Letter to the Editor–Finn Green

[Wandering Eyes]

THE INDUSTRY NEEDS TO UNITE

Our existing industry “members”, for lack of a better encompassing term, need to come together and agree on a unifying mission statement. This could happen around The Jockey Club Chairman Everett Dobson's “big table”. Why not a mission statement similar to the Breeders' Cup for our industry, like this: “To provide safe, healthy, fair, and high-integrity environments for our horses and fans, and owners and bettors to compete in, at all levels, of our sports entertainment industry.”

Why be similar to the Breeders' Cup?

The Breeders' Cup is not only emblematic of the best in our industry; it is the best we have to offer. The Breeders' Cup is strong, powerful, globally respected and works extremely well with all parties. I am not suggesting the Breeders' Cup break their rainy-day fund, by any means.

The Breeders' Cup, more than any other organization in our industry, possesses existing working relationships with relevant members: the racetracks, the stallion nominators, the mare owners who fund the stallion nominators' entry fees as well as nominating their resulting foals, the purchasers of those foals, the trainers, the jockeys, the tireless backside workers, the regulating bodies of HISA and others. The Breeders' Cup is positioned at this time, maybe for a transitional interval or longer, to provide guidance and perhaps help create and potentially house our industry's central office for our governing body.

Assuming we all want to selflessly take care of our horses, our owners, our bettors and our fans MORE than we want to take care of ourselves or other industry members (which is sadly a shaky assumption, in my opinion), we should come sit at Everett Dobson's “big table” and figure out the most efficient and effective way to take care of those who pay us, and pay for the horse. I understand we all take risks here. However, I'm crystal clear that without the owners, who take the greatest risks, we'd all be in much worse shape. The owners are at the top of the pyramid. We must invite the owners to the table. As a friend of mine stated this morning, “I've always felt that owners enter the business to enjoy it, not to have to fix it.” The owners shouldn't have to fix it, yet, at this time for expediency, and to assure it suits them, the owners must approve of the format, the rules we establish and have a seat at the table.

Here are some ongoing issues that the Breeders' Cup is in a position to assist with and these fall under their mission statement: “To conduct the Breeders' Cup World Championships at the highest levels of quality, safety, integrity and to promote the growth of Thoroughbred breeding, racing, and sales through proactive leadership, innovation, and service.” Now, more than before, owners need one neutral platform for their voice.

Second, a big issue: If we want our industry to exist, we all need to accept that HISA isn't going away. Are there ways for HISA to improve? Yes. Let's continue to find ways to help our horse and our customer have a better environment and relationship with HISA.

Another big issue: Stud book size. At its inception, stallion managers paid nominations to the Breeders' Cup equal to the amount of one season. Some years later, based on the number of live foals, the Breeders' Cup adjusted the nomination fee as some stallion's crops began to exceed 100. I'm very grateful we live in a capitalistic society. According to each syndicate agreement, stallion operations can breed a varying number of mares to stallions as they judge per the agreement. However, now, something similar to an excise tax in the form of increased Breeders' Cup nomination cost could be set through an agreeable algorithm. The excise amounts collected, paid by the breeders/owners and passed through the syndicates to the Breeders' Cup, could help fund the central office and not negatively impact the rainy-day fund.

The industry members who sit at Everett Dobson's big table could make the rules of our game clear and then work out how our governing body is selected. The process itself would be unifying if everyone at the table put the horse and all of our customers first, the owner, the bettor and the fan. Give a little, get a lot.

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