Letters to the Editor

There's good news and bad news coming. The good news is that the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act solves the persistent problem of inadequate funding to police the sport. The bad news is that decisions coming soon by the HISA Board may jeopardize millions of dollars of existing public support now allocated for this function. Collectively the U.S. states invest over $100 million to regulate racing and wagering. That money comes in large part from taxes generated by the industry and fans. Commissions fight every year to ensure that adequate...

You should understand that from the time I could figure out pro football as a kid in the 1950s, I was probably the only one in New York City who detested the football Giants and loved the Baltimore Colts. Don't ask why, it just happened (and continues to this day--go Jets!). Thus, you would not be surprised to learn that through some machinations by the policeman father of a friend I wound up in the bleachers at Yankee Stadium with a dozen other young teens in December, 1958 for what...

Like tens of thousands of racing fans in the Northeast, I became addicted to Harvey Pack when he began broadcasting his "Pack at the Track" radio program during the 1970s. Anyone who could get away with the kind of the totally 'Noo Yawk' attitude he put forth in a sport that always prided itself on being serious about its "Sport of Kings" sobriquet had to be someone who could probably get away with anything--and for the most part, that's what Harvey Pack did. When I first met him in the...

Sometimes a historical moment has to be pointed out. Australian (GB), Fair Play and Fair Play's son Man O' War each sired three GI Belmont S. winners. Lexington sired four Belmont winners who all won at Jerome Park. Now Tapit joins the illustrious ranks of Lexington. Like Lexington, Tapit has now sired four winners of the Belmont: Essential Quality, Tapwrit, Creator and Tonalist. Tapit also sired Belmont runners-up Tacitus and Frosted, as well as Belmont third finishers Hofburg and Lani. An asterisk might be added for last year's fluke 2020...

Good Morning, It's not often that I feel compelled to write, but in this case the sensitivity and poise by which Chris McGrath addressed the passing of Sheihk Hamdan was truly skillful. The world of horse racing, and for that matter, breeding, has been dealt a huge blow with the passing of both Sheikh Hamdan and Prince Khalid. As Chris so poignantly mentioned, we have taken for granted the impact both men had on our industry on a global scale, and the thought of a world in which racing will...

This is in response to Bill Finley's editorial "Horsemen's Groups Turn Their Backs on Honest Trainers, Owners". I don't share the opinion that "every honest horseman should be 100% behind the Horseracing Integrity Safety and Integrity Act (HISA)." I do agree that every honest horseman wants to see our sport cleaned up and cheaters caught and removed. The points of disagreement in the HISA bill have been the removal of race-day Lasix and funding, which I'm not addressing here, and the makeup and selection process for the HISA governing bodies....

There is no simple answer to the question of whether or not it is in the interests of breeders in the United States to limit the number of mares any stallion can cover. However, we can be certain that none of the relevant arguments should be concerned with questions of free markets. Not even the most dogmatic of believers in the efficiency of free markets would, after a moment's reflection, consider the market for stallion seasons to have the appropriate characteristics. A free market is one in which no one...

(Editor's note: the following is a response to the letter to the editor sent to the TDN by Jason Litt) The KTA is run by a volunteer board of industry professionals. To become a director of the KTA you have to be chosen by your peers and voted in by the likes of those same peers. Obviously Jason Litt did just that, and we are all thankful for his time served on the KTA Board of Directors. Jason's 'why' has never been in question. He is a tremendous judge of...

It's no secret the horse industry is struggling. But like any good optimist, I'm always open to new ideas. I recently read Simon Sinek's book, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. The oversimplified concept of the book is how understanding your 'why' can contribute to your success. This is my 'why' I chose a career in horse racing. I love horses. From the unbelievable softness of a newborn foal to the rippling musculature of a stallion, they are majestic. As an agent, breeder and owner,...

To our loyal horsemen, partners, employees and fans, On behalf of Keeneland and the broader Kentucky equine community, we are reaching out to you today to ask for your help. Historical horse racing (HHR) fuels Kentucky's signature horse industry, strengthens purse money for racing, provides valuable jobs and generates millions in tax revenue to benefit investments across the Commonwealth. A recent Kentucky Supreme Court ruling has put the future of historical horse racing, and therefore the health of Kentucky's equine industry, in jeopardy, causing Keeneland and Red Mile to temporarily...

There is much to be negative about with British racing but occasionally we should acknowledge and celebrate success. During this terrible year of Covid, racing's rulers should be celebrated for what they have achieved and what has been saved. Our great sport was back behind closed doors and handled the health implications effectively. The stud season took place with mares covered and the business uninterrupted. The icing on the cake must surely be the remarkable resilience of the Tattersalls sales which ran in Newmarket on their original dates. To the...

'Condemning' Tom Van Meter's mind-numbingly horrible racist comments is next to worthless, an example of empty industry PR. The only worthwhile response from anyone in the thoroughbred industry is an outright refusal to conduct any business with him, period. As owner Robert Masiello stated "If you buy a horse from Tom VanMeter in September, you are part of the problem. End of story,". The same goes for sales companies, racetracks, farms, owners, vets, jockeys, agents, etc. If you work with this man in any fashion, you share in his guilt...