Cold/Wind KO's Aqueduct again Wednesday
 

No racing at the Big A. Miserable here with wind brutal.. Knocks out really good card.

That's too bad. I thought there was a good chance Sciacca was going to break out of containment today.

But cheer up New Yorkers with the news it's minus 4 here with wind chills 30-40 below. Most all, including Chicago schools closed.

Because of the cold? We are raising a generation of Veal

Won't matter anyway as according to climate experts we passed the line of no return for a Global Warming ending. ;)

Anytime now we'll be underwater, only not today as we'd be under ice.

Assuming tomorrow will be SCUTTLED as well

I doubt it. It'll be cold but not nearly as windy, plus Friday/Saturday weather is iffy so I think they'll try their best to get tomorrow's card in.

Hitting that one out of the park would be too easy.

Thursday canceled too.

Please stick with the proper DT vernacular.... SCUTTLED. Actually I maybe be incorrect perhaps canceled is consistent with the day being scrapped and scuttled is for turf racing switched to main. Either way gets the point across.lol

Canceled two races in today after Italian Rules and Apex both break down in the 2nd. Brutal.

I feel bad for David Jacobson. Where else is he gonna get free money today?

scuttled again today

Jan. 9, 2015



STATEMENT FROM NYTHA PRESIDENT RICK VIOLETTE JR. ON THE INCREASE OF EQUINE FATALITIES AT AQUEDUCT RACETRACK:

“The horsemen are obviously deeply concerned about the significant increase in equine fatalities at Aqueduct this winter. Tomorrow morning, a group of trainers, including myself and NYTHA Board members Linda Rice and Rick Schosberg, will meet with a NYRA management team including Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Martin Panza, Vice President of Facilities and Racing Surfaces Glen Kozak and Chief Examing Veterinarian Dr. Anthony Verderosa. There may not be one right answer, but we will use every avenue possible and examine every angle to address this situation. Everything will be on the table, from finding an independent track surface expert to come in and examine the inner track to a thorough reexamination of every procedure and protocol in place before a horse leaves the starting gate.”

The NYRA should discontinue racing between the first weekend of December and the first weekend of April. Return the racing calendar to years back when the circuit consisted of eight months of racing.

This would :

[1] eliminate the Aqueduct Inner Track debate all together,
[2] eliminate the need for lower level horses racing on the circuit leading to the higher breakdown rates,
[3] increase the horse population available to second tier circuits, and
[4] allow NYRA to save money from what has largely been quoted as a money losing part of the season.

It becomes increasingly tiresome reading that the horsemen believe that the problem is always in the surface. While it is positive that all parties are talking (which could be viewed as the end-goal of the entire meeting), re-evaluating the need for winter racing should be the first order of business.

Does everyone remember when Bob Baffert was dragged through the media based on his California break-down rates? No one came to his defense as he was a big gun in the industry.

While allowing the trainers to challenge the racing surface, aren't the prerace protocols involved in preparing a horse the ultimate responsibility of the trainer? I would argue that they are.

If that were the case, why does NYRA and the audience not hear from Steve Klesaris and Naipaul Chatterpaul as to what was wrong with their horses prior to saddling them leading to their breakdowns? Having public trainer statements on why their horses are not returning from the track would be a first step in placing responsibility where it belongs.

Every winter, we seem to get involved in this same debate onto which the media (and organizations like PETA) latches come the spring season. Eventually, the inputs need to change in order to change the outcomes.

Why don't you pull yourself up and stop with the blather? I don't have time to go point by point through the hysterical, scattershot suggestions/recriminations, but the right answer to scenarios like this are horses go wrong for countless reasons and instantaneous conclusions/demands/calls to action are utterly pointless and 100% useless.

Extended periods of racing without incident and spikes in breakdowns happen. The long term oversight put in place by NYRA after the Injury Task Force considered the 2012 incident spate have been recognized as very effective. If you want to stop breakdowns, end the sport. Otherwise, be prepared for these Edvard Munch moments of feigned outrage and horror to continue.

Here's the Task Force Report from 2012 if truly interested in understanding all the working parts of circumstances involving safety cautions: http://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/gov...nts/Report.pdf