What's Going On Here : alex waldrop

Aftercare - by Dan Liebman

Blood-Horse Staff — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:14:00 GMT

Two industry announcements separated by only a day were related in a way—the Safety and Integrity Alliance initiative put forth by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, and the annual Report of Mares Bred issued by The Jockey Club.

Alex Waldrop, CEO of the NTRA, noted five areas Oct. 15 that were targeted for health and safety reform, among them what his organization called the “implementation of placement programs for Thoroughbreds that can no longer compete.”

In its release Oct. 16, The Jockey Club, the breed’s official registry, noted the number of mares covered by stallions in North America in 2008 experienced a 7.7% decline.

They may not seem connected, but they are.

The health and safety reforms seemingly all relate to the racetrack, such as implementing uniform medication rules and regulations. But finding homes for horses that can no longer race extends well beyond the racetrack.

Which in turn relates to the Report of Mares Bred, because logic says fewer mares bred means fewer foals, which, in the end, means fewer unwanted horses.

Granted, Thoroughbreds that can no longer compete do not necessarily translate to Thoroughbreds that are unwanted. Certainly many, if not most, breeders, owners, and trainers care for their horses throughout their lives. We were reminded of this the previous week when Princess Rooney and Cozzene, both 28, were humanely euthanized after happy and productive lives both on and off the racetrack, by owners who refused to let them suffer needlessly.

But even those who conscientiously care for their horses often lose track of animals purchased privately, lost through the claiming box, or sold at public auction.

Interestingly, in September, Waldrop submitted a letter to the House Judiciary Committee taking “no position” on House Resolution 6598, which would ban the transportation of horses for slaughter. Though the last slaughterhouses in the United States were closed in 2007, thousands of horses of all breeds are still packed on trailers and transported to our border neighbors, Canada and Mexico.

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act was originally introduced in 2003 as HR 857. That measure never got out of committee, but in 2006 a similar resolution did, passing the House before languishing in a Senate committee.

The latest resolution is backed by many in the Thoroughbred industry, the charge led by Pin Oak Stud owner Josephine Abercrombie.

Breeders and owners, admittedly, are partially responsible for the growth in the number of unwanted horses. As the market for horses became considerably more commercial in nature, stallion books grew and breeders were more willing to take a chance with many marginal mares. As such, the number of horses needing homes following their racing careers—certainly not forgetting those who never make a start on a racetrack—has also risen.

Now, as we approach the largest catalog ever for a Keeneland November sale, there is a growing concern about those hips that will fail to get a live bid and/or find a new home. There is some hope that shoppers looking for event and sport horses, or perhaps mares to breed to Quarter Horse stallions, will see an opportunity.

Among the primary functions of the NTRA are the marketing and promotion of the sport, and lobbying efforts on its behalf in our nation’s capital. So, it is encouraging that among the five major areas of concern addressed by the NTRA in its new reforms is the acknowledgment that we need “placement programs for Thoroughbreds that can no longer compete.”

The NTRA’s new initiative is designed to address the health and safety of the horse. Surely, opposing the transportation of horses for slaughter is good for the health and safety of horses.

Applaud the NTRA for its leadership in regard to the reforms, which will bring needed change to the entire industry. At the same time, insist it step up to the plate against anything related to the slaughter of horses.

Voice of Concern - by Dan Liebman

Blood-Horse Staff — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:15:00 GMT

They say actions speak louder than words. The public is taking action by wagering less on horse racing. And those actions are speaking loudly.

Data released for the third quarter of 2008 reveals that handle in the United States and Canada dropped sharply, 9.85%, during July, August, and September, and for the calendar year, is off 5.75% compared with 2007.

During the three-month period, total wagering was $3,489,171,872, compared to $3,870,348,046 during the third quarter of 2007. For the first nine months of the year, patrons wagered $10,754,907,211 on races in North America, down from $11,411,642,388 during the first three-quarters of last year.

Officials are quick to blame the economy, and why not? Global financial markets are in turmoil, while closer to home, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted during the week of Oct. 6.

As Bob Evans, president of Churchill Downs Inc., pointed out, gambling involves discretionary income. People have to buy gas and groceries, but they do not have to wager on horse racing.

“People don’t have to go to the track,” Evans said.

True, but is it that people don’t “have” to go, or that fewer people “want” to go?

Alex Waldrop, president and chief executive officer of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, indicated more than the economy is at work.

“Our industry’s difficult year continued during the summer as a harsh economy and other factors continued to negatively impact business,” Waldrop said.

Consider that the third quarter comes after the Triple Crown, which this year featured a Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) in which the winner, Big Brown, was admittedly on steroids and the second-place finisher, Eight Belles, tragically broke down and was euthanized.

Make no mistake, the struggling economy is a big factor, but our customers have told us they are wagering less, or not at all, because of such issues as the use of medications, wagering integrity, and safety concerns.

So it is the perfect storm for the fourth quarter of the year. First, people are upset with us as an industry. Second, they have watched Congress deal with a bailout package for Wall Street, seen the Dow Jones Industrial Average shrink 2,000 points in a week’s time, and are nervously and anxiously awaiting the outcome of a history-making presidential election.

The industry can work together to alleviate the public’s concerns over a myriad of issues, but dealing with a battered economy is much more difficult to address. All the promotions a racetrack’s marketing minds can come up with will not work when people are worried about the cost of living and the wild daily market fluctuations that determine their retirement funds.

A sign of the times is occurring now at Keeneland, the premier meeting of the North American racing calendar in the fourth quarter of the year. If any track was immune to the economy, one would have guessed it was Keeneland. One would have been wrong.

A local television weatherman said the weather in Central Kentucky Oct. 4-6 was the best it had been for an opening weekend of the Keeneland fall meeting in 30 years. So, when Saturday’s attendance dropped from 24,480 to 19,535, it was evident the economy and “other factors” were at play at Keeneland just as they had been during the summer at Del Mar and Saratoga (total handle down 7% and 10.3%, respectively).

For the first seven days of the Keeneland meeting, which included two weekends, attendance was down 2.5%, on-track handle dipped nearly 11%, and total handle dropped 17.4%. Per-capita wagering on-track this year was $81.23, compared to $88.97 in 2007.

Keeneland’s rich purses attract top horses, so when total wagering on Keeneland for a week—a week that included 11 stakes, six of them grade I—declines from $62.2 million to $51.4 million, it is time to take note.

Actions speak louder than words. Our customers are speaking.