2020 Goals: Levinsky

It's no secret that racing had a tough year in 2019. We asked a cross-section of participants what their number one goal is to make racing better in 2020. (Want to participate? Email suefinley@thetdn.com)

H. ROBB LEVINSKY, FOUNDER & RACING MANAGER, KENWOOD RACING, LLC

We are literally under siege from many directions, in large part due to our own collective inability to address the very real problems we face in terms of racetrack safety, medication issues, proper regulation, and mechanisms for the removal of the bad actors in the sport who do not put the welfare of the horses first and foremost. The vast majority of owners and breeders strongly support the passage of federal legislation to provide uniform medication rules and prohibit the use of performance-enhancing drugs. An independent anti-doping program run by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) can address issues of both legal and illegal drug use and put U.S. racing jurisdictions in step with international standards. Whatever standards a truly independent regulatory agency such as the USADA comes up with, be that limited and strictly regulated race day medications such as bute and/or Lasix, or none at all, we should all be willing to live with.
You know we're in serious trouble when Joe Besecker, perennially one of the leading owners in the industry, decides to disperse his entire thoroughbred portfolio stating “This game, unless it changes, is going to chase more people like me out of it. They take advantage of the passion. They are not responding to almost anything that an owner is trying to say to help things out. They take advantage of the passion of the people who are really supporting the industry and that's the owner. At some point, when you look at the time and the energy that you put into it to be a success, is it really worth it versus all of the crap you have to put up with?” (TDN 12-6-19). Either our industry gets our collective heads out of the sand, grabs the reins, and takes prompt action to achieve substantive change or more owners like Mr. Besecker will leave the business. Without uniform medication rules and other essential reforms to bring the thoroughbred industry into the 21st century, states will bow to increasing public pressure and outlaw a sport that properly conducted provides tens of thousands of jobs without mistreating horses and has been part of our social fabric since the beginning of the nation. If we don't take concrete steps very soon, sales companies, major breeding farms and the remaining racetracks are in for a rude awakening over the next few years because the current model simply can no longer sustain itself. Either we put the safety of our horses and the total ownership experience first, or the game is up.