O'neil headed to Dubai & Oaklawn

[cj]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

oh, its like this regional glee fest with some, even industry types. Doesn't make any sense but that is just a sign of todays society.

California going away would (will?) be a big problem.

The difference between California and other places is that racing there isn't subsidized by gaming. It going away wouldn't help any other circuits that actually care about horse racing. There are plenty others out there where that probably wouldn't be true. But at this point nobody really knows.

I'm not saying all tracks that are helped by gaming are bad. There are plenty out there that actually care about horse racing and have done good things. Others, not so much. Racing is a necessary evil for them.

[Parson]

Originally Posted by rastajenk

Likewise, I did not intend to pick on you because you can watch your horses in different venues. On the contrary, I think your contributions to this message board are some of the more insightful, useful, and reasonable ones out there.

I just like to advocate for the small-timers, because a lot of them started out as bettors and got into it more intensively, and because there are so many of them. I'm familiar with the Belterra-Indiana-Turfway crowd, which includes more than a few from Louisville; I would be willing to bet, Preacher, you and I have some common acquaintances.

I know Kentucky isn't going to shut down racing soon; this thread isn't even about contraction. There were a few posts about long-distance ownership, and that was enough for me to air one of my pet peeves with a commonly held position, because local ownership is crucial to our survival. Nothing personal was ever intended. If you ever run one of yours in my area, I would be happy to buy the first several rounds of your favorite libation.

We might have a few of those 6th degree of separation things, and will hold you to a round or 2 of my favorite brown water. Indiana may become more prominent in the coming years for us. Had an Elusive Quality filly that we could not sell, so now we are in the breeding business as well. Hopefully she puts that foal on the ground in early March without any problems. That should put us on the track late summer/early fall of 2021 for some of that Indiana Sired and Indiana Bred money

[Parson]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

Do you go see your horses work out, go in person to visit them at the barn? I could not imagine paying the money on a daily basis and only having the option to get on a plane once a month or so just to go see them run. I get it, Sheikh Mohamed can, I could not.

GMB,

From mid March to early Decemeber, most days I get up about 430-500 and I am trackside with a cigar and cup of coffee. I get to the office between 9-930. Unless something work wise is pressing, I do not miss too much. And occasionally, I even help in the barn. Maybe hotwalk, muck as stall, help feed or carry water buckets. I have held one many times while the groom bathes. My favorite thing to do is to take the squegee after the groom has given the bath.

My wife jokingly refers to my fillies as my equine girlfriends

I have been blessed with a good career, wife with a solid career and the time to spend with my horses. But like i said earlier, it is not for those with shallow pockets. Each one of ours when training cost between 3-4k a month. Not all of the ones I have do own 100%, only 2, but I do have partners on 3 others, and 3 more are syndicate horses that I have small shares in. One syndicate has almost 80 people.

I will say if you have never been involved in ownership, start small. Maybe get involved with one of those larger syndicates. Or get 8 or 9 of your buddies and each of you put up 3k, claim one or 2. Either way, it will give you the up close look you may never have had. You will not make any money, I promise that, unless you hit a lottery ticket with a G1 winner. but you will have lots of fun.

[Afleet]

Originally Posted by Parson

GMB,

From mid March to early Decemeber, most days I get up about 430-500 and I am trackside with a cigar and cup of coffee. I get to the office between 9-930. Unless something work wise is pressing, I do not miss too much. And occasionally, I even help in the barn. Maybe hotwalk, muck as stall, help feed or carry water buckets. I have held one many times while the groom bathes. My favorite thing to do is to take the squegee after the groom has given the bath.

My wife jokingly refers to my fillies as my equine girlfriends

I have been blessed with a good career, wife with a solid career and the time to spend with my horses. But like i said earlier, it is not for those with shallow pockets. Each one of ours when training cost between 3-4k a month. Not all of the ones I have do own 100%, only 2, but I do have partners on 3 others, and 3 more are syndicate horses that I have small shares in. One syndicate has almost 80 people.

I will say if you have never been involved in ownership, start small. Maybe get involved with one of those larger syndicates. Or get 8 or 9 of your buddies and each of you put up 3k, claim one or 2. Either way, it will give you the up close look you may never have had. You will not make any money, I promise that, unless you hit a lottery ticket with a G1 winner. but you will have lots of fun.

I never could understand how a horse costs more to house/feed than a human. Winning a race as an owner was one of the biggest rushes I have ever felt-hard to put into words.

[Afleet]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

Do you go see your horses work out, go in person to visit them at the barn? I could not imagine paying the money on a daily basis and only having the option to get on a plane once a month or so just to go see them run. I get it, Sheikh Mohamed can, I could not.

Had a horse claimed last summer at CD-that was the only time I ever saw her was the race she was claimed out of. Still cool to be in the CD paddock, watched the race in the tunnel next to Caton Brador, Donna Barton, and the young blonde lady on TVG, name escapes me. Miguel Mena said she tried hard and that was it. Ive owned a few horses that i have never seen-just the way it is sometimes-work and distance gets in the way. All my experiences are in partnerships.

[GMB@BP]

Originally Posted by Parson

GMB,

From mid March to early Decemeber, most days I get up about 430-500 and I am trackside with a cigar and cup of coffee. I get to the office between 9-930. Unless something work wise is pressing, I do not miss too much. And occasionally, I even help in the barn. Maybe hotwalk, muck as stall, help feed or carry water buckets. I have held one many times while the groom bathes. My favorite thing to do is to take the squegee after the groom has given the bath.

My wife jokingly refers to my fillies as my equine girlfriends

I have been blessed with a good career, wife with a solid career and the time to spend with my horses. But like i said earlier, it is not for those with shallow pockets. Each one of ours when training cost between 3-4k a month. Not all of the ones I have do own 100%, only 2, but I do have partners on 3 others, and 3 more are syndicate horses that I have small shares in. One syndicate has almost 80 people.

I will say if you have never been involved in ownership, start small. Maybe get involved with one of those larger syndicates. Or get 8 or 9 of your buddies and each of you put up 3k, claim one or 2. Either way, it will give you the up close look you may never have had. You will not make any money, I promise that, unless you hit a lottery ticket with a G1 winner. but you will have lots of fun.

Your entire post is essentially an ad for why I would think it would horse ownership would drastically decline for owners in California and would have a real negative impact on the health of the sport.

I have been around top class horses for a long time though owning them is a bridge to far for me.

[Afleet]

Now Englehart headed to Oaklawn. Should be an interesting meet

[clicknow]

Originally Posted by Afleet

Now Englehart headed to Oaklawn. Should be an interesting meet

It will be interesting is trying to handicap the trainers bringing small strings to OP this season, as well as some of the jockeys coming here for first time like Talamo and Garcia.

With four stakes races paying $1 million and MSWs at $85K why not take a shot. I'm not a horseman but Oaklawn has a pretty good reputation among horsemen for treating them well.

I'm looking forward to seeing some of my old favorites like Whitmore, and the new ones like Lukas's two American Pharoah colts, etc.


TRACK SPECIFICATIONS
1 mile oval with a 6F chute
Length of Stretch: 1,155 feet
Width of Track: 70 feet
Width of Track on Turns: 80 feet

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by cj

California going away would (will?) be a big problem.

The difference between California and other places is that racing there isn't subsidized by gaming. It going away wouldn't help any other circuits that actually care about horse racing. .

I'm not sure I totally agree.

IF CA went away, I suspect all the leading trainers and owners in CA wouldn't simply retire. Many would go to CD, OP, NYRA, FG, etc.. So the potential for bigger fields and higher quality races elsewhere would increase. Also, unless CA totally banned betting on races outside CA too, a lot of that CA handle would shift to other tracks, especially wherever the best horses wound up going.

On a net basis, there would be a loss of jobs (in CA) because some guys would simply go out of business and lay people off. CA breeding would probably take a hit. People that sell information to horseplayers for CA racing would take a hit. But a few tracks would benefit and capture a lot of that business, handle, and some of those jobs.

[GMB@BP]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

I'm not sure I totally agree.

IF CA went away, I suspect all the leading trainers and owners in CA wouldn't simply retire. Many would go to CD, OP, NYRA, FG, etc.. So the potential for bigger fields and higher quality races elsewhere would increase. Also, unless CA totally banned betting on races outside CA too, a lot of that CA handle would shift to other tracks, especially wherever the best horses wound up going.

On a net basis, there would be a loss of jobs (in CA) because some guys would simply go out of business and lay people off. CA breeding would probably take a hit. People that sell information to horseplayers for CA racing would take a hit. But a few tracks would benefit and capture a lot of that business, handle, and some of those jobs.

yea, all them local owners looking to stable their horses in other parts of the country. 80% of them would leave the game.

I would also venture it would be a pretty big hit to the breeding industry both in CA and Ky, what is California, the largest economy in the Country?

I would also argue that it would be pretty tough to ban horse racing but not ban betting on horses from a moral perspective so I would imagine both would be gone.

[clicknow]

For all the reasons noted in this topic, my gut is that CA racing will not be going away.

Things have a way of working out once you are slammed with real crisis situations and then, react appropriately to them.

We've all been there, on a personal level. Sometimes it takes time and creativity, and a bit of consiousness shifting, to get the ducks back in a row.

[pandy]

Originally Posted by clicknow

For all the reasons noted in this topic, my gut is that CA racing will not be going away.

Things have a way of working out once you are slammed with real crisis situations and then, react appropriately to them.

We've all been there, on a personal level. Sometimes it takes time and creativity, and a bit of consiousness shifting, to get the ducks back in a row.

I hope you're right. I suspect that several of the top trainers in So. Cal are and have been using illegal drugs on their horses, and I personally think that has been a problem for a long time. The racing commission there is a joke. When Baffert had 7 horses drop dead from a drug he gave them, they didn't even fine him.

[horsefan2019]

There is a reason why the activists are targeting Santa Anita because its the most well known track in California with big purses and long racing calendar. Its a symbolic battle for them to try to cripple the industry in the state if it goes away, racing will take a huge hit in the state.

[Afleet]

Originally Posted by horsefan2019

There is a reason why the activists are targeting Santa Anita because its the most well known track in California with big purses and long racing calendar. Its a symbolic battle for them to try to cripple the industry in the state if it goes away, racing will take a huge hit in the state.

I enjoyed the BC in person at SA way more than AP or CD. It was freezing at AP and CD. Weather does matter but the politics in CA make me never want to go there again.

[horsefan2019]

Originally Posted by Afleet

I enjoyed the BC in person at SA way more than AP or CD. It was freezing at AP and CD. Weather does matter but the politics in CA make me never want to go there again.

Looks like the management at Santa Anita finally figured out the local media was not friendly to them and were just there to create hysteria and damage their business.