Time to change -- no kidding

Sounding like a politician on his “Straight Up” blog, Alex Waldrop says, “It’s time to change.”

No, it was time to change 10 and even 20 year ago. The question isn’t whether change is necessary; the question is whether change will suffice at this late hour to save horse racing.

National handle was down 3.7 percent the first half of the year, and in the months since then the situation has only plunged more deeply into the Black Forest. Three of the premier meetings in the country have concluded with sharp downturns in handle: Churchill’s fell more than 11 percent, Saratoga’s 10 percent and Del Mar’s 7 percent.

And so many in the industry, like the CEO of the NTRA, are calling for change. But unlike Waldrop, many of those calling for reform are the very “leaders” who long ago steered horse racing into the woods.

Frankly, many of horse racing’s “leaders” are as dumb as lawn furniture – too dumb to come in from the rain. Having derived authority from wealth, generally inherited, they have resisted change for decades, viewing it as an assault on their position. Many years ago, their like opposed plans to put horse racing on television. They originally opposed all manner of improved distribution, such as off-track betting. Some even opposed the formation of the Breeders’ Cup. More recently they opposed the Thoroughbred Championship Tour.

More than 20 years ago, speaking at the Arizona symposium, I suggested that the country’s regulators should all be locked in an air-tight room and kept there until they came up with uniform medication rules. For more than 20 years, I’ve argued that racing will prosper only to the degree that it has the trust and goodwill of its fans. For more than 20 years, I’ve railed against racetracks and horsemen who have forgotten why horses race – for the entertainment of the fans in the grandstand. And for more than 20 years, the sport’s “leaders” have taken horse racing into the forest.

Long before the Pick Six scandal at the Arlington Breeders’ Cup, the potential security problems with the tote system were known. Safety was an issue long before the breakdown of Eight Belles; integrity was an issue long before all these high-profile suspensions; medication was an issue long before fans ever heard of milkshakes and steroids. Even before breeders routinely robbed the sport of its brightest stars, the quality of racing was an issue. And long before this year’s sinking handle and declining popularity, customer service and fan satisfaction were issues. But they were all issues that the industry’s “leaders” largely ignored.

And so now we have round tables and summits and committees galore, and, I admit, I find it ironically amusing to hear the “leaders” call for change. But their call sounds more like a desperate plea for forgiveness, and for the moment the sport’s fans don’t seem to be in a forgiving mood. 

Comments

[Halsey Minor]

I want to own tracks. If I own tracks no one can make me deliver bad service, or build the grandstands that point backwards to better accommodate the slots parlor or generally act like we are ignorant of the fact that we compete against other sports -- not casino's. In 2002 in the Bloodhorse I wrote that we are a Sport with a capital S and sports live and die by fans.

At that time my proposal was met head on by another "industry" proposal that to anyone who understands media and building audiences was an 18 headed hydra. One cancelled out the other.

That is why i want to own tracks. As hard as the industry may try they cannot stop me from designing an experience that people will truly want to enjoy.

If Frank Stronach and I were in the same room I would be terrified of what would happen. We are matter and antimatter. He wants slots, and malls, and bolling allies all mashed together.

I will fight till the end if it comes to that for the purity and the beauty of the Sport. No gimmicks. No Cindy Lauper concerts. Just well run, contemporary horse racing that transports patrons back into something noble, regal and gentile. Something that reminds people that for 6,000 years we and the horse have co-evolved in the process of building the society we all now enjoy. The horse is not like a rabbit or a cow. It has been our partner and that is why the latent passion is still there waiting to be tapped.

I wish I could buy 10 race tracks but I can't. If i can work with John Brunetti at least Hialeah can be a start.

[Mary K]

You have a wonderful concept. True racing fans will support you if you deliver the experience you envision, as long as its guiding principle is "Do what's right for the horse". A quiet exemplar of this principle, John Hettinger, left us yesterday. You have the opportunity to honor his memory by operating tracks where horses are free from drugs, race on a safe surface, and are taken care of when they can no longer race. Invite CANTER in to handle adoptions and police the backstretch of kill buyers, fund a Finger Lakes' like adoption center, and hire a vet who is serious about enforcement to stop the drugs, and you will be unstoppable!

[Leslie]

Mr. Minor. I wholeheartedly agree with you. The "sport" has been lost! But how do we get it back when the best horses are retired just when they start to build a fan base? How do you prevent Sheikh Mohammed from retiring 3 of the top racing stars like he did last year, for no other reason than to cash in and add to his stallion roster. How do combat that aspect???

[Equestrian Eddie]

Yeah, the sport has definitely been lost. It's hard to call it a sport because it's mostly the horses doing the work.

[Equine Paparazzi]

Build it and they will come.
They will come on foot and auto and aeroplane.
They will come from the Northest tracks and the tracks out West.
They will come to see what racing is supposed to be like.
And when you are done and you have fullfilled your promises they will build a statue of you because you have a vision and the courage to follow through.

[John T.]

Modern society is going green and getting kinder, slowly but surely. Racing needs to reduce its size and only offer top quality racing, assure the humane handling of horses by cutting drugs, reforming claiming races and taking control of all unwanted race horses before they leave the track. I hope you get Hialeah and you show how to attrack racing fans, handicappers and new owners by taking good care of its horses and making horse racing enjoyable to watch.

[Mr. D]

Would Halsey Minor really spell bowling, bolling?

[clown_show]

Mr Halsey,

Your vision is a noble one. I just think that designing an experience for the fans can only work if the fans can 'afford' your experience. 5 dollar parking charges and 10 dollar admission charges won't make people go scurrying towards your product unfortunately.

The Concept of 'well run, contemporary' horse racing is also a pipe dream. Lets say that your vision comes to fruition and you open Hialeah, than what? How can you work with the Florida horse racing commissions to guarantee drug free racing? Also, the price of the wager is too high. Win takeouts of 17 pct and exotic takeout rates of 25% aren't going to have people hammering dollars thru your windows, especially with zero rebate.

So, with low betting pools, the purse structure suffers and you are left with cheap claimers that are all busted and taped up, that's not my idea of 'noble, regal and gentle'.

Also, how can you rid the sport of the cheats. Riders and trainers who are looking to gain edges to cash gambles? Horses going from 3-1 to 8-5 after the horse gets a 5 length lead on the backstretch isn't going to bring people back to your track.

I love you and your ideas and vision, but we have to be real about this. Racing as we know it from yesteryear is over. People would pack the racetracks because they were given no other choice. You wanted to bet horse racing, you had to show up. Now, there's internet and phone betting and all other sorts of ways to 'get down' not to mention, tons of more entertainment options that keep people away from the tracks altogether. There was no X box in 1960, people couldn't veg out in front of the boob tube, they had to go out to the tracks to be entertained.

[Halsey Minor]

I control the drug policy on my tracks and they will be stringent and enforced. The drug situation is a travesty. We are not alone however. It is a global problem. Pay attention to baseball these days.

Yes I misspelled bowling. I write on an Iphone. Steve Jobs needs to fix that spell correction error.

Lastly cynacism has never solved any problem. Hard work and taking risks has. Brighten up!

Regards

[Jay W]

If you really think this halsey guy is for real than Santa will be at your hose soon. He seems to bae a publicity hound with little touch with reality.

[Leslie]

Mr. Minor,
You're obviously a guy with tremendous energy and optimisim! Yes, too many of us focus on the negative aspects, which at this point do seem overwhelming. I'm wondering if you've had any luck finding "likeminded" people actually within this industry?

I hope you do get a chance to show what can be done at Hialeah. If that track was brought back to it's original beauty, it alone would be a draw, just as the beauty of Keeneland is a key draw! I live in Lexington and Keeneland isn't packed because of BETTORS, it's packed every meet because it's a social scene! Everyone wants to get dressed up and be part of a beautiful environment surrounded by beautiful animals! This isn't rocket science, it's human nature. It just so happens when you can draw thousand of people who just want to be there, they then open their wallets and become a vital part of the success of a racetrack. Only a small handful of racetracks in this country can offer this experience. Hialeah could definitely be one of those special racetracks! Unfortunately, most racetracks are as appealing as concrete bunkers! If you can manage to resurrect that grand place, I'll be there along with many others no doubt!!!

[Pattie Benedix]

I believe Halsey Minor will prove the skeptics wrong. Hialeah WILL return to the grandeur it once was and WILL set the standard of how a Racetrack should be managed. I was a regular on Saturdays when Hialeah was open and I loved Hialeah for the beauty of the Horses and the Landscaped grounds. In my opinion, Slot Machines destroy the atmosphere of the true Race Horse Fans! My Flamingo Shirt is ready, just say when, Mr. Minor! I PROMISE, I WILL BE THERE!

[Tim]

Leslie,

Your comment on Keeneland and its crowds is indisputable. However, you fail to mention that in that part of the world, there are very little other options for entertainment. The same holds true for Saratoga - a place where I grew up. I live in Manhattan and as a life long participant and fan of horse racing, I can honestly say that there is no better venue than Belmont Park. Yet I could go out to Belmont today and drive a Mack truck through the grandstand and not hit a soul. Sadly, racing (on a day-to-day basis) is an afterthought as a form of entertainment in the major metropolitan markets. Miami is no exception. Keeneland and Saratoga (and Del Mar) are in beautiful settintgs. As for Hialeah, it is in one of the worst parts of Southern Florida. The whole area would need a makeover to get people to go there. Sad but true. I applaud Mr. Minor for his desire to take racing back to its golden era. Unfortunately, as a result of its identity crisis, I fear racing has reached a point of no return. Without slot machines, most of these tracks would be strip malls. Perhaps some should be. I would argue that there is way too much bad racing (at way too many bad racetracks that should be closed). Consolidation may be the only way to go.

[Leslie]

Tim,
Your points are very valid. I am aware that Hialeah is in a "less than desirable" location. I'm sure Mr. Minor is as well. As I mentioned earlier, it is so easy to focus on the obstacles, of which there are MANY, maybe TOO MANY. But I don't want to discourage someone with the will and means to not try!

[Paul S]

Dear Mr. Minor:

Please do not listen to the naysayers and ne'er-do-wells who live to destroy anyone with a vision. Hialeah is THE most beautiful racetrack in the country and must be saved. John Brunetti has inflicted too much damage in South Florida and cannot lead the way.

As to Gulfstream, Frank Stronach has completely decimated a once magnificent track. There is no question that all of the major Eastern racing operations need a fully restored Hialeah to provide a Winter base of operations. We certainly don't need three depressing months of racing on the inner track. Please do not give up. History will show that you are the one man with a vision who can revitalize winter racing in South Florida .

[Susan]

Thank you Mr. Minor for standing up for horseracing. As an owner, I am very excited about your plans for Hialeah. A fresh perspective from the outside is just what we need. Everyone I have introduced to racing, winds up loving the experience despite the current short comings. I believe that no other sport is appealing to so many different sociological groups. The horse becomes part of our blood and it is the horse that keeps people coming back. One only needs to look at the fact that the U.S. horse industry generates $15 BILLION dollars a year. As you stated, this is because of our "partnership" with the horse. It is inspirational to hear that you will have a strict drug policy, and that you plan to bring a contemporary edge to restore the sport to its glory days. You have my full support! Do not be discouraged by the naysayers; they are simply reacting to past broken promises. Once they see how committed you are, they will turn around.

[Halsey Minor]

You know some here may not take me seriously or believe I am a "publicity hound", but in the end does any of it really matter. I may be a terrible failure and my words may never be turned into reality but at least I am trying.

I am constantly amazed at how many people have given up on their own industry. I can't make Burnetti or anyone else sell me tracks, but if i do get a hold of one or even more i would pour all of my energy and experience into revitalizing the sport.

When I left CNET, the company I founded and ran for 8 years, We had 4 tv shows and 100 million web visitors a month. We were the only Internet company besides Yahoo to be in the NASDAQ 100 and I left the next CEO $1 billion in stock and cash. 8 Years later the company was bought for $2 billion by CBS. I have done many other things since 2000.

I can assure I don't need publicity to feel like I have accomplished something in my 43 years. What I do need right down to the bottom of my soul is for horse racing to survive and thrive. Its my passion and its the way of life I experienced as a child. This is something I must do in order to sleep at night.

You can be cynical, or question my motives, but none of it matters to me. This sport has reached a point of crisis and I feel like I can help so I am going to do everything I can turn the ship around. I would never forgive myself if i did not do everything i could.

Some of you may be right and I may not succeed but if I took that attitude in life 3 mulitbillion dollars companies would never have been born and I did have half the passion for them I have for this.

So I'll say it again, Brighten Up.

[Michelle]

Hi, Mr. Minor --

Just a thought: If you can't get Hialeah, I motion that you acquire Calder or Gulfstream, and make it look just like Hialeah did in its golden heyday. If the place is replicated, then no one has to deal with Brunetti.

Cheers!

[Blushingkd]

Mr Minor,
You are my hero. You can save racing. You can probably resurrect Barbaro, and turn back time so he can win the Triple Crown.

Please do something with our nation's economy first. You could partner with T Bone Pickins and turn this country around. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to post on blogs about Hialeah.

Blushingkd