Jun 01 2012
Economic issues are front and center in the racing news today. And what’s happening at Colonial — where jocks will receive a mount fee increase — and at Calder — where grooms and hotwalkers will have to pony up cash for their luxurious backside accommodations — demonstrates the financial challenges facing our sport. Close to …
Jul 20 2008
One of the best steps that racing could take to improve the health and well-being of the largest number of horses is to raise purses, not for better horses but for worse ones: claiming horses, particularly bottom-level claimers. If need be — and it certainly would need to be — the money ought to come …
Jul 08 2008
In recent months, much has been made about the cruelty — or at least, callousness — of horse racing. The court of public opinion, seemingly, has decided: horsemen, trainers in particular, are bad guys. They drug their horses. They drive them to perform when they are unable. They shoot them full of steroids. They demand …
Jun 21 2008
In a week with plenty going on — Congressional hearings, major races (including the Queen’s Plate and Colonial Turf Cup), and the possibility that anti-drug horsemen Larry Jones and Jim Squires may have been framed in a recent drug positive (here, and a tip of the cap to the Paulick Report for highlighting the tale) …
May 28 2008
The owners of Big Brown — not ones to let the grass grow beneath their feet — were quick to find a post-racing home for the big boy. All it took, reportedly, was $50 million, and racing’s newest star already had a second career lined up. This, many have said (including in the most recent …
Jan 16 2008
Jeff Jacobs, owner of Colonial Downs, put out the “For Sale” sign on his track the other day. You can read more here. It comes down to money, Jacobs says, and the lack of alternative gaming (read, slots) or additional sources of revenue. Evidently, Old Dominion legislators have shown no real interest in adding one-armed …
Loading tweets...