Letter to the Editor

Dear Sir/Madam, Reflecting on Saturday night's ITBA Awards and on the achievements of previous Hall of Fame recipients, the illustrious roll of honour reads like a who's who of Irish breeders who prioritised the Classics and the middle-distance horse. Names such as The Aga Khan, John Magnier, Sonia Rogers, Mr and Mrs Walter Haefner, Jim Bolger, Tim Hyde, Stan Cosgrove, David and Diane Nagle, Dermot and Meta Cantillon, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, and Aidan and Annemarie O'Brien, among others, serve as a reminder that Classic success has long been the...

On Thursday in Palm Beach, Bob Duncan was honored with a Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence acknowledging his contribution to the sport of horse racing through his work at the starting gate. I loudly applaud the NTRA, DRF and National Turf Writers & Broadcasters for recognizing Bob's unique talent and gift to racing with this award. I applaud Bob himself for his approach to his craft and the shining example he has set in handling horses with respect as partners in winning races. Bob and his craft are known...

ThoroFan is a national non-profit Thoroughbred Racing Fan Association, Inc (501 (c)(3)) with 18 years of experience representing the interest of Thoroughbred racing fans across the country. We are proud of our monikers, "Giving the Fan a Voice" and "An educated Fan is a Better Fan." With the current takeout rates present in parimutuel racing today, the average fan contributes, at minimum, 20-30 percent of the money that sustains the success of the industry (with larger retail handicappers/players contributing much more) yet is not allowed anywhere near that type of...

Tom Ryan's observation that California graded stakes have been decimated by the graded stakes committee is spot on, but does not delve into the issue deeply nor address solutions. I applaud him speaking out against a system that adheres to a doctrine of the past, which evaluates many criteria while ignoring the fact that all graded stakes (save a select few) will be the domain of slot-enhanced, subsidized racetracks in the near term. The idea that the Breeders' Cup and/or Jockey Club could ignore this trend while sitting idly by...

California racing just got dealt another brutal blow. In a year when this sport should be doing everything possible to stabilize a fragile circuit, the loss of Grade I status for the Frank E. Kilroe Mile and multiple downgrades at Santa Anita and Del Mar is very concerning. When you strip premier events in the middle of a wagering and field-size crisis, you're not "protecting the integrity of the pattern," you're accelerating the decline of one of the game's few remaining flagship jurisdictions. This outcome might look neat on a...

There has been much discussion in the press recently about the ongoing negotiations on the 2026 racing calendar in New York. In truth, we are closer than reports would suggest on reaching an agreement. Currently, there are four days for the Winter meet, four days for the Saratoga meet, and two days at the Spring meet that are in dispute. We are advocating strongly to retain these dates because we believe that a robust year-round racing calendar is vital to the long-term health of New York's Thoroughbred industry. Year-round racing...

The issue of computer assisted wagering (CAW) is not new and it is clearly time that it be revisited given the extent to which it has grown. Bettor concerns are valid and the question has always been whether anyone, large or small, is given an unfair advantage that is not available to anyone else. Phrases and words like "racketeering," "pool-rigging enterprise," and "insider bettors" conjure up images of insider trading and criminal activity which, if proven, could then warrant criminal prosecution and make those convicted ineligible for a racing license....

Every year, about 17,000 Thoroughbreds are born in North America. Let's assume half of them are colts: 8,500 male horses bred with ambition in their blood. Of those, maybe 50--if we're being generous--will ever make it to stud. The fillies often retain value as broodmares, but even then the industry quietly accumulates thousands of horses every single year whose careers end without a clear path forward. And for far too many of them, that path ends at the slaughterhouse. We talk about racing fatalities in terms of breakdowns on the...

As the global racing industry returns to its respective corners following the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the same drum is beating once again: "Regulatory vets are terrible. They have too much power. My horse is sound--we imaged them, we've had no issues, and we wouldn't send them if they weren't 100%." The truth is, all of those statements can be true at the same time--and often are. Whether you're a casual fan, a critic, or a lifelong racing supporter, you could easily walk away from this spectacular week thinking that...

The horse Contrary Thinking has been pre-entered in this year's Breeders' Cup Classic and, as is generally acknowledged, to serve as a "rabbit" to ensure a lively pace in the race. I do not wish to comment on how Contrary Thinking may or may not affect the race from a handicapping point of view. Rather, as a horse racing fan, my concern is about the negative image his participation casts on one of horse racing's premier races in front of a major audience. The horse racing industry has come a...

Before we can solve the Thoroughbred aftercare problem, we must first define it--and understand its full scope. For this discussion, aftercare refers to the rehoming, retraining, and retiring of Thoroughbreds who: never make it to the racetrack; are not fast enough to race; have finished their racing careers and lost commercial value; can no longer perform as sport horses; or no longer serve useful breeding purposes. When I first began asking industry insiders what it would truly cost to provide lifetime care for all Thoroughbreds that need it, I could...

There is joy in Central Kentucky as the Keeneland September Yearling sale surpassed $500 million in revenue for the first time. And I don't mean just by breeders, consignors, agents, and veterinarians. In short order, the ultimate trickle down will commence. Imagine these discussions in the coming weeks at area horse farms: "You know that truck we have been needing to replace ..." "You know that mower we keep repairing ..." "You know how we have been wanting to purchase a new tractor ..." "You know how we have spoken...