Would you support a closed racing circuit?

[highnote]

It would be interesting to know if PA readers would support a closed system of racing a la Hong Kong.

For example, the circuit might have a population of 2,000 horses that must remain under video surveillance 24-7; stringent drug testing; strict elgibility requirements, etc.

If a horse leaves the grounds then it will not be eligible to race until after it has spent 3 months under surveillance.

No Lasix, no bute, no banamine, no drugs at all. If it does get drugs, then it must also undergo 3 months of surveillance before it can race again.

The theory is that a drug-free product would prove popular enough to allow the circuit to be profitable without slot revenue.

Comments, opinions, criticisms, diatribe, etc. appreciated.

[Indulto]

It would be interesting to know if PA readers would support a closed system of racing a la Hong Kong.

For example, the circuit might have a population of 2,000 horses that must remain under video surveillance 24-7; stringent drug testing; strict elgibility requirements, etc.

If a horse leaves the grounds then it will not be eligible to race until after it has spent 3 months under surveillance.

No Lasix, no bute, no banamine, no drugs at all. If it does get drugs, then it must also undergo 3 months of surveillance before it can race again.

The theory is that a drug-free product would prove popular enough to allow the circuit to be profitable without slot revenue.

Comments, opinions, criticisms, diatribe, etc. appreciated.That system sure seems to work well in Hong Kong. Maybe it could also work for NYRA at Saratoga and Belmont.

[DrunkenHorseplayer]

Don't think that a drug-free product would make any difference at all. The degenerates are still going to bet and players like myself simply look at the juicing as another factor in the handicapping equation.

[BombsAway Bob]

It would be interesting to know if PA readers would support a closed system of racing a la Hong Kong.

For example, the circuit might have a population of 2,000 horses that must remain under video surveillance 24-7; stringent drug testing; strict elgibility requirements, etc.

If a horse leaves the grounds then it will not be eligible to race until after it has spent 3 months under surveillance.

No Lasix, no bute, no banamine, no drugs at all. If it does get drugs, then it must also undergo 3 months of surveillance before it can race again.

The theory is that a drug-free product would prove popular enough to allow the circuit to be profitable without slot revenue.

Comments, opinions, criticisms, diatribe, etc. appreciated.
Most tracks can't find 1,200 Drug-Addled Horses to fill racecards now
...where are these 2,000 "Pure-Breds" gonna come from?:confused:

[Steve 'StatMan']

That system sure seems to work well in Hong Kong. Maybe it could also work for NYRA at Saratoga and Belmont.

On this thought, wanted to note that Hong Kong doesn't have Casino Gambling competiting with the horse racing as opposed to the U.S. The rules may be tighter and better, but would racing still stay as strong there if the Hong Kong and other Chinese Citizens had the choice between the two? Remember that there are still a lot of hunch, luck, and overall simple players in those pools currently, many which left for the casinos in the U.S.

Boiled down, is it the racing rules, the limited number of national tracks (only 2, not running against each other, right?) or no casino gambling, that helps keep Hong Kong racing huge? I can't say for sure, although those 2 tracks admittedly do great, no doubt about that.

[kenwoodallpromos]

"If a horse leaves the grounds then it will not be eligible to race until after it has spent 3 months under surveillance."

Are you talking about if a horse leaves Saratoga or Del Mar after the meet it cannot race for 3 months? Or are you talking about if the horse is stabled away from ANY track? Either way, 3 months seems like a long time considering normal withdrawal times. Some other thing in your post seem reasonable.
FYI- In Ca, the winner and 1 other racer chosen at ramdom and get sampled; then 50% of samples get tested. So assuming an 8 horse field, there is a 7% chance that the place or show horse will get tested.

[highnote]

"If a horse leaves the grounds then it will not be eligible to race until after it has spent 3 months under surveillance."

Are you talking about if a horse leaves Saratoga or Del Mar after the meet it cannot race for 3 months? Or are you talking about if the horse is stabled away from ANY track? Either way, 3 months seems like a long time considering normal withdrawal times. Some other thing in your post seem reasonable..

This was just an arbitrary time I picked out. There would need to be a board of governors or some sort of commission created whose job would be to draw up a set of rules.

The way I envisioned this happening is that the horses that are part of the circuit have to commit to that circuit. Once accepted into the circuit they would lose their eligibility to race on "the circuit" if they left the circuit track to race somewhere else. To regain eligibility to get back into the circuit the horse would need to refrain from racing anywhere else for X amount of time and be stabled at the track under surveillance until eligibility was reestablished.

[highnote]

Most tracks can't find 1,200 Drug-Addled Horses to fill racecards now
...where are these 2,000 "Pure-Breds" gonna come from?:confused:


Hong Kong finds them. I'm sure that somehow, somewhere, in the good ol' U.S. of A. someone can find a way to assemble 2,000 drug-free horses.

And if it isn't possible, then what does that say about horse racing in this country and also this country in general?

How is that drug use has become so acceptable? Performance enhancing, pain killing, mood and mind altering.

Here's a slogan for the racing industry: "Drugs are for winners."

How about this advertising campaign which borrows from the advertisement "This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?":

Show a picture of a nice looking, but typical race horse. The voice over reads:

"This is a horse."

Next show a muscled up two year old in training that looks like a one of those steriod using professional wrestlers that are so ubiquitous on TV.

This is a horse on drugs. Any questions?"

[Nacumi]

I think the biggest unknown in all of this steroid regulation debate is the issue of the horses "coming down" or detoxing, and what that means in terms of their careers post 'roids, i.e, how long they take to clear, and if they can actually run again. That's why there's such a flap about when states need to start the actual ban, especially neighboring ones where horses are claimed back and forth.
How about this idea? An "S" designation right next to the L (lasix), and B (blinkers) in the program, with S3, S4 and S5 if you stack. Unizip your flies, boys. You want to run on them, you have to come clean (pardon the pun) about it, published for all to see. I mean, they're legal, right? :confused: Is there some weird ego thing involved with these so-called horsemen (I shudder to use that term, frankly, because I don't think the track monkeys that employ vets or rely on complicated chemistry are trainers or horsemen in the old-world sense of the moniker); like, it's okay to use them in secret, but I want to continue to pretend that it's just my great training technique that improves a horse 5 lengths or 6 speed numbers, not the Equipoise, Winstrol, etc.?
Better yet, how about conditional races based on whether you use them or not? The S class. Let all the juiced horses run against each other in claiming races, and let the rest try their class/condition/division with no tags and no sauce.

[highnote]

Better yet, how about conditional races based on whether you use them or not? The S class. Let all the juiced horses run against each other in claiming races, and let the rest try their class/condition/division with no tags and no sauce.

There's already an "S class". It's called American Racing. :D

Let the steroid users run anyplace they want, except on the drug-free circuit. :ThmbUp:

[Nacumi]

Have you all seen the RCI's release from last Friday?

http://www.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=25531&z=1

Bloodhorse finally picked it up this afternoon, but it's been nowhere else in any racing related publication, i.e., TTimes, etc.
On a personal note, when I think of the number of close seconds and thirds we've had over the years, in heats with, ahem, trainers of a certain 'mindset' beating us, it gives one pause. :mad: Water under the bridge, unfortunately, but at least going forward, we have a chance to make amends. :)

[Seabiscuit@AR]

C5 and even C4 racing in HK is horrible

HK is a success in spite of its limited horse pool not because of it

[highnote]

C5 and even C4 racing in HK is horrible

HK is a success in spite of its limited horse pool not because of it


Good point. Maybe a limited pool of drug-free horses isn't the answer. Put it might be worth a try.