It is time again for my annual Thanksgiving holiday
blog. Perhaps it’s a bit cliché to make a list of things to be thankful
for but it’s an important exercise nonetheless. So here goes.
Here is my list of things in the horse industry for which
I am grateful.
Horseplayers.
Again this year, you are at the top of my list. Without you, there would
be no financially viable horse racing business. Please continue to let
your passionate voices be heard by every means available to you. You make
the game better. I know that ours is not always an easy sport to follow
but we at the NTRA will continue to strive every day to give you more to be
excited about. And we will continue to fight in Washington to change
antiquated tax laws to help you keep a little more of what you earn for your
effort.
Owners. Without your
investment in racing, there would be no competitors. With returns harder and
harder to come by on track, owners continue to support the game mainly because
they love it.
Horses. Without you, there
would be no horse racing, period. You are not simply the “product.”
You are literally the life blood of racing. You are some of the last
athletes on the planet who run purely for the thrill of the effort. And
we love you for it. As an industry, we owe it to you to make your safety
our highest priority.
Rapid Redux. Last but
certainly not least, special thanks go to Robert Cole and his 5-year-old horse,
Rapid Redux. On Monday, Rapid Redux recorded his 20th straight
victory. With that win, Cole’s horse eclipsed the modern-day North
American record of 19 consecutive wins held by Zenyatta and Peppers
Pride. Also, Rapid Redux has won all 18 of his 2011 races, one short of
the seasonal record held by Citation. Here’s to Robert Cole and to Rapid Redux.
Winning 20 in a row is difficult for any horse. Rapid Redux may not be a
stakes horse and perhaps his connections are not high profile, but their
success underscores an important point - that just about anyone can claim a
horse for a modest price and enjoy priceless moments and thrills. For
that, I am truly thankful.
That’s my list. What’s on yours? Let me hear
from you.
