Michigan has come to Illinois. Due to the legislature not having adopted a renewal of the ADW legislation, gamblers could not legally bet via ADWs for five months. Problem is in addition to inconveniencing gamblers, it cost the Illinois Racing Board $750,000 for their budget. Worse yet, the approval of the ADW renewal is good for one year only (well, seven months) due to a fight within the industry over new legislation.
Well, while Michigan's lack of racing in the past was caused primarily by the Governor, this time the legislature leads the way. Either way, racing in the Prairie State in 2014 may be limited to as little as thirteen days at Balmoral. Thoroughbred racing does a lot better, a total of seventy-four days for the three thoroughbred tracks combined.
Of course, the legislature can pass a supplemental funding bill to make up what was lost by their own incompetence, but we are talking about legislatures and responsibility. Granted, this is a worse case situation but a situation standardbred or thoroughbred racing should have to face. We do enough damage to ourselves, we don't need the government to make things worse.
Think we race rough in the United States? Take a look at this video from France and you will see rough racing.
It would appear driver Cédric Dheran took objection at something fellow driver Manu Rotsaert did in the race, possibly causing his horse to go off stride. Whether there was some bad blood between the two drivers is unknown but one can susped Mr. Dheran will not be in the sulky for a while.
I suggest in the future Dheran does what North American drivers do. They wait till thy get back to the paddock and duke it out. You still get suspended but at least you don't risk hurting your fellow drivers and horses.
1 comment:
I remember jockeys Julie Krone and Joe Bravo whipping each other and each other's horses down the stretch at the Meadowlands in the 90s. After the race, I think Krone knocked out several of Bravo's teeth. That's rough!
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