There are many abbreviations in the sports world that have simply been ingrained into our language over the years. Many, if not most, would know that in baseball, an RBI is a run batted in, that in football a TD is a touchdown, and in boxing a KO is a knockout.
A PIM in hockey - penalty infraction minutes - and baseball’s KO - a strikeout - might not be quite so obvious, but still make sense and are recognized by millions.
In racing we have MTP - minutes to post. It’s been around for decades and is recognized by millions. Sadly, the entire thing is now a lie.
Ok… ‘a lie’ might be a bit harsh, but it is truly a farce - if that sounds a bit more kind.
Regardless, I know that I was raised - as were most of us - to be honest and forthright. My mom, in particular, always told me that a liar or a sneak was the worst kind of person, and that once you lose someone’s trust you may never get it back.
I agree with that wholeheartedly, and I’m sure that most of you do as well. If you do something, then stand by it. Have the balls to stand up and own it. Look the people involved in the eye, tell them what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and live with the consequences.
What does this have to do with MTP in harness racing? Exactly what I said earlier - right now it’s a lie, so let’s take ownership of that and admit that it's basically useless at this point anyway.
Our fans and spectators aren’t idiots - they’re people. Just like we don’t like being lied to, neither do they. We, as an industry, seem to have decided that post-time drag is imperative to increase handle, and regardless of the odd moronic statement you still see on social media, handle DOES matter - greatly!
Let’s stop insulting our customers then, and just be honest. Remember what my mom said about losing someone’s trust?
What does MTP really mean now anyway - if it’s a lie? All we need is the track operator to provide a TRUE five minute countdown clock on the toteboard, in the infield, and on the TV screens, when it’s ACTUALLY five minutes to post.
5:00… 4:59… 4:58… 4:57… 4:56 and so on. Then start the race.
We’ll still need an approximate post time list - for the horsepeople only - for both retention barn and lasix times. But don’t even get me started on the farce of lasix times either.
Ugh - too late!
How come a horse gets scratched if they’re one minute late for lasix?
Here’s the company answer: Lasix has to be administered to the animal between three hours and fourty-five minutes, and four hours and fifteen minutes to post, for optimum performance. If the lasix is given outside of those parameters it’s unfair to the betting public.
So in my scenario above, can the ‘approximate post time list’ I’m requesting please be a bit more than approximate as well? Because right now, the entire lasix administration time is a farce too!
If the 6th race is to go at 9:15pm, the lasix horse gets their shot between 5:00 and 5:30pm. So when the race ACTUALLY goes off at 9:33pm - as we all know it does - the parameters for lasix administration have all gone out the window.
Again, so much for honesty and transparency towards our betting public.
Here’s a little story about why I feel so strongly about transparency, and why it’s important to stand up and take responsibility for your actions. It’s one of the greatest lessons I’ve ever learned, and it came with some help from my old pal Joe Hudon.
There was a time, years ago, when Joe was the regular driver on two of my horses - a good one (Chris Seelster) and a bad one (Iron Ruler).
Iron Ruler threw in the odd step. Most would take a hold of him when he did, and he’d interfere and then run. Joe, unfazed, would yell at him and give him his head - the horse would pace on.
One afternoon at Woodbine, Joe gave Chris Seelster a particularly rough and aggressive steer, and my owners asked me to list someone else the next week. I did.
A few days later the race office called me in the barn at Mohawk, and told me that I needed a driver on Iron Ruler? I asked, ‘Why? Is Joe not going to be there?’
The answer, after I insisted on hearing it, was: ‘Tell Fisher that if I’m not good enough to drive the good horse, that he can find someone else to drive the fu@#ing rat’.
I went straight to the race office, asked for Joe’s number and called him immediately - yes, from a pay phone (haha) - to discuss. I’ve never been one not to confront a situation head-on, and immediately, and in this case it resulted in a ‘very spirited’ - but still somewhat respectful - conversation on both sides.
After we each said our piece, I listed Joe’s son Phil on the horse, and we never really chatted again - until we ran into each other at the silent auction table at Dave Wall’s charity golf tournament a few weeks or more later.
I was eyeing a framed picture of my childhood hero, Ray McLean, driving his best horse - Mr Peter Ray. I told Joe the story of how, a few times during my youth, the McLeans would stop at my parents’ farm on the ship to race him at Greenwood, turn him out for an hour, have some lunch and carry on… and how I’d stand there staring at both horse and driver in complete awe.
I could never afford this picture in the auction - I was young and broke. It went for something crazy like $600, and on his way out, the buyer, Joe Hudon, gave it to me with a smile and a handshake.
It hangs in my upstairs hallway to this day. Thanks Joe.
People: Just be honest and forthright. I’m telling you, it works.
Dan Fisher
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