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Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind
No disrespect to the owners, as I understand well their financial dedication to the game, but it is the bettors' " financial dedication " to this game that keeps it going.
I think the argument in this particular situation exists because there was a feeling, obviously unjustified, that the Sheik's interests in the game could transcend the average owner's, in that he was one of very few that could afford to race an extra year, as the lure of instant dollars was not an issue for him. I absolutely agree if " regular " people, like probably just about anybody here, owned a horse and was in a life changing situation which necessitated a retirement, that situation would be understandable.
However, I agree with the posters who suggested the breeding end of the game is hurting it from a fan's perspective, and the general hope was that the Sheik would be immune to that. Obviously he is not.
Look, I'm a bettor, I am liable to bet as much on a Thursday in February as BC Day. Personally none of this really affects me. However, I like seeing good horses racing, and I am heartened by enthusiasm for the game, and I find the rush to the breeding shed depressing. Wouldn't a showdown in the Met Mile between Henny Hughes and Discreet Cat have been exciting?
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Maybe he's just anxious to see the "Bernie's Babies" hit the track.
Maybe the cost to insure him ($3 mil? $5 mil?) for a year without a realistic chance to earn that much on the track coupled with the chance of a catastrophic breakdown plus the desire to get him going as a stallion makes it a more palatable decision.
It ain't likely about the money. Probably the chance of him getting injured or worse is more important to the owner than it would be to most other people.