Op/Ed | Horse Racing Free Tips

Letters to the Editor: Benard Chatters

Benard Chatters, Louisiana Owner-Breeder-Trainer, President, Louisiana HBPA

Bill Finley, in his Mar. 17th TDN opinion piece–“Horsemen's Groups Turn Their Backs on Honest Trainers, Owners”–criticizes the National HBPA for challenging the legality of a private non-governmental regulatory scheme for the horse industry, established by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (“HISA”). He wrote, “It's hard to imagine that there is one horseman anywhere who cares one bit whether or not HISA is unconstitutional or not.” Well, it doesn't require any imagination to understand why horsemen believe rules governing their livelihood and the well-being of their horses should be lawfully written and enforced by a responsible government agency.

Mr. Finley makes claims that are completely false. The statement that the “only reason to have HISA overturned would be that they prefer the status quo…that rewards cheats at the expense of the very people who make up the majority of their membership” is absolutely absurd. That particular claim is not true and it does a disservice to the thousands of honest trainers and owners represented by the National HBPA and its affiliates who are not among the 150 or so members of The Jockey Club, the principal lobbyist for HISA.

Mr. Finley, of course, is free to voice his opinion, but as someone once said, “you are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.”

Is there cheating in our industry? Yes. Is it widespread? No. Unfortunately, Finley's fact-free opinion urging support for HISA ignores the objective evidence.

In the past five years, hundreds of thousands of pre-race and post-race drug tests throughout the country by professional accredited testing laboratories found that less than 0.06% were positive for drugs having no business being in a horse other than cheating. That is a far cry from the rampant corruption asserted by Mr. Finley in his support of HISA.

Let me end by saying the National HBPA has always condemned cheaters and believes they should be kicked out of the industry. And we support uniform medication and safety rules along with their strict enforcement. No doubt improvements can be made to the status quo, but an unconstitutional HISA is not the answer.

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Letter To The Editor: The Place Of The Whip In Horse Racing

The whip in horse racing:

Reading this letter, one is entitled to ask: 'Who are you, to pass comment on such a contentious issue, when you have never ridden in a race?'

This is a fair comment. But as many sportsmen, whether they are golfers, tennis players, or gymnasts know, it's a bit of a not seeing the wood for the trees conundrum: because a jockey, like a boxer in a frantic fight, is often consumed in the moment of a tight finish, driven on by adrenalin, not rational thought. And invariably, when confronted with video evidence, they are most contrite.

Twenty-five years ago, I won an Eclipse Award for a radio broadcast on this very subject. And, listening to the words of Frankie Dettori, Sandy Hawley and Ted Walsh, at that time, it is evident that little has changed in the debate, even though animal rights' activists are far louder in their criticism, these days.

They say that great jockeys have great hands. Hands that immediately convey calm and confidence to any horse that they alight upon. These same hands send messages. Relax. Time to get going. And a whip, for them, is much like a balancing bar for a tight-rope walker: they wave it rhythmically in time with pumping the reins, driving their mounts to the wire.

The whip can get attention. It can steer. Now and again, it can convey urgency. And anyone who has stood at the three-eighths pole, as a field of horses leaves the backstretch and the race gets serious, will hear all manner of chirping, whistling, shouting, and the smacking of whips as riders urge their mounts on. This is natural. This is competition. But what is not acceptable is flogging horses that are well beaten, and/or striking them in the ribs (behind the girth) or even worse, around the sheath or teats.

Having worked as a traveling head lad in a top stable in France many years ago I would see horses returning after races with shocking welts that would put them off their feed and often not disappear for days. And today, at every racetrack, I strongly believe that commission veterinarians should inspect every horse after each race for signs of abuse, taking photos as evidence, and then hand out suspensions and fines based upon what they see, rather than what videos actually show.

As the great Willie Shoemaker once said, 'More horses are beaten out of the winner's circle than into it.'

Every jockey should be reminded of this. And perhaps, remembering what a great jockey he was, they will think twice before beating up an animal that is responsible for their bread and butter.

–Robin Dawson

If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, please write to info at paulickreport.com and include contact information where you may be reached if editorial staff have any questions.

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Readers Invited To Submit Letters To The Editor

As of March, 16, 2021, the Paulick Report has opted to discontinue reader comments.

We appreciate those readers who have shared their opinions and insights over the years, and we encourage you to continue to do so through Letters to the Editor.

Please direct those letters via email to info@paulickreport.com, with your full name and a telephone number so that we may contact you for confirmation prior to possible publication.

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Phillips: TAA Isn’t There Just To Care For Horses, But To Protect Racing’s Future

“I take care of my own,” responded the prominent owner who declined to make a commitment of financial support to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

In that response is a lack of understanding about the purpose of the TAA. While the “goal” of the TAA is to assure that Thoroughbreds exiting racing receive a soft landing with a new owner who promises to assume responsibility of care, thereby relieving the racing industry of its responsibility. The “purpose” of the TAA is to protect the sport of horse racing and thereby assure its future. The goal and purpose are very different things.

It makes little difference to the TAA if you believe that horses are just livestock or that horses are a revered companion animal worthy of better treatment. These are individual values, a debate about which the TAA need not engage. What is incontestable, however, is that if we want Thoroughbred horse racing to survive, all of us must commit to a broad scope of aftercare, more than just “taking care of my own.”

Racing participants understand that Thoroughbred racing is essentially a pyramid with graded stakes at the top, descending through a myriad of classes to a very broad base of claiming ranks at the lowest end of performance. While owners and breeders of every ilk aspire to the pyramid's peak, the reality is that everyone who has owned, trained or bred horses for very long has had their share of disappointments. These disappointments work through the system and generally depart the sport through these bottom claiming ranks. All know this and rely upon the broad base to hold up the value of those special horses at the top of the pyramid. Without this base the economics of the sport will not function.

It is wonderful that so many top breeders, trainers and owners have special outlets or their own field of equine pensioners that they take care of post racing. But not all Thoroughbreds are so lucky and with the mobility and breath of our sport, keeping track of a horse you bred, raced or trained is an effort. And besides, people say, isn't that someone else's responsibility once ownership of the horse was transferred?

In a perfect world, it is the transferees' responsibility, but this is not a perfect world. Those “special equines” who earn private pensioner status rely on a healthy sport with its broad base of the less talented through which they rise to earn that “special” pensioned treatment. To be clear, the TAA vigorously pursues all sectors and all levels, including the most modest of our sport, to help finance their on-the-ground partners who do the work of retraining, rehoming and sanctuary. These efforts most certainly include education and fundraising at the very base of the pyramid. But efforts at the base of the pyramid, while financially helpful, burn a lot of oxygen and are more long-term approaches at a time when the public demands immediate results.

John Phillips

This sport is a privilege. Those of us who have enjoyed its thrills and love its culture, however experienced, must do more than just “take care of our own.” We must take care of the future of the sport and if that means we must do more than our share of aftercare, then so be it. To whom much is given, much is also required.

The TAA, with an ever-increasing number of partners (the total is now estimated to be at 83) with 175 retraining, rehoming or retirement facilities, is desperately trying to defend the sport by answering the public's clear demand for a soft landing of our athletes as they exit racing competition. TAA is a well thought-out, practical and effective answer to the public's concern. Our “first exit from racing” philosophy is getting closer every year to assuring that all horses exiting racing get this soft landing from the sport.

Whether you're an owner, breeder, buyer or seller, a stallion farm or trainer, when the TAA seeks your support, keep in mind that our “purpose” is to protect the sport. And now with COVID-19 negatively impacting TAA's income, we need those who “take care of their own” for which the TAA is most appreciative, to take one further step and help the TAA take care of the sport.

John Phillips is a third-generation horseman, owner of Darby Dan Farm near Lexington, Ky., and manager of Phillips Racing Partnership. Phillips has served on a number of board positions in the racing industry and has previously been a director of the board of the Bluegrass Conservancy, Thoroughbred Club of America, and Breeders' Cup, and is currently a director of The Jockey Club Information Systems and is on TOBA's executive committee. Phillips also served two terms as a racing commissioner in Kentucky. He is the immediate past president of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and serves on its board and executive committee.

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