Spot on thoughts of John Phillips at Darby Dan. He believes lack of accountability is the most pressing problem facing the industry.
http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/challenges-and-solutions-john-phillips/
On the other hand, Martin Pana says it’s smaller field size.
http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/challenges-martin-panza/
In my mind articles like this are long overdue. The shame is that they are too late to have an impact. Looking to the future, the last survivor of North American racing will be KY no doubt, but the glory of the sport will have died and then KY can moderate the blame game all on its own.
http://www.horseracingbusiness.com/where-north-american-horse-racing-is-headed-15059.htm
While the NTRA is trying to say that racing is stabilizing on the back of wagering, the facts show the opposite.
http://www.horseracingbusiness.com/year-end-evaluation-of-u-s-horse-racing-15233.htm
Makes sense.
http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/beaten-pr-machine-bramlage-best-prescription-racing/
The troubled NASCAR sport is a reminder to horse racing that archaic thinking doesn’t appeal to fans.
http://www.horseracingbusiness.com/spun-out-of-control-15498.htm
Here’s a thoughtful and timely article related to regulatory conflicts of interest.
I know in VA the above is a problem. I would also think, particularly in VA, an IQ test would be warranted.
Restructuring in PA gives way quickly to redirecting funds away from horse racing. State government budget short falls always make pack mules out of Thoroughbreds. Lucky for VA Thoroughbreds this year’s VA budget short fall won’t effect them, as racing is already out to pasture here.
Suffolk Downs apparently sold but mums the word on the details.
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2017/03/pair_say_suffolk_downs_sale_reached
Two more years of racing, it says. (Though the 2017 schedule is for 6-12 days.) Makes me wonder how many more “last day of racing at Suffolk Downs ever” days I’ll see.
I’m surprised at what looks like a commitment to 2018, though, as I would have though the bulldozers would show up the day after the end of the last 2017 meet, but I still don’t understand Massachusetts politics. (Reading Bill Veeck’s Thirty Tons a Day I have to keep reminding myself it was written in the 70’s and not last year. I’m not sure much has changed.)
Amb: Veeck certainly foretold the future for Suffolk Downs in that book. Bill was actually a baseball promoter having interests in the old St Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox. Whatever attracted him to Suffolk Downs only the good Lord knows. Well, he got another sports book out of it, but walked away financially strapped. I remember him as quite a character.
No wonder KY can’t enforce equine welfare laws. Apparently, for tax purposes, horses are designated as companion animals. If this isn’t the height of stupidity I don’t know what is. According to this article, the designation is unlikely to change.
It is apparent that KY is more worried about millions of dollars in annual revenues than the health of its agriculture sector of which the horse is not included. Boggles the mind.
http://www.courier-journal.com/story…tock/98540520/
Just last month, this again.
The HBPA maybe an equal impediment, along the lines of an effortless industry leadership and disjointed autocratic state regulatory system, to the survival of horse racing. AZ is now following in the corrupt and dictatorial footsteps recently seen in IL, PA, and VA. It is if they have given themselves a license to kill horse racing in America while keeping their jobs.
Suffolk Downs sold.
http://www.drf.com/news/suffolk-down…e-through-2018
At the same time as Churchill Downs hovers financially well above a failing industry.
http://www.horseracingbusiness.com/churchill-downs-inc-2016-operating-results-15691.htm
Reminds me of Nero playing the fiddle as Rome burned. Historically the fiddle has been a popular music instrument in KY.
No good news about Santa Anita. Already comments about the property valued more as real estate than as a track. Hollywood Park deja vu. I hope this is only frightened conversation and Ritvo and CA racing get their act together. Like a crack in an arch’s key stone the loss of Santa Anita would be devastating to the industry.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/more/la-sp-santa-anita-ritvo-20170605-story.html
Nothing really new to read here. Still unsettling for the game.
Scary comments in the LA Times article 
It would break my heart if Santa Anita went the way of Hollywood Park. They were the two tracks I got to go to growing up.
I’m not real sure Ritvo’s actually “fixed” MD racing.
Here is an Australian article that certainly hits home here in the states.
http://www.theland.com.au/story/4792876/we-need-to-get-racing-back-on-young-peoples-radar/
From that article:
“However, the startling reality is that the majority of Australians wouldn’t know that Winx is a horse…”
Although I believe her point about the importance of reaching young people, I find that particular statement hard to believe. I was in Sydney last October and there were hundreds of posters all over the city about the Melbourne Cup and lots of press about Winx. There were also large billboards and ads on T.V. (about the Melbourne Cup) and there were lots of articles and photos of Winx in the newspaper. In addition, the sports section of the T.V. news shows discuss horse racing daily. I was surprised and impressed at how well advertised horse racing is, and especially the promotion of the Melbourne Cup.
The posters were beautiful. It seemed like every restaurant had it’s own designed poster custom tailored to promote special Melbourne Cup menus and events (such as race-day brunches) and all of them were really attractive.
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