Great Article by Moss

[Danzig]

i don't see how waiting to breed an unsound horse til they're five or six is going to strengthen the breed. if they want sound, you'll see a change. but simply dictating the age at which a horse can be bred won't change anything. many of the horses are still not what breeders used to seek. most now want speed-well, you've got that, but at a price. eight belles gets the attention since she was lost-but what about the winner? no one really says much about the fact that they derby was his fourth lifetime start. yet farms are already foaming at the mouth at the thought of getting him for their farm.

[Runningincircles]

Tradition can't be used to justify the problems that are all too evident today in racing. The gambling industry is regulated -- at least in theory -- and can thus be forced to change and reduce the incentives for misbehavior by the owners and trainers.

Moss is right about the need for change -- and I think more needs to be done.

I'd push the Breeders Cup races to the spring and switch TC to the fall (spaced out with three weeks between). And I wouldn't allow any 2 year olds in the BC. That way, the one "big" 3 year old race -- a "juvenile mile" -- in the BC would be more of a prep for the later fall, than an afterthought.

I'd also push sponsorship for a "mature" horse series of races -- perhaps three races spread out over the whole year for 4 year old's and up?

[Scurlogue Champ]

Originally Posted by Kasept

He's still off base about the whip. Asking stewards to enforce excessive use rules is all that you need do. Use the English model of no more than three successive strikes, etc., and sit guys when they flail away. This piece will not negate his comments from the other day which will be used against him and the game down the road.

I agree, the policing of riders is outrageous in America and we need to step it up and get with the program.

Giving riders days and actually making them explain why they did what they did during a race helps the sport.

If Eibar Coa was riding in Hong Kong or Australia, he would only be able to ride about 10% of the time, the rest being on the sidelines for infractions.