letter to editor

Dear Editor: A July 31 letter printed by Thoroughbred Daily News criticized Florida's racing and breeding programs. This letter, seemingly targeted at the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' & Owners' Association, compels a direct response, particularly given the source and timing. Considering the Source The author of this letter has not appeared as a breeder-of-record on a registered Florida-bred foal that we know of since 2019, holds no current Florida racing license that we are aware of, appears to have no recent Florida starts as an owner or trainer, and is not...

David Heckerman's series was a sobering, but accurate depiction of why things are as they are.  Although the vast acreage of the race track properties were likely on a path for at least partial development regardless of the health of racing, the chickens have come home to roost. I remember the days when individuals (Donn family, Cella family, etc.) and groups of individuals (E.P.Taylor and cronies, Strub et all, etc.) were committed to their tracks perpetuating.   Reality has set in with their successors not being motivated similarly.  This happens...

I read with interest the article of The Thoroughbred Report titled "Dogs Gone: New Zealand bans greyhound racing from 2026," dated Dec. 12. The article starts with the sentence, "There are only five nations globally where greyhound racing still operates being New Zealand, USA, Ireland, Australia, and Britain, but this is set to change with an announcement by New Zealand MP Winston Peters that greyhound racing will be banned in NZ from 2026." I was not aware that racing greyhounds is still legal in the United States. According to Wikipedia,...

It is with a lot interest that I read the two Op/Eds from Earl Mack and Bill Finley published this week about the dirt vs. synthetic surfaces, and, although the numbers speak for themselves, I think we should look at another factor. A lot more sprints are being run on dirt than either turf or synthetic. The composition of the dirt surface makes speed the best asset for horses who compete and it is common to see fractions of sub-22 seconds for a first 1/4 of a mile, and over...