Prophetic Visions Ignored

 For reasons that defy logic, the harness racing community believes that the racinois more important than marketing their own products. How long will profitable casino operations allow the harness racing parasite to steal from their bottom line? - Gil Winston, 2008 Future of Harness Racing Forum

We can dispute whether or not the OLG's decision makes business sense for them, but one can't dispute the fact the government and OLG has decided horse racing is no longer worthy of receiving financial payments in the form of operating revenue from slots. We also can't dispute that racing has done little to make their industry more popular with the racing public. You see, while the racing industry considers purses paid out and the amount of money yearlings go for as their metric for success, the government looks at the general public's response by measuring the metric called wagering handle. Ontario is basically following the same decision Quebec made several years ago, that racing is a lost cause. They talk about racing becoming self-supporting, which is a nice way to say 'you're on your own' cutting the lifeline and racing will either rise or sink to their own fortunes.

Winston at the 2008 forum also said, Racinomarketing is focused on their revenue base – slots – and rightly so. Racinos are businesses that are first and foremost beholding to shareholders. How long will it be before powerful shareholders are able to cajole, wheedle and lobby their presence in to the mindsets of legislators who hold the means to disengage the harness racing albatross from the throats of casino operations?

At least in Canada, most racetracks are tied to agricultural societies so as long as the government was willing to allow racing to get a share of the facility payments, the tracks have been willing. Unfortunately, with the exception of Prairie Meadows, there may not be a 501(c)4 (Public Benefit Corporation) which supports horse racing so the time will come when American casino operators will seek to pull the plug on racing if things don't improve. What is American racing's game plan for marketing the sport? Is racing's leaders willing or able to develop successful marketing plans? Only time will tell us.

Weekend Spot Races

For this weekend, we are going to take a look at a few races taking place on the East Coast, in particular, the Meadowlands and Pocono Downs,  Something I noticed is two  year olds hitting the tracks on parimutuel cards.  While we are not looking at any of those races, don't be surprised to see them showing up on the racing card of your favorite tracks.

Friday, June 22

M1 - 5th Trot - $25,000; King of the Fours Final - nw4000cd
  2 - Luv Ya Tyler (Callahan, 8-1)
1B - Big Sky Angelinea (D Miller, 2-1)  
  4 - Zumba Mouse (A Miller, 2-1)
  3 - Valdez (Gingras, 12-1)
Coupled: Big Sky Bats, Big Sky Huricane, Big Sky Angelina

Saturday, June 23

M1 - 2nd Trot - $40,000; Titan Cup Prep
2 - Arch Madness (Ssmedshammer, 9-5)
4 - Hot Shot Blue Chip (Dube, 6-1)
7 - Big Rigs (Hall, 5-1)
3 - Chapter Seven (Tetrick, 5-2)

M1 - 6th Pace - $30,000l King of The Fifteen's Final - $15,000 Claimers (No Claiming)
3 - All Shuttle (Dube, 5-2)
6 - Inform (Roberts, 9-2)
7 - Onthewingsofnangel (McIlmurray, 12-1)
Couped: Myra's Hiho, Awesome Armbro N

PcD5/8 - 12th Trot - $500,000; The Earl Beal Jr. Memorial - 3yo Open
  6 - Googoo Gaagaa (Callahan, 5-2)
1A - Uncle Peter (Pierce, 3-1)
  4 - Stormin Normand (Palone, 7-2)
  3 - Frost Bites K (Tetrick, 8-1)

Coupled: Nothing But Class, Uncle Peter, Little Brown Fox

A Career Ended Before it Started

On Thursday, a feel good story about twelve year old Joey Chindano winning his first harness race, a matinee at Goshen Historic Track last week, was sent out in a press release.  A potential future star in harness racing who indicated he would like to have a career driving made his debut, partially thanks to his father who trains horses. primarily for the benefit of his son.  What a great story it was, a look at the potential future of harness racing.

On Friday, thanks to Harnesslink, we find out the youngster who could have been the future of harness racing has hung up his silks for good, and a father who was training horses has gotten rid of his racing stock, now out of the business.  From the highs of two Sundays ago to the lows of last Sunday, what happened?

According to Harnesslink, the presiding judge of the matinee racing (a different judge from the grand circuit meet coming up next week) meet, told the twelve year old and father that he could not race his own horse in the three horse matinee race.  Needless to say Chindano was crushed, very well ending a career, nipping it in the bud, and getting a trainer to quit the business.  Something was missing, it didn't make sense that the judge would just ban him from driving his own horse. 

According to Harness Racing Update, there was concern with a twelve year old driving a two year old in a race based on the driver's limited experience.  To be honest, I see the judge's concern and it seems totally reasonable.  However, if there was no rule which stated an inexperienced driver could not race a two year old, the judges should have allowed Chindano to drive the horse after talking to his legal guardian (his father) to ascertain the boy's experience. This apparently was not done and now the youngster is out of racing along with his father.

I must admit to being somewhat conflicted about what happened.  To have any inexperienced driver driving a green two year old is a risky proposition; after all they are more likely to go off-stride and do something unpredictable.  However, it is the family's own horse and there was no stated track rule which prohibited a youngster from driving a two year old in a race, obviously not anticipating a need for it.  What I can say is it was an unfortunate situation, handled badly by both sides. 

The track should have consulted with the guardian of young Chindano to check on his experience with the two year old in question, possibly getting the guardian to sign a waiver when the entry was taken.  The Chindanos' should have given it a day or two before deciding to leave the business, enough time to realize why the decision was made; not allowing the twelve year old to drive the two year old to protect the young man, not to hurt him.  Cooler heads all around could have prevented the whole situation.

Hopefully, the Chindanos will reconsider their decision.  After all the youth is our future.  However, if they don't, the blame should not fall on Mr. Fielding, the judge in question.  Hopefully, Historic Track or the State of New York will come up with a rule regarding this type of situation so this type of situation in the future may be avoided.


Woodbine/Mohawk to Shutter Doors on April 1, 2012? - WEG CEO Nick Eaves is alluding to the potential closure of Woodbine/Mohawk if no new source of revenue comes into the WEG tracks to replace the Slots at Racetracks program.  Yes, there is enough wagering at the track to support much more modest purses, but apparently, there is not enough wagering to cover the operating expenses of the track.  Posturing or a real threat?  Only time will tell.

Casey Back in the Bike?  My call here is it won't be too long until Walter Case Jr. is back in the bike in the state of Massachusetts.  At this week's hearing the hearing officer had one question for Case, whether or not he has been arrested since he had his license restored in 2008?  Case told the officer he has not been.  My argument in this particular situation has always been if Case was fit enough for licensing in 2008, what has changed that the Massachusetts Racing Commission now feels he is no longer fit?  Sounds like the hearing officer was asking himself the same question.  We should know more by the end of next week.   

Cowardice Personified

Allow this Yank to interject his two cents into Canadian Politics, more specifically Ontario politics.  As expected, the minority Liberal Party's budget for Ontario was approved 52-35 which allows for the OLG to continue with their termination of the Slots at Racetracks program.  Good decision or bad, the government had the right to do what they are doing.  For their vote, come the next election they will have to answer to the voters for this vote amongst others.

What I have a problem with is the New Democratic Party (NDP) abstaining from the vote, trying to have it both ways.  A vote by the NDP against the budget would have resulted in its defeat and an election which no one wanted, while a vote by the NDP to support the budget would have put its members on record of approving the budget so the party abstained from voting so they can have it both ways.  For any party, abstaining en masse from a critical vote which will impact so many people, not just within the racing and equine-related industry as the government's budget calls for the privatization of many governmental function is unconscionable and quite frankly juvenile.  I personally have more respect for a person who votes against my interest than the coward who abstains.  These MPPs were elected to represent their constituents and it is done by vote 'aye' or 'nay' when the time comes.  From my perch south of the border, Canadian voters would be well-served to consider the NDP's abstention from the budget vote as an 'aye' vote and to remember their cowardice.  

Pennsylvania harness racing fans who like longshots were in seventh heaven yesterday.  At The Meadows, the seventh race was won by Susquehanna Belle (#9, Mark Wilder) who paid $149.40 only to be followed in the 11th race by Blueridge Dagon who lit up the board paying $177.20 (#8, Richard Stillings).  As lucrative as those two races may have been, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs had top honors yesterday for it's fifteenth and final race where Celebrity Scandal (#6, Mark Simons) paid a whopping $373.20 to win as well as a $181.60 place dividend.  Betting $2 WPS on Celebrity Scandal would have returned a generous $569.80 for the $6 investment.    
Racing Under Saddle returns to the Meadowlands on Hambletonian Day, August 4, as the field of trotters will be racing for a purse of $15,000 in an exhibition race.  Based on the hard work these riders and their charges have been undergoing, this race should be far more competititve than previous attempts.  For those heading to Goshen Historic Track for their four day race meet, you will be able to get a preview as there will be a race contested there.  For those Facebook users who are interested in racing under saddle, make sure to check out RUS America.

Hambletonian winner, Vivid Photo, is being officially retired Saturday at Pocono Downs.  This year, the now ten year old gelding has clearly shown that he has long passed the prime of his racing career and his owners Roger Hammer and Todd Schadel made the appropriate decision to stop with the horse and permit him to enjoy a life of leisure.  After all, if winning his owners $3.2 million doesn't entitle you to a life of leisure, nothing does. 

The Final Nail?

Barring any last minute surprises, the Ontario provincial budget should be approved today, which basically memorializes the end of the Slots at Racetracks program.  Horsemen no doubt feel betrayed and hurt.  It may be no one wants to get tarred and feathered, but I can't help with all the anger towards the Liberals and NDP in Ontario, you don't see anyone within the industry venting how did the racing allow this to happen to themselves; relying on slot revenue and doing virtually nothing to revamp the game to make themselves more desirable to the general public.

Not that I don't hold the government partially responsible for racing being in the shape it is in.  After all, it allowed alternative gaming to come into the states and provinces while they themselves treated racing as if it had a monopoly, failing to give racing the opportunity to innovate and improve the game.  I must confess, I am not sure racing would have responded as it should have, but they should have been given the opportunity to do so.  At this point, states should reduce the red tape it puts racing through.  Tracks should be allowed to offer promotional events, set their own takeout rates, minimum wager amounts, etc. without regulatory approval.  Yes, the state should ensure tracks are offering what they claim, but if tracks have to compete against other gaming options, untie their hands.

Lou Pena's attorneys are seeking a stay of the NYSRWB suspension in the courts.  A decision is hoped for by the end of this week.

I have known people that would bet on anything. If they saw two cockroaches, they would have been looking for action on the roaches. Well, apparently, there is nothing that horse trainers won't try to get an edge. The New York Times had a story about dermophin, a drug which apparently comes naturally from the back of the Waxy Monkey Tree Frog, though apparently some resourceful chemists have been able to synthesize the drug which is forty times more powerful than morphine. A test has been created and so far only quarter horses and thoroughbreds have come up positive for it, basically in Central and the Western United States though one would need to be naive to think it couldn't have crossed over to the standardbreds.

Pete Rose cut the ribbon formally opening the slot parlor at Scioto Downs yesterday. When you think of it, who else would you want to cut the ribbon on your racino? It seems to be a natural....

Am I missing something?  If memory serves me well, I recall Back to the Track has gotten a lot more noise by this time in the past.  It seems things are a lot more quiet this time around. 

Scioto Downs is dealing with the dreaded sevenitis, eightitis, and nineitis diseases by telling horsemen if theiir horses get these illnesses and they want to race the next week, they will automatically be assigned the post position they were assigned the week before.