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Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind
One thing, though, and believe me I say this with no malice. I feel for the hardships of the trainers you described, however, when the horsemen's group backed Empire they spoke for the horsemen. Now, I understand that some ( perhaps even many ) did not feel they were speaking for them. However, why did they not speak out publicly then? If they had really looked carefully at Empire they certainly would have known that was the wrong horse to back.
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I think Fearless Leader is dead on with the statement that the majority of the horsemen never supported Empire - and that the horsemen were never advised that an endorsement of a franchise bidder was even being considered, let alone that it would be the obviously-flawed Empire. That was a backroom NYTHA Board decision in which several of the Board members who had personal stakes in Empire (Bomze, Finley and others) used their positions on the NYTHA Board for their own personal benefit, despite the conflicts of interest attendant to any vote to endorse one bidder over another.
As for the question as to why the majority of horsemen who have long supported NYRA didn't speak publicly out against Empire, I guess it depends on one's perspective. Some might call it cowardice. Others might simply view it as economic realism. Let's not forget that, in the summer of 2006, despite its now-revealed flaws, many viewed Empire as the strong favorite to win the Ad Hoc Committee recommendation - and the franchise itself. To publicly speak out against that organization at that time would not be done without some potential peril to one's position in racing.