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Letter to the Editor: Jose Nelson

ARGENTINA, ALMOST 5 MONTHS WITHOUT RACING AND THAT IS NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM TO SOLVE

Being almost five months without racing is a fact sufficiently relevant to explain the financial crisis faced by the Argentine racing community. However, that alone does not fully explain the risks that all stakeholders are facing in the months ahead. As we explained in the past in this newsletter, the purse structure of Argentine racing is substantially made by the contributions coming from proceeds from slots. At Palermo Racetrack, located in the city of Buenos Aires, the slots are part of the operation of the racetrack. At San Isidro and La Plata, however, the slots are located in “bingo halls” located around the province of Buenos Aires and the two racetracks get a slice of them. All slots, no matter where they are, have been closed since mid-March and that may not change dramatically until there is a way to allow their safe operation, partially or totally, in line with health protocols, which may take time to be tested, approved and at full operation.

Therefore, even when the time comes for the racetracks to re-open without people attending, the purse structure will be materially lower than it was before the pandemic, unless the government provides some financing to cover the gap, a possibility with not much chance due to the severe financial restrictions created by the long lockdown of economic activities. To make things even worse, when the time comes for the racetracks to open, gambling will occur through phone betting only, since online gambling is still prohibited and the regulations to permit them and its implementation may be additional months ahead.

The funding of the purse structure from the proceeds of slot machines for approximately 15 years has made racing almost completely dependent on decisions made by outsiders to racing, both in the private and public sector, and there is a sense of urgency to find within racing permanent sources of income.

Argentine racing produces approximately 7,000 foals per year and it has had daily racing programs with full cards for a long time. San Isidro and Palermo racetracks host jointly not less than 3,500 horses in training all year round and La Plata adds not less than 1,000. Owners and trainers are making enormous efforts to keep horses around until the reopening occurs, but a large number of them are moving horses back to farms and other facilities away from the racetracks to cope with the mounting expenses that are not being matched by any income. Prices at the auctions are showing that the expectations of sellers and buyers is that 2020 and probably 2021 will be years that will result in heavy losses that not all will be able to swallow.

There has been no event in the past that has put Argentine racing in a similar situation. And unless positive news come soon there will be chances that the industry as a whole will have to make major and painful adjustments to survive and eventually be restarted under sound new rules. We all hope for the best, but challenges lie ahead. If we can swim these stormy waters Argentine racing may get back to its best traditions and make a future on its own.

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Equitana USA Cancels 2020 Exhibition

Equitana USA has canceled its equestrian trade fair and expo, which had been scheduled for Sept. 25 through 27 at the Kentucky Horse Park, due to public safety concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers are already planning for the 2021 event, which is scheduled for Oct. 1-3 at the Horse Park.

“Equitana USA is a shared place and time for all disciplines, breeds, ages and levels of the equine industry,” said Meghan Margewicz, the event’s director. “But the safety of everyone associated with the event is always our first priority. After many discussions with the Kentucky Horse Park, exhibitors, presenters and attendees, we made a difficult, but necessary decision to cancel this year’s celebration and work to create an amazing reunion for everyone in 2021.”

All Equitana USA 2020 ticket holders will be refunded electronically, with no further action by ticket holders required.

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Fayette County Schools Launch Equine Training Program

With an eye on bolstering the available pool of labor, several Kentucky horse farms, along with other industry organizations, have come together and donated $322,000 to the Fayette County Public Schools, which will be creating an all-encompassing equine training program for middle school students and high school students attending the Locust Trace AgriScience Center in Lexington.

While Fayette County might seem like a natural breeding ground for future farm employees that wasn’t necessarily the case, said Chauncey Morris, the executive director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, which spearheaded the effort to develop the program. Morris said that many students in the area had little interaction with horses and never considered horse racing as a career opportunity. The goal of the program was to not only create a source of jobs for local residents but to provide farms with a new pool of skilled labor, something that has been in short supply in recent years.

“We started having conversations about this 2 ½ years ago and we knew we wanted to provide more work opportunities for a local labor pool,” Morris said. “Once we started to know more about Locust Trace and (principal) Anne DeMott we saw that we had a huge asset, bricks and mortar, in our backyard where we had an opportunity to provide funding that would create more of a local labor source that would meet out workforce needs and accomplish a lot of goals.”

Locust Trace opened in 2011 and has always had equine-related classes, but the donation will lead to a large scale expansion of the program, which will, for the first time, also include middle school students who may end up at Locust Trace. DeMott estimates that as many as 220 students on the high school level will take part in the program.

“With us now working with the middle schools, we are reaching students earlier and creating an excitement and an enthusiasm for the industry,” DeMott said.

Another goal of the program will be to create jobs for minority students in racing, an industry that has recognized it needs to become more diverse. DeMott said that 30 percent of her students are minorities, but the goal is to bring more into the program. In attempt to do so, Locust Trace is working with Ron Mack, who operates the Legacy Equine Academy. The Legacy Equine Academy was formed in 2017 with the goal of promoting the equine and agriculture industries to minority students.

“It’s a beautiful story that’s being written,” Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Manny Caulk said of the program. “That’s a story that is going to be inclusive of a very diverse group of students, racially, socio-economically. That’s important in today’s times when you are talking about racial and social justice. That’s what is top of mind for all of us. When they look at the role African Americans have played (in horse racing), I think they will be proud of that history. If you are proud of that sort of history and take ownership of it, you’re going to say ‘You know what? I can choose this profession too.'”

The program is geared to for the individual needs and desires of each student and to make them as marketable as possible. In additional to horsemanship skills, students will be taught such things as landscaping and farm maintenance. A curriculum will be established for those who want to go to work on a farm right after high school and for those who want to attend college or pursue a career in the veterinary field.

“My goal is that we have something for every learner, no matter what their end goal is or their ability level,” DeMott said.

While many of the students may start out in entry level jobs, Morris said there’s no reason why they can’t rise through the ranks at a major farm.

“Hands on horsemanship is often vital to getting to the next level,” Morris said. ” Many of our senior managers have been folks that stated at the entry level. Because of the size and scope of the industry here we are always constantly going to have a churn of labor. We need this because people are needed at every single level. If they have proper training at the entry level they can ascend much more swiftly. An industry is oftentimes only as productive and efficient as its labor force is. In the back of our minds, we have been mindful of this. If we are doing our jobs right there is always going to be a need that needs to be met here.”

The industry’s commitment to Locust Trace is for three years, but Morris is convinced that the program will prove to be so successful that it will become a long-term answer to an industry problem, finding good, reliable and skilled workers.

“This is the beginning of the story, not the end of it,” he said. “There are a lot of moving parts and it will probably take us some time to get our heads around all this. We are very grateful that we have the opportunity to do this. It’s going to be the first step and, hopefully, we will see a lot of returns. Central Kentucky has been very good to this industry. There is a humanitarian motivation here in that we are trying to give back to the community, as well. When it all comes together, we should also should be producing a well-rounded student, a graduate of Locust Trace, that if they choose to go to work in thoroughbred industry they will come in with training and a skill set.”

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Into Mischief Filly Airs at Colonial Downs

4th-Colonial Downs, $40,400, Msw, 8-3, 2yo, f, 5f, :57.65, ft.
FEELING MISCHIEF (f, 2, Into Mischief–True Feelings {GSP, $111,205}, by Latent Heat) broke like a shot and led Some Nights (Street Boss) and 21-1 shot Bravo Regina (Congrats) through a :22.38 quarter. Clear and moving easily turning for home, the 6-5 choice pulled away with aplomb, crossing the wire a geared-down eight-length winner over Bravo Regina. Palmgirl (Commisioner) completed the trifecta. The winner is a half to Grade III-placed Royal Act (American Pharoah). Grade III-placed True Feelings–a half-sister to Flirtaious (A.P. Indy), responsible for champion sophomore filly Wait a While–foaled a colt by Justify this term and was bred back to Quality Road. This is the family of champion 2 & 3-year-old colt Lookin At Lucky. Sales History: $340,000 RNA Ylg ’19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $24,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Mellon Patch Inc.; B-Stonehaven Stdings (KY); T-M Campbell.

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