In Tuesday's TDN, we ran a letter from JoAnn Hayden urging industry supporters to write to 60 Minutes with their thoughts on their Nov. 12 segment, “Horse Racing Reform?” Denali Stud's Craig Bandoroff shared his letter to 60 Minutes with the TDN.
To: 60minutes@cbsnews.com
Let me preface this by saying I'm 68 years old and I have religiously watched 60 Minutes for the past 35 years and I've watched it less regularly my whole life. I have the show automatically recorded so I'm writing to you as a devoted follower of your show.
I have been involved in thoroughbred racing and breeding my whole career, which is now 50 years. I was very disappointed in your segment on Sunday. There is no question we have a history of a drug and cheating problem. But the way you presented your story doesn't portray that the incident percentage of both drug positives and breakdowns is small. Any breakdown is too many. Everyone in the industry feels that way. It is an industry where extremely devoted people labor because of one common thing: we all love horses, especially thoroughbred horses. That did not come across in the piece. Granted your story was about our problem but some senses of balance would have been appropriate.
I was very disappointed in both the piece and 60 Minutes in general. It makes me question the integrity and balance of the pieces I have seen over these many years.
–Craig Bandoroff, Lexington, Ky.
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