Frustration?

[blackthroatedwind]

So the Derby is over, and the best horse won, and the second best horse suffered a terrible tragedy. The winner is a very nice horse that has accomplished a great deal in a very short period of time while overcoming physical issues. He's also trained by someone who is understandably a lightning rod for attention....both positive and negative. He is also owned by a group in a similar boat. While I have certainly never been a great fan of some of what Dutrow has been involved with, I do think it's important to note that Big Brown ran a tremendous race in his debut, and he was not trained by Mr. Dutrow at that time. He is quite simply a very talented animal and dramatically superior to those that lined up against him Saturday. Many of us bet against him Saturday, myself included, knowing full well he was very possibly superior to his rivals, but we also felt given the post and his lack of experience, his undoing was more than possible. We were wrong.....he won with alarming ease. Personally, I always find a certain satisfaction in any race won by the best horse, and never moreso than in the Kentucky Derby.

But, people are angry. Trust me, I'm an angry guy, I understand. We're upset about what happened to Eight Belles and we're upset that this unfortunate incident is now being used by ignorant zealots with an agenda against this game that we love. And, even though we know they are wrong about most of what they speak, we sadly know there is at least a hint of truth in some of what they say ( truth, in all likelihood, that they don't even understand ). We're also frustrated that nobody in power in the industry has come out rationally, or almost nobody, to attempt to quell the hysteria by those outside the industry. I, too, am frustrated by this, but I also believe we should let them burn themselves out in a few days, and know that the game will go on regardless of their opportunistic ramblings. Just as I believe that a TC winner cannot " save racing ", I also believe that a tragedy in the TC series can't destroy it.

We're also frustrated that this Derby weekend was marred by infighting within the industry that dramatically affected the disemination of the Churchill Downs signal for betting purposes. We can't understand why the industry seems to continue to act in a way that is contrary to our interests, that is the racing fans who support the game, and even though many of us do understand and sympathize with the parties involved, it's hard not to be frustrated that all too often we seem to be the ones left out in the cold. It's easy to ask why can't the industry that we financially support, ever seem to listen to us. Even if we know that in some ways that's a massive oversimplification it's not unfair for us to be at least frustrated by the end result.

But I'm not frustrated. I'm happy that Belmont is open, and there's still eleven weeks left at that beautiful racetrack, and then there's six weeks at glorious Saratoga, followed by seven more at Belmont in the Fall. I'm happy that there's a great chance that in less than five weeks there will be a huge crowd at Belmont hoping for a TC and for a few weeks in NY people will actually care about horse racing. I'm happy that I'll be frustrated on a daily basis betting on the game I love. I'm happy that horse racing exists to give me something to bitch about. I'm happy that there will be many Pick-6s coming up for me to take tough beats betting. I'm happy that my life isn't as boring as those that haven't figured out how great this game is on a daily basis.

[Kasept]

Brilliant piece Andrew. Perfectly put. Thx for elucidating a lot of what people are thinking/feeling.

[hockey2315]

Great post, Andy. . .

[Coach Pants]

I'm happy I read your post.

[my miss storm cat]

I have nothing to add but gotta say how much I enjoyed reading this.

I wish this were on the back pages of newspapers across the country.

Then maybe some would get it, or parts of it... start to have an understanding.

Anyway, well done.

[3kings]

Great post Andy. It doesn't change any of the issues in the game, but reminds me why I follow and enjoy it. Thank you.

[Cajungator26]

Damn, great post Andy ...

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

after driving home for 10 hrs i had a similar thought...i dont care for dutrow..but im a fan of big brown and yes tried to beat him..he beat me easy..all the wile i and many knew hes just the best.. ill root for him the rest of the way....at keeneland they cut away from the breakdown of eight bells..saving many of us from an brutal sight after a outstanding run by the winner and the filly.......... im pissed at larry jones who could have easly run 1/2 in the oaks and abit at the track supers..but in the end thats racing..never perfect..and yes belmont/toga/keenlend belmont..........

[MaTH716]

Wonderful post Andy, I enjoyed it very much.

[Payson Dave]

Well said sir....

[ARyan]

Great post...

[booner]

Great post.

[ninetoone]

Excellent.

[hurricanefrank]

outstanding piece Andy. Would love to see this make the papers across the land to counter all the negative fallout.

[mes5107]

Excellent post and a great read. I can't find anything I disagree with.

[ateamstupid]

Ditto what everyone else said.

[DCracing]

i can't wait to get to belmont park! and to bring my daughters to saratoga in august. thx

[pmacdaddy]

Well said.

[CSC]

Well said!

[prudery]

Perfectly stated and heartfelt ...I have exhausted my pretentious ass cruising the internet to try to correct and bring rationality to this hearbreaking situation ... Nothing will bring the filly back, and perhaps there is no explanation but that it was an accident ...
It infuriates me that those who see a race or two a year are ready with explanations, damnations and other ations ...
And yes, there is some truth even in the ranting of the PETA people and other hysterics ...
Nobody wants to see this happen ... And nobody doesn't want speed without safety ...

[otisotisotis]

Huzzah!

[fpsoxfan]

Very well put Andy. A great read.

[philcski]

Outstanding piece, Andy... couldn't have voiced what I was thinking it better. Would love to see it in an op/ed in the Times, which has printed some things this week which were not in their best character.

Thanks again for a truly heartfelt read.

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Very well put Andy...this IS the greatest sport :)

[_ed_]

As everyone has said, great post. Agree with every word. :)

[horseofcourse]

Excellent piece...should be a letter to the editor in papers across the country.

[pgiaco]

Outstanding, this belongs in the paper or on the news instead of the peta drivel being dished out.

[Suffolk Shippers]

Thanks Andy, very well said.

My girlfriend asked me tonight what I thought about all this national media noise about Eight Belles and how cruel racing is and blah blah. Purposely, I have been trying to avoid it because I know it's just another uninformed, lazy, headline grabbing story after another, from people who don't know the game or the animals.

Hell, I don't claim to know the game that well. I love the animals and I like my gambling now and then. That's why I am here. To me, I'd like to see one of these reporters/columinsts out there on a sweltering August Wednesday in Minnesota at Cantebury or a cold November Monday at Suffolk Downs in $5,000 NWX2 claiming event. I'd like to see them when some 6 yr old gelding breaks down in a race like that at a track like those. Not to diminsh Eight Belles' life or her career, but she is no different than that 6 yr old gelding. If they were there to report the demise of that gelding, than hey, maybe they had some business sensationalizing Eight Belles passing.

But of course, that will never be the case. Don't get me started on the whole advance wager bullsh**t. :rolleyes:

[tap]

This is the best piece I have read anywhere. In four paragraphs you have captured our feelings and put a mirror to our souls. Outstanding!!

[Coach Pants]

a mirror to our souls...



:rolleyes:

[Payson Dave]

not as good as vocal nuts

[sumitas]

This race brought many suspicions harbored by many to the fore. Questions that will remain on the minds of many for some time.

[ArlJim78]

i hate to be one to pile on, and be redundant, but that was fantastic. you should be a regular columnist somewhere in the industry. every point was spot on and very concisely summed up a frustrating weekend. great job.

[Payson Dave]

Maybe I'm very naive but I'm having a hard time buying that undetectable drugs played a role in this years derby...or for that matter the races in Dubai

[Danzig]

why? because the trainers aren't stupid??

they may have been on the up and up. fact is, many will wonder and doubt, because of the trainers of record.

[Norfolk]

Andy

Thank you for putting it into words. I have for days been trying to write my thoughts on the last few days and you said it a lot better than I could ever hope to.
Thanks
Joe

[Payson Dave]

why? because the trainers aren't stupid??
they may have been on the up and up. fact is, many will wonder and doubt, because of the trainers of record.

no.....because drug testing technology has become quite advanced

[tiggerv]

The best day of the year in this sport shouldn't make me this nauseous. I agree with everything Andy said but I wish I shared his optimism.

[Danzig]

no.....because drug testing technology has become quite advanced

tracks have to know what to test for.
biancone never had a positive for cobra venom. there's no test for it. he only got busted because they found a vial in his fridge.

and the 'not stupid' line comes from assmussens famous defense for his six month suspension for an overage. what, do you think i'm stupid?

[cowgirlintexas]

The best day of the year in this sport shouldn't make me this nauseous. I agree with everything Andy said but I wish I shared his optimism.
Agree 100%..I went from jumpimg up and down in joy to wanting to throw up in 20 seconds... Felt the same when Barbaro broke his leg. Was hoping not to have that feeling again so soon. Thank You Andy for the words that none of us could say in quite that way. I, as most of us on here hope to see it published for all the public to see. You have risen from the bottom page in my book, to the front cover.

[docvegas.]

well said.

[pgardn]

Your post suc ks.

nahhhh.

The part about the best horse winning and the fact
that this really is satisfying does indeed
strike the right tone.

Poor Eight Belles totally took me by surprise though.
Cant seem to factor that one out. From the horse
running suprisingly well (for me), to the accident.
To the press this morning again attacking racing.
Quandry persists.

[geeker2]

Thanks Andy...you done good!

[GenuineRisk]

Well, your excellent post motivated me, Andy. Salon had an article in the sports section on the race and I took the time to post a long letter trying to address the misconceptions about racing posted by other letter writers. I didn't say it as well as you did, but I did my best. Thanks.

[ELA]

Andy -- Exceptional! Thank you very much for the comments and thoughts.

Eric

[cochise]

I want to thank my good friend Andrew for stating so passionately the events of the derby weekend. Horse racing is a beautiful but at times a brutal sport, what took place saturday was a freak event I was about 30 yards behind 8 belles when she fell and I have never in my 30 plus years in horse racing seen anything like it . I wouldnt be surprised after the autopsy that it was found she had a heart attack and fractured her legs as a result.I love horses and I love racing it is a shame that a beautiful horse lost her life doing something she was bred born and raise to do.Its a bigger shame that people that have no understanding of our horses will use 8 belles death for they're own agenda.I hope I have stated my feelings clearly without offending anyone. Richard Migliore.

[zippyneedsawin]

I want to thank my good friend Andrew for stating so passionately the events of the derby weekend. Horse racing is a beautiful but at times a brutal sport, what took place saturday was a freak event I was about 30 yards behind 8 belles when she fell and I have never in my 30 plus years in horse racing seen anything like it . I wouldnt be surprised after the autopsy that it was found she had a heart attack and fractured her legs as a result.I love horses and I love racing it is a shame that a beautiful horse lost her life doing something she was bred born and raise to do.Its a bigger shame that people that have no understanding of our horses will use 8 belles death for they're own agenda.I hope I have stated my feelings clearly without offending anyone. Richard Migliore.


:eek: Thanks for your prospective.. and I agree.

[zippyneedsawin]

Brilliant piece Andrew. Perfectly put. Thx for elucidating a lot of what people are thinking/feeling.


I figured what the word meant, but I looked it up anyway. :D
BTW, nice post, BTW.

[Dunbar]

Fine, true-to-the-heart piece of writing, BTW. Thanks for taking the time. I'll echo the thought of Phil and others that it belongs on the Times' OpEd page, too.

--Dunbar

And thanks to Richard Migliore for stopping in and adding some more longterm perspective about how freakish this particular tragedy was.

[ArlJim78]

I want to thank my good friend Andrew for stating so passionately the events of the derby weekend. Horse racing is a beautiful but at times a brutal sport, what took place saturday was a freak event I was about 30 yards behind 8 belles when she fell and I have never in my 30 plus years in horse racing seen anything like it . I wouldnt be surprised after the autopsy that it was found she had a heart attack and fractured her legs as a result.I love horses and I love racing it is a shame that a beautiful horse lost her life doing something she was bred born and raise to do.Its a bigger shame that people that have no understanding of our horses will use 8 belles death for they're own agenda.I hope I have stated my feelings clearly without offending anyone. Richard Migliore.
this is what i've been saying, thanks for adding your first hand perspective.

[Danzig]

good post, and a good thread since no one has taken it off course. but i don't know that frustration is a strong enough word to describe what i felt at the end of the race, and still feel now. this sport has a lot of potential, and a lot of people involved in it who are dragging it down, while just enough others are trying to keep it upright. so, we barely stay afloat while paddling in circles.
ratings were ok on tv, huge crowd attended (don't think it can ever be larger than the record, since infield audience has been capped), no reason why handle had to drop. but we know why it did.

[philcski]

good post, and a good thread since no one has taken it off course. but i don't know that frustration is a strong enough word to describe what i felt at the end of the race, and still feel now. this sport has a lot of potential, and a lot of people involved in it who are dragging it down, while just enough others are trying to keep it upright. so, we barely stay afloat while paddling in circles.
ratings were ok on tv, huge crowd attended (don't think it can ever be larger than the record, since infield audience has been capped), no reason why handle had to drop. but we know why it did.

Cursory newspaper reports showing huge crowds at offtrack betting locations, as well.

I want to thank my good friend Andrew for stating so passionately the events of the derby weekend. Horse racing is a beautiful but at times a brutal sport, what took place saturday was a freak event I was about 30 yards behind 8 belles when she fell and I have never in my 30 plus years in horse racing seen anything like it . I wouldnt be surprised after the autopsy that it was found she had a heart attack and fractured her legs as a result.I love horses and I love racing it is a shame that a beautiful horse lost her life doing something she was bred born and raise to do.Its a bigger shame that people that have no understanding of our horses will use 8 belles death for they're own agenda.I hope I have stated my feelings clearly without offending anyone. Richard Migliore.

Welcome to the forum!

[GPK]

Nice piece Andy...very well said.

It is a shame the affect the media has on the general public, that happen to be non-racing fans. We keep ESPN on at work throughout the day, and the couple times on Sportscenter, when they showed J. Edwards reporting piece on Eight Belles, the senseless drivel that people were spewing during and after her piece was mindboggling to me. To overhear some of these people, who are basically just accepting as fact, everything that the likes of PETA and other non-horse related media spoon feed them, was infuriating. Fortunately for them, and for me as well, that I was in my work environment, so biting my tounge was clearly the proper decision. It took a great deal of restraint to just look at them, shake my head and walk away.

Our sport has its shares of tragedies, every day, but it's still the greatest thing going.

[Danzig]

yeah, but fans of the game understand it, and still get upset by it-i did for sure. so how else would someone who really knows nothing about the sport react?

[cowgirlintexas]

I want to thank my good friend Andrew for stating so passionately the events of the derby weekend. Horse racing is a beautiful but at times a brutal sport, what took place saturday was a freak event I was about 30 yards behind 8 belles when she fell and I have never in my 30 plus years in horse racing seen anything like it . I wouldnt be surprised after the autopsy that it was found she had a heart attack and fractured her legs as a result.I love horses and I love racing it is a shame that a beautiful horse lost her life doing something she was bred born and raise to do.Its a bigger shame that people that have no understanding of our horses will use 8 belles death for they're own agenda.I hope I have stated my feelings clearly without offending anyone. Richard Migliore.
Wow!! Welcome to the forum Richard. Thank you for the heartfelt post as well as giving us an opinion from someone who was actually close to the situation. Best of luck to you and stay safe!

[cowgirlintexas]

Nice piece Andy...very well said.

It is a shame the affect the media has on the general public, that happen to be non-racing fans. We keep ESPN on at work throughout the day, and the couple times on Sportscenter, when they showed J. Edwards reporting piece on Eight Belles, the senseless drivel that people were spewing during and after her piece was mindboggling to me. To overhear some of these people, who are basically just accepting as fact, everything that the likes of PETA and other non-horse related media spoon feed them, was infuriating. Fortunately for them, and for me as well, that I was in my work environment, so biting my tounge was clearly the proper decision. It took a great deal of restraint to just look at them, shake my head and walk away.

Our sport has its shares of tragedies, every day, but it's still the greatest thing going.
Bet ya wanted to pick up a 9 Iron and beat the Sh!t outta them :p

[GPK]

Bet ya wanted to pick up a 9 Iron and beat the Sh!t outta them :p


I wanted to put my foot in their ass sideways...

[zippyneedsawin]

Wow!! Welcome to the forum Richard. Thank you for the heartfelt post as well as giving us an opinion from someone who was actually close to the situation. Best of luck to you and stay safe!


I think he's been 'lurking' for a while...

[ArlJim78]

the general TV media really picked up on the peta charges. that was the juicy story that the news outlets all chose to run with "Peta wants jockey suspended!". one thing about Peta, they know how to whip up a frenzy and garner attention. how many thousands of people do you suppose heard that and just assumed that the jockey did something wrong?

[GPK]

yeah, but fans of the game understand it, and still get upset by it-i did for sure. so how else would someone who really knows nothing about the sport react?


Deb, Im referring more to the moronic statements made by these people declaring the sport useless, moronic and brutal. Like Mig said, and all of us understand that here, there is unfortunately a brutal side to this beautiful game that we all love. It's the people that have no idea what horse racing entails and just accept at face value what is spewed forth from TV, radio and other mass media outlets. I realize the difficulty involved in trying to convince these same people to see the same things we see, and for the most part, that will never be accomplished. Too many negative "stigmas" associated with the sport of horse racing for Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Public to fully appreciate the same things you, I, and everyone else around here do.

[parsixfarms]

Andy,

Great post that really got me thinking.

I don't know exactly what word I would use to describe my feelings for this weekend's events. I think it is fair to say that, going into this year's race, there was a palpable sense of indifference about the Derby among racing fans. I read many such posts on this board. Perhaps it was the mediocrity of the field; perhaps it was the questions surrounding the favorite and his connections. I guess the problem is that, on a day that should be a celebration for the sport, it's that several of the problems that have haunted racing for the past few years came to the fore in the triumph of Big Brown and the tragedy of Eight Belles.

For example, we have a winning trainer who, if the people running racing were serious about cleaning it up, wouldn't have a trainer's license let alone be training a marvelously-talented horse possibly on the verge of racing immortality. (Having Richard Dutrow train a Triple Crown winner would be racing's equivalent of Barry Bonds holding the home run record.) In IEAH Stable, we have an example of yet another group of well-heeled owners who appear to have cast a blind eye towards their trainer's past misdeeds and, given their prior affiliation with Greg Martin, were probably drawn to Mr. Dutrow because of that reputation.

On yet another major race day, we have racing conducted on an artificially-created "fast" track that could only be described as a paved freeway (whether that contributed to Eight Belles' demise can't be stated for certain, but it probably didn't help). And for the past 72 hours, we have heard one commentator after another bemoan both the manner in which thoroughbreds are bred in this country and the permissive medication rules that apply to racing on a daily basis. These have been familiar refrains for years yet all that is generated seems to be talk and more talk; little meaningful action occurs.

I understand that, for now, there is a need to "circle the wagons" to denounce the misguided and ill-informed attacks from groups like PETA. But what happens after this "storm" passes? Perhaps Saturday's events will prove to be a wake-up call for the industry. In recent times, incidents such as Barbaro's death and the Breeders' Cup pic-6 scandal were also supposed to result in significant industry changes. However, if that history is any guide, industry leaders will hope that this "storm" too will pass and then go back to their comfortable ways. After all, if you were making a lot of money the way things are now, why would you want to meaningfully change anything?

As a lifelong fan of this great sport and a participant for the past five years as an owner and breeder, I am always hopeful that the good people in the sport - and I believe that they far outnumber the bad - will reclaim the high ground that constantly seems to be slipping away. Given the high takeout that we face as bettors and the tough financial odds that we face as owners (running for $1.2 billion in purses while spending over $2 billion in care for the horses), there is a certain level of irrational optimism that anyone associated with the game must possess. (Racing certainly isn't a place for those with a "glass half empty" perspective on life.) I simply hope that, at this critical juncture, we get more than "just words" from those leading our sport.

[Kasept]

Points taken about the public... However... They might understand it more if we were led by industry officials presenting a unified voice in response to the inane critiques, and were on the proactive offensive here. As usual, they aren't.

A few numbers from the 1996/2005 economic impact studies of the American Horse Council:

$112 Billion -- Racing's overall contribution to the GDP

$25 Billion -- Racing's Direct Value of Goods & Services

$1.9 Billion -- Taxes/Fees generated for Federal, State & Local Govt's.

1.4 Million -- Employed full time by Racing and Racing-related industries


And we have to listen on TV and radio as ignorant buffoons are allowed to relate Thoroughbred Racing to dog and cock fighting?

[ArlJim78]

Steve, you're absolutely right about the lack of an industry voice.
The industry is marginalized because it is broken up into numerous fiefdoms making it impossible to represent itself to the public in a cohesive manner.

[Antitrust32]

Steve, those numbers represent the whole equine industry.

"The study reveals:



· An industry that is both large and economically diverse, as well as a key contributor to the overall fabric of the U.S. economy;

· Horse owners and industry suppliers, racetracks, and off-track betting operations, horse shows and other industry segments all generate discrete economic activity contributing to the vibrancy of the overall industry;

· Of the total economic impacts reported, approximately $32.0 billion is generated from the recreational segment; $28.8 billion from the showing segment and $26.1 billion is generated from the racing segment."


http://www.horsecouncil.org/2005%20June%20Economic%20Study%20Press%20Release.h tm

[HaloWishingwell]

Just curious, how does NTRA get paid? They seem useless in taking care of the problems in horse racing or its defense of it.

[mclem10011]

So the Derby is over, and the best horse won, and the second best horse suffered a terrible tragedy. The winner is a very nice horse that has accomplished a great deal in a very short period of time while overcoming physical issues. He's also trained by someone who is understandably a lightning rod for attention....both positive and negative. He is also owned by a group in a similar boat. While I have certainly never been a great fan of some of what Dutrow has been involved with, I do think it's important to note that Big Brown ran a tremendous race in his debut, and he was not trained by Mr. Dutrow at that time. He is quite simply a very talented animal and dramatically superior to those that lined up against him Saturday. Many of us bet against him Saturday, myself included, knowing full well he was very possibly superior to his rivals, but we also felt given the post and his lack of experience, his undoing was more than possible. We were wrong.....he won with alarming ease. Personally, I always find a certain satisfaction in any race won by the best horse, and never moreso than in the Kentucky Derby.

But, people are angry. Trust me, I'm an angry guy, I understand. We're upset about what happened to Eight Belles and we're upset that this unfortunate incident is now being used by ignorant zealots with an agenda against this game that we love. And, even though we know they are wrong about most of what they speak, we sadly know there is at least a hint of truth in some of what they say ( truth, in all likelihood, that they don't even understand ). We're also frustrated that nobody in power in the industry has come out rationally, or almost nobody, to attempt to quell the hysteria by those outside the industry. I, too, am frustrated by this, but I also believe we should let them burn themselves out in a few days, and know that the game will go on regardless of their opportunistic ramblings. Just as I believe that a TC winner cannot " save racing ", I also believe that a tragedy in the TC series can't destroy it.

We're also frustrated that this Derby weekend was marred by infighting within the industry that dramatically affected the disemination of the Churchill Downs signal for betting purposes. We can't understand why the industry seems to continue to act in a way that is contrary to our interests, that is the racing fans who support the game, and even though many of us do understand and sympathize with the parties involved, it's hard not to be frustrated that all too often we seem to be the ones left out in the cold. It's easy to ask why can't the industry that we financially support, ever seem to listen to us. Even if we know that in some ways that's a massive oversimplification it's not unfair for us to be at least frustrated by the end result.

But I'm not frustrated. I'm happy that Belmont is open, and there's still eleven weeks left at that beautiful racetrack, and then there's six weeks at glorious Saratoga, followed by seven more at Belmont in the Fall. I'm happy that there's a great chance that in less than five weeks there will be a huge crowd at Belmont hoping for a TC and for a few weeks in NY people will actually care about horse racing. I'm happy that I'll be frustrated on a daily basis betting on the game I love. I'm happy that horse racing exists to give me something to bitch about. I'm happy that there will be many Pick-6s coming up for me to take tough beats betting. I'm happy that my life isn't as boring as those that haven't figured out how great this game is on a daily basis.Well written Andy. I feel you have encapsulated the thoughts and frustrations everyone has been feeling, and will continue to feel as this great game does go on. Great post.

[freddymo]

Points taken about the public... However... They might understand it more if we were led by industry officials presenting a unified voice in response to the inane critiques, and were on the proactive offensive here. As usual, they aren't.

A few numbers from the 1996/2005 economic impact studies of the American Horse Council:

$112 Billion -- Racing's overall contribution to the GDP

$25 Billion -- Racing's Direct Value of Goods & Services

$1.9 Billion -- Taxes/Fees generated for Federal, State & Local Govt's.

1.4 Million -- Employed full time by Racing and Racing-related industries


And we have to listen on TV and radio as ignorant buffoons are allowed to relate Thoroughbred Racing to dog and cock fighting?


I think the American Horse Council is basically a paid organization hired by "the industry" hence take whatever they have to say with a BIG grain of salt and reduce all the fig's 20%..

[blackthroatedwind]

Thanks. I appreciate the kind words but I think my greatest contribution was lost......


....I have paved the way for proof that at least one jockey can both read and write ( and type too! ).

[Fearless Leader]

Thanks. I appreciate the kind words but I think my greatest contribution was lost......


....I have paved the way for proof that at least one jockey can both read and write ( and type too! ).


Now THAT'S funny!!!

[Riot]

Points taken about the public... However... They might understand it more if we were led by industry officials presenting a unified voice in response to the inane critiques, and were on the proactive offensive here. As usual, they aren't.

"Couldn't be reached" and "Had no comment"

[LARHAGE]

Thanks. I appreciate the kind words but I think my greatest contribution was lost......


....I have paved the way for proof that at least one jockey can both read and write ( and type too! ).


LOL!!!! That was a great piece Andy, very concise and heartfelt, Equidaily should post it on their site for all to read. I also saw Jill Byrne on Bill O'Reilly's show addressing charges of Horse Racing cruelty and she was very good as well, this thing will blow over again.

[Kasept]

I think the American Horse Council is basically a paid organization hired by "the industry" hence take whatever they have to say with a BIG grain of salt and reduce all the fig's 20%..
Actually, they are a very important group that cuts across all equine areas and have quietly been very helpful to the thoroughbred game.

[Better Than Honour]

Horse racing will survive this like everything. Groups like PETA use these tragedies to raise money.

Horse racing does have a huge drug problem though. There is no denying it and the industry refuses to deal with it. Baseball had a similar problem and made some efforts. Until horse racing has universal rules about drug testing and until horse racing has random drug tests that test for EVERYTHING and are administered by a group like the federal government, it will be plagued with a reputation as a dirty sport.

In baseball the two biggest stars Clemens and Bonds are tainted. In horse racing the sport's two biggest stars are with two trainers that have been caught cheating multiple times. The horses are probably 100% clean but the way guys like Asmussen and Dutrow got the top owners to give them horses is due to their success rate. That success rate must be questioned. That is the way it is. Horse racing rewards cheating and until it doesn't the sport will be tossed right in there with boxing, cycling,and track and field.

[FGFan]

Thank you to both Andy and Richard Migliore for your well put insights.

Richard...I had also immediately wondered about a possible heart attack and appreciate you taking the time to tell us what you saw from a position most of us here could never see. May the racing gods be with you and keep you safe, and may our sport recover from this tragic event and the nonsense that has ensued.

btw, BTW when are getting some more movies?

[mnmark]

Thanks for sharing such positive thoughts. Its too bad that these types of thoughts or observations are to few and far between. It makes posts like this that much more appreciated.

[sumitas]

Thank you Betterthanhonor and Parsixfarm for your side of the fragmented state of horse racing in the USA. This seems to be a fair and balanced discussion on this thread.

[Kasept]

Steve, those numbers represent the whole equine industry. Of the total economic impacts reported, approximately $32.0 billion is generated from the recreational segment; $28.8 billion from the showing segment and $26.1 billion is generated from the racing segment."

That's the direct value figure I used ($25B in 1996). The figs quoted were culled from a Forbes article that used the figures from racing only.

[Antitrust32]

That's the direct value figure I used ($25B in 1996). The figs quoted were culled from a Forbes article that used the figures from racing only.


Makes sense and thanks for explaining.

[deltagulf]

Just curious, how does NTRA get paid? They seem useless in taking care of the problems in horse racing or its defense of it.


well if ntra wont do are say anything. how come t.o.b.a. isn't saying anything also.

[clyde]

Thank you to both Andy and Richard Migliore for your well put insights.

Richard...I had also immediately wondered about a possible heart attack and appreciate you taking the time to tell us what you saw from a position most of us here could never see. May the racing gods be with you and keep you safe, and may our sport recover from this tragic event and the nonsense that has ensued.

btw, BTW when are getting some more movies?


Nice brown nosing.

How many points yew got fer that one?..What's the Bayers ?

[clyde]

Andy,

Great post that really got me thinking.




Oh my God.


Such brownieness.......your brain must have been quite surprised.

[FGFan]

Nice brown(ie) nosing.

How many points yew got fer that one?..What's the Bayers ?

:rolleyes:

Don't you have some dust mites that you have to herd up and tattoo?

Really your putzing around in a thread almost 2 years old, little bored are ya.....:D

Brownie points yes, loved that horsey!!!!

[Sightseek]

He's not bored.


He's frusterated.....and came here to get help.

[clyde]

:rolleyes:

Don't you have some dust mites that you have to herd up and tattoo?

Really your putzing around in a thread almost 2 years old, little bored are ya.....:D

Brownie points yes, loved that horsey!!!!

I thought you were groupying...I hate groupies ,as you know.


Never heard of 'em.




Crinkle...


trash can.

[clyde]

He's not bored.


He's frusterated.....and came here to get help.


..uh....frusterated??..is that some new word you have invented?......but anyhoo------oh just shut up.

[TheSpyder]

Thought it may be good to bring back this appropriate thread!

What the heck has been going on around here?