October 1, 2023
I could not have said it better than Joe Drape, feature New York Times thoroughbred racing editor, on September 3, 2023, page 25 when he wrote: “It was the 12th horse fatality – the eighth while racing – at the 2023 Saratoga summer meet. Combined with the deaths of a dozen horses last spring at Churchill Down, including two on Kentucky Derby day, the fatalities have brought renewed scrutiny of horse racing and gamblers, trainers, and racetrack executives struggling to reassure the public that racing is safe for its human and equine athletes. In 2019, 30 horses died at Santa Anita Park in California in a span of six months, creating national headlines and drawing the scrutiny of state lawmakers and animal rights activists.” Perhaps my including the word dying in the title is appropriate after all. But, there’s more. Read on.
No matter how you cut the cake, I can say with near certainty that the thoroughbred racing industry will have difficulty surviving for another decade. Why? Five reasons.
- With a takeout of 20%, intelligent bettors simply will not get involved with betting horses. As for me, it is in my blood. It has been a part of my life for nearly ¾ of a century. Not so much with those who came after me. They know better than to get involved with any gambling endeavor that carries with it the aforementioned 20% takeout. It is just as simple as that. It was once the only game in town and a large takeout was tolerated. Unfortunately, the industry has not moved swiftly or intelligently to correct this exploitation and address competition since earlier times.
- One of the major concerns of capitalism is GREED. And boy, this industry oozes GREED. It is based on the premise that they should maximize profits for the breeders, owners, administrative officials, etc., at the expense of their patrons. The end result is that the horseplayer has been mercilessly exploited since the industry’s founding. Here’s a simple point – why the $50,000 to $100,000 races and yet charge the patron a $5 entrance fee, a $10 parking fee, $12 for a grandstand seat, etc., etc.? Gouging the patron has become a way of life.
- Dog racing has been barred. They are now completely out of business. Why? What basis? Look it up. The same reasons for closing down shops for dogs also apply to horses. Only it’s worse here, as evidenced by the vicious whipping that occurs during every race. (Why not bar jockeys from carrying whips?) In case you haven’t noticed, the thoroughbred industry is now spending a fortune informing an uninformed public how much they really care about these animals. It’s laughable. Forget about the beatings they endure during a race; you know what happens to these horses later in life. I believe every breeder should be assessed a “tax” for every foal to insure humane treatment later in a race horse’s career.
- The thoroughbred industry is subsidized by the taxpayer, particularly here in New York State. They are selling horses at some of these auctions for amounts approaching $1,000,000! Why do they need subsidizing?? One of these days, we will get an honest politician elected who will put a stop to this gouging of the taxpayers.
- Last but not least is INCOMPETENCE. You want an example? Look no further than our own New York Racing Association (NYRA) that is anything but the non-profit organization they profess it to be. They are in the process of destroying the most beautiful racetrack (Belmont Park) in the world. The incompetents that man NYRA have yet to figure out how to attract new customers to the industry. (I predicted this in several articles a half a century ago. And, I also provided invited testimony on parimutuel wagering to a Presidential Crime Commission hearing in 1977).
The signs are all there.
You want more? Think about this. This and the harness racing industry have been struggling for nearly 50 years. OTB first bailed them out. They started struggling again and casino gambling at the tracks bailed them out. Recently, ownership via partnerships bailed them out; in fact, on a given day at Belmont or Aqueduct, attendance is primarily these part owners. My guess is that they have run out of bailouts. More recently, attendance at the recent Saratoga meet nosedived, apparently following Aqueduct and Belmont’s example. And even more recently, the unthinkable happened; the premier thoroughbred meeting in the country – Saratoga – wasn’t able to secure the televising of their entire program on many days. What a disaster!
Here’s more on NYRA, Saratoga has become its premiere race meet. It features the senseless 30+ minutes between races, shocking calls (and non-calls) by stewards that deserve investigation, disseminated cards, cancelled races, small fields, and horses breaking down (and dying). It’s the in-place to be according to NYRA. However, it’s also the in-place to get gouged. I attended the races late in August and got treated to a $10 entrance fee, a $25 grandstand seat, a $20 parking fee, a $9 program, and some truly outrageous prices on food, drinks, souvenirs, etc. Naturally, the local businesses have adopted NYRA policies; $300 a night room accommodation with no maid service, dinner prices that are something to behold, drinks, etc. There was a good crowd that day but many of the grandstand seats were not occupied. Thank you, NYRA! Obviously, the locals chose to stand in tight quarters, packed together, rather than being bilked. Meanwhile, the state officials, who support NYRA and the thoroughbred industry, look the other way. I must add that breakfast at the Triangle Diner just outside of town, is one of the few remaining highlights. Mercifully, the horses returned home for the Aqueduct race meet . . . but not before the NYRA brain trust brilliantly decided to close the track for 11 beautiful prime Fall days. I kid you not.
Can industry survive? Of course, but the probability is low. How? Here’s my 4-point program:
- The takeout must be reduced to something at or below 2%. That’s right! At or below 2%. And, yes it can be done … but it will require some innovative thinking on the part of responsible people in the industry.
- Dissolve NYRA and replace it with a group of competent individuals who are sympathetic to the patrons.
- Come up with a program that will attract new patrons.
- Stop the phony concern for the horses. Call for industry donations and put in place
horse retirement costs as an integral part of the industry’s business plan.
Maybe intelligent, responsible individuals will come along and save the day. But I wouldn’t bet on it. Let me know what you think.
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