Harness Horse Racing

Posts Tagged ‘saying’

First a quick note.  If you live near Woodstock, Virginia, there is a Wine and Trotting Festival at the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds in Virginia this Saturday from 11am-6pm.  This is the last fair in the state to host harness racing so it would be great if it can get a good turn out.  The event will go off rain or shine.  Admission is $20 ($10 without the wine tasting; $2 for those 16 and under.

Delaware racinos, already hurting badly from expanded gaming in Pennsylvania and Maryland could be getting pounded more if House Bill 135 gets legislative approval and is signed off by Governor Merkel.  This bill would allow the building of two new casinos in Delaware, specifically in Sussex and New Castle Counties.

Delaware moves fast so if this bill becomes law, a nine-member committee will determine where the casinos will be built and the decisions will be final.

This is going to become more common as states react to the increased competition.  A state builds racinos because everyone else has them; then the surrounding states improve their offerings to drive more business to them; then other state builds more casinos to get business back.

With the exception of New Jersey where the gaming money flows out to surrounding states, gaming revenue is like tidal water; flowing in at high tide, flowing out at low tide.  The only problem is as states start or expand gaming with additional casinos, whether brick and mortar or virtual, it is like beach erosion, tracks will not get back to where they started so purses begin to erode and erode and erode….. 

Even in states most friendly to racing, slots are going to carry racing only so far.  Racing needs to figure out what comes next to ensure its survival.

Passport Time – I would be remiss not to mention that Arch Madness is over in Europe to race in the Oslo Grand Prix this Sunday, doing battle against the likes of Maharajah and Commander Crowe.  He will remain in Europe to do battle in the Elitlopp at the end of May.  It will be interesting to see Arch Madness in the Grand Prix being he just shipped over this week for the race.  Quarantine is tough on horses, throwing them off their normal routines.  

Also heading overseas is Take My Picture who is aiming for the Elitlopp on May 26. 

Unfortunately, both the Oslo Grand Prix and Elitlopp look not to be available for wagering in North America.  I expect the day to come when races like these will be available to North American audiences.  It is a question of when, not if.
 

It’s Not Just the Standardbreds.  Venerable Hollywood Park is rounding into the final turn for the last time as they have made official the worst kept secret that the wrecking ball is coming to the Inglewood track shortly after Christmas this year.  While Southern California still has Del Mar and Santa Anita for their racing circuit, there has been talk about Los Alamitos expanding their track for a more regular thoroughbred meet.  When Churchill Downs sold the track to the current operator they twice tried for slots with no success.  Long time harness racing fans remember the days Hollywood Park also featured harness racing, with Niatross and driving greats such as Joe O’Brien having raced there.

Outrage in West Virginia.  The WVRC is investigating the death of Slippin’ Around at Mountaineer Racetrack who collapsed in the receiving barn of the thoroughbred track prior to racing.   From the news story, it appears the WVRC is investigating the abandonment of the horse and whether it was abandoned as it was dying and who is responsible.  No animal, especially one which is cared for by humans, deserves to be abandoned as it dies..  Not having first-hand knowledge, I cast no judgment but if the investigation shows the horse was indeed abandoned as it lied dying, whoever is held responsible, be it the trainer, veterinarian, or someone else should never be allowed to participate in horse racing again.
 

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First, for those looking for big pools, there is an Instant $30,000 guaranteed Pick-5 pool at Cal Expo tonight with the first leg (race three) kicking-off roughly at 10:05pm (EST).  Program pages for the Pick-5, courtesy of Trackmaster may be found here.

Like many of you, you probably caught part of Lance Armstrong’s conversation with Oprah last night on television.  During this interview, Armstrong admitted to cheating, using various methods to win the seven Tour de France bike races.  It got me thinking about parallels with horse racing.

How many people didn’t think Armstrong was cheating in all these races?  After all, how does someone win seven Tour de France races, especially as they grow older?  Like one of those super trainers, you know something isn’t kosher, but you can’t put your finger on it.  In the meanwhile the trainer in question keeps doing what they have been doing, basically laughing at you as they head to the bank.  When we found out that Armstrong was confessing, it was a ‘knock me over with a feather moment’.

As Armstrong indicated, he didn’t consider it ‘cheating’ per se because he was doping to keep up with everyone, not to get ahead.  How many trainers explain cheating for the very same reason?

Like in horse racing, Armstrong didn’t name names.  Doesn’t that sound like racing where horsemen complain about someone using the juice, yet few go to the regulators and name names?  The code of silence lives on.

Like racing, cycling’s regulatory body, UCI, welcomes Armstrong admission, claiming his admission was “an important step forward on the long road to repairing the damage that has been caused to cycling and to restoring confidence in the sport”.  Yes, cycling has earned a bad reputation which began before Armstrong one his first Tour de France but does anyone really think the confession of a big fish is sufficient in restoring the reputation of cycling?  Yes, Lance Armstrong may have been the big fish, the one everyone was aiming for, but UCI can’t just wipe their hands and say ‘We’re done’; there is a lot more work needed to restore the reputation of racing.  The same applies in horse racing.  Catching the one big fish is just the start, there is a lot of work needed to restore the reputation of racing.

Just saying….
  

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Bullet News Niagara

Southwestern Ontario horse people saying 'no' to government handout Bullet News Niagara As the annual Standardbred Canada Canadian Yearling Sale of more than 300 one-year-old standardbred horses approaches next month, he wonders what to do with his yearling, Fifty Shades of Grey. For him and other breeders, it's a gamble on what price …

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The Guardian Charlottetown

'Saying goodbye to a friend' The Guardian Charlottetown Lee Drake, marketing and sales manager at Red Shores, said the Island's harness racing industry has a long history of honouring its members. It includes moments of silence and drivers forming a horseshoe on the track. Drake said the lap around the …

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New York Daily News

Calls grow to ban carriage trade, but owners defend iconic rides Pols saying … New York Daily News BY Tina Moore & Matthew Deluca Horse drawn carriage operator Ian McKeever pilots Roy, a ten year-old Belgian standardbred from Chateau Stables on West 48th Street through the streets of Hell's Kitchen to Central Park for a day's work carrying people … and more »

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