Illinois is a subsidy state, meaning the three remaining tracks there subsist mostly on corporate welfare. This non-racing-related gaming revenue also allows for first-last payouts. Everybody wins. Except, of course, the horses. With that in mind, consider the following from yesterday at Hawthorne Race Course:
race 1: Princess Toni finished last, 17+ back; her exploiters still took home $330. The 2-year-old Princess, by the way, has now been raced four times; she has finished last or next-to-last each time, a combined 85+ lengths back.
race 2: Successful Lady finished last, 29+ back; her exploiters still took home $100.
race 3: B G Attack finished last, 21+ back; his exploiters still took home $340.
race 5: Dom Caetano finished last, 22+ back; his exploiters still took home $100.
race 7: I Luv This Bar finished last, 23+ back; her exploiters still took home $240.
And worst of all, in race 4, the 3-year-old filly Rain Attack “was pushed along early…weakened…stopped in upper stretch, slowed to a walk late but crossed the wire unassisted.” Yes, “slowed to a walk,” but by virtue of crossing the wire – $100. This was Rain’s third career race, all for trainer Vance Childers and owner Lois McCrosky. The other two, both at Fairmount, Illinois’ other (subsidized) flat track: Jun 29, 2021 – last, 31 back, $800 payday; Sep 23 of this year – last, 26+ back, $420 payday. The evil of subsidizing the horseracing industry on full display, again.
Unfortunately this also does not take into account the breeders’ monies in certain states.
If you CREATE a horse in certain states, even if that horse is no longer yours, any time it “hits the board”, meaning placing 1-4, you get a check. And we aren’t talking small checks. An employee of mine has a horse that has won a few times, placed a few times, and so far they have received $11,000 for creating that horse, just this year! I know the breeders incentives are even larger in neighboring states, such as NY and PA. Which makes it even more sickening that people are getting money for creating that horse, and yet there is, more often than not, no safe plan in plans when that horse is irreparably damaged and needs a soft landing!
This is more proof that a person who owns, trains and otherwise engages in horseracing is not required to practice TRUE HORSEMANSHIP in this deplorable display of INHUMANE TREATMENT of horses.
I totally agree with you, Wanda.
i have offered numerous times??????????