Tag: The Paddock

“If things don't function properly, might it be in your personal life, in your business, or in your country, you should know that you've got a problem. If you don't know that you've got a problem, then you've really got a problem. And problems are like cancer. If left unattended they will grow.” – Frank Stronach

Thoroughbred racing has a problem. Standardbred racing has a problem. Quarter Horse racing has a problem. And I'm not sure enough people in those endeavors know it. That means they've got a real problem. And those problems for all of horse racing will grow if nothing is done to address them.

The wide-ranging federal investigation into horse doping of Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds exposed serious problems that were not being addressed by racetracks or state racing commissions. The feds didn't bother to look into Quarter Horse racing. Perhaps it was because Quarter Horse racing had become so rotten and corrupt they didn't know where to begin.

With last week's guilty plea by disgraced trainer Jason Servis on one felony and one misdemeanor count, all of the cases rolled out in an indictment unsealed on March 9, 2020, are pretty much closed – except for the sentencing of a few defendants, including Servis. The feds have compiled a winning percentage in court  that even Servis and another disgraced, convicted Thoroughbred trainer, Jorge Navarro, would have envied.

The FBI round-up of these cheaters, whose actions led honest owners and trainers to lose money and in some cases leave the business, was cheered widely. Millions of dollars have been ordered by the justice system to be repaid by these crooks, but it's not clear yet who is in line to receive any funds or whether they will ever see a nickel. Horseplayers, many of whom were convinced certain trainers were using the “juice,” were robbed, too, but their only satisfaction will be in knowing that some of those who did the crime will now do the time. The horses who died at the hands of these dopers were the biggest victims.

These criminals were not bit players.

Ten days before his arrest, Servis sent out Maximum Security to win the world's richest horse race, the $20-million Saudi Cup. A month earlier, Maximum Security's co-owner, Gary West (who owned the horse with associates from Coolmore Stud), hoisted an Eclipse Award trophy into the air after the horse he bred in partnership with his wife, Mary, had been named champion 3-year-old male of 2019.

This probe reached the very pinnacle of racing and is one of the biggest sporting scandals every uncovered.

Despite losing Maximum Security's apparent victory in the Kentucky Derby because of an interference disqualification, Servis enjoyed his best earnings year ever in 2019, winning over $11 million in purses while scoring with 29 percent of his starters. That put him in eighth place by money won in North America. (Percentage-wise, 2018, was even better for Servis, who recorded a strike rate of 32 percent.)

Navarro in 2019 won the biggest race of his career, the $2.5 million Golden Shaheen at Meydan racecourse in Dubai, putting that horse's career earnings over $3 million. That was Navarro's best year from an earnings standpoint as well, with $6.8 million in purses won (16^th in North America) from a winning percentage of 28 percent. (Like Servis, Navarro enjoyed an even higher strike rate in 2018, winning at a gaudy 34 percent clip.)

Both Navarro and Servis dominated at Monmouth Park, with Navarro winning seven consecutive training titles there. It probably didn't hurt that Servis trained for Dennis Drazin, the CEO of Darby Developments that operates the Jersey Shore track. In fact, Drazin gave Servis his first starter as head trainer in 2001 and supported him until the end. Honest trainers never had a chance.

Navarro is in prison, serving five years. Servis is awaiting sentencing.

Owners who support cheating trainers but pretend to know nothing are part of the problem, too. Wittingly or not, they are enablers who should know better.

North American Standardbred racing's second and third winningest trainers in 2019 also ran afoul of the FBI and both have pleaded guilty. Nick Surick, who won 367 races in 2019, ranked second by wins in North America according to the United States Trotting Association; Rene Allard won 339 races, third by wins and also by money won with nearly $5.9 million in purse earnings. Allard has been sentenced to 27 months in prison and Surick could face more time behind bars than that.

Seth Fishman, the South Florida veterinarian who flooded drugs into both breeds, was a jet-setter who routinely flew to Dubai to treat racing camels, in addition to horses. Fishman, instead of pleading guilty, took his chances in front of a jury, which found him guilty for his role in what prosecutors called a 20-year scheme to manufacture, market, and sell “untestable” performance enhancing drugs. He is serving 11 years in prison.

These are just a few of the original 30 indicted. According to longtime racing executive Charles Hayward, this investigation has yielded more than 50 years of jail time and $61 million in fines and restitution. And for each person indicted, there are many, many more that likely could have the same fate if the FBI wanted to use its resources to drive more scoundrels out of horse racing and into jail.

Hayward recently wrote a brilliant piece about the state of affairs in racing today, stating his case for why the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority is absolutely vital for the future of the sport.

Hayward went back to March 2020 and republished some of the statements from horse racing executives following the arrests of Servis, Navarro et al. He then added his own comments in response to what they said then.

Some excerpts:

Ed Martin, president of the Association of Racing Commissioners International: “Today's indictments are good news in that they demonstrate the multiple layers of enforcement and the tools available, including wiretaps, that exist to police the sport.”

Hayward's response: “Wow! There was no demonstration of the multiple layers of enforcement and the tools available. If Stuart Janney and The Jockey Club with an assist from Jeff Gural (Meadowlands owner), and the investigative work done by 5 Stones intelligence had not invested millions over a five-year period there would have been no indictments.”

Alan Foreman, chairman of Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association: “This is a bad news good news story … the good news is the industry is capable of rooting this kind of conduct out.”

Hayward's response: “Alan Foreman is one of the best legal minds in the industry but this comment truly misses the mark. … State regulators, state racing commissions and the national horsemen's organization were not capable of rooting out this kind of conduct and the result was completely failing the racing industry. Sadly, I believe that Servis and Navarro would still be winning races if The Jockey Club had not engaged 5 Stones intelligence to investigate and make a compelling case to get the FBI and the U.S. attorney involved.”

Hayward also quotes Eric Hamelback, president of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, who said the news of indictments was “extremely troubling” and that the HBPA “strongly” opposes the “behavior in this indictment.”

Well, that's nice.

Less than two years earlier, in June 2018, Hamelback testified before the U.S. Congress in opposition to legislation aimed a setting up a national regulatory structure designed to be more effective at cleaning up horse racing's problems and make the sport safer for its equine and human participants.

Problems? What problems? Hamelback told Congress there are no problems in horse racing.

Citing the same laughable statistics as ARCI's Ed “Pure as Ivory Soap” Martin, Hamelback said racing is 99.9 percent clean.

“Data maintained by the state racing authorities compiled by the Association of Racing Commissioners International shows conclusively that doping of racehorses in the U.S. is rare,” Hamelback testified. “The job we are doing is being done very well.”

Oh, really?

Hamelback and other members of the fellowship of the status quo, do not believe racing has a problem. And that, as his longtime former boss Frank Stronach said, is a real problem.

The National HBPA leader goes by the name @EricTheTiger on Twitter. Maybe he should change it to @EricTheOstrich.

That's my view from the eighth pole.

The post View From The Eighth Pole: Dopers, Enablers, And Ostriches appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of commentaries, all of which will begin under the premise of “The problem with …” Rather than to complain, however, as the introductory phrase might suggest, the purpose of these articles is to present the big picture of a major racing issue and create a dialogue about what is best for the sport's future. Part 1 in the series can be read here.

The problem with the Triple Crown (I challenge any Turf writer to come up with a more polarizing start to an article) is that the obsession with it is hurting the ability to promote the sport of horse racing as a whole.

The prevailing wisdom is that the attention the Triple Crown receives as the biggest event in horse racing in the United States will spill over to the rest of racing, kind of like how a rising tide lifts all boats. However, the way the Triple Crown is presented and promoted has made the series its own mini-sport that holds hostage aspects of the sport at large.

To fix this and have the Triple Crown working in tandem with the bigger picture of horse racing in America, should the Triple Crown adapt to the direction that the industry has been headed? After all, the Triple Crown has remained unchanged since its three-races-in-five-weeks schedule was solidified in 1969 — the one exception coming in 2020 because of COVID-19. Or, should it be the other way around and horse racing do more to adapt to the Triple Crown?

Usually, the scrutiny falls on the Triple Crown. Are today's 3-year-old Thoroughbreds not prepared for the rigors of three long races in a brief five-week period? Should the races be shorter because they would fit better with current breeding trends? Should there be more time between races because today's American Thoroughbreds usually get more rest between starts?

I previously offered my opinions on these ideas in a column for Paulick Report in 2020 when the Triple Crown schedule was forced to change that year because of COVID-19. Most sports go through some type of radical revolution to adapt to the ever-evolving sports and entertainment market — interleague play in baseball, different overtime rules in football, expanded playoffs in every major sport, and more.

So, why couldn't horse racing do something revolutionary, knowing that other sports go through initial backlash from traditionalists but are ultimately more successful in the long run? Because, at least in horse racing's current climate, altering the Triple Crown is considered non-negotiable.

The backlash would be like to New Coke. (This is a reference I also made in the first “The Problem With” column because one of the greatest lessons in marketing is not to be like New Coke.) Or, imagine if the famous Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island on July 4th became the Nathan's Salad Eating Contest, even if salad is healthier than hot dogs.

Instead, let's accept that the Triple Crown in horse racing is sacred on a biblical level and appreciate that the races attract the biggest crowds on track, the most viewers on TV, and the brightest spotlight on the sport, particularly from casual fans and non-racing media.

However, the brief “shot in the arm” horse racing experiences starting on the first Saturday in May at the Kentucky Derby dissipates significantly after the horses cross the finish line at the Belmont in June. The reason is that horse racing in its year-round presentation is nothing like the Triple Crown.

Here are a few ideas for how it could be, together with different ways to package the Triple Crown without touching its sanctity:

– Create a race at the end of the year just for horses that have run in a Triple Crown race that year. Or another race in the spring or summer for older horses that have run in a Triple Crown race during their careers. These races — let's call them the “Triple Crown Masters” for older horses and the “Triple Crown Graduate Stakes” for 3-year-olds — could move to a new location each year. Think of this as expanding the playoffs in horse racing, like in other sports, without touching the significance of the final.

– Do more to recreate the Triple Crown atmosphere around the country. One of the most popular aspects of the Triple Crown is the race-day experience for the fans that only engage with horse racing during the Triple Crown. For some, it's having a reason to dress up in fancy hats and clothes. For them, create “Triple Crown Days,” kind of like a concert series that captures the atmosphere of the Triple Crown. Many racecourses in England host a “Ladies Day” that links their track to the aura of the famous “Ladies Day” at Royal Ascot. For others, the Triple Crown is about the atmosphere in the infield, considered a big reason for the success of Triple Crown fandom even if it has nothing to do with racing itself. Fine, have music festivals on race days. Why can't other racetracks enjoy the financial windfall that the Triple Crown tracks do by appealing to these fans?

– Embrace the idea that the Triple Crown is for young horses and focus on the collectiveness of the horses that participate rather than trying to single out one brightest star. The problem is that fans, regardless of whether they're casual fans or afficionados, have little familiarity with horses that run in the Triple Crown. We just don't know enough about them. Prior to 2000, a total of 30 horses across 125 Kentucky derbies entered the race with four or less lifetime starts. Over the next 18 runnings from 2000 to 2017, there were 32 horses entering the Kentucky Derby with four or less lifetime starts. In 2022, it was more than one third of the field. So, treat the Triple Crown like the Little League World Series or college sports where we can better appreciate the competition for the athletes at this stage in their life.

– Emulate the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” format for Triple Crown races. It's easier to grasp than a point system and allows regular sports fans and casual horse racing fans to consider that there's a regular season or regional qualifiers and that the Triple Crown races are like the championships.

– Get away from the Triple-Crown-or-bust mentality where the question of “Can [insert name of Kentucky Derby winner] etch his name in history?” Once Rich Strike's connections decided not to run in the Preakness or the Kentucky Derby winner loses in the Preakness, the air comes out of the series' sails. Even if there is a modern Triple Crown winner, racing becomes self-deprecating and likes to diminish the most-revered accomplishment you can have by claiming it still wasn't as good as when Secretariat did it.

– Promote the fact that a horse ran in a Triple Crown race as an accomplishment, even if they did not win. Along those lines, create some type of incentive, financial or otherwise, for a Triple Crown participant to run in a stakes race. Because, just as quickly as a star is born in the Kentucky Derby, the winners go away, either because of their breeding potential or injury. Since California Chrome mania, only 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming and 2021 winner Mandaloun raced as 4-year-olds. Mandaloun was actually a weird case because he technically didn't “win” the Kentucky Derby until Medina Spirit was disqualified in February of his 4-year-old season.

– Bucking the above trend will be Rich Strike, whose connections plan to continue racing the 80‑1 Kentucky Derby winner in 2022 as a 4-year-old in 2023. He's run four times since the Triple Crown. As the Kentucky Derby winner, he is actually more well-known to general sports fans than Flightline. However, many in the sport just want to use whenever he runs as an opportunity to disparage that he got “lucky” and isn't a “legitimate” Kentucky Derby winner, even though the “legitimate” Kentucky Derby winners in their eyes don't do any favors for the sport by racing to the breeding shed. Instead, let's appreciate that there can be a Cinderella story in the Triple Crown and indulge in the fantasy of its possibility like college basketball does every March in the NCAA tournament. Sure, George Mason has been nowhere close to the Final Four since their Cinderella run in 2006, but other “longshots” have, making every NCAA tournament game, regardless of how lopsided the matchup may seem, intriguing.

Exploring how the aura of the Triple Crown can last longer than five weeks actually makes me appreciate the series even more. See, for all of you that bristled when I started this column with “the problem with the Triple Crown,” I didn't try to tamper with American horse racing's most sacred vessel. We actually may have found some ways to make fans, particularly casual and new ones, more devoted to it.

Announcing horse races inspired Jonathan Horowitz to become an advocate for off-track Thoroughbreds, as well as to learn to event on OTTBs and to expand his announcing of and writing about equine sports to horse shows around the United States. He also announces a variety of sports around the Denver-metro area, where he and his wife, Ashley, run the Super G Sporthorses eventing barn. Jonathan can be reached on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube at @jjhorowitz.

The post Commentary: The Problem With … The Promotion Of The Triple Crown appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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