Loading Up Trusting Hearts

(Photo of Delta Storm, 2009 Breeders Cup Sprint, by John Chun)

This morning while assisting the groom in loading Delta Storm into a small two horse trailer, it occurred to me how trusting these athletes are. They are certainly used to trailering from one racetrack to another, and you hope that they will load easily. Of course, most times they are in large vans with several other horses, not a small trailer that must look oddly like a starting gate space.

This was the third horse in as many days that we have loaded onto a small trailer for their new adventure in life. And it got me to thinking how incredibly trusting race horses are. They go from person to person, not a question as to what will happen next, just assuming someone will take care of them at 4 a.m. or 4 p.m.. I felt wistful and a bit melancholy about the horses that load up not really knowing where they are going to next, but assuming at the end of the ride, someone is there to care for them. It's really all they know.

And I thought too of the tremendous responsibility The Second Race and hundreds of other groups and individuals place upon themselves to protect the horses after their racing days are over. To be sure its a daunting task day in and day out, but as I pinched Delta Storm's leg so he would bend it and I could place it on the step up trailer and help him steady himself as he walked on the trailer, it all seemed worth the trust his heart was putting in me at that moment.

I hope he and the others this week will be happy in their new lives.

The Jockey Club Enhances Tattoo Database

The Jockey Club announced last week that it would expand the free services that it provides by adding the sales history of each Thoroughbred registered with them. Providing the additional information should help groups and individuals who attempt to retire or re home horses by providing a tool to aid them in knowing where the horse has been. This is of particular importance, when a horse is found at auction, or purchased years later off the track, and listed on Craig's List for instance.

The sales information is still being added. The Jockey Club reports that their free tattoo identification service has been accessed more than 200,000 times since its inception in April of last year.

The Kentucky Racing Commission has started a pilot program which allows for online monitoring of horse ownership, regardless of the number of owner changes. Kentucky hopes that other states will join the program. Again, making it easier for all to know the history of a horse.

Race horses are tattooed in different forms. Whether Quarter Horse, Arabian, Standardbred or Thoroughbred.

Below is a chart showing the year of birth associated with the letter in the lip tattoo for Thoroughbred and Standardbred horses. If there are two letters in a Standarbred's tattoo, it is the first one that tells the year of birth.


Thoroughbreds
A = 1971
B = 1972
C = 1973
D = 1974
E = 1975
F = 1976
G = 1977
H = 1978
I = 1979
J = 1980
K = 1981
L = 1982
M = 1983
N = 1984
O = 1985
P = 1986
Q = 1987
R = 1988
S = 1989
T = 1990
U = 1991
V = 1992
W = 1993
X = 1994
Y = 1995
Z = 1996
A = 1997
B = 1998
C = 1999
D = 2000
E = 2001
F = 2002
G = 2003
H = 2004
I = 2005
J = 2006
K = 2007
L = 2008

Standardbreds
P = 1971
Q = 1972
R = 1973
S = 1974
T = 1975
U = 1976
V = 1977
W = 1978
X = 1979
Y = 1980
Z = 1981
A = 1982
B = 1983
C = 1984
D = 1985
E = 1986
F = 1987
G = 1988
H = 1989
J = 1990
K = 1991
L = 1992
M = 1993
N = 1994
P = 1995
R = 1996
S = 1997
T = 1998
V = 1999
W = 2000
X = 2001
Z = 2002
A = 2003
B = 2004
C = 2005
D = 2006
E = 2007
F = 2008

The Second Race applauds the actions of The Jockey Club. Transparency is the key to helping the horses while on the track, and most certainly off.

A Perfect Storm

A "perfect storm" is an expression that describes an event where a rare combination of circumstances will aggravate a situation drastically, such was the experience I witnessed at the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) meeting earlier today.

In one corner you had Frank Stronach, the owner of Santa Anita Racetrack and Golden Gate Fields (among many other business interests inside and outside of horse racing) and the other an incredulous Racing Board trying to put a finger in the dike of California Racing. Those in attendance waited hours to hear what Mr. Stronach would say with respect to his plans for Santa Anita, the Oak Tree meet (whether or not it would be held at the aforementioned race track as it has for the past 41 years), and what was his long term business plan. It was as I say "the Perfect storm".

But back to my note, while listening to endless bickering, and the at times non-sensible approach to problems voiced by Mr. Stronach, I wrote on my note pad "Someone Needs to Be a Hero". What I didn't know is 45 minutes later a hero would in fact turn the tide of the meeting. The hero you ask? Mr. Mace Siegel.

Mr. Siegel's voice commands attention. His gravel, deep voice swept through the room and people listened, including Frank Stronach. Somehow with the delivery of reason, Mr. Siegel was able to have the Board "hear" miraculously what none of us did, that somehow he knew that Mr. Stronach could be reasonable. And so after listening to both sides, mediated by Mace Siegel, Frank Stronach recanted his statement and with the approval of the Oak Tree Board, which was in attendance, the race meet would be reinstated for one year (this race meet only). It was in a word, extraordinary.

I don't begin to know all the answers, in fact I have many more questions than answers. I also do not have the history and background in racing that many of the distinguished members in the audience had, however I do know a sinking ship when I see one, and I know a life jacket and an anchor when I see one too. We need both in California.

We need many heroes to save horse racing in California, my hope is that this will be the first step.

Speaking of Storms.....after the CHRB meeting concluded, I went to the backside to see Delta Storm.

Delta Storm is a nine year old gelding, that last year ran fourth in the Breeders Cup Sprint and found himself last week in Stockton entered to run for $ 3,200. His story too was a perfect storm for those that want to find one more reason to not like horse racing. The Second Race, with his former trainer and owner, worked to secure his retirement to CERF (California Equine Retirement Foundation).

Which brings me to what concerns me the most about the future of horse racing in my State and that is the horses. What is to happen to all of them? Where are they to go? How can we support them when or if the industry pulls up stakes and either leaves the business entirely, or abandons racing locally for more profitable jurisdictions? There are literally thousands of horses that need to be accounted for in our actions.

The Second Race hopes that while many more arguments and meetings will transpire in the coming months, we take a moment and think of the responsible retirement of the horses. Without the horses, there isn't racing. And that is a fact that can't be argued inside, or outside of California.