If you were commissioner of all US horse racing what 3 things would you do first.

[CheckMark]

Originally Posted by AndyC

There is a reason some trainers have more horses than other trainers. It's because they are better at training horses! This is a horse against horse sport and not a barn against barn sport. A large barn that does poorly won't stay large for long. A small barn that does well will have owners clamoring for their services.

I know just isn't fair to see a trainer like Brad Cox with 10+ horses vs Joe Blow surviving with 3-4 horses

Some cap #er would be good for all

[AndyC]

Originally Posted by CheckMark

I know just isn't fair to see a trainer like Brad Cox with 10+ horses vs Joe Blow surviving with 3-4 horses

Some cap #er would be good for all

So Joe Blow deserves a promotion regardless of whether or not he is qualified? There is nothing more fair than people getting to choose which trainer fits their needs.

[wiretowire68]

Well it would be up to all the owners of the sport which would make it impossible because the playing field is not even. All professional leagues have a commissioner or set up by the owners. So you are dealing with ownerships and partnerships that unlimited dollars in terms of the silent owners etc.

I believe that you would first start off with a commissioner who has the sport's best interest. So I believe you would have to have a vote from all racetracks across your country and then hope individual states are willing to capitulate to a universal rule of law when it comes to the sport.
So draw up National rules concerning the rules that garner the sport in terms of internal workings i.e. Ownership/Trainers/Jockeys/Stewards/Gambling/Takeout/betting/ etc.
2ndly. I agree, although not completely up on the rules of how many horses etc you can run etc or limit to one's barn for individual meets is pretty much a task that would make it pretty much impossible. It is and has always been the game as we all know "The Sport of Kings" meaning being able to be sucessful from a financial end. Thus, the invention of salary caps. Perhaps, there should be caps put on the auction and sales. You have all these different Breeders trying to come up with the magic formula of the business. The decline of Thoroughbred racing in my opinion and many others is a microsm of economics happening today. The larger ownerships and partnerships as well as the larger conglomerate type of Coolmore/Juddmonte/Godolphin etc. etc. The breeding shed has destroyed competition after 4 years old in Colts and Gieldings. When you see a horse such as Independence Hall who never really panned out ended his career on a winning note I believe and bang off to stud at 4. It has come down to my belief the liability has become far to great. So, the expense of the game itself and to train and own at a high level is just that. You can have a set of steward rules across the board/I think you have a set of standards set up in terms of large venues for the gamblers so fiasco's like this years Breeders Cup do not continue to destroy the gambler's love of the sport. As far as universal rules for Trainers. I think it can be gone but it is up to the ownerships that have the pockets to clean up the sport. Like all major sports they have to be the ones willing to do so.

It is heading in the right direction, get rid of the Bafferts and the Navarros and Servis's. However, as long as their gambling and pressure directing involved good luck but I am all for it.

[Michael]

Take care of the horses and the horses will take care of the industry.

If the industry is failing? it's because the horses aren't getting the respect they deserve.

[TomandTom]

Great Stuff here, keep those ideas coming.

[Psychotic Parakeet]

Originally Posted by Michael

Take care of the horses and the horses will take care of the industry.

If the industry is failing? it's because the horses aren't getting the respect they deserve.

This should be the Number One priority above anything else.

[geroge.burns99]

Originally Posted by Psychotic Parakeet

This should be the Number One priority above anything else.

Why would you believe that a race horse are not being taking care of?

Most trainers and the grooms gives all their horses the utmost care and probably love too....

They are fed , groomed, exercised every day....

Even the out riders horses look pretty good

Have you ever seen a malnutrition horse on the track?


Mike

[Jeff P]

On Sunday May 12, 2019 it was raining at Monmouth as the horses made their way onto the track for the Long Branch Stakes.

I watched the track video, astonished, as the horses were walked (post parade) in front of the grandstand, walked past the gate, made a j-turn (still walking), and were walked directly to the starting gate.

None of the horses were allowed to warm up.

Normally, even when the track announcer says the horses will be heading straight to the gate: the horses are allowed a brief warmup.

Unless I'm badly mistaken this is done for safety reasons.

If something is obviously wrong with a horse, the rider at least has a chance to feel it during the warmup and speak up.

Without a brief warmup, the rider has almost no chance of feeling it and speaking up.

Also, many horsemen, not just owners and trainers of thoroughbred race horses - but owners and trainers of horses of all types everywhere believe that warming your horse up prior to asking your horse for maximum exertion is the right thing to do - for the horse!

As fate would have it Red Gum pressed the pace and suffered a fatal breakdown on the far turn.

Would things have been different if the horses had been allowed a few minutes to warm up?

Maybe not.

But I'll never know.

But here's what I do know and it comes straight from the gut:

The decision to skip pre-race warmups at Monmouth that day?

Imo, the exact opposite of taking care of the horses.

05-12-2019 Monmouth R9
https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqb...AY=D&STYLE=EQB



-jp

.

[geroge.burns99]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

On Sunday May 12, 2019 it was raining at Monmouth as the horses made their way onto the track for the Long Branch Stakes.

I watched the track video, astonished, as the horses were walked (post parade) in front of the grandstand, walked past the gate, made a j-turn (still walking), and were walked directly to the starting gate.

None of the horses were allowed to warm up.

Normally, even when the track announcer says the horses will be heading straight to the gate: the horses are allowed a brief warmup.

Unless I'm badly mistaken this is done for safety reasons.

If something is obviously wrong with a horse, the rider at least has a chance to feel it during the warmup and speak up.

Without a brief warmup, the rider has almost no chance of feeling it and speaking up.

Also, many horsemen, not just owners and trainers of thoroughbred race horses - but owners and trainers of horses of all types everywhere believe that warming your horse up prior to asking your horse for maximum exertion is the right thing to do - for the horse!

As fate would have it Red Gum pressed the pace and suffered a fatal breakdown on the far turn.

Would things have been different if the horses had been allowed a few minutes to warm up?

Maybe not.

But I'll never know.

But here's what I do know and it comes straight from the gut:

The decision to skip pre-race warmups at Monmouth that day?

Imo, the exact opposite of taking care of the horses.

05-12-2019 Monmouth R9
https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqb...AY=D&STYLE=EQB



-jp

.

And that blame goes right to the sport!!!

[Michael]

https://www.paulickreport.com/result...r%20suspension
https://www.paulickreport.com/result...ug%20positives
https://www.paulickreport.com/result...g%20violations

The horses are the common denominator, and the primary driver behind success or failure of the sport. The links are superficial searches that illustrate countless incidents that happen month after month. It's why the sport is failing... and it's a substantial sub-section of trainers who are ruining it for everyone. Yet the industry continues to keep their mouths shut.

[pogo1943]

I believe that if the owners of the horses were held more accountable instead of buy the horse,turn it over to trainer then never worry. Only time they even remember they have a horse is if it is winning and returning them money. Other than that they care less.Once the horse has stopped racing the owner should be required to take care of it.Most owners are worthless & think they are god's gift because they have money to have a horse.

[Bill Cullen]

1) I'd make the conditions of the race easier to understand for novice
racegoers reading the past performances.

2) We need young people to get interested in the sport or the sport will die.
Young adults are much more sensitive to the issue of animal cruelty
and unsafe conditions for horses. The industry has to really do everything
they can to maximize better conditions for the horses AND effectively market
that to young folks. Most non-racegoers I talk to have no idea that the
average thoroughbred gets better health care than most of the world's
human population.

3) Building on #2 above, have Pick-6 type of bets where if there is only a
single winner and the payoff is high (how high would have to be
determined), the winner would have the option to take only half the winnings
and the other half would be guaranteed to be used to retire one or more
horses from racing. Imagine reams of young animal activists betting
millions of dollars to help get a cheap plater get retired. Here's a chance to
feel virtuous and make some money at the same time.

[Dave Schwartz]

1. Horse racing MUST have a ruling body like all the other sports.
This body must look to long-term growth which means the whole product must change. Not sure what that looks like but it must include a solution to the shifting odds tote system.

Perhaps a system that allows for pari-mutuel until (say) 3 minutes to a hard-wired post, followed by a fixed-odds, bookie-based system.

2. Racing MUST license its product in a growth-oriented way. Tracks must purchase franchises. They've ruined the industry with greed and it will take a decade or more to come back from that.

3. Takeouts MUST come down to a level near sports betting.
This change can be gradual, but it MUST instantly drop to (say) 10% max. Rebates must be disallowed.

Why stop at 3?

4. Cheating MUST equal 5 year suspension for a 1st offense, and lifetime for a 2nd.


5. Data MUST be free.
Wasn't that supposed to be the Jockey Club's original plan?

6. There must be MORE HORSES PER RACE.
There will be less tracks (because of franchises), therefore, more horses per race.