"Racing Revamps - a new era"

[Riot]

(RP News 11/01/07) - Thoroughbred horse racing fans, long used to wagering on action at racetracks across the country, have a new bet - the breeding shed.

"With the way the sport's focus has been shifting over the past 20 years, this is the most sensible, exciting way to go", said Trent Stanley, President of Racehorse Breeders of America. "We hope the wagering public will embrace this new format as we have".

The price of Thoroughbred stallions, and potential stallions, has been increasing steadily over time. Young horses - "yearlings" - that have good pedigrees and lots of promise on the track have sold for millions of dollars.

These horses rarely make their purchase price back for their owners by racing for a year or two on the track. Thus owners routinely retire their best horses, those competing in the "Triple Crown" and bigger races offered around the country, as soon as the horse wins a few races, in order to maximize the dollar return by sending the horse to "horse heaven" - the breeding shed.

Although popular horses being removed quickly from a career on the racetrack is infuriating to fans and gamblers, and the number of horses racing past 2 or 3 years of age has fallen to nearly nothing, Racetrack Breeders of America have come up with a solution - gambling on breeding shed results.

"Arrangements have already been contractually arranged with all the major internet wagering sites, and most of the OTB's will offer our product", Trent said.

"Although there is little available to wager upon at the average race track nowadays, with few horses and short fields, we will offer our customers a full menu of wagering opportunity".

"Bettors can wager on day of retirement, what stud farm the horse will go to, and how many mares will be in the stallions book the first year", Trent promised.

"Fillies, of course, will have wagering available for what stallion they will go to, how many covers it will take to get her preganant, and - most exciting of all - the sex of the foal, what time and date it will be born, and birthweight".

Trent said plans are in place for live video coverage of foalings, so fans can "watch the race towards birth".

Wagering is also planned on weanlings (date of weaning, hours until foal stops crying for dam), and yearlings (price obtainable in sales ring).

There will be no wagering on "Two-year-olds in training", Trent said, as, "Frankly, we don't anticipate many horses will need to actually race very much until we can get them to retire, and take their turn supporting the sport of Thoroughbred breeding".

Trent anticipated that most racetracks currently in use can be turned towards, "Better uses that support the public good - public parks, parking lots in municiple areas, and soccer fields".

"Certainly, we will have to save one major racetrack in each section of the country, but others will not be needed", Trent said. The cost savings are estimated to be in the billions.

Trent anticipated that the millions of dollars currently wagered on Throughbred racing, when shifted to the breeders of the horses, will serve to "only strengthen the sport's base - the production of Thoroughbred horses".

"This is an exciting time for the Thoroughbred", Trent said. "We are doing this for the fans - just think, they can continue to watch and wager on their favorite horses for years in the shed, rather than for a few months on the track".

"The sport has a great future", Trent said.