May, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Wagering Insecurity: Avoiding Another ‘Medina Spirit Mess’

In one corner of racing's integrity infrastructure, one trillionth of a gram – a picogram – is regulated.

In the other, jockeys and trainers go unquestioned about in-race decisions or tactics, state veterinarians are not required to report publicly about episodes of bleeding or lameness after races, provide detailed reasons for scratches and voided claims, thrown shoes, or other measures which are standard across the rest of the racing world.

The gap must be narrowed.

In the concluding installment of “Wagering Insecurity,” we offer four observations from the process of compiling this series.

PART 12 – PRAVDA

In this final installment of “Wagering Insecurity,” we make four observations which have become clear. These are the product of input from many individuals, both named and anonymous, whose support throughout this series and whose assistance made it possible. .

The Thoroughbred Idea Foundation supports the growth of the North American Thoroughbred racing industry. We want more horseplayers and more horse owners. That sort of future is impossible without beginning the process of adopting the recommendations offered previously and considering the observations below.

OBSERVATION #1

Medication use has dominated public discourse on North American racing integrity over the last three decades. The history is long and contentious.

For context, the 2021 Kentucky Derby was the first run since 1985 where the entire field ran without Lasix. Five years after that, the topic was front and center on Derby Day as exemplified in this video below, of the 1990 Kentucky Derby broadcast, where Al Michaels and Dave Johnson spoke of a Jockey Club study about the potential impact of Lasix use.

Michaels said it would be a story to follow throughout the summer. Regardless of the study's specifics, it took more than three decades for action.

Anti-doping control programs are a necessary component of a broader suite of integrity measures. But balance is needed; progress must be shown in other areas of the integrity arena, too.

There are many factors which have contributed to North American racing's issues with doping, including a weak regulatory structure, a laissez-faire culture about drugs and a general failure to be active overseers of the sport, protecting the betting public.

One area where racing has gotten it right is in constantly improving thresholds of testing. A wealth of well-educated experts has ensured that as science and testing improve, racing's approach to testing evolves as well.

But the contrast with other forms of racing's integrity infrastructure should not be lost.

In one corner, one-trillionth of a gram can be measured. Penalties may be assessed becaue of that microscopic finding. In another corner, jockeys and trainers go unquestioned about in-race decisions or tactics, state veterinarians are not required to report publicly any episodes of bleeding or lameness noticed after a race or provide reasons for scratches and voided claims, thrown shoes, or other measures which are standard across the rest of the racing world.

That gap needs to be closed.

OBSERVATION #2

North American stewards fall short of those in the rest of the developed racing world. The blame resides with the regulators and track operators (yes, sometimes stewards are hired directly by the tracks) who have allowed these roles to degrade over time.

They have less training, are paid less and have not been given responsibilities commensurate with the worldwide expectations for such positions. As many veterans of the stewards' stand and other officials have retired, their replacements are often even less prepared.

A positive development in this space came in August 2019 when the Jockey Club and Racing Officials Accreditation Program announced the launch of a global exchange program which would give North American stewards the opportunity to learn and practice in other countries. The pandemic delayed implementation, but the program should be embraced as the world reopens.

The Horseracing Integrity & Safety Authority (HISA) presents a vehicle for uplifting these standards.

TIF founder Craig Bernick is hopeful HISA evolves to tackle these issues, and the opportunities raised in Part 11 of this series.

“This time, it actually feels different. HISA offers racing a unique opportunity because it has superseding power over existing industry organizations.

“Past efforts to reform our sport have failed because of two main reasons – either the groups or organizations involved were not empowered to effect change or those involved were too focused on their own bottom line or retaining some semblance of control.”

While many horse and racetrack owners may have enjoyed slot-supplemented revenues and purses over more than the last two decades, additional funding has not found its way to racing's integrity infrastructure and the neglect shows.

Several stewards and racing officials consulted during TIF's research for the “Wagering Insecurity” series, who all requested anonymity to speak forthrightly, shared examples of poor working conditions, obsolete technology and general concerns over their ability to do their job well at present.

Uplifting standards will not be cheap, but the cost of not improving will be far greater for everyone who makes their living in racing.

OBSERVATION #3

A troublesome factor which belies all of the detail shared in this series is the absence of a robust, independent racing media in North America.

While racing has several influential trade publications and broadcasts with some very talented, knowledgable staff which contribute significantly to the sport, mainstream, independent coverage is practically non-existent.

Steve Crist, former publisher of the Daily Racing Form, lamented the state of racing coverage in March 2021 remarks to TIF for this series.

“Anyone from the outside who has seen the evolution of coverage of the sport can say that the kind of journalism which existed, even 10 years ago, is just not being done.

“This is a huge issue. It's nearly impossible to hold anyone accountable for anything.”

Crist recalled a time when he was a young reporter for the New York Times in the early 1980s, covering the ongoing hearings and legal wranglings around race-fixing from the 1970s. The coverage was endless, Crist recalls.

“I was working for the Times and there were three other racing beat reporters from each of the tabloids doing the same. Everyone wanted to be first.”

His work included eye-popping ledes, like the following from a 1981 piece:

“A former New York-based trainer has identified Jacinto Vasquez, a leading rider who has twice won the Kentucky Derby, as the man who offered the jockey Mike Hole a $5,000 bribe to hold back a horse at Saratoga in 1974, according to a deposition given to the State Racing and Wagering Board.”

Adjusting for inflation, a $5,000 bribe in 1974 would be about $26,000 today, the equivalent jockey's cut for winning a race with a purse of more than $400,000.

Most public racing coverage is restrained because advertising dollars come from within the industry itself. Mainstream coverage, when it happens, is often fleeting.

Crist thinks this is dangerous for a sport whose foundation is grounded in wagering.

“A media outlet in racing should not be compared to a propaganda machine like Pravda from the old Soviet Union, but in at least one case, that's what we now have.”

The line between journalism and publicity has been increasingly blurred.

Industry publications are hard-pressed to hold tracks, tote companies, ADWs and other-related organizations accountable for the degradation of the sport's integrity infrastructure when those same entities are their primary source of income through advertising. Years ago when he was with the New York Times, Crist and his mainstream media colleagues were in those roles. Today, coverage is mostly limited to the trades.

Several racing writers and broadcasters questioned by TIF acknowledged these issues are ever-present in their daily work. They all asked to remain anonymous because of a fear of reprisal from their employers and contacts within the industry. Staffing within industry media has contracted substantially in recent years, reducing the opportunity for deep coverage. Those in place are doing the best they can with what they have, but it is a delicate balance. One said the situation has devolved to such a degree that they know instinctively what topics are off-limits.

Criticism about the industry's integrity failings and other myriad issues could come at significant cost to racing media.

Those with substantial investments in horses, farms, associated agribusiness and other economic drivers of the sport should recognize that racing media must be given the freedom to hold the business to a higher standard than at present.

In the long run, the truth benefits the greatest number of stakeholders.

OBSERVATION #4

The overall wagering space is changing rapidly. Fixed odds betting for racing in North America is a necessity for one key reason – all new betting customers expect to know what price they are getting on their bets. While pari-mutuel betting still has a future, particularly in exotic wagers, the tote monopoly which has existed for generations on U.S. racing is coming to an end, as it should.

The tote protocol in use now, relying on a decades-old approach known in the industry as ITSP, is likely on its way out. Global commingling is more important than ever and TIF has learned from several major players in the pari-mutuel wagering technology space that a much-revised modern system of bet processing and information sharing will be needed. Support for antiquated tote technology is fading fast.

Customers must still be protected in the interim, and whatever new systems are developed should have proper oversight measures at its core.

CONCLUSION

The “Wagering Insecurity” series is unlike anything we have researched and published at the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation. We hope lessons can be learned from it.

“TIF was created to improve the prospects of horse owners and horseplayers, whose participation fuels racing's sustainability,” said Bernick.

“We have focused on issues related to pricing, transparency, technology and access to data. Racing has huge obligations too – now more than ever: aftercare, backstretch programs, jockey health and equine research. The best way to meet these obligations and sustain the business is to grow revenue through wagering. Doing so will be impossible without the greater industry accepting the serious issues raised and recommendations provided by this series.”

Ensuring integrity in horse racing takes a team effort. It's hard work. And it requires drive and support from horse owners, breeders, racing fans and most especially, the customers who need the most significant protection – the horseplayers.

It will take significant capital from the greater industry, investing in the appropriate resources to build an acceptable standard of integrity oversight. That does not go unnoticed. Under no circumstances should the costs for such programs come from increasing takeout – the cost of betting. There would be no more counterproductive effort than that.

The long-term costs to racing and its stakeholders' investments, if we do not upgrade racing's integrity infrastructure, will be far more substantial than the short-term costs of filling those needs.

We must restore and build confidence in existing horseplayers and horse owners, which will help us attract future customers. Little that racing in North America is doing now will accomplish that, particularly given our general embrace of opaque practices.

Racing must be operated more sustainably than it is now and we need to adopt the measures recommended here, and others, to bring the industry forward.

The path to better securing racing's wagering business is challenging and getting there will require exposing some long-standing failings.

For sports and racing integrity expert Jack Anderson, there is no choice.

“In the immediate, U.S. racing needs to look within. It needs to consult and review its own stakeholders and undertake a clear-eyed, hard-headed analysis of the state of the sport.

“That process may be a painful one. It may shock the racing public. It may, in the short term, undermine the reputation of the sport even amongst the most sympathetic of its supporters in the wider American sporting public.”

These improvements are needed to make North American racing better, to sustain the interest of bettors and secure the substantial investments of owners and breeders, as well as the reach of racing's economic impact.

The role of the Horseracing Integrity & Safety Authority offers a tremendous opportunity for ALL parties in the sport going forward and should be leveraged in every capacity to yield much-needed, uniform control over the integrity of U.S. racing. As previously outlined, HISA is required to report to the Federal Trade Commission.

Outside the FTC's Washington D.C. headquarters are a pair of sculptures created by Michael Lantz in 1942 entitled “Man Controlling Trade.” Each sculpture depicts a man holding a horse.

Our collective opportunity for improvement is real. There are countless examples for North American racing to follow.

Miss a previous installment? Click on the links to read more.

Part 1 – Expectations

Part 2 – Intertwined

Part 3 – Volponi

Part 4 – Confidence

Part 5 – Bingo

Part 6 – Proof

Part 7 – Z

Part 8 – Damage

Part 9 – Alerts

Part 10 – Grey

Part 11 – Recommendations

Want to share your insights with TIF? Email us here.

The post Wagering Insecurity: Avoiding Another ‘Medina Spirit Mess’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Letter to the Editor: Shipping Horses by Cargo

I am Shelley Blodgett, co-founder of Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare Inc. (CTA), a non-profit (501c3) that helps Thoroughbreds racing in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. I live on the U.S. mainland and have also worked here to help Thoroughbreds and other horse breeds in need. I wrote a letter to the editor published in TDN in September, 2017, asking for help following Hurricane Maria's devastation of Puerto Rico and its racetrack, Hipodromo Camarero. The response was swift and impactful. So many individuals and industry entities were moved to help, I believe, because of the love and respect of our racing athletes. That generosity and timely action saved many horses' lives.

I am writing again to ask for support and help from your readers. Thoroughbreds are being shipped from Florida to Puerto Rico, a 1,200-mile distance, in an unsafe and inhumane manner: a days-long journey on a cargo ship on the open Atlantic Ocean in a metal container. It is my hope that your readers, including the good people of the racing industry, will speak out and, perhaps, use their considerable leverage to help end this cruel transport method for good. Thousands of people have added their names in support to end this cruel practice, including some in the industry both in the Caribbean and on the U.S. mainland.

There has already been one tragedy and it's important to avoid another. Eric Mitchell wrote a powerful investigative article detailing the April, 2019 deaths of nine Thoroughbreds, ranging in age from two to five. Eight of the horses died inside their 40-foot metal cargo container that was retrofitted into a 12-stall horse shipping system. The horses died from catastrophic injury: they trampled each other to death while sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. A ninth horse was so badly injured that it was euthanized shortly after arrival in Puerto Rico. Only six horses survived that voyage. And, yes, 15 horses were squeezed into the 12-stall system.

Following this terrible accident, the Saltchuk company and their subsidiaries, TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico and Lagos Transport, implemented what was described as a moratorium on shipping horses on cargo ships on their vessels. It is understood that they intended to implement changes to prevent future accidents. Only two known changes were made: adhering to one stall per horse (i.e., maximum of 12 horses at a time) and altering pre-departure practices so horses sitting on the dock would have more access to water while waiting to be loaded onto the sailing vessel. Despite these changes, it is apparent that the perils remain for this mode of transport. Since resumption, some horses have sustained injuries and/or become very ill, and some have had to be euthanized as a consequence. It is hard to get a full picture of the number of horses, number of injuries, and number of deaths as those involved aren't forthcoming or transparent. Still, cargo ship transport appears to be a growing practice for importing horses to Puerto Rico, likely because of cost savings compared to cost of flying horses. In fact, the sentiment of sending the “cheap horses” via cargo ship while flying those horses viewed as more valuable implies that those who ship their horses via the former mode of transport know it is riskier and inhumane.

Why is this inhumane?

Equines are highly sensitive prey animals with a strong flight-or-flight response, have acute hearing, and are always highly attuned to and responsive of their surroundings. The shipping containers they are confined to for the duration of their journey aren't meant for living beings. Imagine a 40-foot metal cargo container that has been retrofitted into a 12-stall system. It has windows cut out, affixed hay racks, and small plywood dividers separating the horses. A single fan “helps” to circulate air. The horses have just about three feet of space each and cannot turn around or lie down for the duration of their journey. Further, there is no immediate, safe access to horses while under way. Horses can become motion sick (seasick), yet they cannot vomit, which also poses some risk. Throughout, access to food and water is purportedly little to non-existent. Horses wind up standing in their own excrement and urine as well in as any ocean or rainwater that accumulates in the container. By the end of the journey, the horses are standing in wetness and muck.

Horses sent via cargo ship often arrive in Puerto Rico severely dehydrated, and many lose 50-75 pounds during the voyage, are traumatized, and sleep deprived. Some horses sustain injuries and/or become ill (e.g., colic, respiratory infections). Dr. Jose Garcia Blanco, V.M.D., a leading equine veterinarian in Puerto Rico who has long worked with Thoroughbreds and the racing industry both in the Caribbean and on the U.S. mainland, was compelled to write a letter outlining why he views ocean cargo transport of horses to be unsafe and inhumane.

Shipping horses always involves some risk, whether on the U.S. mainland or across an ocean. However, there are safer and more humane methods available. Standard practice for shipping horses long distance on the mainland via tractor trailer (e.g., from Kentucky to California, a straight 44-hour trip), is often accomplished with horses placed in box stalls with, perhaps, a layover at a barn along the way so the horses can stretch their legs more and eat and drink. On such trips, hay and water are available and an attendant is present for the entire trip. Another example is when horses are air shipped from Miami to Puerto Rico. At the airport, horses are loaded in three-stall shipping containers or walked onto the plane via a ramp and placed in stalls. They are then flown 2.5 hours with an attendant available to them during the flight and are then unloaded at the airport and put on a trailer, with hay and water offered, for their final destination.

There is a more humane method to transport horses

As outlined above, a 2.5-hour plane flight, also operated by a Saltchuk company, Northern Air Cargo, is a much faster, safer, and humane method to transporting on and off the island of Puerto Rico. It appears that the owners who opt to transport horses via cargo ship are enticed by saving approximately $1,100 per horse. Regardless of the rationale, the savings in money does not warrant the increased risk for horses suffering and possibly dying. Every one of our equine athletes deserve better!

I ask that readers and the horse racing industry take a stand against cargo ship transport of U.S. Thoroughbreds between the U.S. mainland and the Caribbean. Below are some ways to do that. Thank you.

How do we stop this?

Sign and share the petition.
Ask the Saltchuk group, and their subsidiary TOTE Maritime, to no longer ship equines because it is unsafe and inhumane. Saltchuk already has more humane way of shipping horses as Saltchuk also owns the air cargo plane that ships horses in/out of Puerto Rico. Use Saltchuk's Ethics Hotline to let them know how you feel.
These shipments are being approved by Dr. Alejandro E. Pérez Ramírez, Director Interino, Laboratorio de Diagnóstico Veterinario, via an import certificate. Dr. Perez can simply decide not to issue import licenses to horses traveling via cargo ship. Make a request to aperez@agricultura.pr.gov.
The government of Puerto Rico can implement a ban on this type of shipping of horses. Contact them here.

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Mr. Jagermeister Sets Stakes Record, Becomes Richest Minnesota-Bred Of All Time

Mr. Jagermeister won the $50,000 10,000 Lakes Stakes on Wednesday night at Canterbury Park by 4 3/4 lengths, covering six furlongs in a stakes record 1:08.54. The 6-year old earned $30,000 and became the richest Minnesota-bred money earner in the history of racing with lifetime earnings of $645,434, surpassing sixth-place finisher Hot Shot Kid, who is the second-richest earner with $618,611. Mr. Jagermeister won the 10,000 Lakes in 2018. Hot Shot Kid won the stake in 2019 and 2020.

Mr. Jagermeister is trained by Valorie Lund who co-owns the horse with Leslie Cummings and Kristin Boice. He was ridden by Ruben Fuentes. Mr. Jagermeister paid $4.20 as the wagering favorite. Drop of Golden Sun, who set the first quarter-mile fraction, held on for second. Cinco Star was third.

The $50,000 Lady Slipper Stakes, also at six furlongs, went to Clickbait and jockey Cecily Evans. This was the first stake victory for Evans, whose riding career began in 2009. Evans let the 5-year-old mare sail to the lead on the backstretch and was never challenged from there, drawing off to win by 4 1/2 lengths in 1:09.77.

“She wanted to go. She pulled me to the front,” Evans said. “She's my favorite horse.”

Star of the North, the 2 to 1 second choice on the morning line, was scratched shortly after leaving the walking ring.

Clickbait, who paid $4.40, is trained by Mac Robertson and is owned by Hugh Robertson, John Mentz and Jeff Larson. Mentz also owns second-place finisher Ready to Runaway who is trained by Robertson. Rush Hour Traffic was third.

Total handle for the nine-race program was $ 2,418,727 bolstered by $653,521 wagered into the Pick 5 pool that had a carryover from the previous day of $91,333. The handle total is the ninth largest total daily handle in the history of Canterbury Park, and the second largest non-Claiming Crown handle total.

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Indiana Sired Stakes: Sky Judge Makes Up For Lost Time, Hungarian Princess Still On Top

After getting a late start to his racing career, Sky Judge is definitely making up for lost time. Making his first career stakes start, Sky Judge ruled over his opponents for the win in the eighth running of the $75,000 Sagamore Sired Stakes Wednesday, May 19. The event was one of two on the card, marking the first stakes races of the 2021 season at Indiana Grand.

Starting from post seven, Sky Judge and jockey Orlando Mojica left out of the gate with authority, grabbing the top spot on the inside before Binge and Joe Ramos joined them on the outside heading to the quarter. From that point on, the three-year-old Sahara Sky gelding took over, increasing his lead around the only turn of the five and one-half furlong race, the first time it has been conducted at this distance, moving from six furlongs.

In the stretch, Sky Judge was in front by more than four lengths, increasing to an even larger margin as the finish line neared, winning the race by seven and one-half lengths in 1:04.83. Manuelito and Tommy Pompell moved up quickly from the back to score the second-place finish by a neck over Royal Icing and Edgar Morales for third.

Because it was his first time in stakes company, Sky Judge was a bit of a surprise, paying $11.20 for the win. Bred by Samuel and William Martin Trust and Edmund Martin Trustee, Sky Judge is now two for three this year at Indiana Grand and is two for seven in his career.

“This colt (Sky Judge) was at my farm and nobody wanted to train him, so I took him,” said Roberts, who has a training center on the west side of Indianapolis. “The first of the year, he really woke up and started training better. I can't do all of this by myself and I have really good help that pays attention and helped me with this horse.”

Roberts, who runs his horses under his training center name of Indy Dancer's Training Center, has had horses in the past that have competed in the bigger stakes in the state of Indiana, including the Indiana Derby. Early indications are pointing Sky Judge to the same path.

“That's the plan, to point him toward the Indiana Derby,” added Roberts. “I have horses both on the track and at the farm, but he stays here. We'll see how he comes out of the race. We may take him home and let him eat some grass and relax.”

For Mojica, he fits Sky Judge like a glove. He is now two for two aboard the gelding and detected his talent early on.

“I've worked him two times in the morning,” said Mojica. “He worked great. He can be a little hyper at times, but he does everything right. We thought today we would just try to get to the lead because no one else seemed to want it. He was in front at the break and when I asked him to go, he took off. I looked up and saw on the tv (jumbotron) how far ahead we were, and I thought I'd better take hold and slow him down some near the finish. He just keeps getting better and better with every start.”

It's already been a big year for Mojica, who is a three-time leading jockey at Indiana Grand. Mojica scored his 2,500th career win to kick off the season in Indiana in mid-April. The Puerto-Rican born jockey is among the top 10 this season and his win aboard Sky Judge was his 31st stakes victory in Indiana Thoroughbred history.

Hungarian Princess, last year's 2-year-old filly champion of Indiana, is back. The heavily favored filly did not disappoint in her second start of the season, strolling to victory in the eighth running of the $75,000 Swifty Sired Fillies Stakes Wednesday, May 19 at Indiana Grand.

Starting from post nine in the nine-horse lineup, Hungarian Princess was one of the first ones out of the gate but backed off as Starlet Express and Marcelino Pedroza set the tempo on the inside. It only took a couple of taps of the whip from jockey Sammy Bermudez to signal Hungarian Princess to go and she was on a mission, moving up three wide around the turn.

At the top of the stretch, Hungarian Princess took over the lead and was seamless to the wire in the five and one-half furlong event, winning by one and three-quarter lengths in a time of 1:04.56. Pearl Tiara and Fernando De La Cruz made a surprise late bid to move into second as a longshot along with Miss Deputy Star and Alex Achard, also a longshot who held on gamely on the inside for third.

Hungarian Princess is trained by Kim Hammond for her owner-breeder Swifty Farms Inc. just off Interstate 65 in Seymour, Ind. She is now four for seven in her career and has been ridden in all of her starts by Bermudez.

“I think she's gotten better this year,” said Bermudez. “I've been on her a few times in the morning and worked her for Kim (Hammond). She just told me today to win. She was sharp and when you ask, she goes. She knows when it's time to go and she knows where the wire is. She's a fun horse to ride.”

Hungarian Princess increased her career bankroll to more than $180,000 with the win. It was her third stakes win in her career so far, which has all taken place at Indiana Grand.

The 19th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing is now in progress and continues through Monday, Nov. 8. Live racing is conducted at 2:25 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, with first post on Thursday set at 3:25 p.m. A special Indiana Champions Day highlighting the state's top Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses will be held Saturday, Oct. 30, beginning at noon. More information about the 2021 racing season is available at www.caesars.com/indiana-grand.

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