Considering three systemic issues and offering three recommendations, the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation released its newest white paper, “American Racing's Sustainable Future.”
“No matter where an American racing stakeholder stands on the issues that seemingly have consumed the majority of the dialogue in the sport in recent months – the 'federal bill' or use of the crop amongst them – it is beyond time to start tackling the larger, fundamental concerns which threaten our industry and work towards a more sustainable future,” said TIF Executive Director Patrick Cummings. “This paper is broader than our previous work and is the culmination of months of research and discussion with dozens of concerned industry stakeholders who rightly believe that modernization and evolution are necessary to arrest our decline.”
“Stakeholders have rightly complained about a worrisome future for American racing over decades,” added Craig Bernick, President and CEO of Glen Hill Farm and TIF founder. “It is a tremendous time to be an owner or breeder given slot-fueled subsidies that have left purses at record levels, but many owners and breeders remain unaware of the industry's struggle as it relates to lax oversight from some state racing commissions, the lack of incentives from racetracks to grow the sport or the failure of the industry's own organizations to address these systemic issues. Meanwhile, racing's wagering business is not competitive in the current market. This is an unthinkable position.
“Substantial change is needed and we are just starting the greater campaign to raise awareness. Horse owners have the greatest incentive to save racing.”
Recommending a rethink of the role of the industry's self-created organizations, “American Racing's Sustainable Future” embraces a more centralized structure where it such centralization can be achieved.
“Our industry's greatest critics take delight in racing's inability to get its act together,” said Cummings. “Why has our sport allowed this to continue year after year after year? Again – it doesn't matter where you stand on some of the issues that seemingly draw the most attention and divide us far more than they unite us. We must make our own sport as sustainable as possible.”
This most recent paper will be supplemented over the coming weeks with a series of follow-ups that outline specific examples of racing's systemic issues.
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