[pgiaco]

[quote=Cannon Shell]One of the things that you dont understand is that a great deal of money that is generated by the breeding and selling of horses is used by owners to subsidize racing stables which rarely generate enough money to sustain themselves. You as a bettor fail to understand that the owners who put on the show almost universally at a loss have to have the ability to get money back in order to maintain the racing side of the business. Everytime I read about how there should be rules regarding who can be bred or at what age I cringe. That a signifigant portion of the industry which is already getting hammered by the economic downturn and the rise in costs should put in rules that will make it even harder to stay afloat so that "fans" can "enjoy" the two or three horses that actually carry any name value a few times a year is ignorant. What happens to the three year old who sustains a major injury? Just put him in the freezer for a few years and thaw him out at 5? What about the bills like insurance for those horses? What about a nice mare who gets sick or hurt at a young age? Just pay bills for a few years on them while they stand in the field looking pretty? This idea is something that guys like Bill Finley came up with and those guys have zero idea of what goes on in reality and why things like this are not only never going to happen but are extremely harmful for not only a lot of people but horses too. You gonna sponsor a filly tht gets abandoned at 2 because she got hurt and no one wants to pay bills on her for three years?

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Thank you, Chuck. I wish it was as easy to keep horses in training some of these people make it out to be. Not to mention how difficult it is to run a stable and how difficult it is keep money flowing. These jokers spouting this nonsense have never paid a training, vet, shipping or layup bill. While I love racing I really wouldn't give a rat's ass what "was good for the game" if I was in position to get a stallion deal that would set my family up for life.