Integrity

Oh boy, what a day.

If you followed us throughout the day on social media, well, I let it all hang out. I spoke my mind. Go read it. I want to talk about something else.

Watching Del Mar racing, I noticed something very different from what we have been seeing at Saratoga.

And yes, I know. There is an ocean at Del Mar.

Very observant of you.

I’m talking about the horses.

Horses are running like horses.

That’s it.

How quaint.

I don’t see the same rebreaking of horses that we have been seeing at Saratoga. At Saratoga, horses seem to rebreak multiple times during a race, particularly in the stretch. They fight back. They surge forward. They accelerate again as if something is pushing them.

That isn't what I expect to see naturally.

On a conventional main track, horses generally decelerate through the lane. The question becomes which horse can maintain its speed the longest, which horse can carry its momentum farther, which horse can finish the job.

Lately, we are seeing horses explode in the lane like they have found another gear they have never shown before.

Yes, that gets my attention.

I have been watching horses and racing for 40 years. What I have been seeing lately reminds me of the steroid and clenbuterol era. I am not saying that is what is happening now. I am saying the visual pattern raises questions, and those questions deserve answers.

I also think there appears to be more regulatory control in California than there is in New York.

If that's true, New York should want to be every bit as strict as it possibly can be when the Belmont Park meeting moves to the newly constructed venue. Fairness in competition has to come first.

Right now, I look at Saratoga as a wildcard.

We still had a 30% win percentage last week and are hovering around 25% for the meet. But I'll be honest with you: I have been handicapping Saratoga with chicanery in mind.

And this meet, we've seen barns take full advantage of the circumstances.

Which brings us to HISA.

Funny you bring them up.

HISA is dealing with a data-breach scandal, and that alone should make everyone stop and ask questions about security, oversight and protocol.

But there is another issue I think deserves examination.

Some trainers serving in positions connected to the organization have had violations and suspensions. They haven't exactly lived their professional lives in a vacuum of controversy.

That doesn't prove wrongdoing.

It doesn't prove anyone has done anything improper.

But it does raise a very simple question:

Who knows what is being tested?

And who knows what isn't?

One late addition to the board immediately won a race with a questionable front-runner, then shipped across the country and won at Del Mar.

Again, I am not accusing anybody of anything.

I am asking questions.

What is the benefit of being on the board?

What information is available to someone in that position?

What do they know?

And, most importantly, can that information be used to gain an advantage?

Those are legitimate questions when we are talking about the integrity of a sport where millions of dollars are wagered.

HISA's record right now isn't exactly cozy.

And the breach is particularly troubling because, as reported, this wasn't simply some outside attack. The concern involved someone within the organization.

That's a serious problem.

If the organization responsible for maintaining the integrity of racing cannot maintain the integrity and security of its own information, how are we supposed to expect everyone participating in the sport to maintain the highest standards?

Horsemen want to win.

Of course they do.

Money talks.

Winning matters.

And if somebody is given an opportunity to gain an advantage, human nature tells us that somebody is going to consider taking it.

So what do we do?

We ask questions.

We demand transparency.

We demand independent oversight.

We demand that testing be consistent, that information be protected, and that everyone—from the smallest barn to the biggest operation—plays by exactly the same rules.

Because this isn't about picking on Saratoga.

It isn't about California versus New York.

And it isn't about accusing a trainer because a horse ran faster than expected.

It's about trust.

Once bettors stop believing that every horse has a fair shot, you don't just lose a few wagers.

You lose the sport.

And that's a hell of a lot more important than any one race.