Congrats! You've just been appointed...
 

...Racing Commissioner.

What are some of the most important issues to you and do you have solutions?

I know sometimes people have ideas but feel they aren't quite up to penning their thoughts in great detail so - so that no one feels like they cannot join in - please just jot down a few problems OR solutions OR both OR do a full throttle King Glorious length post (ah, the old days, Kingie) with step by step problems / plans / goals.

Or you can just address any problem, no matter how small or silly, as long as it's legit.

Do we need to streamline and close some tracks? Have a mandatory retirement age for thoroughbreds? Do we need to be in sync with the rest of the world re start times? More horse ambulances on big days? Keeping better track of injured /retired horses? I mean along with the obvious stuff... drugs, cheaters, suspensions, lifetime bans, some kind of uniformity, take out, stewards... please feel free to discuss ANYTHING you feel should be looked into, debated, fixed, updated, or stopped.

I have no idea how the status quo will even begin to change but I do know that being vocal, anyway, is a step in the right direction. JMS had said he had two options on the jockey suspension thread, one of which was acceptance. There has to be a third option... doesn't there?

There is no reason in the world why this sport can not be cleaned up and ethical.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

I would do everything in my power to cover up domestic violence.

Lifetime ban if you test positive for marijuana.

Pink jockey pants for breast cancer awareness month.

I would put white people in the infield to do general farm labor for black history month.

And I'd increase takeout and introduce a pay-per-view only option to view live races.

And I'd also campaign for the democratic party and ban whips.

IQ tests for jockeys, with a minimum score of 75 needed to pass.

Mandatory effective lie detectors for all trainers and stewards.

Anyone involved with marketing for the sport has to have wagered at least $1,000 yearly since the age of eighteen. No exceptions.

No synthetic surfaces at major circuits.

The minimum wager on any bet would be $1000. That way the daily handle would be much higher.

Suspended Jockeys would have to work as bathroom attendants - but they could keep the tips.

If a horse refuses to enter the starting gate - his trainer would have to work as a bathroom attendant the next day - he/she would not be allowed to keep any tips.

When the winning horse number matched the race number everyone would get a free beer or taco.

There would be a track dress code - everyone would have to dress like Steve Byk.

Build a retractable dome over Saratoga for an 8 week January-February meet. And I mean over the whole town, so I can wear shorts to the Tin & Lint at night

Louder oldies music in the Saratoga grandstand mens room.

2015 Gulfstream jockey photo of them on top of Pegasus holding 60 foot whips.

Parx changes their name once again to "Sparkey's Hot Slots and Racing"

Tom Durkin comes out of retirement to take the much coveted Monticello Raceway gig.

Andy Serling ditches the suit for a tie dye t-shirt on Talking Horses.

And, of course, Steve Byk winning a much deserved Eclipse Award for being the greatest advocate for the sport I love.

Not bad

I'd sit on my tail and collect a check, while understanding that altho there are some calls for change, no one really wants to make any changes.

:D
:tro:

:D:{>:

I'd first disallow anymore names with "fiftyshadesof" in it.

secondly, I'd require all clockers to use "Breezing and "Handily" as if they mean the same thing in all parts of the country.

Thank you for your answer.

Truest answer we'll get.

No 2yo racing beyond 6f.

For 3yos, they can only run up to 7f in Jan/Feb, 8f in Mar/Apr, unlimited after that.

9f Kentucky Derby on the same traditional day, 9.5f Preakness on the first Saturday in June, 10f Belmont on 4th of July.

Derby limited to starters. Automatic entry to the 1-2 finishers of the SA, Arkansas, and Florida Derbies, the Wood, and the Blue Grass. Also auto entry to the 2yo champ and the BC Juvenile champ. An earnings list would be used to fill any unfilled auto entry spots.

Must have at least five starts in the US to qualify for an Eclipse. Two starts for 2yos.

A return to a single-day Breeders' Cup. The races would be the original seven. Very Subtle, Miesque, Soviet Problem, Meafara, and Goldikova all say females don't need separate races in those divisions. Wouldn't split the 2yos up either.

This was a great answer and I appreciate your thoughts.

I especially liked the above points (and am pondering your Derby suggestions). :)

Well done!

Get agreement amongst the 37 states that allow racing that we want to actually stabilize and expand instead of allow it to wither. That's rather vague, but for an opener, let's concede that not everyone wants to continue racing as much as they wish to continue to receive funding via takeout or the next replacement: casino games.

In no particular order, brainstorming:

As someone else said here, go to all dirt/turf with only sparing use of synthetics in climates where they are absolutely necessary as an all-weather surface.

Enforce a rule that racino's must advertise their parimutuel products as much as the casino game side. Exhibit A requiring remediation is Parx, which you would not even know has a track from the television, radio and billboard ads in the Philly area.

In step with above, advertise the sport in general. It has advantages over the casino model for the player, as there is not enforced per-wager negative expectation. Life changing, lottery level scores occur several times per year via the pick-6, both traditional and jackpot.

Pick up the tab for HorsePlayers the TV show to have a second season, as it is good advertisement for the sport.

Attempt to re-establish media relationships so that results and entries are covered again in newspapers, and stakes races covered in local TV sports coverage.

Get every track to upgrade TV monitors to HD or 4k, and include Trakus. The standardization of saddle cloth colors following the 1990 simulcast legislation was a good idea - further standardizing and upgrading player experience at the venues would also help.

Make race replays free via mobile and internet apps.

Make a free tote board app that has an API for programmers to get real live odds so that the high tech oriented players can integrate that into their spreadsheets and apps.

More horseplayer tournaments, with some especially geared at teaching new players the ins and outs.

Mobile apps that notify players of scratches, condition changes, and results of contests they have wagered on, as appropriate. Interfaces that quickly let you wager in response to changes.

Spearhead movement to change the antequated and unfair taxation practice on exotic bet winnings. Also fight to remove practices of restrictive state laws like those currently in Texas.

I am sure there are more things we can do. The key is preserving what is great about the sport and the racing, while upgrading other experiences to a level that 2014 should offer, and abandoning dead ends (like synthetic tracks).

That is hilarious!

I would get top guys in the sport. Guys like Baffert, Pletcher, and easy Eric G and brainstorm with them.

A couple things.

1. When a trainer is suspended ALL HORSES currently under his care and those under his care at the time of the infraction can not run for anyone during the course of the suspension.

2. All infractions will be penalized in Racing Days not just days.

Really? :rolleyes: You think number one isn't a little over the top. I can see the horse with the violation not being allowed to run during the suspension and maybe even all that owners horses. Punishing other owners because they have the same trainer is beyond rediculous.

owners should hire the right trainers. is it over the top? yes. should suspensions, especially by serial cheaters, be handled more seriously than now? absolutely!

Yeah I'm with Danzig and JMS on that one... suspensions should be dreaded. I think it's the only way.

Thanks to all who answered seriously. Some interesting ideas!

I completely disagree... I would be fearful of giving ANY big names too much influence.

The way I see it a serious, drastic and lasting overhaul is in order and letting the big guns infect any ideas or possibilities defeats the purpose.

I would imagine and hope that the Commissioner (if this ever happens and while representing all) would take seriously protecting the bettors. I doubt there's much either trainer you mentioned could say that, ultimately, wouldn't be self-serving.

I guess Coach and I mis-read the instructions :o

Very over the top but the one way this game is going to change is if those with the money suffer and apply the pressure. Owners would then be pressuring trainers to stay clean and move away from those that are dirty instead of the wink wink just win baby while I look away and donate money to some horsey cause bcause I just love the animals horseshit that goes on now. Major change usually has many people crying "beyond Ridiculous". Management at HP said it was beyond ridiculous that anyone would want a computer at home when Steve Jobs asked if he could have the rights to the PC he invented in his garage while he was employeed by HP.