Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Aug. 11, 1972 - From inside the darkened recesses of Primrose Path, where the power players and wannabes sit down with Jack Daniel's and Jim Beam to schmooze and make deals, a cry rose above the revelry, "You guys better sharpen your pencils."

When are we going to wake up to a very public problem: What happens to racehorses when they finish their racing careers?

Storm Cat, who was pensioned a few months ago, has a genetic right to be what he has become.

For six weeks in late summer, top Thoroughbreds, owners, and trainers assemble in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., to put on a one-of-a-kind equine display. Saratoga Race Course is often referred to as "America's Great Race Place" or simply "The Spa." My wife and I have made the sojourn each August since 1999 and we admit--we're hooked!

If there is anyone who has worried about the health of our industry more than I have the past 20 years, I feel sorry for that person. Always, it seems, there is bad news: declining attendance, declining handle, offshore wagering issues, drug positives, reduced field size, aging fan base, high-profile breakdowns, diminished soundness of the breed.