News comes to us that Scarborough Downs in Maine is up for sale, most likely for a purpose other than continuing horse racing. A closure of Scarborough shouldn't surprise anyone as the track has been warning about the threat to its survival for years in addition to its multiple attempts to get expanded gaming at the track. Management has apparently thrown in the towel so in all likelihood, it is just a matter of when, not if, the track closes for good.
Is this the last season of racing or will management continue to race until the track is sold? We will see. Probably the worst thing about the imminent closure of the raceway is other than those who work or race at the track, its passing will probably be greeted with a 'ho-hum'. This is how marginalized racing has become in the gambling world.
Last night at the Meadowlands, Modest Prince, ridden by Helene Gregory set a new North American race record of 1:56.3 in the RUS America Trot. It probably won't be tomorrow, but I suspect Moni Maker's time trial mark of 1:54.1 set at the Red Mile will be bested before the end of this decade.
Joe Faraldo and Jeff Gural were at it once again in Harness Racing Update, dueling over the issue of horsemen contributing a portion of their purse account towards marketing. After reading the positions each side make, it seems to me an easy solution is there for the taking. While I am reasonably certain peace will come in the Middle East before these two stop feuding, I am going to try to state the obvious: How about both sides put up equal shares into a marketing plan with horsemen and track operators jointly deciding how the money should be used.? If the committee comes to a joint decision, they spend the money and failing that, the money is carried over to the next year If the track and horsemen don't agree, whoever wants to spend marketing money on a different ides is free to spend other money on an marketing proposal.
Seems easy to me. Whaat do you say?
3 comments:
Moni Maker was a VERY special mare ridden by one the finest JOCKEYS ever - good luck ever seeing that record broken.
Without picking sides, I don't see any conditions under which they'll agree on any significant racing issues.
I had a post race discussion with the rider of Modest Prince, Helene Gregory. She never pulled the ear plugs in the race. She claims there was more left in the tank, they could have gone faster.
Remember, they said a horse would never cross the 1:50 mark?
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