Letter to the Editor

Dear Santa, As the clock ticks down on another year we can hopefully all agree that we have much to be grateful for. Racing in many ways seems to have recovered its footing from our headline fatality troubles and we just learned the fatality rate at HISA tracks continues to decline. Who can argue that we are not making progress and moving in the right and needed direction in making racing safer? I do have two requests for you, Santa. First, I would love to learn from the NHBPA an...

Southern California, not known for tradition, has a rich and wonderful history in the world of horse racing. Santa Anita was built in1934 and they got it right. The track embraces the San Gabriel mountains, which loom in the forefront on an incredibly large piece of land by Southern California standards. Bob Baffert has called Santa Anita the most beautiful in the country. From almost any angle, fans get a good view of the horses. Santa Anita is the Wrigley Field of horse racing. Fans can get just feet away...

When Amplify Horse Racing was founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2020, our goal was to engage youth with the Thoroughbred industry. As 2024 draws to a close, I reflect with immense pride on how Amplify isn't just engaging youth with the Thoroughbred industry-we have become the national youth arm of the U.S. industry. By the end of the year, Amplify will have directly reached over 28,000 individuals through classroom lessons, events, interactive activations, and conference presentations. We recently wrapped up one of our busiest programming weekends of the year,...

by Jennie Rees, Jon Moss, Peter Ecabert "Eric Hamelback is only carrying out the democratically elected National HBPA board's wishes But no one is more passionate, tireless or bleeds and agonizes more about working for real solutions to our industry's complex problems than Eric." The following was written by Jennie Rees, Jon Moss and Peter Ecabert. The opinions expressed are their own. The National HBPA, of which Eric Hamelback is the CEO and which represents state HBPA affiliates, is virtually the one Thoroughbred entity that has stood up to challenge...

I read with interest the TDN article about Jorge Duarte, which is the latest in a pattern of stories about trainers (George Weaver, Rusty Arnold, etc.) with positive tests that have seemingly come from contamination. Glen Hill Farm has been racing and breeding horses since 1967. We are an American-based operation but have been building in Europe and Australia for the last decade. Having served on many industry boards, I always understood the goal for medication reform was for American racing to first have uniformity between states and then hopefully...

A synthetic track is necessary for the survival of New York breeding farms, such as Sequel. The New York Bred program and the breeder awards generated are incredibly beneficial and fundamental to the financial stability of the New York farms and breeders. However, New York breeders only earn awards for horses competing within New York. Unfortunately, horses that are predominantly competitive on turf are often shipped to Florida or Louisiana for turf racing as owners want to see their horses race. As such, several prominent New York trainers base their...

It is time BHA race planning and the TBA conduct a review of the increasing number of pattern races won by geldings. Their findings should be presented to the International Grading and Race Planning Committee (IRPAC). The number of stallions at stud in the UK has now decreased to an alarmingly inadequate level. The choice of sires and sire-lines available to breeders has become chronically polarised. The increasing incidence of geldings winning so many pattern races is just exacerbating an already desperate situation that breeders find themselves facing and highlights...

I have enormous respect for TDN writer Chris McGrath and Wayne Lyster. One's an outstanding journalist and eloquent writer who works for an essential trade publication; and, the other's built a highly-successful breeding operation. I, nevertheless, must respectfully disagree with their characterization of calls for replacing dirt tracks with synthetic surfaces as "hysterical." While I cherish racing's dirt traditions (my goodness, Man o' War is my favorite horse of all-time), I'm also mindful of existing data that explicitly show that synthetic racing is the safest surface in the U.S. Numbers...

Saratoga Race Course, often referred to as the "Graveyard of Favorites," has always held a special place in the hearts of racing enthusiasts. This historic venue, which has witnessed countless moments of glory and heartbreak, added another illustrious chapter to its storied legacy with the hosting of the 2024 GI Belmont S. As someone who has been attending races at Saratoga since 1962 and has had the privilege of witnessing numerous Triple Crown events, Breeders' Cup races, and other remarkable moments in horse racing history, I can unequivocally say that...

After reading Dan Ross's Aftercare gaps article in the May 31 edition of the TDN, I have some suggestions. Jeff Bloom (TAA president) hit the problem on the head: "One way or another we need a mandatory sustainable fundraising solution. So who's going to pay for that?" As TAA's Founder and first President in 2012, I was a complete failure in attaining mandatory funding through our Industry. It continues to baffle me on how we could not raise $15-$20 million to help solve this problem. Maybe that's not enough either,...

by Walter Toner Rainy afternoon on Cape Cod and I had a few minutes to kill, so flipped the channel to TVG for a quick flutter. I selected the filly Just Like Magic, approaching the gate at 7-5 as the recipient of a $10 win wager in the 3rd race Oaklawn (3/28). She charged up the rail and won. Final odds were 3-5. WTF. Sorry for the crudeness. Racing will never engage the next generation of punters with 15-27% takeout and NO fixed odds, when they can bet on sports...

For me personally, what a weird coincidence that earlier this week, TDN published a wonderful essay by its columnist Chris McGrath, who spent time with three of the industry's "elder statesman," among them Ercel Ellis. For it was Ellis who, 40 years ago this coming week, made a decision that altered the course of my life. McGrath obviously had a wonderful time at Lil's Coffee House in Paris, Ky., listening to the yarns spun by Ellis, now 92, renowned veterinarian Bob Copelan (97), and the youngster of the trio, Stone...