Mark Tuesday July 20, 2021 in your own little history book, the one that no one else can rewrite, as a historic day for social media cuz that’s the day that Dale “Colonel” Saunders broke his social media maiden on Facebook:
Read the comments.
Phil has a question:
Where have those people been hiding for all these years.
The Colonel’s First Post (reproduced from Facebook sans permission):
This is my first ever Facebook post and it’s to share a few things bothering me. I’ve been in thoroughbred racing since 1960, and I’m watching Alberta deteriorate very rapidly. I have half a mind to take a few complaints to The Paulick Report. There is something very wrong about this current situation where owners are not welcome in the backstretch. The email from the racing manager is missing the point that owners pay the bills.
For my owners part of their enjoyment is coming to the track in the mornings. They spend a lot of money and we need to welcome them back to the track, and not just on race nights or at odd times after training. We need Century management and HBPA of Alberta HBPA of Alberta bulletin board to help us bring owners back. Otherwise, why would owners continue to spend their money?I’d like to know the names of the trainers who don’t want their owners around. Maybe their owners need to find new trainers who appreciate them!A couple of little known new rules from HRA are bothering me. If a trainer gets 15 days, the horse is ruled off for 90 days. Nice way to encourage owners to stay in the game! We have a horse shortage and now out of the blue horses can be claimed and can go to B tracks or to Indian Relay. Maybe they’re the smart ones, B tracks have more race days in Alberta than A track!
This government review sounds like we’ll get more of the same lack of leadership, and we’ll keep being led by former politicians who don’t know one end of a horse from the other or understand our industry. Apparently the people we have don’t know or care. High priced help and low purses aren’t keeping owners in the game!The email at the bottom of my post was from your Race Manager.
Phil has a question:
Isn’t management level correspondence meant to convey a clear concise message.
Would you classify the above portion of an e-mail as a management level correspondence.
Are we referring to the owners not being allowed temporarily because of Covid concerns.
If so why not say that.
If not then what is the writer getting at.
From the Colonel’s response the message the Colonel received was that owners were not welcome in the backstretch.
Isn’t part and parcel of the trainer’s job to promote the business of thoroughbred racing with owners and prospective owners.
Does that e-mail do anything to improve the professionalism of thoroughbred racing in the province of Alberta.
I don’t fear that a man will wear out as quickly as he will rust out.
Colonel Sanders
On Wednesday July 21, 2021 5:00 PM PDT the Seattle Kraken will announce their expansion draft roster. Jerry Bruckheimer, a Kraken owner will be front and centre with a bunch of other celebrities as the Kraken celebrate their team and their town.
Phil has a question:
Who’ll be the first to say that the Price wasn’t right.
How much free publicity did the Kraken and the Leafs get out of the Kerfoot “flub”.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realise that we can not eat money.
Chief Seattle
While Tom Brady was trying to one up Aaron Rodgers Jeopardy performance with his late night comedy routine Bucs’ co-owner Bryan Glazer was front and centre with Brady, head coach Bruce Arians, the Bucs team and President Biden.
Phil has a question:
Do you think Roger Goodell, Robert Manfred, Adam, not Phil, Silver, Gary Bettman or any of the commissioners of the myriad Alphabet Soup leagues would publicly make derisive comments about the owners in their sport.
How long would an employee of any of the Alphabet Soup leagues last if they made derisive comments about the owners in their sport.
How fucking stupid is the clock puncher who sent the e-mail shown in the Colonel’s Post when even Gary Bettman understands that owners can help grow the game.
If an employee of any of the Alphabet Soup leagues made derisive comments about the owners in their sport the lasting memory they’d have would be the mark on their ass from where the door hit them on their way out.
If you don’t think that the Alphabet Soup leagues know their business remember that their Leagues and teams are prospering while horse racing is struggling and that the NFL refused to allow Donald Trump to have a team proving that the NFL is much smarter than the American electorate.
If you don’t think that the Alphabet Soup leagues know their business remember that most of the owners make an annual profit and the valuations of their teams are soaring higher than Bezos did.
In the thoroughbred business the only owners showing a profit are those lucky enough to end up with a stallion prospect and the money they make is from breeding not racing.
The last time that Phil ran his income expense analysis on Alberta thoroughbred racing trainer’s daily rates had just eclipsed $40. That shows how long it’s been since the powers that Bee killed Phil’s interest in Alberta thoroughbred racing. Taking into account purses and bonuses and all expenses including an annual amortization for the acquisition cost Phil’s figures showed that the average thoroughbred in Alberta cost the owner a tad over $16,000.00 per year. Calculate the percentage increase of daily training rates in Alberta, apply that increase to the owners’ costs and tell me how many owners can afford to be $20k plus out of pocket every year for each and every thoroughbred they own and race in Alberta.
Those owners need to be welcomed with open arms not dissed by some clock puncher.
James Bond said the partnership now has about 70 members, most of whom are either new to ownership or had only a minor fling with it in the past. They own shares of approximately 40 horses that are trained by Bond with his two sons, Kevin and Ryan, serving as assistant trainers for the family operation.
That influx of new owners has built the Bond stable up to nearly 60 horses in training, with 40 at the family stable in Saratoga and about 17 at Belmont Park with Kevin Bond, who handles the downstate string.
Bloodhorse – Ehalt – Partners Finding They Can Bond With the Bonds
Phil has a question:
When a pun looks you in the eye why wuss out with Bond with the Bonds.
How about – the partners want to be stirred not shaken.
Just who is being dissed. Owners like Curtis Landry whose Raider winning the Shirley Vargo was one of the bright spots during his trying times.
Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.
Chief Seattle
There’s no better way to enjoy the thrills and excitement of racing than having your own horse, so come and experience the full fun of the sport by joining Mark and Deirdre as an owner.
You can pick a name for the horse you buy, choose your own personal racing colours, and visit the yard and gallops to see your horse in training.
And when it comes to race day, you’ll receive your complimentary owner’s badges to enter the course where you can take your place in the parade ring to discuss tactics with trainer and jockey, and enjoy the Owners and Trainers facilities.There are different types of ownership to consider, each with distinct advantages, so click on the buttons below to learn more. And there’s also a button to get full details of our all-in training fees.
“It’s a tough sport to make money in,” he explains. “But if you’re in it for the right reasons and you’re not heavily invested, it’s like paying dues at a country club. It’s my outlet away from hockey and my passion.”
If you think that owners aren’t important and don’t want to be treated well think back a few years when many Saturday afternoons featured free Nitza’s Pizza and the odd soda or 2 for the owners and prospective owners of one particular trainer at Northlands Park. That barn put massive effort into disguising the gargantuan potholes in the asphalt with their straw piles and gussying up the crumbling concrete and keeping the owners out of the condemned sections of their shed row. That trainer and one of his assistants have barns full of owners in their successful stables on the other side of the 49th while Alberta racing management disparages owners and Alberta racing grows bushier by the moment.
Horse Racing Nation – Barn Tour: Keepmeinmind, Lone Rock lead Diodoro’s stable
It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages.
Henry Ford
WNYT – Pandemic restrictions inspire group of racing lovers to co-own horse
TDN – Bill Finley – Legal Expert Bennett Liebman on Who Won, Who Lost in Baffert Decision
If you’re wandering what Horse Racing Alberta’s response to the Colonel’s comments are you may have to wait a while. HRA just got around to releasing the decision on Larry Munoz’ June 16, 2019 appeal.
2021 Horse Racing Alberta Governance Project
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding this governance and appeals process review, please contact:
Wade Wilson, Marcomm Works
2021 HRA Governance Project Manager
Email: wade@marcommworks.ca
This one’s dedicated to the demise of thoroughbred racing in Alberta.
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