Historian, crusader…a chat with Fred Hudson – Part 1

Just a few days ago, I was a guest on Fred Hudson’s great Harness Racing Alumni Show, a very unique broadcast about our grand sport.

It was my third invite to the show which covers all angles of harness racing and features a wide array of topics—some controversial, of course—and loaded with many of the most important names in our sport as quests.

Nothing is off limits on the show and, on my most recent appearance, we lightened things up a bit with the history of Yonkers Raceway (Roosevelt, too) going back in time to 1899.

Since I know Fred to be a crusader for transparency in our sport, I asked if I could turn the tables on him and request an interview for our Harnesslink devotees with the focus on some of those more controversial topics on the table today.

It’s a “no holds barred” interview, so, without further ado, here we go…

(HL) Thanks, Fred, for your willingness to do this interview.

(FH) You’re quite welcome…harness racing needs as much transparency as we can muster up so our many devotees will remain to be faithful and participate in harness racing in all areas—from becoming owners to our most precious commodity—the fan.

(HL) You are the son of one of the finest horsemen to set foot on the tracks of New York, William Hudson. Did you ever think about following in his “hoof prints?”

(FH) My dad was one of the highly regarded “catch-drivers” in the 1950’s and 1960’s—before catch-driving became so popular—but my idol, truthfully, was Billy Haughton. In my high school days, I’d go to Roosevelt Raceway at night and warm up horses for dad and some other trainers, as well…and, funny thing, that was before I had a New York License.

(HL) How’d you get away with that?

(FH) I was tall and looked older than I was!

(HL) So, Roosevelt and Yonkers were your two “homes” back then…

(FH) In the early (19)’70’s, dad would sent me to Monticello with a small stable. One summer, we had to wait for stalls up there and we ended up at Dominic Macedonio’s farm. There, I met other trainers like Joe Ricco and Jimmy Marohn, Sr.—and we’re still friends to this very day. I trained for Del Insko for several years and then went on my own. You need money to do that and I didn’t have much.

(HL) Great name in harness racing—Del Insko—I first got to know him in Chicago in the early 1960’s. One of my favorite Insko horses was a “B-2” pacer named Selka Chief.

(FH) Great driver…great person…”Toothpick Del.” A few years ago, a couple of old Insko owners wanted to finance me to purchase some yearlings…One night, I was having dinner with CeCe Levy, (daughter of Roosevelt Founder George Morton Levy) and I was telling her I wouldn’t get in unless I had a million dollars. CeCe looked at me and asked, “What are you going to do with ONE HORSE!”

(HL) OK. Down to business…You have been on a crusade of sorts—and a lonely one, at that—to try and expose the problems in harness racing and to try and clean it up. What needs the most cleaning up?

(FH) Answer: EVERYTHING! As the founder of the Harness Racing Alumni, the number one reason that owners and trainers have abandoned the sport is that they couldn’t compete with the “cheat, chemist trainers.” The biggest complaint I get from current owners is about their monthly vet bills which, in many cases, is higher than the training bill. When the leaders of the USTA state that they are against HISA, they are telling the outside world and media is that they are pro drugging of our racehorses.

(HL) You really believe that the USTA is PRO-drugging horses?

(FH) Well, not much has been done to curtail it.

(HL) So, what is a solution?

(FH) In my opinion, the first thing that needs to be done is total reorganization of the USTA with the Board of Directors reduced from 60 to eight. Then, a strategic plan has to be drawn up and implemented designed to promote the sport and save the sport. I think we have to follow the thoroughbred industry as they have already invested on market research. We need to copy what they are doing.

(HL) As you know, some of my Mane Attraction columns have suggested plans for retired racehorses. I would hope that our retired racehorses are not forgotten.

(FH) Absolutely, We need a better plan for our retired horses. We MUST prevent them from ending up in the slaughter pipeline. I also think that removal of freeze brands is another way that our industry has sent a bad message to the outside world. I spoke to one of the top people at PETA and he told me, if harness racing wants to see its worst enemy, just look in the mirror.

(HL) You have taken a position as as the Director of Equine Welfare with Animal Wellness Action. Tell me about them.

(FH) Well, there are one of the top animal wellness organizations in the United States and, also, a top lobbying firm for animal protection and welfare. This all started 10 years ago when I went to the U.S. Capitol in support of the SAFE Act bill which, by the way, we are STILL trying to get passed that would end the export of our horses for slaughter. That led me to make other speeches in Washington, D.C. and, at the same time, do some lobbying. While doing this, I met with Jim Gagliano of the CEO of the Jockey Club. I was introduced to him by Julie Broadway, the CEO of the American Horse Council…and that is when I became aware of HISA.

(HL) HISA is a big deal in today’s news.

(FH) Yes, a BIG deal. I joined forces with AWA’s Marty Irby (The Jockey Club), Shawn Smeallie (American Continental Group) and Hal Handel to lobby for HISA in Washington, D.C. I attended both HSA hearings and, in the second meeting, was joined by Dan Kazmaier and Art Gray. Michelle Crawford came in for the SAFE Act hearing the following day. When Irby left to start his own lobbying firm, Wayne Pacelle, the Founder of the AWA, asked if I would join them…and I said, “yes.”

(HL) So, you are on this crusade—a lonely one, at that—to make our sport more transparent. In what ways?

(FH) I am on a crusade to curtail illegal drugs usage—whether that’s possible without help I don’t know…and the situation with equine deaths must be addressed, as well. When you say I can’t do it alone, just remember, even those who have claimed the mighty Mount Everest couldn’t do it alone. They needed Sherpas to do it. I’m trying to climb a mountain for the survival of our sport…and I need some “industry Sherpas” to help and try and conquer this mountain of problems in our sport.

In the next Mane Attraction, we’ll continue this discussion with Fred Hudson about two very serious issues facing our sport—illegal drugs and deaths on the track.

May The Horse Be With You!

by John Berry, for Harnesslink