Race track security has increased lately due to various reasons but whats been going on has been highly insulting to owners and trainers. Owners get a lot of joy when they run horses and take family and guests with them into the paddock to share the excitement. Telling a guy who invested millions into the game that his friend cant come in with him is about the biggest slap in the face I can imagine. Trainers also may meet potential owners and want to bring them to the paddock so they can see how exciting it is. To tell these guys that they cant bring people in with them without a badge or pass is really a pain in the ass. You are talking about the paddock and lost of security around and what are the chances that an owner or trainer is going to bring someone else in WITH them who is going to cause a problem? All they wanna do is stand there and admire the horses and the atmosphere.
I can understand the backstretch security being so steep, with all the controvbersy lately about doping or tampering it makes sense to not let people in who dont have any business on the backside. People are working there and trying to do jobs, its not a place for tourists. But the paddock is another story. If they are going to have such stringent rules than the track executives really ought to hire a few more liaisons to strictly meet the owners and trainers needs. Have them ask the trainer or owner on the way to teh paddock how many passes they need for the race and hand them out.
trainers and owners often have unexpected guests show up for a day of racing and expecting them to have a headcount in the morning, make a call, go and pick them up, then pass them out is ridiculous, who has the time to work and do that as well? Just make the owner and trainer responsible for the guests and make them show their badge to someone at the paddock entrance and request as many passes as they need for their guests on the way in. Doesn't this sound a lot more accomodating and sensible to anyone?