Letter to the Editor: Strike 2

[Wandering Eyes]

On February 9, TDN published my Letter to the Editor criticizing The Jockey Club for its January 27 rebuttal of Mike Repole's sustained effort to hold the organization accountable for the most pressing issues facing Thoroughbred racing, breeding and aftercare.

That statement alone was enough to make my blood curdle.

The Jockey Club labeled Repole's concerns “unfair,” referred to itself as a body of “volunteers,” and again refused to accept responsibility for its own failures.

Then came the February 13 “Industry Impact Report,” and what had curdled began to boil.

Much of what the Stewards of The Jockey Club likely view as substantive is, upon inspection, a farce, detailing spending but offering little in the way of results or, contrary to its title–impact.

It falls well short of what experienced stakeholders expect and fails to withstand even modest scrutiny. Worse still, the report exposes a fatal contradiction by acknowledging on the record that The Jockey Club's mission extends far beyond merely serving as a registry, a defense it has long used as a convenient shield.

“The Jockey Club remains steadfast in its mission to improve Thoroughbred breeding and racing,” said President and COO James L. Gagliano. “Each year we continue to expand on that mission by assisting Thoroughbreds throughout their lives and marketing and growing the sport and its fan base.”

There it is. The mission expands annually.

Any argument that The Jockey Club is merely a registry, and that the issues it has been challenged on fall outside its scope, is nullified by its own leadership. This is precisely why the original use of the words “unfair” and “volunteers” was so offensive.

Rather than embracing the responsibility that comes with being the most qualified organization to serve as a de facto governing body, The Jockey Club once again passed the buck.

Just weeks later, its president contradicts that stance.

As owners and breeders, required to register our horses with the Jockey Club in order to race and breed, it is our duty to hold the organization to its own words. For the Club's members and Stewards, that responsibility is even greater.

If the January 27 rebuttal was a swing and a miss, the Industry Impact Report was a complete whiff.

Let's just look at these supposed acts of transparency through the lens of dedication to Thoroughbred aftercare. Some uncomfortable truths emerged, all drawn from The Jockey Club's own reporting.

First, The Jockey Club spends more on executive compensation than it directs to Thoroughbred aftercare. Using the Club's own figures, executive compensation in 2024 was roughly 60 percent higher than the amount directed to aftercare in 2025.

Second, in 2025 it spent almost 30 percent more on America's Best Racing content creation and media than it contributes to aftercare.

Third, the touted increase in aftercare funding for 2026 is, arguably, substantially subsidized by higher registration fees paid by owners and breeders, which they never announced publicly until pressed by the media to explain it. This is confounding. Even if these funds are used entirely for aftercare, the Jockey Club does a deplorable job selling it. And if they can't even market their own efforts believably amongst stakeholders, how can they be entrusted to market our sport?

The here-to-fore “silent majority” should be outraged, and more should speak out.

Accountability and meaningful reform are no longer optional. While The Jockey Club attempts to characterize its impact as improvement, every major metric in this industry is shrinking. A quiet “trust us” or “we got this” is not only insufficient, it's not even believable.

To compound matters, while Repole has been criticized for keeping much of his playbook private, the one developed plan he did present to The Jockey Club included comprehensive findings on aftercare with a sustainable, industry wide funding structure. It was ignored.

If the Jockey Club isn't open to critical fixes to aftercare – a topic which should be universally supported – it's impossible to expect them to lead on other substantive areas of our business.

I was angry after the January 27 rebuttal, yet I deliberately tried to keep the focus on Repole's message rather than the messenger. Personalities are irrelevant. Principles are not.

Before reform can begin, stakeholders must acknowledge that this industry is drowning. Despite ample resources, The Jockey Club is not offering a lifeline, it is standing by as the water rises.

I did not believe it could get worse after January 27. The February 13 Industry Impact Report proved otherwise. How long do we need to read their past performances before we start believing them? The Jockey Club has had decades to right the ship and has given us no reason to believe it can or will.

Once stakeholders in the industry recognize and accept this reality, then and only then can collaboration begin. Only then can the playbook open and the game be turned in our favor, for the good of the entire industry, not for a tone deaf few who still believe this is their club rather than one that belongs to everyone with a stake in this sport.

Aron Wellman is the President & Founder of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, LLC

 

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