Leading by Example - by Eric Mitchell

re: Leading by Example - by Eric Mitchell

smarie — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 19:36:27 GMT

I agree with Coldfacts. Well stated.

Also, in talking with younger people about horse racing, I oftentimes hear comments about drugs, horse slaughter, and trainers who are caught cheating but are allowed to continue to train. As long as people think that horseracing is a dark sport filled with cheating and abuse and that it's stars, the horses, will wind up on someone's dinner plate, they will not be attracted at all and who can blame them.

re: Leading by Example - by Eric Mitchell

John from Baltimore — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 01:03:32 GMT

The race tracks in the last 20 years have done things in the racing program to make it easier to get big fields so betters have to spend more to spread out in the exotic bets. They started paying jockey mounts back to last place to fill races. The jockeys used to ride to get fifth to cover thier jock mount. Now if your not going to get a good piece of the purse what's the difference if your fifth by two or tenth by twenty five lenghts, you get about the same money.

They used seperate horses by claiming price so the trainers had to compete. Now there are so many conditions you just wait to try when you get in with bad group of horses.

I don't mind playing cheaper horses, but they need to go back to making the trainers compete. It needs to be a competition not a lottery.

To increase field size they uncoupled trainer enties which nobody playing the horses likes. oh well.

re: Leading by Example - by Eric Mitchell

Fred and Joan — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 17:55:20 GMT

We wholeheartedly agree with Coldfacts. Young people need to become involved in the thoroughbred industry at an early age. We have seen firsthand the incompetence and stupidity of lower and mid-level trainers and the horses sometimes succeed in spite of DUMB people! The lower claiming and allowance levels of racing need to have the same protections as the high class stakes races. The players finance the industry and should be listened to more and taken suggestions from.

re: Leading by Example - by Eric Mitchell

Coldfacts — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 19:58:59 GMT

Irrespective of what initiatives are undertaken Horse Racing will continue its decline if the single most important issue is not addressed. What’s that issue? The unreliability of horses comprising daily race programs! Fans want horses that show up to at least run close to their PPs. Very often fans are left scratching their hair in bewilderment at the performances of what PPs reflected to be live horses. This fuels frustration and discourages interest.

This unreliability is due largely to the incompetence existing in the majority of barns sending out horses. How competent are the mid to bottom level trainers and their assistants? It could not be very good based on the in and out performance of horses from many barns.

The majority of horses racing in the US perform on the powerful diuretic Lasix. What post-race impact does this drug have on horses? Do stable assistances know that a Lasix horse losses 50% more body fluid than a Non-Lasix horse after a race? Do they know the post-race routine that has to be followed to restore depleted electrolytes?

These poor animals are labs on four legs. In in many instances they are brought to the races with energy levels still depleted and the unsuspecting public wagers hard earned cash on horses that are looking for places to lie down.

If there are no initiatives to improve and monitor the competency of personnel comprising racing stables, then horse players will continue to look elsewhere.

A fit, sound, happy, properly conditioned and trained horse will always run to the best of its ability baring misfortune. What is on offer at many track are fields comprised of a handful of good horses and a litany of fillers.

The tracks are beautiful, incentives are appealing and the ambiance of restaurants and bars are great. However, the racing product in many instances stinks and leave a bitter taste in the mouths of serious horse players.