We view 'racing' as the same as the 'nfl' as a country wide 'league' with 'teams' (see tracks) and whatnut. The truth is very far from reality.
Tracks in the USA are just gambling centers who just by happenstance, use horses racing as their entertainment. We think its the other way around, we think the horses came first and the tracks exist for the horses. Its actually the horses are just a small part of what is trying to get accomplished, and that is to get 20 cents out of every dollar you spend.
Even though all these different tracks have horses in common, they are really completely seperate 'leagues' who run under their own rules. To get some rich, older, set in their ways businessmen (like Stronach for example) to admit to let some national body tell him how to run HIS racetrack, well, we might as well just sit in a cornfield in the middle of Iowa waiting for pigs with wings to pass us by.
Fans would LOVE a national body ruling all racetracks with an iron fist, but why would Frank Stronach let some national commissioner tell him what to do? It doesnt make any sense for him to give up control to the Roger Goodell of horse racing.
|