movement. How long do you think an industry can stand anti-slaughter of unwanted livestock? Constant attacks on the very breeding of horses? ”
You are the problem, not the solution. The “animal wackos” are re-acting to your abuse. It would be wise for horse racing to listen to the “animal wackos” because we match the higher societal standard of the well educated, balanced people in our increasingly urban society, the very ones racing wants to attract both as fans, owners, sponsors and investors.
Racing insiders who have grown to tolerate and participate in cruel acts against horses including enabling the racing of infirm horses for profits, call those who are vocally against the cruel treatment of race horses have been called names like “emotional” meaning weak and sick and anti-racing even though our way would make racing acceptable to society and their way is destroying horses and racing.
Horses have always been sent to slaughter from CA, even after the law banned that trade in 1998. The CA ag. dept. and law enforcement agencies never had the intention to stop CA horses from entering the slaughter pipeline from the state; tracks and horsemen never had the intention not to break the law either in order to expediently purge the inventory. No one protects race horses from feeding illegal activities, such as match-races and tripping at mexican rodeos.
It is not the “animal wackos” who are destroying racing, you and others like you are doing a fine job with screwing racing, its reputation and its future. Racing has mistakenly and arrogantly chosen to discuss how to deal with animal advocates and keep them away instead of recognizing the abuse and change in major ways. The “animal wackos” are correct and justified and if racing wants to save itself, it should pay great attention to what the “whackos” have been saying for years. Arrogance never serves one well.
“Pushing costly synthetics in the name of “save the horsies” that turned California into the land of the unwanted surface- with little or no improvements in safety (hind end problems anyone?), handicapping handicapping as well.”
Everyone knew that synthetic tracks couldn’t and wouldn’t stop the killing because it is caused by people pushing lame horses to train and run on drugs. Synthetic couldn’t stop the mayhem and they knew it. They just didn’t want to take responsibility and disrupt racing and income. CA racing lied, took bribes and the path of least resistance so horsemen could continue to destroy horses and self-destruct.
Instead of doing what must be done: cut drugs, cut abusive, delinquent, cheap racing and ban the scum, it mandated synthetic! And voila: horses continue to drop like flies. More soft-tissue injuries allow horses to be shipped-out alive and be killed off track including at slaughterhouses which gives the appearance that synthetic kills fewer horses than dirt.
There is a reason why fatality numbers are used to defend synthetic instead of season + career ending injuries + death toll on and off-track.
Synthetic is just another sick avoidance of the truth, like calling the severe beating of horses “strong urging” or catastrophic breakdown of lame/numbed horses “taking a bad step”.
Racing insiders have constantly be-little the “animal wackos” and have continued to destroy racing along with its horses. Even though they don’t like to hear what the “animal wackos” have to say, they are increasingly correct sadly as racing gets worse.
“Let California be the first example of animal whackos compassionate stupidity killing the industry. Learn from it, get these fools out of our midst.”
No, the Susan Whites are doing a fine job killing horses and the industry. The “animal wackos” are just the messengers. They are not guilty of anything, you are.
December 12th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
You had me until “It would be wise for horse racing to listen to the “animal wackos” because we match the higher societal standard of the well educated, balanced people in our increasingly urban society”, But if it makes you feel better, I did LOL at PETA members being higher society, well educated, and balanced.
I am most definitely anti-slaughter, but horse racing will continue to die if we listen to a small minority of radicals who would rather see a human hurt than an animal. Have you visited the PETA website lately and read some of the postings there?
December 12th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
As an owner and a fan I have modeled my stable for the safety of the horse first. I compete against syndicates that can weather the financial storm and invest in quantity and do everything to win at all costs then cull the animal when they are through with it. I bought and own a very expensive farm operation to care for my horses. I own and retire every horse that has ever raced for me. I issue a challenge to everyone that enters the sport to do the same. I am not wealthy however, I make it work and yes it does eat at the profit but I sleep well. Yes I have to constantly ask the racing secretary to write longer races and that has become an issue as a horse trains for longer periods and costs money to run sometimes only every 45-60 days. Yes we are steeped in fast short races. Perhaps we should take a look at Europe and model a program after them. No drugs and distance races. I am willing to do that. I also challenge others to switch their programs as well. I purchased 2 yearlings at the September sale from sires that are sound, run a distance and were from barns that run clean. Support those stallions not the drug running owners of stallions that will produce future cheap horses. I know this is not popular but change has to come from within at the grass roots. When this occurs then we can look at surfaces.
December 12th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Bravo jr! Racing needs more owners like you. The industry should do everything it can to protect and support you. I wish you the best!
December 12th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Sorry, Matt. Taking care of horses does take care of the humans in many ways (unless you are implying that syn’s might be good for horses, but not good for the humans working them?). And I don’t know of anyone that advocates humane and ethical treatment of equines at a cost of safety to/for humans. They go hand and hand.
December 12th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Just read a good article that New York has adopted. It will hold anyone associated with sending horses to slaughter whether knowingly or not will be banned. Go to NYRA.com. I emailed the article to CHRB encouraging them to adopt the same policy.
December 12th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
If that is the case jr, then yet another state has gone down the California path of thoughtless decisions. New York should be out of trainers by Tuesday. Glad you sent that along to the CHRB horse racing in California ain’t hurting quiet enough.
December 13th, 2009 at 3:03 am
I wasn’t referring to horse racing when speaking about caring for humans vs. animals. PETA and its members would rather see a human hurting than an animal. If a tiger attacks its trainer or handler, its the human’s fault and the attacking tiger is pitied. I am all for animal welfare, but it needs to be reasonable and not the radical approach PETA preaches.
December 13th, 2009 at 3:03 am
Trosin,
Thoughtless decisions or thoughtless comments.
December 13th, 2009 at 7:38 am
Hollywood’s “shoe horning” a fall meet was simply a response to Santa Anita “shoe horning” an earlier fall meet (Oak Tree) under the guise of “racing for charity” to get the state to allow the additional racing days. Some of Oak Tree’s proceeds do go to charity but only after all the exec’s pockets are padded and everyone/everything under the sun gets their taste first. Today, the whole industry in Calif is a charity case. Chickens do come home to roost. The smug, arrogant behavior of the game’s principals in past days has not been forgotten.
Be careful who you do on the way up because they will do you on the way down!
December 13th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Having trained in Ca for 17 years sadly many of the above letters are right,they adresse many of the problems and so very sad to see so much displeasure about such a beautifull sport.Just look at Santa Anita is there a more beautifull setting in the world for any kind of sport complex.But “Willie B” said it shorter and truer than anyone.Its the horse stupid! Unfortunately this is a problem for racing country wide.Look at the management,so very few of the Track Management really like horses,or know anything about them.
December 13th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
PETA wants ALL animal use by humans ended. They don’t believe in dogs/cats as family members. I do not support the end goal of PETA, but they do bring some reasonable issues to the forefront of discussion (not the debate here) sometimes. Do I agree with them as a supporting member? No. I love racing and it’s athletes. My argument is that ALL deserve to be treated better. The problem with racing isn’t PETA or strictly human consumption horse slaughter…it’s the management and the lack of a centralized racing commission with a powerful commissioner enforcing standards.
The majority of fans and involved industry persons don’t support PETA either. We want substantative CHANGE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. And I think your summation that PETA supports “human hurting” is a gross generalization. They don’t advocate hurting humans (ALF does much more in that direction), but they seem to believe that when you remove a tiger from it’s natural environment to make it perform or zoo’d, then you are asking for trouble.
jr:
While I share your enthusiam for the NYRA “ban”, one of NYs most infamous dump to slaughter tracks and the other tracks (harness, etc) are not part of that announcement…maybe they have their bans in place already. I know that the Standardbred community was working on something like that…Finger Lakes?…not sure. Let’s face it, Saratoga, Belmont and maybe Acqueduct don’t have the meat truck as a common, day to day function like some of the lower tier tracks. But it’s a start.
December 13th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
here i go in caps that most fictitious name people hate for mr to do so..
HELLO “RICK BARTON” I SAW YOUR POST FROM #32 & IAM HAPPY & AGREE WITH YOU 110%..NOT ONLY THAT,I CANT BELIEVE WHAT THAT RAPIT GUY WROTE..I HAVE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS SINCE CITATION BEAT THE BEST OLDER HORSES IN FEB 1948 WHEN HE JUST BECAME A 3YR OLD A MONTH BEFORE..IN ALL MY YEARS I HAVE NEVER HEARD A WHACO STORY LIKE THAT..
RE: WAR PASS….HOW CAN A GUY SAY A NEGITIVE THING ABOUT “WAR PASS” WHEN HE NOT ONLY WOULDNT KNOW A HORSE IF HE SLEPT IN BED WITH ONE BUT WAS NEVER EVEN BEING WITHIN 10 FEET OF HIM..NICK & I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR 35 PLUS YEARS..MANY PEOPLE WHO ACT LIKE THEY ARE EXPERTS COULD’NT SHINE HIS SHOES..”MR FITZ” & “PRESTON BURCH” WOULD TURN OVER IN THEIR GRAVES IF THEY HEARD A STORY LIKE THAT.I WAS WITH NICK WHEN HE WAS UNLOADING HIM ONE MORNING FOR A $300,000 STAKE & WATCHED HIM WALK IN THE SHEDROW FOR 28 MINUTES & HE LOOKED LIKE A MILLION ….I HAVE BEEN AROUND MANY STAKE HORSES FROM CITATION TO CURLIN…
NOT LIKE A BUNCH OF “JOHNNY COME LATE LEYS” THAT WHAT THEY WERE CALLED IN THE YESTERYEAR>> LIKE IT OR NOT.
ON ANOTHER NOTE:I WAS WITH G.STIENBRENNER YESTERDAY AT THE TAMPA TRACK..HE LOOKED LIKE 2 MILLION..HE SHOOK MY HAND HARD LIKE HE USED TO.
ALSO WAS INTRODUCED TO MARTHA GERRY’S DAUGHTER…TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT HER GREAT GREAT GELDING “FOREGO”
ITS MORE THAN REFRESHING TO HEAR NICE PEOPLE LIKE I WAS WITH SATURDAY & DONT SOME OF YOU FORGET THAT I ONLY WENT THRU HI SCHOOL…ONLY READ PART OF ONE BOOK IN THE 4 YEARS OF HI SCHOOL..THATS MY CLAIM TO FAME
December 13th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Decisions jr
December 14th, 2009 at 1:28 am
The $10 million Proride “All Weather” surface they installed at Santa Anita, it isn’t draining.
So Cal had a decent rain yesterday, maybe an inch or two at most, and the track FAILED TO DRAIN. Horses could not train over it today (Sunday).
December 14th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Synthetics aren’t the problem. The people that put them in or hate them are. That SA couldn’t do the gig (AGAIN) is an indictment of the track management and the installers/surface engineers….different topic all together.
Anyone think to contact succesful syn installers in Europe??????
Anyone angry at the “folks” at SA that they still CANNOT get it right in a temperate climate zone??????? Fairly lame to me.
December 14th, 2009 at 10:57 am
People who call those who express compassion toward race horses and would like to see serious change to protect them “PETA” members, animal whackos, people haters, anti-racing are arrogant mudslinger who have and will continue to poison the industry as long as they are in charge. I am flabbergasted that they fail to see that killing horses kills horse racing.
Arrogance and greed have replaced horsemanship, sportsmanship and moral values and reason. It was far more expedient to blame the dirt rather than themselves for the high injury and fatality count. Synthetic was installed because the CHRB has no spine and too many owners and trainers have destructive priorities. Synthetic avoided accountability and disrupting revenues. What is CA going to do for an encore? Hopefully start to look in the mirror and make the necessary changes.
To successfully run and market racing, racing has to choose quality over quantity. It needs to prioritize integrity and make the welfare and safety of horses and their riders the top priority at all costs. IMO, reforms should include:
- a central racing authority based in neutral territory to avoid pollution from the old guard.
- off-competition soundness monitoring, examination and drug testing.
- adequate security, painful penalties and permanent bans under a central authority and its tough legal team.
- fewer drugs and ultimately no drugs leading up to each race and on race day, in particular, no drugs for two year olds, stakes horses and trashed stakes horses racing in claiming races.
- disclosure of equine medical records at least to jockeys, buyers, breeders, racing offices, private and official vets. Horseplayers deserve to know that information as well, so make the damn information public once racing nolonger has a dirty business to hide.
- rest and retirement mandated by officials to protect horses, conscientious trainers and riders.
- rewrite claiming rules in order to prevent abuse of horses, jockeys and buyers.
Santa Anita and Del Mar could be the only Thoroughbred tracks in California. They could be run by an upscale owners organization with some civility and regard for the horses and riders.
Del Mar could run from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Oak Tree and Santa Anita could re-arrange their dates somewhat to create three well balanced breaks per year. The disgusting cannibalism of the “inventory” between tracks would end. With higher standards, fewer races, drugs and injuries, with larger, healthier fields and anticipated meetings with breaks in between, purses and handle would likely increase.
Without drugs to train and race, with a limited but superior “product”, horses would last longer, expenses would be lower, fields and purses bigger, and last but not least, less horses would retire from racing and when they do most would be in far better shape than they are now thus making it much easier to rehab, retrain and place them… And market horse racing.
December 14th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
The poly tracks are a disaster go back to dirt or die what don’t you understand ?
December 14th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Draynay….that you live in 19th century America???? They seem to handle this issue reasonably well, internationally. But of course, they don’t tolerate drugs either. Of which I haven’t noticed a constructive “peep” out of you regarding.
December 14th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
How many Group 1 races do the Europeanss run on synthetic surfaces?
The answer tells you what they really think of synthetics.
The synths may be worth trying for cheap, bad weather racing, but that’s about it and even then only as an experiment. The material seems to break down rather quickly.
December 15th, 2009 at 12:01 am
D. Masters…the “D” stands for dumb.
December 15th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Clinton Stitch:
What a valuable and useful comment. What would the fans of this website, or the world for that matter do without trolls? Have an intelligent debate maybe? Get something accomplished?…just another toad in the road (apologies to toads because at least they provide a necessary ecological function).
Lance Briggs:
Sorry, the stats don’t really “tell me” what they think of syn’s. And they certainly don’t whine about it like folks in the US do. As a side note, compare international racing distances and turf utlization compared to the US. What do those stats tell ya’? Argument in reverse.
December 15th, 2009 at 11:00 am
US racing needs to look at how Europe stables, trains and runs its flat horses. It is not perfect there, however racing is mostly on grass, the most natural, basic and proven surface. Why re-invent the wheel with stinky pieces of synthetic carpet, tire, jelly cable mixed in waxed sand?
Horses don’t need drugs to train, run and win classics. Horses should not be regularly drilled for speed unless they are sprinters. They should race longer races on grass and go around wider turns. Off-drugs, only racing sound horses would be trained and raced and many catastrophic injuries would be prevented because appropriate rest to grow and heal would replace chemical injections to hide ailments and push horses forward and shamelessly downward.
US horses would be much healthier if they were trained away from polluted cities, crowded, old wooden barns at racetracks and filthy barn areas. Horses should train in centers with plenty of fresh air, space and surface options and they should stay out longer. Their stalls should be clean, sunny and quiet. Horses should just ship to the racetrack the morning of a race.
December 15th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Joe:
Because turf management is a very complicated and highly managment intensive endeavor. Many of the top international tracks have multiple turf courses…the US, not so much.
I say Amen to the bulk of your post. Not so sure about dismissing syn’s. Again, internationally, they don’t seem to be experiencing the problems we are having with syn’s.
December 16th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
I find it interesting that most people who took time to respond to the plight of California horse racing are not willing to state their own name. For over 20 years I covered the wonderful sport of thoroughbred racing. When I started out it was the sport of Kings. That’s exactly what it has reverted to, only those with gross amounts of money to take the hit of owning and training horses. For years now I have called the California Horse Racing Board, a ship with no rudder. So I agree with Ray Paulick. To Noell who obviously is disappointed in Frank Stronach? She’s not alone. I remember the day he made all the brash promises to members of the press in the Santa Anita Turf Club. Stronach has done little but to change the cosmetic appearance of what used to be the Great Race Place.” I have always admired his key front man Ron Charles, but Ron’s compassion for the once great sport is not good enough if top dog Frank doesn’t give Charles his head.
Bak Trekker is on the money placing the blame on the “selfish.” I have been pointing the finger directly at the greedy members of the organization Charles once had a strong say in. The TOC, without a doubt, has never mentioned “fan” in any issue. It’s nothing more than a me, myself and I organization of greedy owners with self interest their only goal. I have said for years now, the first move I would make if I were running Santa Anita would be to notify the TOC their contract would not be renewed. And before you start ranting, here’s what I would tell the members who would be up in arms. Santa Anita needs to get back to running race meets as it sees fit, and if you(a horseman or owner) don’t like the venue? Move on.
To Romulous? Amen brother! Too many indians are having a say in racetrack operations. The greedy members of the TOC top the list.
I guess the claim I have been making for several centuries now is obvious to the majority these days. Ratherrapid says the “CA Horse Racing Board is rudderless.” Yes Ratherrapid, your charges are right on the money. You have a chairman of the board who simply doesn’t get it. California horse racing has been in free fall, and the chair of the CHRB gets upset when people like myself tell it like it is. I guess the fact his farm is doing well, and that Cal-bred bonus they came up with have him feeling right comfortable.
Which brings me to my real passion. For many years I wrote in the pages of the Pasadena Star News about a lot of struggling owners and trainers. I spent many a meet out at the Pomona Fairgrounds, aka Fairplex, and watched these people disappear one by one. It was a case of the big fish eating the little ones. I begged. I pleaded, for Pomona in particular, to cater to the small stable when the fair dates came around. It used to be one of the best times of the racing calendar. Small outfits came in from the bushes. It was a much needed change of pace.
So what did Pomona do? They wanted to make it an extension of Del Mar. This was, in this writer’s mind, preposterous. It was also bad business. Along the same lines. I campaigned for the racing secs at the big track(Santa Anita) to write more races for the lower classifications. They were arrogant, continuing to write bottom level maiden claiming races for horses that they wished they had. Santa Anita was kind of snobbish in those days, and they could get away with it. But little by little, the smaller outfits couldn’t compete and it was the beginning of the end.
It has always been my dream to see horse racing(all breeds) name a czar. For many years now I suggested a man with the stature of Stan Bergstein would be a step in the right direction. I guess that’s going to be a pipedream I take to my resting place.
Willie B. claims the sport has failed to put the “horse first.” I contend thoroughbred racing has failed to put the “fan first
Thoroughbred racing can start by addressing the following issues now! Get a grass roots program started. The sport has blown two generations of possible players. Take a look at how old the customer has become.
Secondly the tracks have to put full focus on “fan” issues, not the owner. And before you come with the crapola there will be no racing without owners, you might want to admit. Without the “fan” you have nothing!
Last but certainly not least. Dumb the fake dirt tracks. I no longer play California races because there are simply too many different reads with synthetics.