Don’t forget...

Real Writing on Racing 💯

The world moves at a lightning fast pace these days. Big stories rarely endure in the headlines in this age of information, new news is almost certain to be lingering right around the corner. Racing is not immune to this phenomenon, the year round schedule and now world-wide coverage provides plenty of fodder both good and bad. In this country there is also the added layer that much of the racing media is in fact owned or influenced by the participants. Most outlets are owned by a racetrack/ADW or industry organization like the Jockey Club or are simply impacted via advertising dollars from one of those sources. This has the effect of pushing the narratives and coverage on what ultimately serves those underlying influencers without regard to the actual dominoes that may get knocked over.

Racing got battered pretty good in the mainstream press the last week or so in the aftermath of Bob Baffert’s stunning press conference last Sunday morning at Churchill Downs. Not that it’s not well deserved because the entire episode revealed to the whole world just how dysfunctional modern day thoroughbred racing can be. It was obvious by late Monday afternoon that there was no crisis management plan in place, there was no central racing point person for media outlets to turn to, no counter to Baffert’s inane and bizarre ramblings culminating with the now infamous “cancel culture” remark on Fox News. That is a clear fumble by what passes for leadership in the industry especially in light of the Santa Anita situation of 2019 and last years FBI raids. We don’t require a full fledged commissioner in order to explain to the masses what was actually happening, what the process is and letting the self-proclaimed “face of the industry” be the person creating the narrative was an abject failure. Every major business and industry utilizes a PR firm with a crisis plan on call in the case of a situation that could spin out of control like the Kentucky Derby winner potentially being disqualified because of drugs in his system. I’m sure the excuse is nobody wants to be on the hook for the expense but there is always an excuse in horse racing, as long as the bucks keep rolling in the buck will never stop anywhere. 

We have heard a lot of claims that the savior is coming soon, that HISA and the USADA are riding in on white horses to save the day. Nothing could be more misconstrued than actually believing that. No sir, regulation is not really the issue at hand, it’s more than likely that the alleged positive test for Medina Spirit would have been called under the upcoming Federal statue as well. Perhaps the immediate aftermath would have been less chaotic but a violation would have still occurred. 

Remember that the rules adopted could still be flawed in some way especially with the thirst for stronger penalties being greater than a hunger for optimum rules. The line that allows professionals to ethically treat their equine athletes while preventing those who would push the envelope, looking for an edge, is a fuzzy one simply because of the wide variety of factors that exist. All we ever asked for as trainers are consistent rules that are clear and a desire to feel comfortable that if followed properly, both our horses and us would be safe. Give the entire sport a set of rules that doesn’t allow for so many potential litigious opportunities which of course always gives the bigger outfits a “get out of jail free” card like we saw play out in Arkansas. Make a positive test mean something more than it means now which can vary wildly from accident, to environmental contamination to something more sinister. Safeguard the innocent, persecute the guilty and at all costs always protect the horse. 

That being said racing’s worst flaw that was exposed this past week was that the “stars” and big names truly believe that they are bigger than the game. Wayne Lukas made some outlandish comments to the effect that he would have poured the test results “down the sink” and doubled down on that remark by saying that “If you are old and rich and famous you can say any f***ing thing you want”. This is truly how many of the players at the top of the sport think. Why stop at saying whatever you want, they demand preferential treatment in virtually all areas and for the most part the weakling powers that be in racing let them get their way. Top jockeys are allowed far more latitude to herd and intimidate and check out some of the carded short fields and see who the favorites are. Smaller trainers have to beg for an extra stall and get threatened when they might want to ship out of town trying to win a race to keep their head above water, yet the big outfits get whatever stalls they want and ship unfettered by any interference from racing officials. Anytime a big outfit gets in trouble, the lawyers show up and the can gets kicked down the road, the consequences tempered because the regulatory bodies aren’t equipped well to fight long protracted legal battles. As Barry Irwin stated in an opinion piece last week, “Arrogance in the case of Baffert is completely understandable. Why wouldn’t he be arrogant? He keeps getting in trouble and he keeps escaping unscathed. When this happens time after time after time after time, the escapee tends to become a bit unwary of possible pitfalls that might stand in his way.”

Baffert and Lukas aren’t the only ones this applies to but this episode has pulled back the curtain for all to see. Ironically Lukas comments haven’t been rebuked by anyone, at least as far as I have seen. Yet his words are arguably worse than Baffert’s in that in Bob’s case he is just deflecting blame, whereas Lukas was literally saying that guys like he and Baffert were more important than the rules and f**k you if you don’t like it. Coming from an icon who has carved out a huge place in horse racing history, it was a bit jarring especially considering that the only times he appears in big races these days is with rank outsiders like Ram who finished last in the Preakness, beaten almost 37 lengths. 

I ask you though, do not forget this week. Don’t just let the sands of time lessen the anger or disgust or disdain that you felt. If nothing else racing is persistent and while Rombauer’s sharp performance in winning the Preakness was a good tonic for the previous weeks ails, don’t let the enablers off the hook again. While surely the bombastic sound bites of last week will echo in the ears of some, the real noise which might ultimately doom the game was silence. So many that have let us get to this point, that have cast aside the good of the game for personal gain, that have rolled over, that have made excuses for bad behavior…boy they didn’t have much to say did they?

Don’t let yourself be lulled into believing that this weekend’s handle numbers prove that everything is alright. Take a look at the Sunday cards at the big tracks or Monday at the B level tracks. Short fields everywhere, the summer is just beginning and all this business wants to talk about is whips, lasix and Bob Baffert. It used to be if you wanted photos, you went to Photo Hut or Fotomat but those are long gone now. It used to be if you wanted to gamble you went to the racetrack….don’t forget.