When it comes to the PR war, the other side falls into one of two camps. The first is represented by the likes of Patrick McKenna of the New York Racing Association. Mr. McKenna has a job to do, and he knows full well that he is distracting, dissembling, and deceiving. It’s all part of the game. In the other, however, are the ones I like to call self-deluded. Mostly due to a lifelong conditioning – growing up in or around racing – they truly seem to believe the excrement they peddle. In this group, probably (because I don’t really know her) falls a letter-writer to BloodHorse named April Smith, a longtime horseplayer (bettor) who keeps a “Pimlico shrine” in one of the bedrooms in her home. First, an update on Maryland.
The latest has The Stronach Group eventually pulling out of Maryland entirely – closing Laurel, handing Pimlico over to the state. The plan calls for a renovation of the latter with, of course, a ton of taxpayer dollars – a la what NY is doing with Belmont. Anyway, in Ms. Smith’s letter, she writes:
“With the formation of the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority, local control of a sport that in this state dates back to 1743 is finally being restored. They have formulated a non-profit plan that will break even and keep the multibillion-dollar Maryland horse industry working: an industry with side benefits such as land preservation and clean air and water.”
First, “the multibillion-dollar Maryland horse industry” is pure fantasy. Doesn’t exist. In fact, in a 2021 Baltimore Magazine article in which Ms. Smith was featured, the journalist wrote: “Other critics lament the use of nearly $400 million in state funds – even if most of the money is coming from revenue [read: subsidies] already earmarked for the state horse racing industry – for what many consider a dying sport….” Indeed, Ms. Smith, why would a “multibillion-dollar industry” need hundreds of millions in corporate welfare? But her most risible assertion is the thing about “land preservation, clean air and water.” I’m almost embarrassed for these people.
The holding of form for a minute is very accurate! About the time for many typical races here. Even when galloped horses in the am we noticed the horses would become completely different in pm races.
Many times the vets & big trainers / owners in our area were & are completely okay with the med.s & inhumane treatment of the horses. We have galloped many times sored up horses. That is why we quit. The cruelty & abuse of those horses. We had to work on getting a license to legally rise horses at the track for 20 years! At our size & weight we were & still are a natural for race riding. Prior to that we rode without a license or insurance at the bull ring tracks that Oregon is known for. Miss the kind horses but not the people! Now live with a herd of them. Always willing to hug you & scratch where we can`t reach. Were glad you`re out of the racing industry not wasting $$ or time. We wasted too much of our time.
No I don’t. But I’m going to assume it’s horrible all over and certainly some circuits are worse than others. But none of them are good, with payouts from first to last, uncontrolled illegal drug use, rampant cheating that vets and officials turn a blind eye to, and traditional handicapping becomes virtually impossible. I’ve got assume that 90% of the horses entered into a race today are infirm or hurting in some manner.
Hypothetically: Let’s put three human beings, in a race, all around the same age and weight, all with stomach ulcers, all in constant pain, and all having been cooped up for he last 23 hours in a12 x 12 stall.
Can YOU tell me who’ll win this race..? AND would you bet your hard earned money – a lot of it -on the outcome?
I can’t, and I wouldn’t. Couple this nightmare scenario with the gross maltreatment of these animals and you’ll get an idea why I quit.
Yes, it’s a bad game all around and I’ll repeat what I said in my reply to fredjoan – I’m glad I’m out of it.
-Joe
Never. We only wagered on the “big” circuits, as the racing quality was more predictable there. Some of my wagering partners have said that at these smaller tracks, the horses would hold their form for “about a minute”, obviously exaggerating, sure. But essentially true, which rendered PPs in the DRF next to useless.
Today, however, things are worse than ever. Glad I’m out of it.
-Joe
Speaking of the horses being treated very poorly in Maryland, have you read the necropsy reports of horses killed by racing in Maryland? The gruesome details are shared by the veterinarians in a way that makes me think they enjoy the carnage. They seem to have no conscience whatsoever about the egregious cruelty (to the point of death) inflicted on the horses. Many of the killed horses are 2-year-olds with degenerative joint disease. Degenerative Joint Disease appears to be a common affliction in 2-year-old Thoroughbreds. The veterinarians almost come across as proud of it in Maryland.
You think Maryland & Pimlico racing is bad. Have you ever wagered on NW racing? Portland Meadows when it was operating was considered at best a class 3 or 4 track with Emerald Downs really not much better. Have galloped horses at almost every leaky roof circuit track in Oregon. Truly were leaky roof circuit with their actual leaking roofs! We have had professional gamblers at a Costco tell us how they could earn a living at every track but Portland Meadows when it was running. They told us that track NEVER played to form & they always lost $$. Emerald most of the time they just broke even with. Glad to see your feeling for the horses. We live with a herd of them.
Maryland racing? Multi-BILLION dollar industry?
Among my former horseplayer friends and (big) bettors, we always considered Maryland racing a JOKE… We almost never considered any serious wagers on Maryland race cards except during Preakness week. The track conditions themselves, in addition to the race card quality were always second-rate at best, so it’s no surprise that horses were treated very poorly there.
I don’t know what Ms. Smith is smoking – but ‘delusional’ is probably the best term to describe her opinions on Maryland racing. However, I’m sure she truly believes what she is saying, which makes it all very sad, but perhaps she can’t comprehend the horror that horse racing has become without experiencing a total mental breakdown. I feel bad for her. But I feel worse for the horses.
Closing down Maryland racing is undoubtedly a good business move on the Stronachs’ part. In the throes of racing’s final days – and yes, this is where we are fast approaching – the Stronachs have a lot of reconsidering to do. Nobody likes losing money.
But really, Maryland racing is awful, attendance is poor, and other than Preakness week, at Pimlico, racing is utterly abysmal. Always was, and I’m sure now it’s much worse.
-Joe
Pimlico shrine? There should be a shrine to all those horses unnecessarily killed & ruined for this “crooked, crummy gamboling game” ! When the Stronach group was threatened with our now redeveloped 1 miles closure they had to spend MILLIONS on runoff water mitigation & storage tanks to hold the runoff water when we had severe rain event. Of course the tanks always filled up with waste water & the full up alarms went of regularly. Drove us track workers crazy.The track even requested that we minimize the washing of horses & the use of water to hose of the horses legs for cooling them down. Eventually a manure holding barn was built at the location of the old horse barns #`s 4 & 5 that decreased the amount of stall holding space. We horse people ALWAYS hated that manure barn as all of us had to push our stall cleaning carts up a steep slope to empty them at the 1 central location instead of a couple of barns having a stall cleanings holding area nearby. Of course the manure barn was covered while the old concrete holding areas with walls were not covered.
Dairy farms and horse breeding farms are/were considered to be “wide open spaces” in Pennsylvania so I am assuming that horse breeding farms in Maryland might also be considered wide open spaces. This is no actual proof of “clean” air or “clean” water but urban development of these farms for other uses might decrease the amount of clean air with more air pollution from automobiles.
It’s definitely a stretch to say that horse racing brings clean air and clean water!
This is as delusional as saying that the hundreds, or even thousands, of horses reported as dead by the Freedom of Information Act requests from the various state racing commissions are hanging out on a farm in Lexington, Kentucky.
New York State has bankrolled the horse racing industry with multiple Billions of dollars in government subsidies and various means of propping up this industry of abusive exploitation of horses. So, in that sense, it is a multibillion-dollar industry. The horses are sometimes sold for very high prices, but it is not always a cash transaction or a transaction at all. It looks “good” on paper and this deceptive practice keeps some people in the business of buying, selling and producing more babies to be exploited for more money. Many of these horses will be categorized as “Unwanted” and the kill pen and livestock auction people will make some money off of these “Unwanted” horses. Horse racing adds to the population of “Unwanted” horses many of whom will be sold for processing for their meat. This is not okay in my book!