Quote:
Originally Posted by Dahossdaboss
At the risk of being overly dramatic you love that The Stronach Group is making unnecessary changes that will hurt the industry as a whole and possibly destroy racing in California?
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Are you being serious? Unnecessary changes that will hurt the industry?
Stronach actually is ahead of the curve here. Keep in mind that the liberalization of allowable medications came about when field size was the imperative. The NYRA circuit was the last hold out. And what is proposed is pretty damn similar to what existed on the NYRA circuit when I was a pup. When the overnight horses would race 20+ races a year. So this is a back to the future moment. And since simulcasting came about, we have seen ever decreasing race meets and field size anyway.
Does anyone here believe that business could go on as usual? Government take from racing is such a small part of the nationwide gambling rake that the disappearance of all racing forever would hardly be noticed by the average person.
And let's face it, if the SA problem causes anyone to really put the industry under scrutiny in terms of equine health, the data gathered would be devastating.
What I would like to know is how many horses have been injured at SA this winter. It would be really weird if that number did not exceed the number that have been euthanized.
I would like to see a cradle to grave health passport created for every registered thoroughbred, where all injuries, treatment and medication are listed.And make the database accessible to the public. And make every horse making its first career start (and first start of a layoff) be subject to a complete physical exam, including xrays of all four limbs.
Injuries will never be completely eliminated...but steps can be taken to reduce the number of starts by compromised horses, which should lower the overall injury and death rate.
