So you bred two mares. My guess is it has more to do with buying power rather than body odor. Anyone who has “clients” is far bigger than a small, private farm like mine, hence more likely to breed more mares at inflated fees. Also possible deals were granted based on willingness to kiss ass.

Whatever the reason, they reneged on a commitment. They had the opportunity to redress, but refused on grounds NOBODY had been granted the privilege, therefore if they did it for one client they would have to do it for all.

Which leaves me asking: “Where is the truth?” Is it with you, Mr. Ocampo, or with the Sheikh’s people?

I bred two mares to Street Cry and it was confirmed I could have two seasons at $30,000. I submitted the two mares previously bred to the horse and a third mare which is a stakes winner and Graded placed. All three were rejected as “not good enough”. The original committment did not make any conditions for acceptance. They reneged.

Barbara,
If “Mo” - as you affectionately call him - is the entity with most effect on our economic health, shall we blame him for our current condition? Then, I could agree with you. I can make a case in support of your claim!!

And without Mo, Central KY is a parking lot sooner …rather than a bit later. He is the single entity that has had more effect on the economic health of breeders, consignors, and sales cos. than any other for the past 25 years.

“The drive to keep up with the Maktoums in purses should be curbed. Trying to match purses is like an arms race. Their resources far exceed our Thoroughbred industry’s. Ergo, we cannot win. We don’t need multi-million purses on Championship Day. Increasing the percentage to breeders and spreading the funds over more races in the year would be a fairer use.”

That went over “Like a fa…………………………..well, like a lead balloon”. I got 700 votes!

Incidentally, the idea Sheikh Mohammed is doing ‘a lot’ for racing or the industry, is a delusion.

It does not help many that he spends billions buying the proven sires or every stallion prospect in his aim to breed Derby winners. Then outrageously high fees are quoted to ordinary breeders. Also, it is obvious that as he will now have so many homebreds, he is not too likely to be a big buyer of horses produced by others - unless their track exploits suggest they might be Derby prospects.

We would be better served if he honored his commitments. AFTER Street Cry hit the top, it was announced that all who gambled by breeding to him in his initial seasons would be rewarded with the right to breed the same number of mares at his original fee of $30,000. That was ignored when he did the arithmetic and realized he would have to breed about 300 mares at the lower fee. That would still have produced nine-million dollars, but he decided he wanted more. Then his frontmen say the Sheikh wants the customer to have the best of the deal!!!!

The dirt mile is a horrible idea. All its done is dilute the classic field. Mast Track and Well Armed specifically dodged the Classic because of this race. It should never go beyond a G3 purse as to not affect the Classic.

The filly sprint is a horrible idea. Any filly good enough to win that race should be in the actual Sprint in the first place.

2yo turf races are a horrible idea. We don’t produce that many good turf horses to begin with. Look at the PP’s forlast years 2yo BC turf races, they are filled with glorified allowance horses. There are not many legit preps for those races anyway.

The marathon is the only addition that should be commended, but with that weak purse its nothing more than an afterthought on the card. I say make it a real marathon of 2miles and put a million+ behind it rather than 500k, the cheapest race on the card.

Lets also face facts about another thing, the BC should not be run over a synthetic surface. Our talent pool is so ridiculously thin as is, having good horses skip the event or not able to run to their best because of the surface is absurd.

One day, core races, core surfaces. Its so simple it will never pass the vet with the BC.