WEG To Change Stallion Eligibility For Major Races

How can anyone argue with what WEG and Mr. Gural are trying to do? Obviously what has been happening hasnt been working...whats the point of the breeding business if the tracks are not doing well? If the tracks go away so will the owners thats a certainty never mind the stakes programs for two year olds..Unless the breeders want to race for the stakes nominations at farms instead of under the lights, with a fan base and tv audience. The only reason mutuals are still there somewhat because there are still many baby boomers who know horse racing from better times and still enjoy them.

I dont know how harness racing is going to attract new young fans but I'd think keeping the stars on the track is a start. I dont care how many stars of racing the stars produce, I can see 3 of any random sire race each other in a nw7500 life with a $6500 claiming tag almost any day of the week...the stars have to stay on the track...and the tracks know it.

If you have a horse that pays you back consider yourself lucky, cuz there are many people trying to keep horse racing around that will never be paid back. The breeders must have started as fans so try and stay one. I wonder if somebeachsomewhere took a month off and bred 20 mares for $100K each if his book would have filled..I would imagine it would have....new things have to be tried..this game has a dieing breed (your fans..and you'll miss them)

Just a fan.

While this plan might attract a few more fans and give race secretarys a few more horses to fill their top classes it will deny the horse owner who has hung on for this one time chance to get even and stay viable in the sport. If Mr Gural & WEG are really interested in doing this for the good of the sport then they should put together at least 3 or 4 races that have a purse for at least a million dollars each that are for 4 year olds only. Also, at least here in the states, we have 7 day wonders who can take a $25,000 claimer and destroy a top field of invitational horses the next week. Now what? The super 3 year old that we kept racing to attract the public is just another horse. Both Mr Gural & WEG are definitely tops in my book so I'm willing to give them a chance but if we start losing the horse owner that bids on upper echelon yearlings then we're shooting ourselves in the foot.

only an idea
shift some of the 2&3 year old stake money purses of $15,000 and $30,000 Balance extended it into March, April, May, stake season for 4 year olds one division

What if racetracks were told that if four year olds raced at their track, they had to drop their pari-mutuel takeout to 10%? Would they consider it someone interfering with the way they run their business or would they consider it "the best intersts of racing are served" by addressing their customers?

Mr. Coole which makes their off spring less valuable drives the owners away from purchasing high priced yearlings. One question should the offspring of a lame ill gaited horse be worth more than a champion? Have we not benefitted from seeing the offspring of horses like Muscles Yankee and Donato Hanover just to name a few. I could not agree more with Mr. Richards!

C.Renon

Mr. Renon, They don't have to race, their offspring just won't be eligible for those stakes. Plain and simple.

Let me get this straight, the owner puts up the money, pays the bills, waits for the horse to develop, endure sleepless nights, enter, ship, pay, pay, pay, and finally gets associated with a fine looking, well bred and possible great sire and now they have two track owners that are telling an owner (that has paid for everything) they must race a horse when they say or the offspring does not qualify for racing? Really? and they think the owners have have all the power and the ego problem........ Please !!

Steve R.

A very bad idea! you have breeders and owners tying up a quarter of a million dollars or more and you are trying to manage his business? Is WEG or Mr. Gural going to compensate the owners if one of their top horses suffers a catastrophic injury because he was forced to race at 4? I hope that this would never happen but it is racing so there is always risk involved. Not even taking the financial part of it into consideration, there is the possibility of losing a great bloodline. Let the people who invest their money manage their business. Take money away from 2 and 3 year old stakes and use it for older horses.
Obviously there is to much money at 2 and 3 when alot of times you only get 5 or 6 entries for races that carry purses of $150,000+.

C.Renon

While this may not be the perfect solution I think it's one that's worth exploring. As Jamie Martin stated, this is something that WEG is going to try and then look at the effects in a few years down the road and I would imagine as Mr. Gural will do at his tracks, maintain, tweak or abolish this concept.

I would like to address some points that others have made in response here. Firstly, in regards to the health issue/waiver for younger than 4YO's retired to stud and concerns about consistantsy there. I'd hope that WEG intends to do the same as Mr. Gural does in that arrangements for an independant evaluation at a New Bolton level facility will happen to get this. That's what Mr. Gural said when talking with Norm Borg on his web show recently. Of course doing this and having the one independant evaluation good for Mr. Gural's, WEG's, Hambo Society and whomever else joins in this will help lessen the burden.

Secondly, to the folks that suggest the tracks just come up with higher value races for four year olds and/or older. I don't think you quite understand where a good chunk of the funds for "Stakes" race purses come from, or choose to ignore the fact that as our equines get older, we tend to have a much better idea of their ability, so the number of nominations for a open pace for example on Feb. 15 are going to be much smaller than the same for a two year old event. More so if what many of us would like to see here and say a Somebeachsomewhere was racing as a 4-5 year old.

Related to this as my third point is the subject of WEG, Mr. Gural, etc... moving a good portion of the tracks purse account portion of their stakes programs away from 2 and 3 year old events. While for the reason that due to some of the very high purses that 2YO's are racing for I think we see far too many babies get ruined, going miles in 50-51 so early in their lives and honestly these sub 50 miles in the fall as babies, then in the past few years the same horse finds it a challenge to equal that time (let alone improve on it) as a sophamore. I'd like to see things trend that way, but let's get real. In these tough economic times it's challenge enough for a breeder to wait for some of their stock to earn back some of the investment they've made, either through racing or looking sharp at the sales to fetch a nice price. We need to keep as many and attract new people into the breeding game.

Fourth and finally I don't think that the track operators like WEG and Mr. Gural are trying to tell breeder's/owner's how to run their business with this policy anymore than with as an example nomination, sustaining, entry fees and deadlines for stakes races. This is what the track wants to make a priority in their stakes racing program. It's the breeders choice and business decision as to what theirs will be.

I just think in both thoroughbred and harness racing over the last 2-3 decades we've really missed seeing some great racehorses come back after their 3yo season. And just as a couple of examples, did coming back and racing as 4YO's really hurt the breeding career's of Artsplace and Cam Fella much?

This is great news for horse racing. One could only imagine what racing somebeachsomewhere and muscle hill and other champions as 4 and possibly 5 year olds would have done for the sport. What ever track these champions raced at, the place would be full of old fans and new ones, which is what the sport needs. I think if someone has a horse that is good enough for the breeding shed and is going to make hundreds of thousands or millions,should consider themselves lucky. Like Peter Smith said the sport is called HORSERACING not HORSEBREEDING. Congrats to WEG and Jeff Gural for attempting to get this sport back on track.

This policy is totally misguided and will only make the business of managing horses and their careers more confusing. If Mr Gural and Weg would like more of the top 3 year olds to continue their racing career than put more of your stakes purses account into 4 year old races. If a horse makes 3 million dollars as a 2 and 3 year old racing in 500 grand and million dollar races every week and the owner has to choose between racing as a 4 year old for average purses of 200 grand and race against aged horses or syndicate your horse for millions and send him to stud duty, the answer becomes obvious. If keeping these superstars around racing so that they get cheapened by being beaten weekly by aged horses and allowing some select racetrack owners to dictate to the industry the breeding policies is nothing short of absurd. If you want horses to continue to race as 4 year olds, introduce million dollar races for 4 year olds at both the Meadowlands and Weg and force owners to make a tough decision on delaying their super stallions career by one year.

Without new fans, you will never have new bettors. If racing these popular young horses as four olds will help to build a bigger fan base, then it should be tried. Obviously purses for these horses need to be worthwhile. Fans will follow show jumpers for a decade. Spruce Meadows competitions are televised regularly on CBC on Saturday afternoons. Harness racing needs to build a new fan base to create a demand for the product. I also agree with Jack Darling - there is no reason a horse can't stand at stud and race later in the season, especially with the breeding done by AI. Most other breeds are able to combine both breeding and performance successfully.

This is nothing more then a band aid solution. Yes as a race fan i would enjoy watching these horses race as 4 and 5 year olds but from a gambling perspective it means nothing to me and would not entice me or most other big gamblers who have walked away from the races to once again play the races. This is the type of band aid solution that i have come to expect from this industry. I guess it would be foolish to expect this industry to come up with real solutions that may bring back the big gamblers who have left the game and to possibly attract some of the next generation of big gamblers to give the race game a try.

Only two of the top ten three year old trotters did not wear trotting hobbles his year. With these new rules the Europeans, who do not allow stallions who raced with hobbles, will buy all the good gaited trotters after their three year old seasons and the only new stallions in Ontario will be gait challenged hobbled trotters. That's not good for the fans or breeders. Four year old stake races would have been a better incentive to keep horses on the track. The rule about injured horses is a joke and will be abused. If you are going to ban all four year old stallions, why give an advantage to horses that were not sound enough to race at four and penalize the sound horses?

If they want more of the top horses to keep racing all they have to do it up the purse money for these horses. Two and three year olds have million dollar plus races, how many purses like that are there for four year old plus. The way it is now why would anyone with a top horse as a three year old race when he could make more money standing him at stud. This plan also takes away from the owners with good horses that could add to their racing totals the way it is now,but will still be racing against the top money winners they raced as 2 and 3 year olds. Also it takes away from some owners who by racing that extra year, and maybe not preforming as well, will have to lower stud fees and lose from that.

It has been mentioned that this change will add to the entertainment value of racing, up till this time all focus has been on the bettors. Does anyone think the handle will be bigger if the horse is older? I don't think there would be many harness racing fans that wouldn't have like to seen Somebeachsomewhere race another 2 or 3 years, but is it fair to expect his connections to lose money by racing him instead of putting him to stud? Increase the purses for older horses and all your problems will be solved, without any rule changes.

I really don't agree with this concept of limiting the eligibility of horses for the top stakes as I think it will relegate the stakes to a mediocre class of races. I do however propose that we reduce the number of two yr.old sire stakes and create a sires stakes program for 4 yr. olds. How many so called super star 2 yr.olds have we seen race at two never to return to compete as three yr. olds and older.... Many.... because we "burn" them out at two. If you want to see our super stars race at four, then create a financial enticement for horse owners to do so.

Great news!

It is undeniable that racing our star horses as long as possible will be good for harness racing. It takes the titans in the business like WEG and Jeff Gural who really care about harness racing and its future to pull this off. It is a bold move made with the best of intentions. A sacrifice is being made here,for the good of horse racing by a small and fortunate few who are lucky enough to own a colt that is worthy of going to stud. I think the horse owner is protected by the way the rule is written in that if the owner insists on breeding his 4yr old he can, but he will have to race him after the breeding season is over to keep his offspring eligible to these major stakes.

I really dont see why a stallion shouldnt be able to breed and race in the same year. It appears that as long as the horse races even once as a 4 yr old, he has met the criteria so the owners can manage their horse accordingly. There are lameness provisions in these rules that protect the horse and the owner as well. The majority of these horses will come back great and it will be a win win situation for the owners and all of harness racing.

With Jeff Gural, the Hambo Society and Woodbine now aboard, this is great news for the entertainment side of the sport. It's nice to see a few people get together to try and do a few progressive things for the demand side of the equation for a change.

To think if this was enacted a few years earlier we'd have gotten to see Somebeachsomewhere in the Canadian Pacing Derby, or a 150 trotter like Muscle Hill race a 150 trotter like San Pail, we can see how electric it can be for fans.

On the flip side we will not see $850k yearlings sold, perhaps, as the high end of that market will be quelled some. However, with handles off 70% since the year 2000, one might submit $850k yearlings don't make much sense. If we were in a perfectly competitive market, and one not supported by the lottery ticket of retiring three year olds, and slots, they simply would not exist. It's a bubble that probably should have the air let out of it some, with a rotation of some revenues where they can be used in a progressive demand side way.

Thanks to Jamie and everyone at Woodbine for trying to do the right thing.

Dean

"We believe that barring certain circumstances with a horse's health".....has an interesting ring to it.....who will determine that? Won't horses just "suffer career-ending injuries" right, left and centre now? I commend WEG for doing everything they can to try to continue to grow the sport, but that sentence honestly worries me a bit.

Maybe now the industry should look at starting a 4 year-old sires stakes program, as they do in Michigan, and what Georgian downs is trying to promote with the Masters Stakes. Also to promote the interest and give these horses stake races that are attainable, instead of being thrown to the wolves, so to speak. This would also increase the value of Ontario sired horses at sales, if such a program existed.

It is too bad that track owners are now going to tell you how to run your business.

I just don't get it. The 4 year old year for a horse is the toughest as they have to race against older horses and it is a very difficult jump for a horse to make. What about 3 year old fillies that are retired and bred, will their foals not be eligible as well?

How can anyone justify this move? Retiring horses after their 3 year old year makes sense for an owner financially if he has a good horse that will be in demand as a stud. They can make a lot more money then they can racing and who is to tell them they cant do it? After all, aren't owners entitled to try and make money in this business?

I have said this before and will say it again, if you want people to race 4 year olds, then have a series of races specifically designed for a 4 year old where they dont have to race against older horses and make it lucrative enough where it makes sense financially. Have some of the bigger tracks get together and make this happen instead of implementing rules like this.

Gary Blackburn

Great news! About time people start remembering that this game is called "horseRACING" not "horsebreeding with some racing thrown in"

Hats off to WEG and Mr Gural