In a sport that has more than it's fair share of cheaters cheating this is a necessary and vital step, IMO.  The horses' welfare must be priority number one.

https://paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/horseracing-integrity-welfare-unit-relaunches-anonymous-whistleblower-platforms/

and 2 weeks later, he's officially out.  No surprise.  

https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/ken-rudulph-no-longer-with-fanduel-tv/

Rudolph's statement was very ill-conceived.  That winning somehow makes up for horse deaths and cheating.

Downright dumb, IMO.  So, no real surprise for me, either.  Walking it back didn't help.

Here's some more news on HISA and Churchill.  HISA and CDI both sound right on top of it.  The more on top of it they are, the less likely the anti-racing folks can gain more traction.   They need to run safely, though, like right now.

https://paulickreport.com/horse-care-category/lazarus-nothing-including-a-pause-in-racing-is-off-the-table-when-addressing-churchill-fatalities/

More Baffert / Pletcher stuff from the NY Times Joe Drape:  worth a read (gift article, not paywalled)

https://twitter.com/joedrape/status/1667148445394534400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1667148445394534400%7Ctwgr%5Eddaac7475e98b1b6533223a036827eb82f3d5cc0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fupinclass.proboards.com%2Fthread%2F8134%2Fbaffert-pletcher-york-times-article

I received this from a dear friend wanting to know How I bet and not lose my Hinny.

I really like the article and the research the writer did. Didn't answer the question.
I don't know the answer .

https://www.yahoo.com/news/horse-racing-best-trainers-rake-100831975.html

Horse racing is going thru a very rocky period but I think it's sort of like what people have to do in order to have a successful therapy, whether that be for dysfunctional lives, relationships, addictions, etc.  ....until the carpets are ripped up, and everyone is willing to come clean, and the skeletons in the closet are admitted to,  and addressed......progress won't be made.

Right now it's time to clean house, carpets are being ripped up, and all that is necessary to get on the path to a healthier sport for all involved. 

I think strides are being made.  It just depends on how much patience one has to see it through. I have patience for the "process".....what I don't have patience for is the knuckle draggers who are invested in the status quo.  Unfortunately, they are IN our industry as well....(bettors, trainers, owners, breeders).........not just PETA people who we like to blame things on.   PR for horse racing is in the dumps but it's a direct result of ACTIONS and BEHAVIORS we need to clamp down on.  NO MORE HIDING.    

As for not losing hinny, I'm ahead for the year, due to a few lucky miracles.  I'm also not a good enough handicapper to risk large wagers.  So I'm happy just tooling along.....I don't wager much so I don't lose much either.  

This time of year I cease following horse racing.  I go to farmers markets, food trucks, swimming, fishing, reading, and just catch up on paperwork and other stuff I ignored during Oaklawn meet and TC preps/races.

It's a welcome respite. 

In Fall I will pick it up again for the Melbourne Cup. I only follow horse racing about 6-7 months of the year nowadays. 

 

Interesting read for those who do not follow the sport and do not know the landscape.

If you want to know what the general public thinks about horse racing, read the comments accompanying the article. 

SameSteve G said...

If you want to know what the general public thinks about horse racing, read the comments accompanying the article.

The problem though, with the "general public" is that they have very little understanding of what a day in the life of the horse racing business is like.  They also have very little knowledge about WHY we follow and love this sport......the history of it, the pedigrees and charm of the thoroughbred breed, etc.    Which HIT PEICES like this fail to do.  They don't educate 

I have literally been "interrogated" by well-meaning family and friends about why and how someone like me, who doesn't even eat animals and used to do volunteer dog and cat rescue, would even BE interested in horse racing. 

In order to properly explain it would take hours and hours.  They don't see a lot of what they really can't see, because they have no real immersion into the intricacies of the sport or even the tradition and the thoroughbred breed itself.   

But they do see what is bad about it.   

THe truth is that this IS a hit piece.  When you are backside and see the care that these horses receive by MOST stables, people in the industry DO CARE.  Most do, actually.  Watch someone put hours into lovingly braiding manes.   They aren't making millions.   We need to get rid of the Baffert syndicate and others like him and the industry are the ones who chose to make him "the face of racing."

Well, now, that face is covered with feces, so to speak.  Sunglasses can't cover up his crocodile tears.    We need to have some good stewardship in the sport.   We need to DEMAND IT.  

Some of the comments infer that even putting a saddle on a horse and riding them is cruel.  And it goes on from there.  

One of the reasons I don't read at Yahoo, to be honest.  It's like the internet trolls and hoi-poloi who really have no deep insight into most issues.......most of the writing is very hyperbolic to boot.......on any subject.

I prefer well written pieces that properly present all the sides which sometimes requires a whole series, and it educates people in the process. 

I think Paulick does a good job, for instance.  They don't sugar coat but they also are fair and balanced.  


The PROBLEM with "internet stuff" is that it's mostly people who are armchair observers of whatever lifestyle they are discussing.  They aren't in it, they aren't out talking to real people, etc.  They are just reading one-sided pieces and then giving an opinion about so much stuff they know nothing about.   Most really well-moderated sites have intelligent comments......like at the NYTimes.  People aren't flying off the handle and treating everything like Big Foot or UFO hunters.   Yahoo stories always reak of this kind of crowd. 



 

“The problem though,with the “ general public” is that they have very little understanding of what a day in the life of the horse racing business is like”

This hits the nail on the head and goes back to the total lack of transparency in the industry.

Gerh said...

This hits the nail on the head and goes back to the total lack of transparency in the industry.

That is true.  As well as a total lack of consequences for cheating that have allowed the bad actors to pretty take over the sport . 

....but I have a history in my younger days of community organizing and the sheer effort it requires to both educate others as well as those others wanting to DO THE WORK to learn. 

I can tell you a million stories about how hundreds of people complained about stuff......and I put some groups together...... but when they were asked to give up any of their actual time, or require some action on their part..... they were MIA. 

What I have learned is that you have to be willing to give up something in order to get something.  

At this point we have to rely on and support HISA, because they are best able to provide COLLABORATIVE intervention.  I believe it will happen but since many of us have waited 30 years we have understandably grown impatient.  

Getting everybody on the same page takes time and a lot of roundtable type action, with sincere people involved. 

 When a minority of BAD ACTORS have taken over the sport, and it's been allowed, it hurts everyone else. 

Ditto, with trainers.  Maybe next time the racing industry will learn that before they make certain trainers "the face of US racing", they should do a little better vetting of those persons, too.  They got what they thought they wanted.  Now they don't like the result because they neglected to anticipate the consequences.