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British Racing Partners With The UK Government For Breeders’ Cup Trade Mission

The British racing industry will partner will the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) at the 2023 Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita in November to deliver a UK government trade mission centred around the horse racing industry.

Great British Racing International (GBRI) will lead the four-day mission in partnership with Ascot Racecourse, The Jockey Club and UK Tote Group. The trade mission represents the first time the British racing industry has collaborated on a large-scale international event with the support of the UK government.

Beginning on Wednesday, Nov. 1, is the Welcome Reception hosted by the UK government and sponsored by Ascot Racecourse and The Jockey Club. The event will allow members of the UK racing industry at the Breeders' Cup the opportunity to meet the trade mission delegation, valued owners and other international investors. The remaining three days of the mission will be a business development programme for trade delegates and the opportunity to see British racing play host in a dedicated hospitality area within Santa Anita Park in California. In addition to the programme, there will also be the second edition of the World Tote Association (WoTA) Forum which will be co-chaired by the UK Tote Group and the ATG on Thursday, Nov. 2.

UK Minister for Exports, Department for Business and Trade, Lord Offord said, “Horse racing makes a hugely important contribution to the UK economy and offers exciting export and investment opportunities, so it is fantastic that we are pioneering the first horse racing trade mission at the Breeders' Cup in November.

“The Breeders' Cup offers us the chance to showcase the UK's expertise on a global stage–and hopefully see more British success on the track.”

Rod Street, Chief Executive of Great British Racing International, added, “This initiative, in partnership with the Department for Business and Trade and key industry stakeholders, will give British Racing a prime opportunity to showcase our world-leading credentials across various disciplines on the world stage. As well as facilitating discussions around UK exports, we will be looking to identify and drive opportunities for investment across our industry.

“We also hope that the event will demonstrate to the wider UK government that there is much to be gained by supporting and working more closely with the industry, in various capacities.

“GBRI has developed a close working relationship with DBT over the last two years and this is an excellent example of what our work in this area has yielded for the industry. We would like to thank the team at DBT for their enthusiasm and support for British racing; Ascot Racecourse and The Jockey Club for their kind sponsorship of the Welcome Reception as well as the Breeders' Cup for their assistance with the race day elements of the programme.”

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Stronach Group To Close Golden Gate Fields, Focus On Santa Anita

In order to focus on its racing and training venues at Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs, The Stronach Group will close Golden Gate Fields at the end of its 2023 racing meet, the organization said in a release late on Sunday.

With the goal of increasing field sizes and adding another day of racing to the weekly racing calendar at Santa Anita Park, come Jan. 2024, officials hope this consolidation will serve to further elevate the overall customer experience at Santa Anita Park.

“The Stronach Group remains steadfastly committed to racing in California,” said Belinda Stronach, Chairwoman, Chief Executive Officer and President, The Stronach Group. “We believe that the future success of racing depends on a business model that encourages investment in Southern California, one of North America's premier racing circuits. Focusing on Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs as state-of-the-art racing and training facilities that offer enhanced program quality, increased race days, expanded wagering opportunities, and premier hospitality and entertainment experiences is vital to ensuring that California racing can continue to compete and thrive on a national level.”

Stronach added, “We recognize that the decision will have profound effects on our valued employees as well as the owners, trainers, jockeys and stable personnel at Golden Gate Fields. The Stronach Group is committed to honoring labor obligations and developing a meaningful transition plan.”

Moving forward, the company will work in cooperation with industry participants including the California Horse Racing Board, Thoroughbred Owners of California, California Thoroughbred Trainers, and Del Mar and Los Alamitos racetracks, to develop a plan to relocate horses and employees to Southern California while supporting all affected by this closure.

The California Horse Racing Board confirmed its commitment to work towards finding the best path forward for California horse racing in a release sent out soon after The Stronach Group's statement.

“Golden Gate Fields has been racing nine months out of the year in Northern California,” said CHRB Executive Director Scott Chaney. “I think it is fair to say that race-date allocations will take on a new meaning when the Board opens discussions in August for 2024 race dates. I am acutely aware of the human impact of the closure–be they CHRB employees, CHRB contractors, licensees, and, of course, Golden Gate employees–and I will be working hard to ameliorate any negative consequences and to create job and role opportunities.”

CHRB Vice Chair Oscar Gonzales, who chairs the CHRB Race Dates Committee, expressed assurance that the GGF workforce and horsemen will be treated with dignity and respect and that there will be an open and transparent process.

“While we await more details and information, Golden Gate stakeholders and Northern California horsemen should know that horse racing will continue,” said Gonzales. “We look forward to receiving and implementing the industry's transition plan. We hope the upcoming CHRB meeting [Aug. 17] and Race Dates Committee meeting [Aug. 16, both in Del Mar] will be an opportunity to share more information with the public.”

Chaney said the possibility of new off-track wagering locations in the East Bay should be part of the ongoing discussions.

Not long after The Stronach Group released its statement, Alan Balch, executive director of the California Thoroughbred Trainers, released his own statement.

“Today, we learned with great dismay, fear, and anxiety, on behalf of all California trainers and their thousands of employees, of the Stronach racing company's decision to discontinue racing at Golden Gate Fields later this year,” Balch's statement read. “Were it not for our contractual obligations with Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita management, we would publicly disclose the reasons for our serious trepidation–all of which our CTT leadership has taken the initiative to discuss privately with Stronach management on several occasions, during last year and earlier this year. We can only say that we would have hoped those responsible for such a decision had taken their own contractual obligation for fairness, inclusion, communication, and honesty, as seriously as we have.

“The ramifications of this Stronach decision will be far-reaching and long-lasting. They will include, we believe, a great many unintended and mainly detrimental consequences for all of racing and Thoroughbred breeding throughout California and the West, including in Southern California. We can only hope that we are entirely wrong.”

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CHRB Reports Safety Measures Continue To Protect Horses

California horse racing again experienced a significant decline in the number of horses that died from injuries suffered during racing and training at the state's facilities during the 2022-23 fiscal year that ended June 30, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) said in a press release on Saturday.

A total of 26 died last year as a result of musculoskeletal injuries that occurred while racing or training, compared with 39 the previous year. For context, approximately 30,000 race starts and far in excess of 100,000 workouts occur each year from 8,000 to 10,000 horses at CHRB regulated facilities.

“That's still too many fatalities, but it shows that all of the new regulations, policies and procedures that that we've introduced in cooperation with the industry have had a significant effect,” said CHRB Chairman Greg Ferraro. “Our efforts are focused primarily on preventable injuries, and that's what the numbers reflect. I don't know of any racing jurisdiction in the country that even comes close to matching this effort or result.”

In the interest of full transparency, the CHRB also tracks fatalities caused by any non-exercise-related catastrophic injury. The most common cause of death in this other group is gastro-intestinal diseases, such as colic, colitis, and enteritis, followed by respiratory disease. Unfortunately, the number of “other” deaths increased last year, and those 43 deaths, coupled with the 26 due to musculoskeletal injuries, brought the total to 69, or three more than the 66 from the previous year.

“I've considered several times the idea of not counting other deaths, the type that occur among horse populations anywhere in the world, including the popular riding stables and in the wild, but I've always decided that full transparency is the best way to go,” said CHRB Executive Director Scott Chaney.

Those 43 other deaths occurred despite care and treatment by on-site veterinarians and specialized equipment located in stable areas.

“Six of those horses were transported to the veterinary hospital at the University of California, Davis, as well as other local referral hospitals, where experts did their best to save them,” said Dr. Jeff Blea, the CHRB equine medical director. “Illnesses such as severe colic, advanced neurologic cases, and obscure medical conditions, sometimes just are not treatable, as animal and horse owners throughout the world know from personal experience.”

For further context, equine fatalities at CHRB-regulated facilities have declined by 54 percent since 2019, including the “other” category.

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WOTA Forum Set for Nov. 2

The World Tote Association (WOTA) will hold the second annual Racing and Betting Forum, which has been scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 2, from noon to 5:30 p.m. in Arcadia, CA. The event is being held in conjunction with this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships, set for Nov. 3 and 4 at Santa Anita Park.

This year's forum will discuss several key issues affecting pool betting, including attracting a younger audience and how sustainability issues in horse racing will impact on betting.

The forum will be held at the Le Meridien Pasadena Arcadia hotel. For more information or to register, visit the WOTA website.

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