December 2007 Archives
Thought with the new year fast approaching, there are a few things that I'd like to see for 2008.
- That the New York State legislature and the New York Racing Association do there very best not to let racing n New York shut down. Aside from the tens of thousands of jobs affected if such a travesty show indeed happen, I don't want to be resigned to watching Turfway Park and Sunland for my winter racing. Come on folks, you had 10 years to figure it out, don't leave it until the last four days of the year. You are all adults, get your act together.
Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense with Calvin Borel up
That the winner of the 2008 Kentucky Derby does not have his retirement plans announced 5 minutes after the race is run, and his 2009 book of mares posted on his web site by evening. That maybe, sportsmanship will come before greed, and we might actually see some of these 3 year olds to stick around until 4.
That probable horse of the year Curlin races as a four year old.
That Lava Man returns to form to dominate in California, and actually have a chance to win the Breeder's Cup Classic, and become horse of the year.
That DirecTV will finally add HRTV to their line-up, so I can watch Santa Anita, Gulfstream Park and Churchill Downs again. And so I don't have to watch Matt Curothers consistantly pick chalk on TVG.
Evening Attire winning at 9
Give us more geldings! Since the breeder's seem to whisk away every fully functional 3 year old to the farm, never giving the public enough time to form a following. But geldings can't breed, they can only race. So race they do - some of the greatest warriors in this sport are geldings, and the names of Kelso, Forgo and John Henry instantly come to mind. This is why I love geldings such as recently retired Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide and nine year old Evening Attire, whose trainer Patrick Kelly said if he's healthy and happy, he will race at 10.
That American racing joins in with the global racing community and bans race day medication. American born runners are perfectly capable of performing on the world stage, they do it all the time. It's just American-trained horses that can't seem to be able to detox enough to not be disqualified from big time races abroad (remember Brass Hat?). Time to get serious.
That thoroughbred owners take responsibility for their horses after they are no longer racing, and insure that they do not end up destined for slaughter. They race and die for us, they trust humans, and that trust should not be betrayed by such a horrible end as slaughter. There was outrage at the deaths of Exceller and Ferdinand, there should be equal outrage at the slaughter of $5000 claimers.
Will NY Politicians Allow A Shutdown of Racing?
The racing industry has its eye on New York, and not for a good reason. There is a very real possibility that racing at New York's major tracks will stop come January 1st, 2008. And we have the Three Stooges of New York State politics to blame for it.
Where to begin this tale? In a nutshell - New York Racing Association, a non-profit organization, has been running the franchise to New York's three major tracks - Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga - since 1955. That franchise expires December 31, 2007. Now, there are many who would say NYRA has done a piss-poor job of running the business of racing, with various scandals, charges of corruption, bankruptcy, IRS problems, audits showing underpayment of franchise fees, and a lawsuit claiming ownership of the 3 major tracks. I'm sure I'm missing one or two things, but you get the picture.
Besides NYRA, there are three other bidders for the franchise, and the potentially lucrative Video Lottery Terminals approved for Aqueduct. They are Capital Play, Empire Racing Associates and Excelsior, with Excelsior being the choice of the former Governor Pataki (R). The one major sticky issue was NYRA's claim that they own the properties, and no racing will be done on their property without their say so. That matter currently is in the NY courts, and on it's own could take years to resolve.
Enter stooge number one, Governor Elliot Spitzer (D), former Attorney General of New York, who went after NYRA, and once said that NYRA was "indifferent to corruption." Gov. Spitzer decides he doesn't like the former governor's choice and disregards it totally. He decides to open a new round of bidding, and then decides to change the rules halfway through the new process. While this new round of bidding goes on, he is negotiating with NYRA in secret.
Early this past September Gov. Spitzer announces that he has decided that a (Note: BUZZ word) "reconstituted" NYRA should operate the racing franchise for the next 30 years, while a separate entity control the VLTs. What is a "reconstituted" NYRA - hell if I know, that point is still a little bit fuzzy. In addition to running racing, NYRA would get help bailing out of bankruptcy upwards of $200 million dollars, much at taxpayer expense. NYRA would also have to relinquish all present and future claims of ownership to the racetracks. Interesting that the governor should pick the very same people he claimed were indifferent to corruption.
Enter stooge number two, Joseph L. Bruno (R), State Senate Majority Leader, and the most powerful Republican in Albany, and involved in NY politics since we bought Manhattan in exchange some nifty beads. He also has had an ongoing feud with the governor since Spitzer took office. His district includes Saratoga, so he is getting a lot of pressure to make this work. Initially Joe wanted the creation of a Republican-controlled public authority overseeing racing and the slot machines. That was in October.
His idea was pretty much killed by Sheldon Silver (D), Assembly Speaker, former trial lawyer and second highest-ranking Democrat. Oh, and Mr. Silver is stooge number three in this political triangle. Mr. Silver said the Republican's plan had "no details" and "no clear vision" and "no substance." He then quickly jumped on the governor's bandwagon and endorsed NYRA 2.0.
Senator Bruno came back in true NY political fashion by calling Silver "the biggest wimp on earth,." and claiming the governor and Silver were at fault for stalling on an agreement. He then promptly changed his mind, becoming more open to NYRA "reconstituted," but suggesting that the simulcasting and tote be open to outside interests.
But wait, a week later Bruno changes his mind yet again, and the former NYRA supporter blast them, saying "the slate needs to be wiped clean," and calls for NYRA's board to resign (which he let slip out of the bag the week prior stating Spitzer had quietly gotten the NYRA board to resign). Bruno indecision could be seen as political jockeying, or it could that he simply wants to be contrary to Spitzer, with whom he has been publicly feuding.
Albany is playing politics without consideration of the consequences of the thousands of jobs that would be affected if racing shuts down:
- Not only would the 1500 NYRA employees' jobs be in peril, but several thousand horse related jobs will be affected;
- Trainers must move their horses off the property come January 1st to other tracks, and some may not come back;
- Other businesses that benefit from their proximity to race tracks will lose business;
- A shut down of Aqueduct could produce a ripple effect felt at tracks throughout the county, affecting handle from simulcasting;
- Not to mention the lose of racing dollars going into the state treasury
Enough is enough. The NY legislator needs to make real and hard choices, and they need to make it now. It's 28 days and counting. Time to stop the political circus and get on with the business of racing.
The highly praised Polytrack of Keeneland saw two horses break down in consecutive races in one afternoon, Teuflesberg, and a 2 -year old named Gold Train, the later fatally. The talented Horatio Nelson broke down racing in England, on the turf, without drugs. The Aidan O'Brien trained Scorpion pulled up lame while training in Australia.
Again. Horses can break down any time, anywhere.
Teuflesberg in the paddock for The Phoenix
I have also seen it suggested that the owners are somehow responsible for the death of their horse, by running him on a surface (dirt) that he was not accustomed to, and on which he had no success when attempting last years' Classic. That greed took precedence over the safety of their horse. That they should have know better. This is just absurd. That statement is made with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight.
So why run him? My answer is why not? George Washington was retired for stud duty at the end of last year, only to have it discovered that he had infertility problems - there is only one mare, in Italy, known to be in foal to him. So they put him back on the racetrack, because well, he is a race horse after all. And their purpose is to race.
The Europeans will get their request partially filled next year at the 2008 Breeder's Cup, to be held in Santa Anita. They will indeed be able to run on Cushion Track if they wish. And it is being planned to be the first anabolic steroid-free Breeders' Cup if the California Horse Racing Board has their way.
George Washington broke down on sloppy dirt track at Monmouth. He could have broken down on the turf. He could have broken down on Polytrack. Or he could have broken down because it was just his time.
