The most startling number is that only one in eight will make more than £15,000 ($18,385) and therefore approach breaking even.
Our mystery owner’s flagbearer, who has twice come up trumps in a handicap on a major card, was in the top 5% of money winners in Britain in both 2019 and 2021.
The good days help to pay the bills but, more than anything, it is the experience such a win provides and the memory of it burning long afterward that helps make the inevitable losses easier to bear, the thrill and enjoyment outweighing simple economics.
Bloodhorse – Racing Post – Burton – Turning a Profit a Major Challenge for Racehorse Owners
Equibase – Century Mile 2022 Horse Statistics
Sal says that using the $18,385.00 US number without converting to CDN (and Sal and Matlock will tell you that number is way too low) 82 horses of the 596 that started at Century Mile in 2022 earned sufficient purse money to come close to breaking even and 514 did not.
Last time that Sal calculated what it costs to race and maintain a thoroughbred in Alberta the annual figure came in at just over $22,000. That was over 5 years ago and included no amortization for the purchase price or breeding of the horse and there were 775 horses that had at least 1 start at Northlands Park. Using $22k 63 horses of the 596 that started at Century Mile in 2022 earned sufficient purse money to come close to breaking even and 533 did not.
Sal says that’s a lot of thoroughbred owners in Alberta digging into their own pockets to keep the sport alive and none of them got an all expense paid trip to the RITC symposium.
Bloodhorse – Racing Post – Barber – Wait Continues Since Gambling Review Launch
Help us help you as we work together to improve racing
Tell Congress that ‘quick fix’ won’t eliminate HISA’s fatal flaws
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Message from the National HBPA on current HISA opposition:
Help us help you: Click link above to tell Congress that horse racing needs a strategic, legal alternative to Horseracing Integrity & Safety Act/Authority (HISA) with ALL stakeholders at the table. It takes about 30 seconds to send a pre-crafted message that automatically goes to your Congressional Representative and two U.S. Senators.
Where we stand now
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act and its resulting Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) unconstitutional. See ruling here. So what now? HISA supporters are beginning to mobilize on Capitol Hill, and we are doing the same. We might not have their massive funding, but our advantage is that we are confident many more people agree with our position that HISA is fatally flawed and there’s a far better — and legal — path forward by working with ALL stakeholders, not just those with the deepest pockets.
HISA and its allies will seek a quick fix; what they are inaccurately calling a “technical corrections” bill that they will most likely try and slip into the end-of-year spending bill, better known as the Omnibus. This would follow the tactic they used to get HISA passed in the first place by sneaking it into the 2020 COVID relief bill, allowing it to pass without a single Senate committee hearing or debate.
We believe this quick solution may receive significant pushback from Members of Congress, including from among Members who previously supported HISA and those who had no idea it was in the COVID bill. We need you to encourage and reinforce this pushback.
Here’s what you can do
In cooperation with the Kentucky HBPA, we have created an online advocacy campaign that automatically sends a message on this issue to your U.S. House of Representatives Member and your two U.S. Senators. All you have to do is fill in your name, address, email and phone number. We do the rest! Here’s that linkIf you want to send a personalized message:
Contact your U.S. Representative.
- You can use this link to identify and send an email message to your Representative. Be sure to know your zip code’s +4 (you can look that up here). An email template is provided below. You can also call and leave a message.
Contact your U.S. Senators.
- Here’s a link to find and contact your two U.S. Senators. You can also call and leave a message.
Our view – Feel free to use any or all in personalized messages
HISA was created with an extremely expensive quick fix and the result has been not only a trampling on the Constitution and mass confusion, but a serious threat to the existence of smaller racetracks and a likelihood of running many racehorse owners and trainers – as well as the small businesses that depend on horsemen — out of business.
This new bureaucracy’s crushing costs are being passed on to tracks and horsemen with no transparency, no meaningful oversight and no significant representation. An industry as complex and wide-ranging as ours deserves thoughtful legislation. Rushing a “quick fix” will not correct the problems identified in the Circuit Court’s unanimous opinion. It must be done strategically and with input from the industry as a whole.
Please urge your Congressional delegation to block any effort by HISA or its supporters for another quick fix that got us in this mess in the first place. Our horsemen’s representatives want to work with all parties for new, sensible legislation that allows our jobs-heavy industry and related agribusiness to thrive and improve, rather than to choke from ill-advised legislation snuck through by a well-financed minority.
We need a solution that involves representation from all stakeholders to create a lasting solution that will provide the national uniformity, integrity and sustainability that everyone in racing wants. A bloated bureaucracy that threatens to force the closure of tracks and drives owners and trainers out of business helps no one.
We as an industry, including the National HBPA leadership and our members, have for years wanted uniformity, and the industry has never complained about the rules we are under — until now. What HISA has done in the guise of uniformity is blow up the rules, ultimately causing chaos. Blowing up all the years of hard work done by the Association of Racing Commissioners International’s model rules committee is not the solution.
The 5th Circuit has handed us the potential for a do-over to get it right. We cannot waste the opportunity to come together and develop true uniformity that makes sense and truly improves our industry — not just change for change’s sake. Uniformity of bad rules does no one any good.
Hear what Members of Congress say
“The Fifth Circuit found that HISA is unconstitutional. For months I’ve worked with horsemen in Iowa and my colleagues in the Senate to address the obvious failures with implementation of this law. I specifically asked the FTC about the extent of its oversight of the Authority, a key factor for the Fifth Circuit’s ruling. Now that the courts have invalidated HISA, Congress should work on a fix through the regular committee process to avoid the constitutional and practical issues in the previous legislation. Congress should work with stakeholders to ensure racetrack safety and the economic viability of small tracks across the country.” — Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
“The Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority failed to meet its statutory deadlines and their incompetence has created widespread confusion and problems for horsemen in my home state of Texas and across the country. Decisions impacting the horseracing industry are best made at the local level, and I am glad the 5th Circuit agreed that it is an unconstitutional governing body and has taken the first step to return this power to the states.” – Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX-05)
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Bloodhorse – Byron King – Symposium: Amid Legal Uncertainty, HIWU Rules Outlined
Paulick Report – Catch-22? ARCI Asks FTC To Delay Implementation Of HISA’s Medication Rules
Bloodhorse – Minger – HISA Names Three New Members to ADMC Standing Committee
Sal says that HISA’s making so many appointments they’ll need Noah’s Ark.
TDN – Thornton – Symposium Panel: Act Locally Before Thinking Globally
TDN – Thornton – HISA CEO at Symposium: ‘To External Threats, We Need to Speak in One Voice’
Paulick Report – Voss – Lazarus Reviews ‘Ten Things I Learned’ In Early Days Of HISA
Paulick Report – Martin: HISA Needs A Rewrite, Not A Midnight Quick Fix
The Globe and Mail – Robertson – Shut Out
Bloodhorse – Ehalt – West Would Support Saudi Cup DQ of Maximum Security
Bloodhorse – White Abarrio Pointed to Pegasus After Cigar Mile Third
TDN – Thornton – Nine States to McConnell: Hands Off HISA In ‘Lame Duck’ Session
TDN – Sheerin – ‘Money Was Becoming Tight’ – Madden Happy With Australia Decision
Paulick Report – Jason Servis Enters Guilty Plea, Faces Four Years In Prison
Racing Biz – For Jessica Paquette, “fun… and a huge learning curve”
Sal says that normally Sal would make a comment, but after listening to the fucking duds that Northlands Park and Century Mile have had in the booth the past few years Paquette at her worst would sound like Mario Lanza. Paquette may yet turn into a decent announcer as she admits there’s a learning curve.
Sports Illustrated – Creditor – Croatia Turns Out the Lights on Brazil’s World Cup Dance
Bloodhorse – Dick Downey – Former Trainer Servis to Plead Guilty in Federal Court
The Ringer – Walker – 25 Days of Bingemas, Day 8: ‘Merry Swissmas’
Sports Illustrated – Orr – Facing Certain Disaster, Baker Mayfield Pulls Off Miracle Moment
Los Angeles Times – Plaschke – Column: An American is coming home. So why are so many Americans upset Brittney Griner is free?
Sal says that Phil sent a question:
When will Viktor Bout be whacked and will it be the Russians or Americans that do the job.
TDN – Sue Finley – Twelve Questions: Bill Nader
The Star – Opinion – Arthur – Death, exploitation and broken promises: The story of Qatar’s migrant workers is bigger than the World Cup
TDN – Thornton – Sixty Incidents of Pool Manipulation. The Industry Shrugs
Garden and Gun – Liles – A Great White Shark Gets Up Close and Personal
ESPN – Thompson – Report: Dan Snyder allowed Commanders’ toxic culture, NFL aided cover-up
Sports Illustrated – Lyons – Brittney Griner Released From Russian Prison in Prisoner Swap
Los Angeles Times – AP- Brittney Griner freed from Russian penal colony in prisoner swap, U.S. officials say
TDN – NYRA Bets Holding Announces Partnership with Game of Silks
Garden and Gun – Simon – Wise Wine Picks from a Groundbreaking Florida Sommelier
Southern Living – 18 Of The Best New Books To Gift This Holiday Season
The Ringer – Walker – 25 Days of Bingemas, Day 8: ‘Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas’
FiveThirtyEight – It Took A Year, But The Seattle Kraken Have Been Released
Los Angeles Times – Warnock defeats Walker in Georgia runoff, giving Democrats a 51-seat Senate majority
Thoroughbred Racing Commentary – Dennis – ‘I don’t lose focus – I won’t drop the ball’ – major interview with champion jockey William Buick
The Ringer – Harvilla – ‘60 Songs That Explain the ’90s’: But First, Pearl Jam
Yellow Ledbetter
Bloodhorse – Byron King – Symposium: Durkin, Johnson Added Theater to Announcing
The Ringer – Walker – 25 Days of Bingemas, Day 7: ‘The 12 Days of Christmas Eve’
Sports Business Journal – Knoxville seeking suspension, revocation of Neyland Stadium beer vendor’s permit
What’s New At Horse Racing Alberta
Sal says that when you click the above link or go to HRA’s site and look under industry news the What’s New post has been taken down for reason unbeknownst to Sal.
Sal says nothing is new at Horse Racing Alberta; they just have a different talking head spewing the same bullshit they’ve been feeding Albertans for the last decade plus. The Ennead understands that buzzwords and platitudes sound reassuring but mean fuck all to the ever declining bottom line at Horse Racing Alberta.
Sal says that Sal would like to see the 2022 handle figures for Century Mile rather than some busywork posting.
City of Leduc – Province and City break ground on 65th Avenue Interchange project
GQ – Baldwin – Life, Death, and Total Football
Bloodhorse – Racing Post – Waugh – Can U.K. Regulators Be Trusted With Gambling Reform?
TDN – Wagering Down, Purses Up in November
Canadian Thoroughbred – Morrison – Canada’s Most Famous Race is Once Again the King’s Plate
Hawthorne Sal
HRA WINTER WOES
CASH CASINO CALGARY promotes a $9 daily lunch buffet to draw casino patrons, with newly opened AIRPORT ACE CASINO to follow, crushing CENTURY DOWNS bottom line, major bread winner $14 mil to $9 mil mile.
DAWN’S confidential removed board meeting blog doesn’t pass the smell test. HRA grooms license $10 and racing officials $5, same set of rules, I guess you pay double to work 3x times harder/longer and get your hands dirty.
Queens plate becomes Kings plate, will Canadian derby become Alberta derby again with all that sovereignty talk??
HRA responds to petition request for financials to be released from spring to fall, for transparency purposes rule 23.3 act as not part of their mandate.
Dozen concerned racing participants, don’t worry Toews is on the case.