JB’s State of the Union message for harness racing

The Mane Attraction doesn’t get into politics these days but, since the State of the Union address was aired recently, it was thought to be appropriate that we have a State of the Union message for our great sport—one definition of the word “union” being States joined together for a common purpose, as in the United States of America.

For the U.S.A., it’s the President. For the NBA, NFL, MLB and MLS, among others, the equivalent might be described as a commissioner.

When asked if he’d consider being the first Commissioner of Harness Racing, John Campbell said, without hesitation, “NO!”

I then got a “tongue in cheek” e-mail asking if I might be interested in the position…and, of course, the answer is an emphatic “NO,” as well.

I am not intelligent enough or strong willed enough to effectively dish out appropriate decisions, whether they be penalties, fines or suspensions.

But, if I was campaigning for the position, I would write the following speech about our State of the Union for harness racing.

It would be something like this…

“Ladies and gentlemen in our harness racing community…owners, trainers, drivers, caretakers, veterinarians, farriers and officials…and, most importantly, fans…

As with the President of our great United States, I, too, have been blessed with years beyond the ‘average life span,’ despite having end stage kidney disease.

Yes, I am 80-years-of-age but, remember, that’s on the Fahrenheit scale, which equals 27 on the Celsius scale (joke), which is the one I use when questioned about my age.

Yes, I am forgelful on occasion—just as I have forgotten to cross the ’T’ on that particular word earlier in this sentence.

Yes, I make mixstakes on occasion, but try and keep them to a mimimun.

And, yes, I am in recognition of the fact that harness racing needs a facelift—a makeover of sorts—to keep some sort of a competitive standing for pari-mutuel wagering and the gaming dollar in a sea of competition heretofore never experienced in our industry.

In these eyes, our industry is becoming plagued by speed, which is great for the breeding industry but harmful to the vast majority of our participants.

When I first became involved in this grand sport, it was an era of the driver-trainer…you know, the professional horsemen and women that carried a stopwatch and looked to win a mile race in 2:04 by getting to the three-eighths pole in :43 or :44 seconds.

It was an era when owners of two-year-olds were happy to see their colt, gelding or filly on a magazine’s 2:10 list and three-year-olds on the 2:05 list.

It was an era when the Albatross 2:04 mile as a two-year-old at Sportsman’s Park was considered awesome and Steady Star’s 1:52 time trial was historic and unfathomable, as was the Niatross time trial in 1:49.1…in a non-betting time trial with fans quickly becoming hoarse—h-o-a-r-s-e—watching history by a great horse—h-o-r-s-e—at Lexington’s iconic Red Mile.

Trainer’s, mostly, trusted themselves to take care of the horse—both on and off the racetrack.

Similarly, it was an era when owners trusted trainers, too, to take their horse back of the starting gate in races—overnight events as well as the most prestigious of Stakes events.

“Back then, it was a golden era when even our most prestigious events found an amateur driver in the winner’s circle.

On thinking about it, it all started to change in the Nihilator era when the “magic man,” Billy “O,” took the lines from the legendary Billy “H,” whom I considered a “magic man” in his own right.

Of course, there were others like Loosh and John Campbell and so many others when the Meadowlands opened in 1976…when catch-driving became the beginning of the speed era as many of these catch-drivers worried about the next 1:55 2/5 (at that time) and not the next race or a horse’s future races.

That was the beginning of what has become today’s unprecedented era of speed.

Last season, for example, a two-year-old pacer with a 1:50.1 mark wasn’t even in the top 10 and a three-year-old pacer with a mark of 1:49 wasn’t in the top 20!

And any aged pacer who didn’t achieve a mark of 1:48 wasn’t in the top 20, either.

Even trotters joined the speed fray and a trotting mile by a two-year-old—colt or filly—in an amazing 1:53.1 was NOT in the top five.

Same thing for the sophomore trotters as a mile in 1:51, again, either a colt for a filly, was out of the top 10.

Any aged trotter with a mark of 1:51 was out of the top 15.

But, while ‘speed’ is a problem in shortening racing careers and, in turn, shortening betting fields which, in turn, shortens value when wagering—the difference being the “par” payoff in a 10 horse field being $18.00 and only $9.60 in a six horse field—and, finally, losing the aging generation to the inevitable and unable to replace them with new blood, the entire industry has many other problems that need to be addressed—but probably won’t be—in time to save the sport and entire industry.

We are considered the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, but harness racing’s rules and conditions make it the UNTIED STATES OF AMERICA—the difference only being a reversal in the second and third letters.

In a recent Mane Attraction, Kim Hankins, Tim Tetrick and David Miller have been quite verbal about the lack of universal rules among tracks and the always articulate Peter Blood has joined the fray, as well, citing differences in rules and withdrawal times of medications.

Probably 1,000 or more other trainers and drivers are on board, as well, but afraid of the consequences by giving their identification.

Yet another voice—and a vociferous one, at that—is John Curtin, founder of Harnesslink and JC International Bloodstock.

After recent visits to North America from his ‘Kiwi’ homeland of New Zealand, Curtin is in disbelief surrounding the chaos in the harness racing industry in the United States.

In a recent interview,” Curtin lamented, ‘Here you have a sport that has been around for more than two centuries with racing—both fair and pari-mutuel—in 22 States, 14 of which are pari-mutuel tracks, and there are different Racing Commissions in just about all the States and different sets of rules about everything from rules on the track to medication usage and withdrawal times. It’s amazing that any driver or trainer can keep track of them all, especially when traveling around during the season.

“Racing in the United States needs a universal Racing Commission with a universal set of rules to get, so to speak, back on track, to get harness racing back in the ball game.

“We have problems in Australia and New Zealand, yes, but, certainly, not as confusing and hard to follow as the U.S.”

Curtin thinks the confusion can and will lead to unlimited litigation in the future if the U.S. can’t get its act together.

“To that extent,” Curtin says, “Once a driver, trainer or owner is fined or suspended with a redistribution of purse money, a life is upended…ruined! And if it’s appealed and found to have been a fine or suspension wrongly implemented, well, that can’t repair the damage already done, that’s for sure!”

That is only the tip of the ‘iceberg,’ as our industry faces a bleak future with no cure in sight.

With over 3,500 trainers and drivers licensed, only about 1 1/2 percent—about 53—are under the age of 25 and you can count the ones under 20 years-of-age on your fingers.

We need 3,000 more William Carters, Marvin Lunas, Jeremy Bobbits, Brett Beckwiths, Braxton Boyds, Joe Chindanos, Carson Conrads, Joey Putnams…

Not only that, we need 200 more Edison Hatters, Jessica Halletts, Nathan Bains, Ace Barnsdales, Trey Colbecks, among others, to keep our headlines flowing over the airwaves and in print.

We have failed to address this problem in an era when there are many thousands of kids from kindergarten age through high school that are being honed for careers in technology, medicine, software development, healthcare, finance, marketing, construction, social services, accountants, information security, engineering and academic positions, among others.

In 25 years, many of today’s drivers and trainers will be in their 60’s, 70’s, and ’80’s—some even older than that…and we don’t have enough drivers and trainers upcoming to fill their void.

And with owners aging, as well—and as many as 40% (maybe a bit more) of horses earn nothing in any particular race, owners will become disenchanted and decline to participate in the future.

Yes, The Meadowlands is trying to remedy the situation with a stipend to every horse helping put on their great show, but that leaves a host of tracks unable to do the same thing…yet another blow to the future.

We have brought suggestions to the floor with regard to a lowered takeout, harness racing’s own television NETWORK, Equine Social Security, prop betting on harness racing, the ‘fill it or kill it’ idea, transparency in the sport, creating a youth incentive program beginning early in grade school and continuing through higher education levels, “front door” mini-cams at strategic intervals on the track to aid judges in their all-important decisions that affects owners, trainer, drivers and, most important of all, the bettors, with, collectively, many thousands of dollars on the line.

We’ve brought suggestions about re-draws, a re-birth of time-trials…even saddle-pads!

What will it take for this sport to wake-up and embrace the future—not shy away from it?

We have a presidential election this year and everyone is talking about the ages of the two nominees. Age…age…age…that’s all we hear.

As you know, I have a ‘bit’ of age on me…and I am happy to have it. Some aren’t lucky enough to age.

If I was the Commissioner—which I will never be—‘age’ would be of no consequence to me.

It’s with whom you associate that makes for success and this sport needs a commissioner with a unified set of rules and regs for ALL tracks and including a unified set of rules for the administration of ALL allowable medications.

With technology and testing now available that can detect a ‘picogram’ of a medication, it should be no problem to set a future course ensuring the success—long term success of our grid sport.

The Commissioner would have a handpicked Board of Directors based on credentials received with regard to every aspect of this industry—from racing rules to medication rules covering every nook and cranny of our sport—on the track and off the track.

Just as ‘time’ is of the essence in winning a race, as it stands right at this very moment, we have little ‘time’ to enact programs to save out sport from obscurity.

Remember, the winner of a $10,000 purse gets $5,000 whether the mile is clocked in 2:02 or 1:51 2/5.

Remember, a $13.20 winner pays $13.20 whether the mile is clocked in 1:58 or 1:49.3.

If asked, “would you rather have a 1:50 clocking and finish 6th or a purse check? I’d “bet” the owner would take the check!

And, about the bettor, time means nothing to them. They’ll take the $13.20 all day long!

It’s the winning that counts to the owner…and. equally important, the bettor.

And THAT concludes my State of the Union speech for our great sport.”

“May the Horse Be With You…FOREVER!”

by John Berry, for Harnesslink