Letters to the Editor, March 20 Edition of BH Daily

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Photo: Race Track Industry Program/James S. Wood
NTRA president and CEO Tom Rooney

New York Times Essay Misses the Mark

Like many of you, I was disappointed in the content and tone of the guest essay on horse racing published in the New York Times two weeks ago. And while it was an opinion piece, the author presented a very one-sided view with facts selected to back up his preconceived narrative. In response, I sent a letter to the editor which was published this past Saturday online and Sunday in the print edition. You can find a copy of my letter below: 

To the Editor:

Mr. (Noah) Shachtman's essay about horse racing gave short shrift to the sport's upside, including its positive economic impact. Thoroughbred racing in the United States, according to 2023 data collected by the American Horse Council, has an annual economic impact of $37 billion.

It supports 491,000 jobs, thousands of farms, and related businesses. Protecting those jobs and reinvesting in racing is no different than measures that states take to support other sports and businesses that are important to local economies and cultures.

New York State's relationship with the New York Racing Association allowed the state to take ownership of 900 acres of valuable property and for the expansion of the Resorts World casino at Aqueduct, the state's largest taxpayer, generating more than $4 billion in revenue for the state's public education fund, a fact that Mr. Shachtman did not mention.

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His essay also discounted racing's safety record and its popularity. The sport has never been safer, with 2024 producing the lowest rate of fatal injury since the data have been kept. And, while the sport may not have the standing it did in the days of Seabiscuit, when the gates open for the 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1), that event will attract 150,000 attendees and more television viewers than any single game of the World Series, the NBA Finals, or the Stanley Cup.

(My original version was about twice as long with additional content on the virtues of our sport and the hard-working people who are its primary stakeholders, but the Times requires letters to be less than 250 words. Many state capitols have recognized racing's value to their cultures and economies, as have many members of Congress. We will continue to work to ensure that they continue to appreciate our sport's many contributions.)

Tom Rooney

National Thoroughbred Racing Association president and CEO

Florida's Thoroughbred Legacy Under Attack

Proposed Florida legislation could decouple Thoroughbred racing from gaming venues, threatening the state's racing industry.

Proponents argue the move would benefit out-of-state gambling interests at the expense of Florida jobs and the state's Thoroughbred legacy.

For nearly 70 years, my family has poured everything into Florida's Thoroughbred racing industry—starting with my grandfather, who put Florida-bred horses on the national stage and proved that Kentucky wasn't the only place to raise champion runners. My father carried that legacy forward, and today, as the third generation at Ocala Stud Farm, I am fighting to protect everything my family and thousands of others have built from a misguided and misrepresented proposal in the legislature.

We've bred and trained Kentucky Derby (G1) and graded stakes champions, helped make Ocala the Horse Capital of the World, and turned Florida into a formidable national competitor in Thoroughbred breeding and racing. But now, the legislation Florida lawmakers are considering could tear it all down by selling out our industry to out-of-state gambling interests with no loyalty to Florida's racing tradition. 

House Bill 105 and Senate Bill 408 threaten to "decouple" live horse racing from Thoroughbred gaming venues, stripping away the requirement that Thoroughbred racing permit holders conduct live races. This reckless legislation would allow Gulfstream Park's Canadian parent company to operate a stand-alone gaming facility without having to maintain its racing operation. The result? A painful dismantling of one of Florida's signature industries, leaving the livelihoods of thousands of workers and businesses in its wake.

Thoroughbred racing isn't just a beloved tradition, it's also an economic juggernaut. According to an independent study commissioned by the American Horse Council in 2023, the industry generates a $3.24 billion economy and supports 33,500 Florida jobs. How can the dismantlement of a key pillar of Florida's agribusiness even be open for discussion?

It appears the motive behind this bill is driven by corporate interests looking for a backdoor into Florida's casino market. Gulfstream Park's parent company has a history of abandoning racing venues, having closed or redeveloped multiple tracks in other states. Their new partnership with NASCAR as their "pari-mutuel gaming partner" is one more red flag about where their interests lie: on horsepower of any other kind. It's not about preserving Thoroughbred racing, it's about slot machines, sports betting, and a quick payday. They're gambling with Florida's economy, and we cannot take that bet. 

A move like this ensures the devastating loss of our esteemed Thoroughbred legacy and thousands of jobs to rival states like Kentucky that have seen double-digit market gains due to fair regulations and supportive racetrack operators. 

Florida is at a crossroads. Lawmakers must decide whether they stand with our hardworking horsemen, breeders, and individuals who have built our state's Thoroughbred racing and agricultural heritage—or with the foreign gambling giants looking to gut it for a quick payday. The choice, to me, is clear. 

Florida leads. Florida wins. I urge every legislator to stand up, push back, and reject this blatant attack on our industry. The stakes have never been higher. Let's fight for Florida's future—and win.

David O'Farrell

Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association chairman and Ocala Stud general manager

(This letter first appeared in the Tallahassee Democrat.)

Dickinson Belongs in Hall of Fame

How is it possible that trainer Michael Dickinson is not in the Hall of Fame? 

His extraordinary winners include A Huevo and Da Hoss. A Huevo won a grade 1 on dirt after returning in the 2003 season following a 46-month layoff. Da Hoss won the 1996 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) and then won that race again 24 months later off a single prep.

To me, only two trainers belong in the Hall of Fame: MacKenzie Miller and Michael Dickinson.

Stanley Marcinkowski

Plowville, Pa.