Kirschenbaum on Intransigence

Superstables, lack of vision, slot money, lack of customer appreciation? All wrapped up into one post by Alan Kirschenbaum - California horse owner, bettor and industry participant.


"The rich get richer in this business, and the poor, well, in a few years, we won’t even remember who they were. They’ll be gone. We live in a time where the most successful trainers have 50 horses in the barn, 80 horses, 100 or more. And each year, another group of smaller trainers leave the business."

"I guess most of my friends up North are okay with this. Because when Standardbred Canada offered up a plan to try and do something about where this sport is headed, the only potential game-changer on the horizon, and amass a war chest of money for marketing, for publicity, to do something, for god’s sake, I believe every horseman’s organization up there refused to participate. “No one’s taking a percentage of our money, not even five per cent, without us having some control,” or words to that effect. Well, my friends, wrap your minds around this: it’s not your money. It’s welfare money. You’re all on welfare."

More at link.