As most of you know, I’m a horse racing enthusiast. Though, like practically everything I’m involved in, it’s a dying industry. (See: newspapers, magazines, music business)
But I love the sport.
I adore the horses and am proud to call
some of the best people in racing my
friends.
Contrary to popular belief, most people involved in the
sport are real horseman. They care deeply about their animals. It’s pretty much
a career requirement. To dedicate your life 365/52/12 to horses you have to love them. The simple fact is that
it’s too difficult a job, with too little return if you don’t. Which doesn’t
mean that there aren’t a few people looking for shortcuts and fast paydays.
Right now is the best of times and the worst of times for
horse racing. Let’s start with the good news.
Obviously, at this moment in time—right
before the Belmont Stakes, the third leg
of the Triple Crown,—that means California Chrome.
He is the little horse that could. He’s not royally bred—though
his parents do have pretty pedigrees. His mom, Love the Chase was an $8000
claimer, which may be real money to you and me, but in racing that’s chicken
feed. (Hell, anybody who has fed chickens lately knows that chicken feed isn’t
chicken feed any more. But I digress.) His daddy, Lucky Pulpit had a reasonable
stud fee as well –just $2000. Curlin, the sire of California Chrome's main competition, Ride On Curlin’s costs $25,000.
CC, as his fans call him has terrific
All along DAP had
Triple Crown dreams . This isn’t surprising—virtually all Throroughbred
owner/breeders in the country have the same vision. But DAP outlined a path to get there and held Art Sherman to the plan. And unlike the 20,000
other owners of three-year-olds, they were right.
I came late to the
party. I missed the horse’s entire
forgettable two-year-old season; I may have seen him run but I don’t remember. But when jockey Victor Espinoza started raving
about his mount, shortly before the San Felipe Stakes, I started listening.
When I watched CC play with the field in the San Felipe, I became a convert.
I missed going to the Santa Anita Derby because I had the
flu. But I blew out my throat screaming at the TV when he romped home. I was at Santa Anita with a crowd of his
hometown fans for the Kentucky Derby; for the Preakness I was in a dive bar in
New York cheering on my homey.
Whether or not he takes home the Belmont gold, California Chrome
has developed a fan base not seen for a racehorse since Zenyatta. Is it just a
coincidence that he too is a California resident? I don’t think so. We love our racehorse heroes! And since the
Kentucky elite perpetually condescend to us, it’s nice to be able to stick out
our tongues at them. Nyah nyah nyah! California Chrome is ours!
If CC wins though, he’s everybody’s. He already is.
Which is important, because the bad news in racing is the
recent PETA video. It was ugly, revolting
and disgusting. That anyone—particularly the assistant for one of racing’s most
successful trainers --could do and say the things that were heard and seen is
unforgivable. But sadly, not
unimaginable.
The reason this stuff happens is simple—and it occurs in
sports across the board. It’s money. It’s the same motivation that cyclists dope,
and baseball players use steroids. Racing is a business, and success equals
cash.
Personally, I’m disappointed when human athletes cheat—ethically
it’s wrong. But the decision to use
drugs is their own. A horse doesn’t have that choice. It’s immoral to hurt an
animal under your care for any reason whatsoever.
The huge majority of people in racing agree. Which doesn’t
mean that the boundaries of performance enhancing drugs aren’t being constantly
pushed. But most trainers won’t go so
far as to run injured horses knowingly. Most. Not all. Evil exists in racing as
it does in all facets of life.
Which puts the responsibility to advocate for the horses and
police trainers firmly on individual states’ governing boards. And they’re
doing a lousy job.
There is a great opportunity in racing right now. California
Chrome is a freak- a great story and an amazing horse. He can bring a positive spotlight
to a sport that badly needs one. But those in charge must make sure racing can
stand the scrutiny.
Excuse me now—I have to put on my California Chrome hat and
California Chrome Made in California t-shirt ,and prepare to scream him home in
front of the Belmont field. Fingers crossed.
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