Lou Raffetto Leaving MD J.C.

[blackthroatedwind]

I know quite a few horseplayers had great things to say about Rafetto and his policies/treatment of them. That was enough for me to like him. Without the horseplayers there is no show.

[blackthroatedwind]

Not to me.

You find me a horseman that believes he's more important than the players and I'll show you a horseman that doesn't get it. And I'll also find you at least one Hall of Fame trainer that will absolutely agree with me.

[Kasept]

Well, while I know phystech is involved in racing in MD and TBfan may be, it's hard to argue with John Franzone (Chairman, MD Racing Commission), Richard Hoffberger (Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association President) and Alan Foreman (Councel to the MTHA) and their view.

Franzone:

Franzone said that when he heard Raffetto was going to be fired, he called Frank Stronach, chairman of Maryland Jockey Club, which runs operates Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park, and pleaded with him to change his mind.

"I called him and I said, 'Frank, this is without a doubt the dumbest decision you will ever make, and you guys have made a lot of dumb moves,' " Franzone said. "Everybody likes Lou. Lou is liked down in Annapolis. I'm not saying he can run a slots parlor, but we've got an excellent racing program and the horsemen love him.

"I said, 'Not only that, Frank, you guys have such a bad reputation with turnover, you will be sealing your fate with this slots license.' And he doesn't listen. I said, 'Frank, Magna is losing about $25-million a quarter, and Laurel and Pimlico break even. Why don't you send your henchmen after the guys losing money?’ "


Foreman:

"I think it's the biggest mistake involving Maryland racing since I've been in the industry here," said Alan Foreman, general counsel to the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. "Lou Raffetto gave credibility to Magna that it lacked otherwise in this state. It is a tremendous blow not only to Magna but Maryland racing. "I have no clue as to why this was timed the way it was, handled the way it was, and why it happened. I am astonished and disappointed by this whole thing."


Hoffberger:

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association President Richard Hoffberger ripped Magna for firing Raffetto, sarcastically comparing the company's plans for the Maryland tracks to the struggles at Gulfstream Park.

“It appears they're developing a plan that is as successful as what they have at Gulfstream, where they took a wonderful winter meet and developed it into one of the worst race books on the East Coast," Hoffberger said. "Their reputation is bad because they haven't been successful. Everything they're doing runs contrary to what the industry believes is the right thing to do."

Andy Beyer weighed in this morning as well in the Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...112902073.html

And if you didn't hear Matt Hegarty of DRF on 'ATR' last night, I'd invite a listen. He explains, as Beyer does, that Magna stupidly interprets Raffetto as a Joe DeFrancis holdover.

http://www.thoroughbredracingradione...,29/Itemid,35/

In fact, as DeFrancis himself said Wednesday, bringing in Raffetto may have been the best thing he had ever done in his tenure at the head of Maryland racing. Stronach, in his bumbling, hapless way, defended the move yesterday explaining he wasn't happy with the financial progress of Pimlico and Laurel. But as Raffetto points out, the reality is that the MJC was doing better than anticipated by MEC.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/nat...nach-says.aspx

If you were 'unhappy' with how Lou Raffetto treated horsemen, a somewhat indefensible position to start with in my opinion, just wait... At least he knew where the backstretch was. It is at least appropriate that a company that operates in its' own Fantasyland tabbed Chris Dragone as Raffetto's replacement... When he worked at Monmouth years ago, his widely used nickname was 'Dumbo'.

[Scav]

A guy with this kind of reputation won't be out of work long.

[phystech]

I have no doubt that Dragone has been brought in to be nothing more than a hatchet-man. I have no doubt that Pimlico will be closed soon as a training track. I have no doubt that Bowie Training Center will be sold as soon as Magna can get it done. It's purely a guess but I think Magna might feel it will be easier to force all of this down the throats of MD horsemen without Raffetto in the driver's seat.

As in every business, some of Raffetto's decisions had negative impacts on my racing businesses, and I didn't like some of the things I had to deal with as an owner. But he was/is a decent guy and I had the pleasure of speaking to him a few times about general things. Kind of nice to be sitting at Tycoon's bar in the clubhouse after winning a race and have him come in and buy a round for us. Not a lot of track pres would do that for a way, way, little fish like me.....

[jballscalls]

just saw this at bloodhorse

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=42272

[Suffolk Shippers]

I'm sure Lou would be welcome back at Suffolk in some capacity as they attempt their umpteenth resurrection. He was at the helm during their most recent run of success in the mid and late 90's. Any word on his plans, Steve?