Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

Pedigree Ann — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:22:37 GMT

Bingo, Satch. Could NASCAR have developed as it has if each state ruled where and when the big races would be run? Talladega and Daytona 500s on the same weekend? Yet it happens in TB racing all too often. Different rules about allowable golf clubs in different states? PGA would be a mess.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

Satch — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:48:06 GMT

Many interesting ideas, few of which will ever be implemented industry-wide without some sort of commissioner with real power.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

BRAD ANDERSON — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 01:37:35 GMT

My best friend told me he had hoped Zenyatta would have won the Breeders cup as racing needed a Superstar to attract new fans.I asked him since 19 wins in a row was not enough to make him wager @ dollars on her why would 20 in a row do it? " Your right," he responded. To many horses, to many casinos. Know one watching out for the industry. Some one better do something fast, because it may soon be over. I don't believe the decline is close to the bottom.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

AngelaFromAbilene — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 14:08:06 GMT

Harold, trainers want a year-round income because they have to eat year-round! That's not greed, that's called survival.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

nina — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 13:40:11 GMT

The thoroughbred industry is their worst enemy. The spectacle of Life at Ten in the BC was horrible . It represented the greed of owner and trainer plus track officials not to scratch a horse. This is what the world saw and it turned off potential fans. It doesn't help their cause either that the world looks down on an industry that exploits it's main commodity and discards them as trash. The industry is populated by people who are looking for a quick buck and not for the betterment of the horse. The flavor of the month stallion and the over production of horses are just symptoms of their greed.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

SPLITS OF 12 — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 03:32:40 GMT

Eleven Things that can make the sport of kings better.

1. Collective Bargaining Agreement

2. More primetime media exposure

3. Foal reduction

4. Reduce racing days

5. Create bigger and more competitive fields along with more earnings.

6. Give the handicapper more incentives to show up to the track. Free parking and Admissions on Wednesday and Thursday, don't cut it. Most of us get out there on the weekends.

7. Add more Graded Stakes Races. 8. More free giveaway days. Commerative steins, plates, and bobbleheads usually get more people out to the track.

9. Create more sanctioned on-site and off-site handicapping tournaments.

10. More night racing.

11. Create a universal system that gives bar patrons a chance to watch and bet on racing at their favorite watering holes. Sports bars are notorious for having young college types, who are competitive and like to gamble.

The list goes on and on and on................................

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

Harold — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 19:04:07 GMT

When medications are barred at the race track, including bute & lasix like it was many years ago, and winter racing is only held at southern & california tracks there will always be scheisters trying to make a buck off the poor animal who is the one that puts on the shows. Most trainers want year around income and this is nothing but GREED!

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

Sunny Farm — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:53:43 GMT

Rachel : I am a small farm and I have done every thing that you wrote above. There are no rewards from caring about the future of the Thoroughbred breed if your not one of the big farms or an established breeder of many years.

Each person who wrote above is correct. Sadly. This sport is not a welcoming industry, but when you see what happens when you do show kindness, like the connections of ZENYATTA have done, fans and new owners do come forth.It would be SO easy for the Thoroughbred industry to say : WELCOME , yet they seldom do & now wonder why racing and breeding the Thoroughbred is failing to the point of collaspe. Even in a bad economy, many business' still do okay. It is because thier customers are loyal.They remain loyal because of how they were treated.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

Fifty Years Plus — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 04:53:38 GMT

While the principal prespective on this thread is from the breed to sell crowd, I can tell you that as a small but successful breeder and owner/trainer, the future has never looked more ominous.

It is simply impossible to pay stud fees that amount to two or more times the median earnings of a sire's foal crops and have any chance of producing a profitable outcome. Furthermore, the solid middle tier of studs such as Pleasant Tap and Dehere, have died, been pensioned or have been sold to foreign interests. That presents the dilemma of either overpaying for seasons to more proven studs or of breeding common stock from failed stallions.

In the present racing and economic climate, I would the expect that those who wish to continue participating will either be more motivated to either take more chances with inexpensive yearlings or will turn more actively to the claim box.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

Nancy — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 03:31:20 GMT

Now that stud fees have fallen so dramatically, why not keep 3 year olds in training? Horses could make more money winning a couple of graged races than covering a limited book.

We'd increase fan loyalty where people could actually form an attachment to a horse, they'd come to the races to see him, get educated by watching races which leads to making more money at the windows (I lived off Fit to Fight one summer at Saratoga) and renew match compatition between established rivals.

Keeping horses in training might take us back to the basics of breeding for soundness, bone and hopefully distance AND character (like Never Bend) which the average guy dosn't get to know if the horse only races 5 times.

I'm showing my age by the horses that were around in my day, but I believe they were the glory days.

People still talk about horses like Kelso.

Give a listen.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

Alfred Nuckols, Jr. — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 03:24:16 GMT

Being a commercial breeder in today's market is extremely difficult and frustrating. Stud fees are beginning to creep up again for the horses that are perceived to be "can't miss" sires. The lemming mentality of the marketplace buyers to chase after the "flavor of the month" has led many of them over the cliff into the chasm of "unprofitability" by paying rediculous prices for what turn out in most instances to be lawn ornaments. The industry needs to find a means whereby breeders are rewarded for their risk in trying to create a genetic masterpiece that occurs very sporadically, owners are rewarded for making an attempt to find and purchase an animal they can at least break even with, bettors can bet with the assurance that the horses are racing on a level playing field and that their wagers will return a fair percentage of the betting pool after takeout, and tracks can make enough to support their staff and undertake routine capital improvements and maintenance.

It is a very symbiotic relationship and we all depend on each other. I have listened to a lot of wonderful ideas and formulated my own opinions. Unfortunately, the way the industry is presently set up, it is very difficult to be heard unless you are in step with "the powers that be". The final and totally uncontollable factor at present is the credit markets and the extreme contraction of funds available to those who want to pursue their dreams in the thoroughbred industry, whether it be breeder, owner, bettor, or track owner.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

MikeM — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:52:57 GMT

It's all about the end user. The owners that are in it to race. The economics of horse racing are terrible.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

ben — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 03:04:34 GMT

The sport needs stars. Look what Zenyatta did for the sport. What a disapointment that Blame has retired, in my opinion, yet unproven as a racehorse. Who could have watched that race (Breeder's Cup) and not thought... one more stride and she would have won. The fans want stars! They flood the racecourse when one is running. But with the current model for colts, they are retired to the stud farm before anyone in the general public has heard of them. This hinders our great sport.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

Pedigree Ann — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 19:35:37 GMT

The quick-buck mentality has done damage to the breed and one hopes it can be consigned to the dustbin of history. Paying enormous fees for unproven stallions was never good business practice; it was the equivalent of flipping houses on the assumption that housing prices always go up.

This is not the first time this has happened in our industry; bloodstock prices dived during the 1930s to the point that you could buy decent broodmares for a hundred dollars. And again in the late 1980s, when the laws on tax shelters (active vs. passive) changed. And it will probably happen again, because the lure of 'much more' is more glamorous than that of 'enough'.

Another area where we need to look at is the area of bloodstock agents. While many trainers and others with proven expertise in this area can be counted on for accurate and honest advise, it is far too easy to set yourself up as an 'expert adviser' and talk a client into wasting money on inferior animals just to make a commission. In addition, it must be recognized that wealthy people who want to invest in TBs are not cash cows to be milked by every person at each stage of the buying process; such victims will leave in disgust in a short time and take what's left of their money with them. And warn their friends.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

MR. PRO — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:32:53 GMT

the lack of faols mean the more likley we will see a triple crown winner, wich is somthing the sport needs right now.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

Satch — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:24:58 GMT

Fewer foals and lowering stud fees are coincidental stop-gap measures that have been instituted only after all other options have been exhausted. Thoroughbred racing needs to be run as a business entity unto itself, rather than as its current model of little fiefdoms making small individual decisions that in the end may or may not harm the sport more than do good for anybody but themselves. In the end, which may be near, it will take a perceived or real crisis such as the shutting down of several racetracks for any substantial change to occur. Until then, the status quo will continue, which is a lot like a city without zoning ordinances: if the team doesn't work together, then strip clubs end up being located next to churches.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

LifePreserver — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:01:21 GMT

Get out while you can or go down with the ship!

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

Rachel — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 10:39:46 GMT

"commercial" is the key word here. We need more Claiborne farms that are totally invested in the breed for the long haul, breed for love of the breed and in the best interest of the breed, that keep the horses to race if they don't sell, who keep a tight stud book and refuse to breed to trendy.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

Potentialmillionaire — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:02:53 GMT

How great to see the above comments. It's nice to feel not alone out there, though that doesn't pay the bills! It's exactly the same over here (U.K. and Ireland)and it does feel as if we're stranded in space with anything but the trendy and beautiful.

re: Treacherous Times For Commercial Breeders

MikeM — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 19:58:19 GMT

The economics of owning a racehorse are terrible. When that improves the market for horses will improve.