WV stealing KY's horses?

[FenceBored]

Paulick links to a blog post by Jennie Rees of the Courier-Journal:

In an impromptu interview with two Kentucky reporters right before the West Virginia Derby, West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III recalled a conversation he had with his Kentucky counterpart Steve Beshear.

"He said, 'You're taking all our good horses up there.' And he wasn't kidding," Manchin said. "He said a lot of our horses are running West Virginia because of the purses. I said, 'Well, we've been very proud of what we've been able to accomplish in a short period of time. And it's been done right."-- http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/trackside/2009/08/wv-gov-racinos-built-around-sport-of.html

Unbelievable. KY (10,000 foals) accounted for 30% of the US foal crop in 2006, WV (625) had 1.8%. With two tracks running a minimum of 225 days a year, WV breds are going to need some help filling those cards from somewhere. Of course, being the major foal producing state right next door, KY breds are going to be running in WV. But, that does NOT mean that all of KY's 'good horses' have left for Mnr and CT. What about the ones running at Saratoga, Delaware, and Del Mar, etc.

The question is,
a) did Manchin make that Beshear quote up,
b) did Beshear say it, but only to flatter Manchin,
c) does Beshear honestly believe this, or
d) who believes anything a politician says.

[macguy]

This makes me wonder, if KY is responsible for 30% of the US foal crop, what % of the North American racing dates is KY responsible for? I would assume it would be much, much less than 30%.

I suppose the bottom line is owners and trainers will race their horses where the money is, and where they can run their horses competitively. WV has done an excellent job of opening up their arms and inviting all of North America's horses to come and race in their backyard. The purses for cheap horses are the best in North America, the tracks run all year around with racing taking place 4-5 days a week. I would argue that there really is no better spot in North America to be running cheap claimers.

[eclecticapper]

My guess is Beshear was playing up the "WV has slots and Ky doesn't" angle; it was a point of emphasis in his campaign for governor. The combination of neighboring states with slots plus the continuing decline in the annual foal crop means the days of five days per week racing in Kentucky are likely over (the short meets at Keeneland being the exception).