An ominous sign?

Yesterday marked my final trip to a farm Open House in the mid-Atlantic region. With my daughter Katie in tow, we made the 129-mile drive to New Freedom, Pa., to Dr. William J. Solomon’s Pin Oak Lane Farm.

In years past, the local calendar was chock-full of Open Houses. Just two years ago, three Open Houses were scheduled on the same Sunday afternoon, creating quite a Mapquest nightmare for me.

This year, there were only four on the schedule – three in Pennsylvania, and one in Maryland. Five farms that stand stallions in Pennsylvania, which previously had hosted a day for breeders to inspect their facilities and their horses, did not have one this year.

Not only was the lack of Open Houses a sign that farms are cutting back on spending (a typical Open House has to cost the farm thousands of dollars, considering the amount of food and beverages needed, plus all the printed materials and the hiring of additional help that day) but the lack of attendance at all four was an ominous sign that mare owners are either not going to breed their mares this year, or have gotten out of the business completely.

The low attendance at the four Open Houses – Ghost Ridge, Northview Stallion Station, Diamond B and Pin Oak Lane – was truly shocking. Imagine if you threw a party, but less than half the guests showed up. That was the feeling at these farms, all of which stand solid breed-to-race sires, stallions with commercial appeal, and interesting new freshman sires.

It was like the curtain had dropped on the 2011 breeding season before it even began.

There have been many reasons tossed out for the lack of attendance at these venues. So far, I’ve heard that

1.) the weather has been so bad, people don’t want to travel

2.) people still are going to breed their mares, but just did not attend the Open Houses

3.) the farms scheduled their Open Houses on inconvenient days for breeders

4.) breeders who were interested in the Ghost Ridge stallions attended its Open House in November, which was basically a chance for fans to see Smarty Jones

5.) breeders were going to scour on-line auctions of stallions seasons for the best possible price and

6.) people in the mid-Atlantic region don’t make up their minds who they are going to breed to until their mare(s) actually foal, which could mean May and June.

Perhaps attendance at Open Houses should not be used as a barometer for the upcoming breeding season. Perhaps there are mare owners who are planning on “business as usual,” without having the need to inspect stallions and exchange pleasantries with the farm manager, his staff, and fellow horsemen. Maybe there are a lot of out-of-state breeders who could not attend, because of the distance involved.

In Pennsylvania, the breeding industry has seen a substantial increase in the number of mares bred since expanded gaming revenue began flowing into the Breeding Fund coffers. According to statistics published by The Jockey Club, in 2004 (the year slots legislation was passed in Harrisburg) there were 1,027 mares bred in the state, a number that soon swelled to 1,603 in 2009. The total number bred dipped almost four percent in 2010, to 1,542, and some have opined it could fall to below the 1,200 level – or approach pre-slots levels – for 2011.

What’s interesting is that, despite the amount of money available to owners at state racetracks (purses at Parx Racing are approaching the $300,000 per day level, while Penn National is approaching $200,000) and breeders through the PHBA’s Breeding Fund (more than $16 million in 2010), some mare owners may be raising the white flag. The costs of maintaining a broodmare through conception through foaling and beyond may have proven too prohibitive for owners to absorb throughout this economic downturn.

Maybe the breeding industry has now hit rock-bottom, and things will begin to rebound next year and beyond. The one bright spot for those that choose to breed their mares this season is that the resulting foals will have far less competition at the racetrack when they finally begin training.

Let’s hope that the lack of attendance at the area’s few Open Houses thus far is not a portend of things to come.

Winter wonderland?

Horsemen in Pennsylvania are understandably upset that both Philadelphia Park and Penn National Race Course have cancelled a slew of cards the last few weeks due to the snowy and icy weather conditions, but this is not a new phenomenon, by any means.

Because both racetracks have dirt surfaces, it is a rare winter, indeed, when live racing isn’t shut down at some point during January, February and March.

While digging through the archives the other day, I ran across an article I wrote in Daily Racing Form from 17 years ago that could have just as easily been written today.

Entitled “Horsemen Struggle to Cope with Freeze,” and dated January 27, 1994, the story describes the angst of Philadelphia Park horsemen over the poor track condition and the loss of racing days, which in turn meant a loss of their income.

“Winter racing is brutal for both man and beast, but the deep freeze that gripped the Delaware Valley this month and forced the cancellation of 10 live cards at Philadelphia Park since January 11 has tested the endurance of the hardiest horsemen,” it began.

The article goes on to say that sub-zero temperatures froze the main track solid the second week of January, and track superintendent Roy Smith said he was “forced to jackhammer holes in the surface so that standing water could be swept into them.”

“I feel very good about the condition of the track now,” Smith was quoted as saying. “It’s got its color back, and I’ve got about a two-inch cushion for training.” But, he added, he was unsure when live action would resume.

Trainer Pam Shavelson, a longtime resident of the Philadelphia Park backstretch, said in the article that the suspension of both racing and training placed a “horrible financial burden” on horsemen.

“There’s no income from purses, yet horses still eat everyday and you still have to meet payroll,” she said.

The bitter cold snap also wreaked havoc with the plumbing in Philadelphia Park’s barns.

“Two pipes burst in my barn – one at both ends,” she went on to say. “One blew at 7 o’clock at night, and maintenance didn’t arrive until 4 a.m. It was a real mess.”

Bursting pipes from the extreme temperatures also created chaos in the barns of J. Michael Rogers, Uriah St. Lewis, Bob Dodds and Bob Camac, the story reported.

Jockey agents were also interviewed, with Jack Servis, agent for Tony Black and Jeff Lloyd, stating that although he was going skiing, he plans on cutting his vacation short to maintain his contacts both at Philadelphia Park and Garden State Park.

“You’ve still got to maintain your contacts and keep the goodwill,” said Servis.

While the name of the racetrack has changed to Parx, and both Servis and Camac are sadly now deceased, one thing has stayed the same – winter racing in the mid-Atlantic region continues to be a problem for track maintenance workers, horsemen, and horses.

Check back in 17 more years, and you’ll likely be reading more of the same.

And they're off at snowy Philadelphia Park.  Photo credit: USA Today.

Mid-winter musings

What better time to pound out some news and thoughts about the sport of horse racing - both nationally and in the state of Pennsylvania - then while a nasty January snowstorm is blowing outside my window?  Here they are, in no particular order:

* If you're planning on breeding your mare (s) this spring, then you'll want to check out the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association's Stallion Season Auction, being hosted on the web site http://www.thoroughlybred.com/.  There is a top-notch selection of stallions being offered, including Bellamy Road, Bull Market, Cactus Ridge, E Dubai, Eurosilver, Grand Reward, Jump Start, Perfect Soul, Sir Shackleton, Smarty Jones, Toccet, Wiseman's Ferry, Zanjero ... to name but a few.  Check out the Thoroughlybred web site and perhaps you can get a bargain.  The auction runs on January 27, 28, and 29.  All proceeds are going to the PHBA's PAC Fund.

* The Open House season is in full swing, and we enjoyed seeing Pennsylvania's "big guns" at Ghost Ridge Farms last Saturday - E Dubai, Jump Start, Smarty Jones, Grand Reward and Greatness.  This Sunday, January 30, Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City, Md. holds its annual Open House, and we're eager to see its new young stallions Bullsbay (by Tiznow) and Street Magician (by Street Cry).  On February 6, Glenn and Becky Brok's Diamond B Farm in Mohrsville, Pa. will host an Open House to showcase its stallions Talent Search, Ecclesiatic and Senor Swinger.  And weather permitting, Dr. William Solomon's Pin Oak Lane Farm in New Freedom, Pa. will be having its annual Open House on Sunday, Feb. 20, showcasing stallions Albert the Great, Lite the Fuse, Alex's Pal, Invisible Ink and Coastal Storm.

* When did you become a racing fan?  Was it when you were very young, or did you become interested later in life?  Did a family member introduce you to the wonderful world of the racetrack, or did you discover racing's charms on your own?  Was it the beauty and majesty of the horse that intrigued you, or were you mesmerized and challenged by handicapping?  Can the sport of horse racing survive if there are merely fans of a particular horse, without their active participation at the pari-mutuel windows or as owners or breeders?

We'd like to hear your thoughts on this matter, as recently there has been a raging debate among turf writers as to what value Zenyatta's rabid fans, or any other recent famous horse, for that matter, have for racing.  Feel free to drop us a line.

My involvement started as a young girl, when my father and grandfather took me to Monmouth Park.  I am not joking when I say that I could not sleep the night before one of those trips; the excitement level was sky-high.  While I loved the horses, I also loved the challenge of getting the Daily Racing Form, handicapping the card, and trying to pick some winners, and my father or grandfather would make bets for me until I reached legal age.  Even excursions with my grandfather on Saturday mornings to a grimy New York City OTB on Liberty Boulevard in Staten Island was a treat. I remember the little pencils, the dirty floors, and the suspect clientele, but the thrill of making a bet on a race at the Big A, and then watching the results later that evening on the WOR-TV (Channel 9) show hosted by Frank Wright and Charlsie Cantey, was enormous. 

A scene inside a Staten Island OTB

For me, horses and gambling will always go hand-in-hand.  I have a hard time understanding those folks that just hero-worship a horse without plunking down a few bucks through the windows.  Thoroughbred racing needs a new generation of horseplayers, not slots or poker players.  If there's a young person in your life, why not take him or her to the track one day and let them experience its charms?  I feel I have done my part in raising the next generation of racing fans, as both of my daughters love horses and the racetrack.  Without young people, the sport is doomed.

A sport worth saving

Few things have infuriated me lately as did the callous editorial published by the Newark Star-Ledger on January 15, entitled “It’s Like Beating a Dead Horse.”  To read it, here's the link: http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2011/01/its_like_beating_a_dead_horse.html

In this editorial, New Jersey’s largest newspaper calls for Gov. Chris Christie to “end the handouts” to the state’s horse racing industry, stating it has “siphoned more than $215 million in taxpayer money and casino subsidies over the past six years.”

The Star-Ledger, which for decades covered both thoroughbred and harness racing extensively, as well as accepted millions of dollars in advertising from state racetracks, called racing “the state’s welfare sport,” as well as “the dying sport on public life support,” in its editorial.

If we could, we’d like to sit the editorial board of the Star-Ledger down and give them a lesson in the proud history of horse racing in New Jersey, a sport which still has great appeal, given the results of Monmouth Park’s “elite meet” this past summer.  And what better way to show the importance of racing and breeding in the state than to just take a look at the past.

We did some digging around in the files recently, and came across a rare booklet called “Five Years of Racing in New Jersey,” by Marshall Bainbridge, Jr., and published at the behest of the Garden State Racing Association in 1947.

The booklet chronicles the spectacular growth of the sport in the five years since Garden State Park opened in 1942, as well as some statistics about Monmouth Park and Atlantic City, which both opened in 1946.

“Five years of racing in New Jersey have shown a constantly growing public interest in the sport, an annual increase in tax revenues to the State, three fine tracks for running races where only one existed the first year and a sponsorship which has placed racing in the Garden State on a par with the best in the country,” it states.

In 1942, its first year of operation, Garden State Park had an average daily attendance of 8,977, which quickly grew to 11,447 in 1943, and 13,493 in 1944. In 1945, as World War II came to an end, Garden State’s average daily attendance was 18,360 for 50 days of racing.

Here are some photos from the booklet which show the crowds that packed Garden State Park on a daily basis:

They were standing elbow-to-elbow back in 1945.

Crowds stream from the trains into Garden State Park's grandstand.

The parking lot at Garden State Park was jammed beyond belief, with many cars bearing Pennsylvania license plates.

Perhaps most poignant in this little booklet are the words of the State Racing Commission in a 1947 report to N. J. Gov. Walter E. Edge:

“The racing season of 1946 brought to New Jersey some of the best racing in the East. Its two new tracks increased the State’s revenue beyond expectation. Popularity of this sport is clearly indicated by the fact that in New Jersey alone, one and one-half million people passed through the turnstiles during the year.


“In accepting the mandate of the people, the State became a partner in racing and will profit or lose according to the attitude with which the industry is surveyed. Because the investment in this industry, new to New Jersey, represents many millions of dollar, every effort must be exerted to afford it the protection and supervision it requires.

“It must be remembered that purses to horsemen must be maintained if we desire to conduct other than mediocre racing; improvements must be made to the plants if we are interested in progress, and breeders and owners must be encouraged if they are to survive.”

While more than 70 years have passed since these words were written, there are many people in New Jersey who still feel that the sport is worth saving.  Will the daily crowds ever be as large as what is pictured above?  There is no doubt that they are gone forever, as casinos and the lottery have siphoned off the dollars once reserved for pari-mutuel gambling.  But surely there can be a better solution for New Jersey's thoroughbred and standardbred industires than to just pull the plug, as the Star-Ledger's editorial suggests.  Let's hope that the current Governor does not heed this editorial's call.

The envelope, please

As we inch closer to the Eclipse Awards ceremony and the widely-anticipated announcement of Horse of the Year for 2010, I thought I would use this blog to reveal the horses I voted for, even though I was not originally planning on doing so.  This is my 15th year as an Eclipse Award voter, and I still find the task as enjoyable as my first time, way back when I was the turf writer for The Trentonian newspaper in Trenton, N. J., though I remember I did not write a column about how thrilled I was to be a first-time voter, even though I personally thought it was a big deal. 

Anyway, the sport of horse racing has changed over the years (not for the better, in my opinion) as has the media who cover it (anybody who creates a blog is now considered an expert) but the process of deciding what horses and people should receive an Eclipse vote has not, thankfully.  As an aside, if there were such things as blogs, web pages and the Internet when I was still in high school, I could have become a bona fide turf writer years before I first started pulling down a legitimate paycheck for an honest-to-goodness publication.

Here are the votes, and as you will note, there are no surprises here:

2-year-old filly - Awesome Feather
2-year-old colt - Uncle Mo
3-year-old colt - Lookin at Lucky
3-year-old filly - Blind Luck
Older Male - Blame
Older Female - Zenyatta
Male Turf - Gio Ponti
Female Turf - Goldikova
Male Sprinter - Big Drama
Female Sprinter - Dubai Majesty
Steeplechaser - Slip Away
Trainer - Todd Pletcher
Owner - WinStar Farm
Breeder - Claiborne and Dilschneider
Jockey - Ramon Dominguez
Apprentice - Omar Moreno
Horse of the Year - Zenyatta

Taking Flight

Millionaire It's a Bird, who captured four stakes and placed in three more, will be entering stud at Judy Barrett's Godstone Farm in Littlestown, Pa. for the 2011 season.  A stud fee has yet to be announced.

A son of Birdonthewire, It's a Bird won the Gr. 3 Lone Star Park and Spend a Buck handicaps, as well as the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic and the Plagiarize Stakes.  He also crossed the wire first in the Gr. 2 Oaklawn Park Handicap, but was disqualified after testing positive for naproxen.  It's a Bird had been owned by the late Edmund Gann, and his estate appealed the ruling, but ultimately had to return the first-place prize of $300,000.

Barrett was Pennsylvania's leading breeder in 2007, and she was also Pennsylvania's top breeding fund award winner through November 30.  The final totals for 2010 won't be available from the Pa. Horse Breeders Association until the end of January.

Here is It's a Bird's web site: http://www.its-a-bird.com/.  You can link to Godstone Farm from there.

Barrett will also be standing Activist, a son of Wild Again and a proven sire of stakes horses, as well as Baronial, a winning son of Kingmambo out of Broodmare of the Year Personal Ensign.  Also standing will be millionaire Cetewayo and Harley Quinn.

The Year in Review

The year 2010 certainly was a rollercoaster ride for this author, plenty of ups and downs with each passing month. Fortunately, we survived it all and are looking forward to an exciting 2011, with our yearling Baby Chips turning 2. Rather than re-hash what has happened in the sport of racing (much of it bad news), here are some of our personal highlights, as well as lowlights, from the past 12 months:

* January and February – My daughter Katie and I spent these two months traveling across Pennsylvania on the weekends, attending stallion shows and open houses. They’re always fun excursions and we’re able to meet new people and reconnect with old friends, as well as see some very nice stallions.

Lido Palace (Chi) at Northview-PA's Open House

* March – In the wee hours of March 19, my broodmare foaled a filly by Partner’s Hero, a very, very large foal who took a while to be able to stand and nurse on her own. In keeping with a new family tradition, we started calling her Baby Hero, just like her older half-brother is fondly known as Baby Chips.

Here is Mama Malibu, looking for a carrot

* June – At the midway point of the year, my broodmare visited the court of Sir Shackleton (and got in foal, carrying the future Baby Shack), but that good news was tempered about 10 days later when my mother passed away due to Alzheimer’s Disease. My mother enjoyed the racetrack, too, even though she was a classic $2 bettor and only played horses with interesting names. The month ended on a sour note when our 3-year-old filly Harvest of Hope bucked her shins while preparing for her first race at Parx, requiring several weeks on the shelf.

My mother pushes me (on right) and cousin Georgie at playground in Bayonne, N.J.

* July – The girls and I managed to get away from it all with a wonderful week-long vacation in Avalon, N. J., during which we had beautiful, but very hot, weather. And what better place to be during a heat wave than at the beach! Later in the month, we drove to upstate New York for a three-day weekend in Saratoga. The Saratoga spree was during one of the hottest periods of the year; even up in the Adirondacks, it was hot and humid. But we had a great time at Saratoga Race Course and spent several hours in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

 Secretariat statue at the Nat'l Museum of Racing in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

* September – Harvest of Hope returned to training, and Baby Chips attended racehorse kindergarten at Twin Ponds Farm in Oxford, Pa. It was very exciting for the whole family to see Baby Chips with a rider on his back, and he did just fine.

Baby Chips takes a spin around the track at Twin Ponds

* November – Baby Chips went to a Delaware farm for three months to get Delaware Certified, while we were saddened by the loss of our old friend Steve Schwartz, the former media relations manager at Monmouth Park and Meadowlands. Schwartz was a funny guy who loved to handicap the ponies, and we kept in frequent touch, usually about what horse to bet and where. We took a beating at the Breeders’ Cup, but the whole family was wowed by Zenyatta’s performance, even though we got into some heated debates about her with my husband, who is not a Zenyatta fan.

* December – Harvest of Hope made her first start at Parx on December 11, and she ran a good race to finish fourth. The chart footnote said, “split horses, closed.” We finished out the year on a quiet note, hopeful that Baby Hero continues to show improvement, Baby Chips makes it to the races, and Mama Malibu foals a healthy and correct Shack baby. We’re also keeping our fingers crossed that the sport of horse racing has a better 2011 than it did in 2010.

Hope gets ready to race at Parx