Beyer on CHECKBOOK HORSEMANSHIP

[karlskorner]

http://www.drf.com/news/article/80086.html

[1st time lasix]

Americans love the underdog and the guy who works his way up the old fashion way....with determination and grit. Beyer is absolutely right that the common race fan cannot relate to the Royal family who buys all the good horses with the money he takes from gas we all need to go back and forth to work. His wealth is not earned.... nor is it distributed properly to the people of his kingdom. No wonder people like Bin Laden exist. The resentment will continue to grow. As a handicapper i try to select the winners no matter where they come from....as a fan I detest their success and pull for the other hard working connections that can slay the dragon!

[classhandicapper]

I'm going to leave Lava Man off all my tickets, but if he wins I'll be celebrating while ripping up my bets. :jump:

[speculus]

Thanks Karlkorner for the link.

Though I find it difficult to agree with Beyer's premise that the Maktoums with thier unlimited purse strings may rob American racing of its greatest emotional moments, my, my, what an article!

Andy is easily the best American turf writer, and perhaps the best in the world. Very engaging indeed!

[DrugSalvastore]

In Japan--other than in a handful of stake races---horses owned by outsiders aren't permitted to race there.

So many spectacular horses have been Arab owned during my lifetime.

Mainly it's the Maktoums, Juddmonte Farms, The now vanquished Thoroughbred Corporation (they had the Green and White striped silks and owned Point Given and Sharp Cat among many top horses), and The Aga Kahn who are the biggest Arab players.


If I had that kind of money---I'd do the same thing. However, I wouldn't let my top horses duck each other in championship races. Discreet Cat and Madcap Escapade both should be running on Breeders Cup day--unless something happens to Bernardini or Henny Hughes--both will scratch.

Satish Sannan is great proof as to how poor a fool with a ton of money, who doesn't know the game, can do. The moment he hired Lukas he was doomed.

[rgustafson]

I know that I am in the minority on this. For Andy, first it was polytrack, now the sheikhs, but isn't horseracing really about the horses, their speed,ability, heart, and determination that we admire so much in a champion. They don't know or care who their owner is as long as somebody comes to feed them and take care of them. Let's evaluate the horses performance on the racetrack and leave the social and politcal aspects for a more important arena.

[the little guy]

In Japan--other than in a handful of stake races---horses owned by outsiders aren't permitted to race there.

So many spectacular horses have been Arab owned during my lifetime.

Mainly it's the Maktoums, Juddmonte Farms, The now vanquished Thoroughbred Corporation (they had the Green and White striped silks and owned Point Given and Sharp Cat among many top horses), and The Aga Kahn who are the biggest Arab players.


If I had that kind of money---I'd do the same thing. However, I wouldn't let my top horses duck each other in championship races. Discreet Cat and Madcap Escapade both should be running on Breeders Cup day--unless something happens to Bernardini or Henny Hughes--both will scratch.

Satish Sannan is great proof as to how poor a fool with a ton of money, who doesn't know the game, can do. The moment he hired Lukas he was doomed.


You think they could crank Madcap Escapade up on such shot notice?

It is my understanding that her sister, Dubai Escapade, will in fact be running. That is unless big sis says no.

[DrugSalvastore]

You think they could crank Madcap Escapade up on such shot notice?

It is my understanding that her sister, Dubai Escapade, will in fact be running. That is unless big sis says no.

Thanks for correcting my mix up.


From the DRF:

"Dubai Escapade worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds on Monday at Churchill Downs, the best time of 40 at the distance, but her trainer, Eoin Harty, said she "probably would go if Henny Hughes doesn't go."
Both Henny Hughes - the probable Sprint favorite who is trained by Kiaran McLauglin - and Dubai Escapade are owned by the Maktoum family of Dubai.

"It's like back-up insurance," said Harty, who said the De Francis Dash in Maryland at the end of the month "would be a possibility" before Dubai Escapade is retired at year's end."

[the little guy]

Thank God she's being retired.

She really has " done enough ". What frauds....the horse and the connections.

[Light]

Those guys ain't doing their homework. I can understand not going against Bernadini(Lava man aint no slouch either),but I wouldn't fear Henny Hughes. Looking at the last 3 years of the BC sprint,all fav's have gone down,big time.

[DrugSalvastore]

I believe The favorite has won the Breeders Cup Sprint four out of the last seven years.

[kenwoodallpromos]

That article has today's date- After the sheik freaks started having W's in classics and now I expect the BC races. Is Beyer Po'd the way they operate or that this year they are winning?
What I did not see in the article is Beyer claiming they are not playing by USA racing. In case Beyer forgot transporting a prgnant mare is exactly how FC got to be a NY Bred!
Obviously the money they put into the sport in the USA has generated billions of dollars to the US economy and they are not spend the same money to support terrorists.
Not 1 word about the sheiks being "super trainers"!

[1st time lasix]

I know that I am in the minority on this. For Andy, first it was polytrack, now the sheikhs, but isn't horseracing really about the horses, their speed,ability, heart, and determination that we admire so much in a champion. They don't know or care who their owner is as long as somebody comes to feed them and take care of them. Let's evaluate the horses performance on the racetrack and leave the social and politcal aspects for a more important arena. Not sure horseracing is really just about the horses my friend.....it is about money and competetion. Millions $ are put into the paramutual pools and the stakes purses line the pockets of the owners and trainers. I agree that the horses run because of their instincts and training....but they wouldn't exist if there was a little cash in the game. As far as Beyer goes....he makes points in my book just by bringing up controversial topics like illegal drugs, polytrack, questionable training, proliferation of slots, early retirement of the potential stars, breeding, ownership, and onerous take out. The handicapping patrons have no voice in this game. We need more people willing to break sterotypes, question track management, be critical of the double taxation by the IRS and fight for the little guy. Respected personalities like Crist, Liften, Ragazon, Ramsey, Pletcher, Frankel, Baffert, Baily, Day, Free, Quinn, Stronach and Phipps do not do near enough to help their sport.

[the little guy]

That article has today's date- After the sheik freaks started having W's in classics and now I expect the BC races. Is Beyer Po'd the way they operate or that this year they are winning?
What I did not see in the article is Beyer claiming they are not playing by USA racing. In case Beyer forgot transporting a prgnant mare is exactly how FC got to be a NY Bred!
Obviously the money they put into the sport in the USA has generated billions of dollars to the US economy and they are not spend the same money to support terrorists.
Not 1 word about the sheiks being "super trainers"!


Does anyone have the English translation?

[rastajenk]

I love Andy, but when he writes "They (the sheiks) are unembarrassed that this money derives from the natural resources of their country - resources that, in a democracy, would belong to the nation," I have to wonder if living in the bubble of racing hasn't dulled his senses of the real world.

[Tee]

I believe The favorite has won the Breeders Cup Sprint four out of the last seven years.

Three out of the last seven maybe, four out of the last eleven. The past three years the favorite has been beaten & beaten badly, which is what I believe Light was trying to convey.

[cj]

Does anyone have the English translation?

I have requested babblefish install a kenwood to English translator on the site, but to no avail thus far. Maybe the latest post will inspire them!

[CryingForTheHorses]

Americans love the underdog and the guy who works his way up the old fashion way....with determination and grit. Beyer is absolutely right that the common race fan cannot relate to the Royal family who buys all the good horses with the money he takes from gas we all need to go back and forth to work. His wealth is not earned.... nor is it distributed properly to the people of his kingdom. No wonder people like Bin Laden exist. The resentment will continue to grow. As a handicapper i try to select the winners no matter where they come from....as a fan I detest their success and pull for the other hard working connections that can slay the dragon!


What a great post. :ThmbUp:

[DrugSalvastore]

Three out of the last seven maybe, four out of the last eleven. The past three years the favorite has been beaten & beaten badly, which is what I believe Light was trying to convey.

I thought Speigtstown was the favorite two years ago

Turns out, he was 3.7-to-1 compared with Midas Eyes at 3.6-to-1

That's how close it is from being 4 of the last 7 years I guess.

[kenwoodallpromos]

Beyer got off dumping on foreign money in the sport but it is legit money and is being pumped into the US economy, and the Sheiks are not cheating to win.

[Wiley]

They are not cheating to win but buying up the best competition to win and then selectively running them - meaning keeping their best away from each other in races - to earn year end honors seems less than sporting to me. You are right the Sheik pumps a lot of money into the racing industry but is he good for the average horseplayer? doubtful. I agree with some of what Beyer is saying but on the other side of the coin how much does the average player identify with the big North American owners in the past either - Phipps, Whitney, Firestone, Young, Hunt, Tabor, Stronach etc.? I would say not at all.

Yes the underdog human interest stories are nice as we all tend to cross identify the horse/people side of it but to me, and I would say most long time horse players, the horses are the stars we identify with and the people connections are secondary.

I don't think it's the connections that is causing the lack of attention given Bernardini, I think the circumstance of how he came on the scene, Barbaro's breakdown race, and his lack of a quality competitor are his biggest drawbacks. If the Sheik had owned Secretariat I don't think Big Red would have gotten any less attention than he did.

It's not called the 'sport of kings' for nothing and the Sheik and his family are the biggest kings on the scene right now.

[karlskorner]

The New York Times has an interesting article on Sheik Maktoum, he spent $245 MILLION dollars the past 8 years putting it all together.

[cj]

The New York Times has an interesting article on Sheik Maktoum, he spent $245 MILLION dollars the past 8 years putting it all together.

I wouldn't call it interesting. More like comical.

[the little guy]

The New York Times has an interesting article on Sheik Maktoum, he spent $245 MILLION dollars the past 8 years putting it all together.

I would guess he spent a LOT more than that. Hell, he spent $70 plus million in two or three days this past September.

I'm very impressed. The $3 Million for Comonmom, after his third in the Remsen, is my personal favorite.

[Indulto]

I know that I am in the minority on this. For Andy, first it was polytrack, now the sheikhs, but isn't horseracing really about the horses, their speed,ability, heart, and determination that we admire so much in a champion. They don't know or care who their owner is as long as somebody comes to feed them and take care of them. Let's evaluate the horses performance on the racetrack and leave the social and politcal aspects for a more important arena.I commend Beyer for diverting his literary crosshairs from the little guys (jockeys) to the big guys (owners). Some might say that he is moving up in class by taking on a recently installed member of the Jockey Club after demonizing another “dominating,” “self-indulgent” accumulator of horseflesh acquired through the claim box. Not that these distributors of dollars in large denominations don’t deserve disapproval, it’s just that the pot takes as much advantage of the game as the kettle.

What is any rebated whale who literally “buys” Pick Sixes doing that is so different from what the Shiekh does? As Beyer sits with tlg structuring massive tickets based on his figures which dominate that market, he enjoys an edge most users don’t -- he knows which figures result from objective calculations and which ones result from subjective adjustment. Is it possible that increased use of synthetic surfaces will alter the balance between the two? Perhaps the DRF will eventually flag such adjustments or better still, quantify them.

Before those that do/would “love” to spend a day at the races with this arrogantly entertaining entrepreneur start to descend upon me, remember that a similar proportion of owners and breeders would love such an audience with the Sheikh.

One last point that Beyer conveniently ignores: The Sheikhs are among the relatively few participants willing to preserve and improve the breed. When the “Sport of Kings” becomes the sport of “Emperors” in New York, and state-bred racing is the “rule,” I suspect there will be no tears shed in Beyer's box. IMO such races maximize his product's benefit.

[classhandicapper]

Before those that do/would “love” to spend a day at the races with this arrogantly entertaining entrepreneur start to descend upon me, remember that a similar proportion of owners and breeders would love such an audience with the Sheikh.

The problem I have with the sheiks is that they think that mapping out a very short campaign while trying to avoid tough spots is the right way to handle horses. Plus, since they often have many of the best horses within the same division, they can avoid each other easily.

I think this line of thinking is terrible for the sport and I'm not 100% sure it's economically correct either.

I think the sport needs great horses to run more than 3-5 times a year, for multiple years, and against each other. I understand the economics and other issues at work, but IMO this new way of doing things has been is a very bad development.

[samyn on the green]

Whats up beyers articles? First the way off base Poly article a few weeks ago now this garbage piece based on racism and ignorance.

The Poly-article was silly. Placing the integrity of his speed figures over the health of horses and the game is about as provincial as one can get. The Keeneland meet was a huge success from a wagering and horse soundness standpoint. The success of the meet makes his article look even more silly a few weeks after it was published. Placing the integrity of speed figures over horse health and the health of the game is about as self centered as one can get.

Now this article about the Maktoums and Dubai is tremdously off-base and is based on ignorance and racism. The wealth of Dubai is not oil based. Dubai is a tremendous crossroads of trade and business and is the New York or London of the Middle East. Distorting the facts about Dubais economy destroys the articles entire credibility. I wonder how many have been to Dubai or known someome who has been because anyone that has been would instantly spot Beyers article as piece of rag jounalism. It is a shame that most readers do not have the global awareness to instantly spot this tremendous falsehood on Beyers part. The economy of Dubai is based on trade. Dubai is one of the most modern cities in the world and is a Duty free trade zone. Does it have some oil? Yes but it invested these profits in building a Duty Free port and bulding up tourism infrastructure.

Dubai is a huge tourist destination for those in Europe, Africa, Mid-East and Asia. Part of the tourist lure is racing. Is it not great that the Sheiks there use racing as a tourist attraction? Huge amounts of capitol are invested in the great game of racing from America to Europe to Australia and locally in Dubai. If anything Beyer should be thankful that some world power is investing in the game he loves. We sure could use the same investment and attention in this country but our American elected officials instead look at the greatest game as a sideshow cash cow. Instead of appreciating this investment in the game Beyer shows nothing but hatred due to his racism.

Shame on Beyer for basing his work on racism and ignorance. Shame on the public for not seeing through his shallow transgressions.

[samyn on the green]

Also consider this:

Four Breeders' Cup Entries Racing for Charity

Four runners in Saturday's Breeders' Cup World Championships will be donating a portion of their earnings to Lexington-based The Race For Education, a national scholarship program that helps young people in the horse industry afford a college education.

The four horses are:
-- Darley Stable's Bernardini, winner of the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), Travers Stakes (gr. I), Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II) and the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I), in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge (gr. I);
-- Paul Saylor's Fleet Indian, winner of the Delaware Handicap (gr. II), Personal Ensign Stakes (gr. I) and the Beldame Stakes (gr. I), in the $2 million Emirates Airline Distaff Division (gr. I);
-- Heiligbrodt Racing Stables' Appealing Zophie, winner of the Spinaway Stakes (gr. I), in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies Division (gr. I);
-- Team Valor's King of the Roxy, winner of the Futurity Stakes (gr. II), in the $2 million Bessemer Trust Juvenile Division (gr. I).

[weegee]

I would guess he spent a LOT more than that. Hell, he spent $70 plus million in two or three days this past September.

I'm very impressed. The $3 Million for Comonmom, after his third in the Remsen, is my personal favorite.

I have a question: what happens to all those horses they buy that don't accomplish anything? They must have hundreds. Do they have a nice retirement farm in Dubai for them?

[Indulto]

The problem I have with the sheiks is that they think that mapping out a very short campaign while trying to avoid tough spots is the right way to handle horses. Plus, since they often have many of the best horses within the same division, they can avoid each other easily.

I think this line of thinking is terrible for the sport and I'm not 100% sure it's economically correct either.

I think the sport needs great horses to run more than 3-5 times a year, for multiple years, and against each other. I understand the economics and other issues at work, but IMO this new way of doing things has been is a very bad development.CH,
IMO it's misleading to place ALL the blame on the Sheikhs. First of all, the biggest deterrent to competitive encounters is the scheduling of multiple races in the same division at different venues within a time frame that doesn't permit participation in all. What's the point of scheduling races like the Suburban within a week of the Hollywood Gold Cup? Even more incredibly, why does Hollywood run the Swaps on the same day as the Gold Cup?

Secondly, Pletcher's monopoly of stakes quality horses both enables and forces him to take advantage of all available opportunities, and make him at least as responsible as the Sheikhs for the situation you describe.

Finally, it's not clear that Discreet Cat is as good as Bernie or Henny. It would be entertaining to find out for sure, but the second string doesn't have to be treated as just the second string. If Impressive hadn't been Buckpasser's rabbit, he might have developed into a miler in his own right. Hedever was held in high regard until he started caddying for Damascus. Once Secretariat beat Riva Ridge in the Marlboro, the latter never got much credit. IF Jazil could have participated in the Classic and didn't, then I might have been able to support your position.

[samyn on the green]

Are you guys really putting the blame for lightly raced horse on Sheik Mo? Is he the only owner who spaces out the races for his horses? Did space out Ghostzapper and Flower Alley races to only 4 per year? What about Smarty Jones and Afleet Alex did he also retire there early for a big payday? Did he retire Secretariat after his 3yo campaign for a huge syndication score?

The phenomena of lightly raced horses is not exclusive to Darley/Godolphin horses nor did they set the precedent. This is the way horses are managed int he modern era, each race is a peak effort and blaming that squarely on Sheik Mo is more misinformation and poor journalism.

[cj]

I commend Beyer ...

Wow, you really hate Beyer, eh (and tlg)? I think your P6 analogy is way, way, way off the mark here.

I'm curious, how are the Sheiks improving the breed by attempting to buy any horse that has a pulse?

(ps...the GIANT font is very hard on the eyes, fyi.)

[the little guy]

I commend Beyer for diverting his literary crosshairs from the little guys (jockeys) to the big guys (owners). Some might say that he is moving up in class by taking on a recently installed member of the Jockey Club after demonizing another “dominating,” “self-indulgent” accumulator of horseflesh acquired through the claim box. Not that these distributors of dollars in large denominations don’t deserve disapproval, it’s just that the pot takes as much advantage of the game as the kettle.

What is any rebated whale who literally “buys” Pick Sixes doing that is so different from what the Shiekh does? As Beyer sits with tlg structuring massive tickets based on his figures which dominate that market, he enjoys an edge most users don’t -- he knows which figures result from objective calculations and which ones result from subjective adjustment. Is it possible that increased use of synthetic surfaces will alter the balance between the two? Perhaps the DRF will eventually flag such adjustments or better still, quantify them.

Before those that do/would “love” to spend a day at the races with this arrogantly entertaining entrepreneur start to descend upon me, remember that a similar proportion of owners and breeders would love such an audience with the Sheikh.

One last point that Beyer conveniently ignores: The Sheikhs are among the relatively few participants willing to preserve and improve the breed. When the “Sport of Kings” becomes the sport of “Emperors” in New York, and state-bred racing is the “rule,” I suspect there will be no tears shed in Beyer's box. IMO such races maximize his product's benefit.


Thanks again for the laugh. I just hope you do a better job putting on your pants.

[DrugSalvastore]

I would guess he spent a LOT more than that. Hell, he spent $70 plus million in two or three days this past September.

I'm very impressed. The $3 Million for Comonmom, after his third in the Remsen, is my personal favorite.

I believe he won the Remsen over Wondertross, on the wrong lead, in a bit of an eyesore of a race.

But hey, Comeonmom was so well bred that he brought $2,000 as a yearling.


I have a hard time knocking what the Maktoums do, because I know if I had the money they had, I would be buying up horses in the same crazed fashion that they do.

I don't think they show enough respect to the game by the way they manage some of their big horses. I hate the way they have skillfilly managed to duck their big horses from facing off against each other.



If you look at the incredible quality of the broodmare band the Maktoums have, and you look at the stallion roster they have assembled, I'm pretty sure that they can be a major force in the global thoroughbred horse racing industry, for over the next 100 years, without ever having to buy a single horse.

[the little guy]

Who could knock anyone behaving the same as you?

Do you think they buy more expensive socks?

[DrugSalvastore]

Hmmmmm.

Like me if I was in their position financially,


I assume they would go about acquiring a stable of beautiful women to make up their Harem, in the same sort of fashion they go about buying up horse flesh.


I wonder if they have divisons to the Harem? I wonder if elite and proven hotties of the Harem have to wear all blue and get called the Godolphin division. You'd also have a Shadwell division, a Zabeel divison, but perhaps your personal favorite division of the Harem might be the Darley division. That would be the massive army of young and naive prospects.


I don't know though---that might be too much of a headache for them---maybe they do just rub it out into socks...like all the rest of us. And yeah, I can speak for everyone else, cuz that's how I roll.

More expensive socks? Hmmm, I dunno man. The white cotton ones really do the trick. They do such a tremendous job in that department.


These are the kind of stories the Ny Post and Beyer ought to be pursuing if you ask me.

[classhandicapper]

The phenomena of lightly raced horses is not exclusive to Darley/Godolphin horses nor did they set the precedent. This is the way horses are managed int he modern era, each race is a peak effort and blaming that squarely on Sheik Mo is more misinformation and poor journalism.

No one said that the sheiks are the only ones that space races and avoid runnng their best horses against each other. Nor did anyone say they started it all. They are one of several modern owners/trainers that manage their horses that way. But the sheiks have a high percentage of the very best horses So they (like Pletcher) have a big impact on the quality of the best stakes races.

IMHO, this modern training development has been one the biggest disasters for the sport I can think of.

[classhandicapper]

CH,
IMO it's misleading to place ALL the blame on the Sheikhs. First of all, the biggest deterrent to competitive encounters is the scheduling of multiple races in the same division at different venues within a time frame that doesn't permit participation in all. What's the point of scheduling races like the Suburban within a week of the Hollywood Gold Cup? Even more incredibly, why does Hollywood run the Swaps on the same day as the Gold Cup?

Secondly, Pletcher's monopoly of stakes quality horses both enables and forces him to take advantage of all available opportunities, and make him at least as responsible as the Sheikhs for the situation you describe.

I think you might be putting the cart before the horse to some degree.

I believe some tracks have been shuffling around their stakes schedules to meet the desires of trainers that don't want to run unless their champion horse is 1-5 in a 4 horse field of claimers and has had 8 weeks rest. OK, maybe that's going to far. ;) But I believe the trainers do have some input. If they all want to run every 6-8 weeks, the schedule will be altered.

You are definitely right about Pletcher.

To be clear about all this, I'm not saying these guys are bad trainers.

I'm saying the modern training style of running Grade 1 horses every 6-8 weeks, mapping out 3-5 race campaigns, and avoiding any competition is a disaster for the sport.

IMHO, it also hasn't even been "proven" to be the most effective economically.

Even "if" they get slightly more consistent performace this way (I have seen no proof of that, just theories), I'm not so sure you can't earn a lot more money on average running more often, working out less often, and getting in the game more frequently.

Some horses thrive on work.

Others probably have more in the tank than their trainers think.

Horses that have a limited schedule mapped out sometimes miss a few starts and wind up with only 2-3 races for the whole year.

[depalma13]

The shieks have a high percentage of the very best horses? They've had a good year, but I don't believe they have somehow cornered the market of best horses.

The problem is there are too many Grade One races. Cut the number of Grade ones by more than half and the fields will swell. If they want their horses to get that grade one for stud duty, they are going to have to send them out against each other.

[kenwoodallpromos]

The problem I have with the sheiks is that they think that mapping out a very short campaign while trying to avoid tough spots is the right way to handle horses. Plus, since they often have many of the best horses within the same division, they can avoid each other easily.

I think this line of thinking is terrible for the sport and I'm not 100% sure it's economically correct either.

I think the sport needs great horses to run more than 3-5 times a year, for multiple years, and against each other. I understand the economics and other issues at work, but IMO this new way of doing things has been is a very bad development.
___________________
Does this mean they spot races like trainers do for the low-odds claimers?

[classhandicapper]

The shieks have a high percentage of the very best horses? They've had a good year, but I don't believe they have somehow cornered the market of best horses.

The problem is there are too many Grade One races. Cut the number of Grade ones by more than half and the fields will swell. If they want their horses to get that grade one for stud duty, they are going to have to send them out against each other.

Well the point of the article was that they had a dominant position in Europe for years and they are now applying the same stategy to US dirt racing. So this is not one random year. It's the beginning of a new assault.

They are free to do whatever they want and I am free to conclude that the current direction of the sport (which they are part of) is a bad thing for the growth of the "sport".

Do you happen to know if the number of Grade 1 races has increased since the late 70s and 80s?

[classhandicapper]

___________________
Does this mean they spot races like trainers do for the low-odds claimers?

I'm not sure what the question is.

There was a time when the best trainers mapped out year long campaigns for the best horses that would result in 7-10 races per year. A top NY horse might start in April or May and run every 3 weeks (4-5 times). There might even be a ship out of town for a race here or there. After that it would get a break and then gear up for a similar fall campaign.

Regardless of anything else (economics, consistency of performance, freedom to manage your own horses any way you would like etc.....) that kind of campaign was WAY better for fans because it resulted in everyone seeing the best horses more often. The races were better because the two best horses didn't avoid each other by alternating stakes the way they do now (running every 6 weeks).

Lava Man is a pretty good example of solid year long campaign of the type I would think would be better for the sport. I don't like him Saturday, but if he manages to win somehow, I am going to celebrate.

[Indulto]

Wow, you really hate Beyer, eh (and tlg)? I think your P6 analogy is way, way, way off the mark here.

I'm curious, how are the Sheiks improving the breed by attempting to buy any horse that has a pulse?

(ps...the GIANT font is very hard on the eyes, fyi.)CJ,
I genuinely feel badly that you, personally, interpret what I wrote as hatred for Beyer, or tlg for that matter.

While I often disagree with things Beyer writes, and sometimes find his opinions offensive, I actually admire his accomplishments and respect most of what he says -- especially the WAY he says it (except for those times he appears arrogant or particularly insensitive). As a public figure with a huge audience, Beyer himself is not immune to criticism regarding his own critical opinions.

tlg is another story. I’m sure that as his buddy, you see a different side of him than the one he projects on this board. The longer I’m exposed to it, the less respect I have for it. Mostly, he just irritates me, but he occasionally amuses me as he did with his childish remark following yours.

Frankly I'm surprised that neither of you guys saw fit to defend Beyer aginst the charge of racism levelled in this thread. Hmmm.

I hope I haven’t created any personal animosity toward me on your part. If you feel my “analogy” was “way, way, way off,” I’d appreciate some specifics as to why you think so.


Re: the GIANT font you referred to, do you see it viewing the post on-board or off? Sometimes saving what I write in the PA editor into WORD inserts font controls when I restore after timing out. Is there some way to avoid losing one’s drafts prior to actual posting due to a timeout? I did restore this post and it now appears larger when re-saved in WORD.

[cj]

CJ,
I genuinely feel badly that you, personally, interpret what I wrote as hatred for Beyer, or tlg for that matter.

While I often disagree with things Beyer writes, and sometimes find his opinions offensive, I actually admire his accomplishments and respect most of what he says -- especially the WAY he says it (except for those times he appears arrogant or particularly insensitive). As a public figure with a huge audience, Beyer himself is not immune to criticism regarding his own critical opinions.

tlg is another story. I’m sure that as his buddy, you see a different side of him than the one he projects on this board. The longer I’m exposed to it, the less respect I have for it. Mostly, he just irritates me, but he occasionally amuses me as he did with his childish remark following yours.

Frankly I'm surprised that neither of you guys saw fit to defend Beyer aginst the charge of racism levelled in this thread. Hmmm.

I hope I haven’t created any personal animosity toward me on your part. If you feel my “analogy” was “way, way, way off,” I’d appreciate some specifics as to why you think so.


Re: the GIANT font you referred to, do you see it viewing the post on-board or off? Sometimes saving what I write in the PA editor into WORD inserts font controls when I restore after timing out. Is there some way to avoid losing one’s drafts prior to actual posting due to a timeout? I did restore this post and it now appears larger when re-saved in WORD.

The font just shows up very large on the board, why I don't know.

As for the racism thing, to me it was just ridiculous and didn't warrant a response. I have little doubt that if some English owners did the same thing, he would have written the same article. What statements exactly were racist?

As to the way, way, way off comments, I just don't think the comparison is valid, apples to oranges. A bettor in any pool, whether whale or not, is taking risk. These guys are not, as they don't care how much they spend. If you give me a billion dollars, it is of little consequence personally if I spend $100,000,000 on my hobby. They are actually funding the breeding industry, which in the long term gets the horses off the track and is bad for racing. A lot of things they do are bad for racing as a whole, but that was mostly covered in the article.

No anymosity here, I don't take anything here too seriously.

[First_Place]

1st time lasix said:

"No wonder people like Bin Laden exist. "

Yeah, Bin Laden...former(?) CIA asset. Btw, 9-11 was an inside job for all you flag waving pseudo-patriots out there who've bought the "they hate our freedom and democracy" (pardon the expression) horseshit. I guess he's as good a boogeyman as anyone to blame so the US could go into the Middle East and start rearranging things...er, installing 'democracy' (as well as pacify the Zionists).

Needless to say, this is a very sensitive topic to me and I do not share the 'mainstream' media's (and our 'leaders') version of events. But that is a whole different subject and here is not the place to get into a heated debate over the particulars of that most tragic event (inside job it was, NEVER forget).

Back to horse racing...

FP

[First_Place]

samyn on the green uttered:

"Whats up beyers articles?...now this garbage piece based on racism and ignorance."

That's nonsense...everyone just knows that "there is no such thing as race"..."race is just a social construct"..."we all bleed red" (you know the rest of the Marxist-based, politically correct sewage).

Back to horse racing...

FP

[PriceAnProbability]

The spending will lead to their undoing.

This was tried 20 years ago when the Arabs of that era paid ridiculous prices for yearlings, and it failed then for the same reason it will fail now.

The reason? The Arabs are "steam chasers." They never get the horse at the good price. Instead, the horsemen who can find the talent when it's inexpensive now get huge bankrolls to strut their stuff even more in the future. Tim Ritchey plucked Afleet Alex out of a yearling sale for $75,000 based on his pedigree and confirmation. Give a guy like that $5 million to play with and he'll do it ten times over.

Think of it as nature's salary cap. You really can't buy this sport. The Arabs are great for the sport because they are directly rewarding those who can find great horses at good yearling prices.

I also always thought that back in the day, farms like Calumet and the other Kentucky playgrounds with their million-dollar homebreds were a far greater threat to the sport, because they were cash cows for the farm, as well as literal factories of graded stakes horses.

[depalma13]

Well the point of the article was that they had a dominant position in Europe for years and they are now applying the same stategy to US dirt racing. So this is not one random year. It's the beginning of a new assault.

They are free to do whatever they want and I am free to conclude that the current direction of the sport (which they are part of) is a bad thing for the growth of the "sport".

Do you happen to know if the number of Grade 1 races has increased since the late 70s and 80s?

Not sure how much the number has increased, but it is 104 this year. The ability to ship the horse to these grade 1's has become much easier though and that makes picking and choosing a Grade 1 far too easy.

[trp]

Not sure how much the number has increased, but it is 104 this year. The ability to ship the horse to these grade 1's has become much easier though and that makes picking and choosing a Grade 1 far too easy.
Here is an article from 2003 that gives the number of G1, G2, G3 stakes by year from 1973-2003.

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=19236

[depalma13]

So there were overall 300 less races in 2002 than in 1973, but there were 39 more Grade 1's and 58 more Grade 2's. That pretty much sums up my case.