Animal Kingdom | Horse Racing Free Tips

Catman’s Nine Lives…and Counting

During the best of times, racing can be a rollercoaster. And for Wayne Catalano, like most other horsemen and women in the sport, that tumultuous lifestyle quickly becomes a way of life. However, despite facing several challenges–both professionally and personally–over the past decade, including a showdown with his own mortality after teetering scarily close to the edge of the eternal precipice, the 'Catman' lived up to his nickname at this year's Breeders' Cup by righting himself midair and landing squarely on his feet in the winner's circle following Aloha West (Hard Spun)'s GI TVG.com Breeders' Cup Sprint victory at Del Mar.

“After 50 years of doing this, we're a bit light on horses and we don't see as much action as we used to, so to win a race like this, it's the pinnacle of my career,” said the 65-year-old, who appeared visibly moved during the post-race interview. “Given the limited opportunities that we have right now, this ranks as one of the best.”

Following Aloha West's thrilling Sprint victory, the press was quick to point out that the New Orleans native, already a three-time Breeders' Cup-winning trainer, was collecting his fourth title at the Championships. Trumpeting his prior wins with 2006 and 2009 GI Juvenile Fillies scorers Dreaming of Anna (Rahy) and She Be Wild (Offlee Wild)–both subsequent Eclipse Award champions–in addition to 2011 GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Stephanie's Kitten (Kitten's Joy), it was as if the years since had passed unmolested. But in fact, they hadn't.

Catalano enjoyed banner seasons in 2013 and 2014, highlighted by Grade I winners Stephanie's Kitten and Room Service (More Than Ready), in addition to GSWs Imposing Grace (Empire Maker), Title Contender (Pulpit), Solitary Ranger (U S Ranger), I'm Already Sexy (Ready's Image), Poker Player (Harlan's Holiday), Aurelia's Belle (Lemon Drop Kid) and West Coast Belle (Tapit). The business continued to hum along into the summer of 2014, but with just days to go to his 58th birthday, the horseman came down with acute respiratory distress syndrome after contracting Asian Avian Influenza A, which precipitated an epic battle with pneumonia. After spending 22 days in Saint Alexius Medical Center's intensive care, of which nine days were spent under an induced coma, he was finally released to go home.

“Fortunately, I had really great help at that time,” he recalled. “And the horses were really running well. During that time, I won my 1000th race at Arlington and the 2,500th race in my career. The barn was just rolling.”

According to Catalano, during his stint in the hospital, a friend and fellow horseman took to saying, “'Look this guy is in a coma and he's still kicking our ass!'”

For many, the frightening episode might have proven life-altering, however, Catalano admits that his 'coming to Jesus' moment never really materialized.

“It didn't affect the size of my operation, but you know, it should have,” he said. “Because I really thought I was going to cut down after that.”

He added with a laugh, “Any thoughts about cutting back to one division went away in about one week. I went back to the same thing. It didn't stop me. I just kept going.”

Winning connections after Aloha West's Sprint win | Horsephotos

Building on Bedrock

Catalano received his earliest racetrack education under the guidance of legendary horseman and Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg. He had spent much of his youth around horses, thanks to the influence of his 2 1/2-year older brother, Joe, who would go on to become a jockey. Working as a groom and walking hots for Van Berg, he subsequently got his start as a jockey as soon as he turned 16 in 1974. And Catalano quickly rose through the ranks while riding first call for the Hall of Famer and later for Frank Kirby at Hawthorne Race Course. As a rider, Catalano won 1,792 races throughout his career, highlighted by the 1977 season when he won 349 races, second only behind Steve Cauthen while finishing ahead of a slew of future Hall of Famers, including Chris McCarron, Laffit Pincay, Jr., Angel Cordero, Jr. and Eddie Delahoussaye. He hung up his silks in 1983.

“My knee started to aggravate me a little bit near the end and the [quality] of my mounts fell off a bit too,” he said, explaining the decision to stop riding. “I won a lot of races, titles and did really well, but I didn't have as many stakes horses as I would have liked. I was also getting a little older and I wasn't comfortable anymore.

“My knee was bugging me, but more importantly, my heart got weaker,” he said with a chuckle. “If your heart's not in it, you just got to quit.”

Whether by design or scripted by fate, Catalano had already given himself a solid foothold into the next chapter of his career as a trainer. During his tenure with Van Berg, Catalano spent much of his time learning the basics of horsemanship, even during his days as a jockey.

“It didn't matter what you were there for, Jack would teach you horsemanship,” he explained. “So, I learned how to be a horseman first. Being a jockey came afterward. Nearing the end of my riding career, I wanted to be a trainer so I started hanging around the barn, coming back after my rides and learning the ropes. I didn't just ride horses and go home, like most jockeys do.”

Underscoring the importance of learning the tools of the trade from such an iconic horseman, Catalano explained, “Jack taught me hard work and horsemanship. They are the main ingredients that I picked up from him. You have to know how to take care of a horse, first and foremost. And I had the opportunity to learn from one of the greatest trainers of all time.”

Wayne Catalano & GSW Dreaming of Liz | Horsephotos

Ebb and Flow

A considerable amount of Catalano's early success can be pinpointed through his association with oil magnate John Franks, a five-time Eclipse Award winning owner. Armed with a battalion of horses up until his death in 2004, the Louisiana mogul proved to be a valuable source of horse-power for several trainers around the country, including Catalano.

“When I went out on my own, Jack gave me a few horses and then I was introduced to John Franks. I won my first stakes race with him with Croupier Lady. We had tremendous success together,” he said.

Another owner that helped expand Catalano's operation was Chicago businessman Frank Calabrese. The often tempestuous partnership–which was highlighted by a slew of stakes winners, including champion juvenile filly Dreaming of Anna and MGSW Lewis Michael (Rahy)–ended in 2009.

“A big reason I was in Chicago so long was because of [leading Arlington owner] Frank [Calabrese],” said Catalano. “So, when we parted company, my situation in Illinois wasn't really beneficial anymore.

“I had some of my clients who didn't want to race up there. It soon became obvious it just wasn't where I needed to be at that point in time, so we moved our base of operations to Kentucky. And we've been here every year since.”

Having enjoyed a blistering record in Illinois, which included 11 training titles at the recently shuttered Arlington Park, a trio at Hawthorne Race Course and two at Sportsman's Park, Catalano finally found the rocks when transitioning his fleet to Kentucky.

“Leaving my home base of Chicago and moving to Kentucky, we did well but things got a little bit lighter,” he admitted. “We maintained a smaller group and did well, winning races at Keeneland, Churchill Downs and Kentucky Downs. But it just started to get a little bit lighter.

“At one point, when I had horses for Frank, I had about 50 horses just for him. That made a big difference. On the flipside, I once went from 50 horses in my barn to only a pony. There was another time when I had no horses. So, I've reinvented myself a few times.”

Granted the opportunity to usher a slew of top-caliber competitors to the zenith of their careers, Catalano also experienced the shaded underbelly of the game, having lost rising stars to the other trainers. Chief among them are the aforementioned Stephanie's Kitten, who went on to be a Grade I winner for Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown and Animal Kingdom (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}), who would go on to win the 2011 GI Kentucky Derby and 2013 G1 Dubai World Cup for trainer Graham Motion.

Wayne Catalano & Dreaming of Anna | Horsephotos

Asked if those experiences had left a bitter taste in his mouth, Catalano's reply was almost unexpected.

“Honestly, I was sitting watching the Derby with my wife, Animal Kingdom wins and I felt great. I felt really good about it,” he said. “Why? Because I know, I had a hand in helping develop the horse and I got him to where he needed to be before Graham Motion took over. And he did a great job with the horse. It's like passing the 'Refridgerator' the ball to win the Super Bowl… Just don't drop the ball.”

He continued, “To have a good horse, to develop him and put him in that situation for him to win the Derby, that's what I do. To put in that early ground work and to see it come through, that's very rewarding. No, I didn't get the win for myself in the end, but I knew what it took to get there. It wasn't the easiest thing, but I got the satisfaction in knowing that I played a big part in that.”

Under the guidance of Catalano, Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Stephanie's Kitten won six stakes, including a pair at the Grade I level–the Alcibiades S. and Longines Just a Game S. In 2014, Brown took over training duties from Catalano and the homebred won an additional four stakes, including the 2015 GI Flower Bowl S. and GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

Catalano is quick to acknowledge that much of his success was built on horses with humble credentials rather than high-voltage pedigrees and physicals that often go to many of the bigger barns.

“To take a horse like Stephanie's Kitten, a homebred that couldn't sell for $17,000 and to win the Breeders' Cup, that's something to be proud of,” he said. “Also, She Be Wild was a $19,000 buyback at the sale and also went on to win a Breeders' Cup race. Room Service and Dreaming of Anna are also homebreds that won Grade Is. These are the horses I did it with. And not with million-dollar animals. I'm very proud of that.”

Despite facing a tighter ship of approximately 20-25 horses and a more streamlined roster of owners, Catalano has seen his share of success in recent years. Among the most notable are Coffee Pot Stables' Farrell (Malibu Moon), a seven-time stakes winner and earner of over $1 million. Her most notable wins were registered in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks, GII Rachel Alexandra S. and GII Golden Rod S. The homebred also finished runner-up in the GI La Troienne S. Making it a family affair, the filly was ridden throughout her career by Channing Hill, married to his and his wife Renee's daughter Shelbi. And Catalano admits that the importance of family, which includes three grandsons and a granddaughter on the way, is what propels him so much more these days.

“God knows what he is doing,” he asserted. “You have kids, a career and then you have your own grandchildren and you get to do it all over again, but you get to enjoy it a lot better. That's what I look forward to these days.”

Wayne Catalano & grandson Wayllen | Coady

On the Catwalk

Looking ahead to a 2022 campaign, the fun seems likely to continue for Catalano and Eclipse Thoroughbreds via Aloha West. According to the horseman, among options considered for the Maryland-bred is the $1.5-million Saudi Arabian Airlines Riyadh Dirt Sprint at King Abdulaziz Racecourse Feb. 26.

“I'm going to let the horse talk to me,” he said. “If he tells me he is ready to do something, then we'll make a plan as to what we want to do. It was a long trip [from Kentucky to California] and he came back good. We'll gather back up and go from there.”

With his Sprint champion safely back at the horseman's Lexington base on Rice Road, Catalano finally found a moment to reflect on his latest Breeders' Cup experience.

“When I was sitting up in the breakfast tent at the Breeders' Cup, watching the horses train I thought to myself, 'This is what it's all about, this is how every place should be,'” he said. “You get up seven days a week, three o'clock in the morning no matter if it's Christmas, Thanksgiving or New Year's and you put your whole life into this thing. You should have some fun. If you go to work every day and you enjoy it, then it isn't like work, right? Isn't that what they say?”

He continued, “The people around you also make a difference. Ones who can show their appreciation for the job that you did. Let's enjoy it. Everybody wants to win. To get there and have these moments, that's what's important. In these big races, we know only one horse is going to win. So just enjoy it win, lose or draw. [Eclipse Thoroughbreds'] Aron Wellman said to me before the [Sprint], 'No matter what the horse does, let's just have fun.' And that's what we did. That's what it's all about.”

And in the waning hours of Nov. 6, it seemed like things had come full circle for Catalano. Following a lifetime in service to the track and its inhabitants, all Catalano's hard work and struggles appeared to have converged into a single moment with a 4-year-old Maryland-bred getting his nose down first at the wire.

“I've been there a long time,” he said. “I started out many years ago–I was 15 years old when I started and I'm now 65. I've done it all, I've seen it all. Between the jockeys, agents, trainers and horses, you can name it and I can guide somebody through just about anything. After everything that I've accomplished, all the highs and lows, and to come back at this point with much less in the barn, and to win a race like that, we've done it. I feel good about it. I'm happy. All I want to do is make a good living, be close to my grandchildren and stay in the business…and to have fun.”

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This Side Up: Grounds for Optimism

Surface tensions in our business have run pretty deep in recent years, nowhere more so than at Santa Anita. After a failed revolution, with a synthetic track, they eventually backed into a terrifying breakdowns crisis. Racing in California still has its problems, of course, not least the cloud currently over its premier barn–which, after that curious hesitation last week, instead gives its most controversial resident a home game Saturday in the GI Awesome Again S. But given our community's fury right now with another racetrack proprietor, who this week cashed in a jewel of the global Turf, it's only right that we take a pause and give due credit to The Stronach Group for rising magnificently to what felt absolutely like an existential challenge.

Once again a postal address in Arcadia, named for the Eden of Ancient Greece, can aptly formalize this nostalgic idyll; once again, the dismal confines of the present can be transcended between those art deco stands and timeless mountains. Simultaneously, moreover, across the nation at Gulfstream, The Stronach Group is raising the curtain on another fall meet, and on an intervention in the racing surface that may ultimately prove no less critical to the survival of our sport.

One of the dispiriting things about the schism between turf and dirt, which appears only to have widened since the synthetic experiment at Santa Anita, is the way it mirrors the kind of polarization that has embittered political discourse in the social media age. As the first North American racetrack to offer all three surfaces, side by side, Gulfstream demonstrates that there can literally be a third way. At a time when so many of us just retreat into our echo chambers, deploring those with whom we disagree, it's good to be reminded that tolerance, co-existence and pluralism aren't just high-sounding aspirations but a useful practical framework that enables us all to thrive.

With hindsight, we can all see that an upheaval as radical as the synthetics experiment at Santa Anita should not be forced on people overnight. The kind of flexibility now available at Gulfstream allows horsemen to adapt to evolving demands–whether in the way we breed horses, or train them, or bet on them; or in the terms and conditions laid down for the consent of an ever more urban society.

Gulfstream's new Tapeta surface, shown last week | Ryan Thompson

First and foremost, sure, its new Tapeta option has a supremely practical function. Most obviously it will give the grass track respite, as became essential following the final demise of Calder; and it will very quickly pay for itself, in handle, when tropical weather moves races off the turf. In the longer term, however, it will also give everyone a chance to calibrate their responses to the challenge of training Thoroughbreds in the 21st Century; to explore those gray areas, between our adamant prejudices, with the best interests of the horse in mind; while still granting the industry time to make the serving of those interests commercially sustainable. These, surely, are boons that might be profitably extended to many other racetracks.

A handful of tracks, of course, did manage to bed down synthetics successfully; but hopefully we all learned a lot from factious misadventures elsewhere. For instance, we learned how expertly such surfaces must be manufactured and maintained, especially when exposed to extremes of climate. (And, in that context, its game-changing stats suggest that Tapeta gets a lot closer than some predecessors to meeting the welfare objectives that now feel more vital than ever.) But it proved nearly as important to overcome the misapprehension that synthetics could ever serve as a direct substitute for dirt, or even as a fair compromise between dirt and turf.

Animal Kingdom successfully transferred synthetic form to a Kentucky Derby win | Horsephotos

Yes, even in that brief window we did see protagonists like Animal Kingdom and Pioneerof the Nile achieving a smooth transition between surfaces. Nobody, however, could pretend that a Kentucky Derby run on synthetics would remain seamlessly the same race as the one that has accrued such a venerable history. And I think many of us learned that an equivalent heritage, in many other cherished races, deserves a lot more respect than was shown. At the same time, diehards have since been put on notice that it doesn't matter how valid and noble are the traditions of dirt racing, if tracks don't get their act together after the exemplary fashion of Santa Anita in the past couple of years.

Now nobody, as you may well have noticed, insists more tediously than me on the importance to the breed of integrating the Classic bloodlines of Europe and America; and measuring the transferability of class between their racetrack environments. But that's precisely because different disciplines draw on different genetic assets. For the full package, for the refinement and expansion of the breed's capacities, you require constant exchange.

As it is, there will be European bloodstock agents at Tattersalls next week–spending appalling amounts of other people's money–who disparage American bloodlines as excessively oriented to speed, a laughable misrepresentation of everything except their own ignorance. And there are parallel myopias in commercial breeding over here, of course, as anyone trying to stand a high-class turf stallion in Kentucky will tell you. If they are not careful, then, both camps will end up suddenly trying to salvage something of what they have discarded. Come that day, they may well find themselves sitting side by side on a plane to Japan.

Certainly it's only a matter of time before sustained Japanese investment in the kind of class that will soon dominate the breed is endorsed in Europe's greatest prize, the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Perhaps that landmark will be aptly achieved in its 100th running, on Sunday, when two Japanese-breds have the chance finally to end an exasperating sequence of near-misses.

Sakhee ran Tiznow to a nose in the 2001 Breeders' Cup Classic off an Arc win | Getty Images

On the face of it, this race is a world apart from the Grade I prizes contested at Belmont this weekend. But don't forget how Sakhee won the Arc, by six lengths in muddy ground, just 20 days before running the dirt monster Tiznow to a nose in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Nor that Sakhee's dam was a Royal Ascot winner by Sadler's Wells out of a Ribot mare. Some people explained it to themselves that he had bridged the great divide simply by a congenial climate and those generous turns at Big Sandy. In reality, a track that accommodates the nine furlongs of the GI Woodward S. round a single turn does so as a showcase for the ultimate dirt asset: the ability to carry speed without respite. And that, to me, is exactly why the Woodward roll of honor features so many horses that became important influences at stud.

Gun Runner could not have made a better start, in his bid to consolidate that heritage, and is represented in the GI Champagne S. on the same card by one of his early flagships in Gunite. (No surprise, mind, to see him followed here by Wit {Practical Joke}, whose jockey consumed way too much gas in trying to retrieve a slow start at Saratoga last time.) Gun Runner, of course, is only the latest to promote Candy Ride (Arg) as a sire of sires. So let's not forget that the day John Sikura found him running a mile in 1:31 flat in Argentina, this future patriarch of American dirt was running on… grass.

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Bloodlines: Looking Back On A Classic Trio From Keeneland September A Decade Later

With the end of the Keeneland September yearling sale clearly in view for Friday, readers and buyers can pause to reflect on sales past and the classic season from 10 years ago when all three Triple Crown winners walked the path of the Keeneland pagoda through the September sale of 2009.

Yes, each of the 2011 Triple Crown races – the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes – went to a different September sale yearling, and all of them were chestnuts too.

The sales season of 2009, however, was not the bustling and booming market we have seen at Keeneland, and elsewhere, this year. Instead, 2009 was the first yearling sale season fully impacted by the global economic crisis and Great Recession that began in 2008.

As a direct result, prices for some of the better yearlings were lower than expected, but two of our subject horses – Animal Kingdom and Ruler On Ice – brought $100,000 when put through the Keeneland auction. And the third, Shackleford, brought the highest hammer price of the trio at $275,000 but was bought back by breeders Mike Lauffer and Bill Cubbedge.

A big, rangy chestnut with a “turf” pedigree, Animal Kingdom (by 2005 turf champion Leroidesanimaux) was bred by a Team Valor partnership and was consigned by Denali Stud. The buyer was another Barry Irwin partnership under the banner of Team Valor International. The colt's results were surely the best for any Team Valor partnership because Animal Kingdom was a truly world-class racer at 10 furlongs, and he won the Kentucky Derby at three and the Dubai World Cup at five.

In contrast to those who previously had perceived the colt as a turf horse, the Derby is raced on dirt, and the World Cup was on the synthetic track at Meydan in 2013.

In between those two victories, Animal Kingdom had suffered a cracked hind cannon in the Belmont Stakes, was laid off for the rest of his 3-year-old season, and had a recurrence of a bone crack after his 4-year-old season debut. Then, Animal Kingdom showed what a truly versatile animal can do.

After more than six months away from racing, the big chestnut returned to Grade 1 competition in the 2012 Breeders' Cup Mile on turf at Santa Anita. Sent off a little-considered 10-1, Animal Kingdom rallied like a champion and finished second to turf champion Wise Dan.

Following the World Cup victory in 2013, Animal Kingdom was retired at the midpoint of his 5-year-old season to enter stud in Australia, having earned $8.3 million. He retired to stud at Arrowfield in Australia and shuttled to Darley at Jonabell in Kentucky. In October 2019, Animal Kingdom was sold to the Japan Bloodstock Breeders' Association and now stands in Japan.

At the same 2012 Breeders' Cup, Shackleford (Forestry) raced in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, where he finished seventh. The previous year, Shackleford had been second in the Dirt Mile, and earlier in 2012, the prancing chestnut had won the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park.

The flashy grandson of Storm Cat had personality plus, making him a favorite with fans, and he had denied Animal Kingdom's closing rush in the 2011 Preakness to prevail by a half-length. Amazingly enough, the Preakness was the first stakes victory for Shackleford, although he had been second in the G1 Florida Derby earlier in the year.

After the Preakness, Shackleford finished second in the G1 Haskell, likewise the BC Dirt Mile, then won the Metropolitan at four and ended his career with victory in the G1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in 2012.

A winner of $3 million, Shackelford retired to stud in Kentucky at Darby Dan Farm in 2013 and, in 2020, was sold to the Korean Racing Authority to stand at stud in South Korea.

Just as Shackleford had done in the Preakness, Ruler On Ice (by the Fusaichi Pegasus stallion Roman Ruler) won his first stakes in the classic Belmont Stakes. Amazingly enough, it proved the only stakes the gelding ever won.

Bred in Kentucky like the two other winners of the 2011 Triple Crown races, Ruler On Ice was bred by Liberation Farm and Brandywine Farm, then sold at the September sale to George and Lori Hall.

Stakes-placed coming into the Belmont against the winners of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, Ruler On Ice was a genuine longshot to win the Belmont, and only two of the 12 racers were at odds longer than his 24.75 to 1. One of those, Isn't He Perfect, broke to the inside sharply at the start, pushing Mucho Macho Man into race favorite Animal Kingdom, who came out of the race with an injury.

Ruler On Ice tracked the pacesetting Shackleford from the start, and when the Preakness winner tired after 10 furlongs, the son of Roman Ruler took control and held off Stay Thirsty to win by three-quarters of a length.

Subsequently, Ruler On Ice was third in the G1 Haskell, fourth in the Travers, second in the Pennsylvania Derby, and third in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Those performances confirmed the racer's quality, and he raced to the midpoint of his 5-year-old season. Retired, he now lives on the farm of his owners near Versailles, Ky.

As with the classics a decade ago, when we look back on the September sale of 2021, someone may very well have taken home a classic winner.

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Irwin: What Satisfaction Is There For Owners Who Employ Cheating Trainers?

In this Olympic year, when athletes and officials braved the scourge of COVID against difficult odds to conduct the Summer Games in Japan, I think a lot about what drives these individuals to achieve excellence and from where their satisfaction is derived.

I love and have loved the Olympics since childhood, reveling in the stories of such greats as Jesse Owens, Bob Mathias and Jim Thorpe. Their drive, their talent and their stories live within me and have done so since I was a little kid.

While Track and Field is my favorite sport, horse racing is a close second. I participated in T&F in high school and college, as did my father and brother. The gratification and excitement I felt from competing in athletics, however, pales in comparison to the thrills and satisfaction I have experienced in horse racing.

Watching a steed you are involved with roaring down the stretch on the lead generates a high that beats the short pants off of Athletics.

Satisfaction, however, is more difficult to achieve in horse racing compared with almost any other sporting enterprise, because so many people are involved in racing a horse and the animal itself cannot communicate in the traditional sense with its human caretakers.

On the other hand, when a horse does win a race, the satisfaction is greater because it is so difficult to achieve, especially at the highest levels of the game.

As I have been involved in racing, one way or another, for more than half a century and now am in my seventh decade, I have been struck by a change among owners that is not only profoundly disturbing but possibly a sign that the game may not survive as we have known it.

What I have noticed is not peculiar to horse racing, but to many other aspects of modern society as well, particularly it seems in Western Civilization.

Today we live in a society that cares less for rules and more for winning at all costs. We see this trend not only in sports, but in the financial and pharmaceutical communities where ethics have been stretched to the limits. And the crossover from members of these businesses into racing and their great impact on the track, in the sales ring and at the windows has been something only a blind person could have missed.

I question where the satisfaction comes from in winning races for these owners in this modern era. I question where the good vibes are derived.

I know exactly where it comes from for me. When I am involved in a winner, especially one that achieves a great victory as a result of developing a horse and following a game plan that was months in the making, the satisfaction comes from a job well done with a horse in which I believe.

When our homebred Animal Kingdom won the Kentucky Derby a decade ago, the satisfaction was even greater than that of a usual winner of the Run for the Roses, as his victory was not diminished by connections of the also-rans complaining about troubles in the race.

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To achieve complete satisfaction in winning an important race is very, very difficult. I will never stop thanking my lucky stars it happened in the race we all want to win the most. For me it was a miracle, a blessing and a moment of sheer satisfaction.

In today's environment I wonder where the satisfaction comes from for those owners who have chosen to be involved with trainers that cheat. It seems obvious to me that certain owners gravitate to certain trainers because they share the same “win at all costs” attitude. They share the same disdain for the rules. And they look at themselves as “sharps” in a world of “chumps.”

In this regard, I am a true chump. A chump is a poor bastard that follows the rules, even knowing that if you take an edge your chances of success will increase dramatically.

Today's “enlightened” owner, as a now deceased ex-trainer referred to trainers who cheat using modern methods that include Performance Enhancing Drugs, either knows that the trainer he chooses is a cheater, strongly suspects he is a cheater or is an outright enabler of the cheating trainer.

The satisfaction for these owners comes from a) having pulled off a stroke against horses trained and owned by chumps, b) cashing bets based on information that their steeds are juiced to the gills, c) knowing that the improved form of their horses will translate to big prices at public auction or d) the cherry on top of the cake, a lucrative stallion syndication deal.

The normal, garden-variety satisfaction that Little League parents and coaches feel when their team wins or their kid safely runs out a bunt is not what motivates today's modern owner, who relies on trainers that cheat to win.

I fear that the modern dilemma will lead to the demise of the sport for a few reasons. First, owners that do not cheat are fed up with losing to owners that do and could leave the sport. Secondly, until HISA is up and running, I see absolutely no prospect of positive change, because there is no major racetrack or regulatory agency in any locale that is actively investigating cheating on their grounds.

Racetracks want the horses that cheaters train so they can fill their races. Regulators are like politicians in that their only motivation in life is to keep their jobs.

With no racing press to speak of, save a couple of online outfits, there are precious few journalists remaining to keep the cheaters' feet to the fire.

If my fellow chumps continue to be robbed by owners that employ, sponsor or enable cheating trainers, we chumps may just come to the sad conclusion that not enough satisfaction remains to be had in order to continue to underwrite the sport of horse racing in North America.

And I write this as an owner who has been winning most of the year at a 25 percent clip in major races around the globe. I am not complaining as a loser, I am complaining as a winner.

Barry Irwin is the founder and CEO of Team Valor International

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