Fairfield Goes No Slaughter!

A Message from Fairfield Executive Director, Lanny Brooks, another Horse-Hero of the Horse Racing World;

January 9, 2009

Dear Owner,

Fairmount Park along with the H.B.P.A. will be implementing a new policy starting this year. It reads as follows: Any trainer or owner stabling at Fairmount Park who directly or indirectly participates in the transport of a horse from Fairmount to either a slaughterhouse or an auction house engaged in selling horses for slaughter will be prohibited from having stalls at Fairmount Park. The policy also applies to any actions related to the transport of a horse from Fairmount Park where the ultimate intended result is the horse’s slaughter.

It is the wish of the H.B.P.A. and Fairmount to take this to the next level, so here is what we are proposing. Our plan is to create the following. Along with our horses for sale program which has successfully transitioned over 65 horses we find that there is a need to address the problem of what to do with Fairmount Park race horses that suffer career ending injuries or that are simply not wanted anymore. Injured horses will receive preference and if necessary unwanted horses will be put on a short waiting list. Catastrophic injuries that occur during a race will still be the responsibility of the owner or his representative. Our solution to this problem is the following. Such horses will be brought to a holding stall. We will then arrange for transportation to an adoption center where the horse will be cared for until it can be placed in a new home. There will be no questions asked, the trainer or owner will simply notify the H.B.P.A. and the horse will be moved immediately.

To cover the cost of a donation to the retirement center, transportation etc. we propose that each owner allows two dollars per start to be deducted from their account and be place into a fund which will be administered by a non profit corporation which will set up by Fairmount and the H.B.P.A. This amount will be matched by Fairmount dollar for dollar. This is a small amount of money for the return we will receive in the welfare of our horses and the positive public relations that will result from doing this.

I invite your input on this matter and hope you will agree that this is the right thing to do. If you don’t opt out by notifying us in writing the money will be deducted when we start racing on April 7. Keep in mind if you have five horses that each run 12 times, your contribution would only be $120.00 for the entire year!

Thank you in advance for your consideration in what I believe is something that so worth while and is the right thing to do for our horses and our image.

Sincerely,

Lanny Brooks H.B.P.A. Executive Director

"Racehorse Alternative Choice Environment" R.A.C.E.

Purpose: To transfer unwanted horses from the racetrack with the intention of finding them a place to rehabilitate and be placed in a new environment.


Rules:

1. We will accept unwanted horses or horses that are not being cared for.

2. We will not accept horses that break down and in the opinion of the veterinarian should be euthanized. That will be the responsibility of the owner.

3. We will accept horses that suffer non life threatening injuries which cause the owner not to want to the horse anymore.

4. Horses must be ones that are currently racing at Fairmount Park.

5. Fairmount Park or the H.B.P.A. will not be responsible for any financial obligations incurred by the owner on behalf of this equine prior to its donation to R.A.C.E.

6. The owner agrees that he or she is transferring full ownership of the horse to R.A.C.E. and R.A.C.E. has full authority for all veterinarian procedures.

7. Foal papers must accompany the horse along with a current coggins. Foal papers will be stamped “not for racing”.


http://www.ilhbpa.com/index.aspx?

Foreign investors smile on Saratoga

Arab investments, high-technology hopes putting international focus on county that still has rural feel.

Jan 10, 2009 (Albany Times Union - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Arab executives looking to invest billions in high-technology and horses have discovered a welcoming haven in Saratoga County.

The still-rural area offers an environment that values foreign investment and its horse-racing history, important factors in making it attractive to investors in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, said Robert Wages, executive director of private equity at the Abu Dhabi Investment Co.

United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven states, including the wealthy cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and it borders Saudi Arabia and Oman. Those areas are trying to supplement their energy-based economies with new business models and equine holdings, Wages said.

"A lot of countries and regions are not very welcoming," Wages said, in an interview from his Saratoga Springs residence, while home for the holidays. "I think New York, other than its taxes, has made a conscious decision to welcome foreign investment. And Saratoga, with its racing and equestrian activities, is very unique in the world."

That wealth from abroad could remake parts of Saratoga County:

--The Emirate of Abu Dhabi has committed up to $9.6 billion in Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Company officials say that will allow a joint venture, The Foundry Co., to build a $4.6 billion computer chip factory in Malta and Stillwater. The project could begin as soon as March.

--In May, a Dubai company purchased the Fasig-Tipton Co. and is now making millions of dollars in renovations to the historic four-acre horse auction site in Saratoga Springs. The company hopes to have the work done by August's annual yearling sales.

--Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is renovating a 106-acre horse farm adjoining Saratoga Race Course. He bought the property for $17.5 million two years ago.

The private development arrives during a recession and credit crisis. Local leaders point to thousands of jobs that AMD says the chip fab factory would generate in the 215,000-person county, and additional tax revenues created by the horse-related renovations.

"Where else is the money coming from these days," Saratoga Springs Mayor Scott Johnson said. "In the state of the economy, I welcome any kind of reliable investor. Just because you're a foreigner doesn't mean you can't be a good community investor."

But a handful of county residents who have opposed the AMD deal question the reliability of the foreign investment, especially amid declining oil profits. At a recent Empire State Development Corp. hearing, Kyle York of Saratoga Springs and Bob Radliff of Stillwater criticized the project's $1.2 billion in state subsidies to build on what is mostly forest land.

"About $1 million per job is an excessively high cost for taxpayers," Radliff said. "We are highly dependent on one company, on one business model in a highly vulnerable and volatile industry." Foreign companies would siphon profits out of the state and could abruptly pull out of the area if higher profits or tax subsidiaries are offered elsewhere, Radliff said.

Area economic leaders and investors argue that money from the UAE will make Saratoga County and New York into an international player in computer chip manufacturing and the city into the world's premier horse sales site. The federal government's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States signed off on The Foundry Co. deal this week.

The AMD offshoot will produce computer chips for companies, including AMD, at the Luther Forest Technology Campus.

Synergy Investments Ltd. -- the new owner of Fasig-Tipton -- is headed by Abdulla Al Habbai, a close associate of the ruler of Dubai.

"The ultimate goal is to make Saratoga the premier yearling sale in the world, plain and simple," said Boyd Browning, president of the Kentucky-based operation. "It's a substantial investment."

Currently, September sales at Keeneland in Kentucky score higher average prices for yearlings than Saratoga does, Browning said.

Wages, 45, who works in the UAE, couldn't say if additional investments in the region were planned.

Roughly 75 percent of the UAE's population are non-citizens. Investments like those into AMD are part of a long-term plan to bring industries and development to the UAE, Wages said.

"The United Emirates love Americans," he said. "They are very interested in being good friends with us. I don't think that aspect is appreciated much in the U.S."

Dennis Yusko can be reached at 454-5353 or by e-mail at dyusko@timesunion.com.

Madoff Remains Free, Judge Rules

Government Will Appeal, But Alleged $50 Billion Fraudster Remains In Posh Penthouse

By RICHARD ESPOSITO and JERIKA RICHARDSON
Jan. 12, 2009

Bernard Madoff, the man who allegedly committed the largest financial crime in history, will not go to jail while he awaits trial. Instead he will remain under house arrest, in the comfort of his posh penthouse apartment in Manhattan, despite prosecutors' somewhat belated efforts to put him behind bars.

Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff leaves U.S. District Court in Manhattan after a bail hearing in...
Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff leaves U.S. District Court in Manhattan after a bail hearing in New York, today. Prosecutors on Monday said Madoff violated bail conditions by mailing about $1 million worth of jewelry and other assets to relatives and should be jailed without bail.
(Kathy Willens/AP Photo)
In a written decision handed down at noon Monday, Federal Magistrate Ronald Ellis rebuffed the argument prosecutors made last week that charged circumstances warranted that the alleged $50 billion fraudster's bail be revoked. Late Monday, the US attorney sent a letter to Ellis saying the government intends to appeal the decision.


Ellis said that the government's arguments that Madoff was a danger to the community - an economic danger in that he might further dissipate assets that could be used to pay back the allegedly defrauded investors and an increased flight risk now that the case against him is more substantial - did not warrant any changes.


Madoff will remain confined to his $7 million home in the heart of Manhattan's posh Upper East Side, with an armed guard, an electronic security bracelet, and immeditate links to the FBI and US Marshals should he attempt to leave without permission and an escort.

The federal magistrate imposed some additional, minor conditions to the current terms of Madoff's bail. They included additional restrictions on the transfer of any assets and the requirement that Madoff provide the court a list of all valuable in his Manhattan home and that a security company search "all outgoing physical mail to ensure that no property has been transferred."


"The issue at this stage of the criminal proceedings is not whether Madoff has been charged in perhaps the largest Ponzi scheme ever, nor whether Madoff's alleged actions should result in his widespread disapprobation by the public, nor even what is appropriate punishment after conviction. The legal issue before the Court is whether the Government has carried its burden of demonstrating that no condition or combination of conditions can be set that will reasonably assure Madoff's appearance and protect the community from danger." The government had not, the judge decided.

Feds: Madoff Had Millions in Checks Ready to Go Out

Feds: Madoff Had Millions in Checks Ready to Go Out

Search of Alleged Scammer's Desk Yielded 100 Signed Checks Worth $173 Million

By MADDY SAUER, JERIKA RICHARDSON, and RICHARD ESPOSITO
Jan. 8, 2009

Prosecutors arguing that alleged $50 billion scammer Bernard Madoff should be put in jail immediately say that when Madoff's desk was searched following his arrest, investigators found approximately 100 signed checks totaling more than $173 million "ready to be sent out".


Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff leaves U.S. District Court in Manhattan after a bail hearing in New York, today. Prosecutors on Monday said Madoff violated bail conditions by mailing about $1 million worth of jewelry and other assets to relatives and should be jailed without bail.

"The only thing that prevented the defendant from executing his plan to dissipate those assets was his arrest by the FBI," prosecutors say. "The defendant's recent distribution of jewelry and watches demonstrates a continuing intention to benefit those close to him to the detriment of his victims."

Prosecutors asked Judge Roland Ellis earlier this week to put Madoff in custody after they say Madoff violated the conditions of his bail agreement when he and his wife sent multiple packages worth more than $1 million containing such valuables as watches, jewelry and cufflinks to relatives and friends.


An earlier court order barred Madoff from "dissipating, concealing, or disposing of any money" or "personal property".

A defense motion saying that Madoff saw the expensive gifts as "sentimental personal items" shows that he "misses the point entirely" according to prosecutors.

Madoff's lawyers concede that on Christmas Eve, Madoff and his wife sent a number of packages to friends and family.

"Mr. Madoff gathered a number of watches that he collected over the course of years, knowing that, due to the sudden change in his circumstances, he would never have an occasion to wear these watches again," according to a brief filed by Madoff's attorneys, who say packages were sent to the Madoffs' sons, a daughter in-law, Madoff's brother and sister in-law, Mrs. Madoff's sister and a married couple who are close friends.
----------
And uh, we ask, where were the checks going to and what "sentimental value" did they have to Madoff and / or his cronies?


http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/WallStreet/story?id=6604234&page=1

Madoff Attempts to Hide Assets; Mails-Out Millions in Jewelry to Family

Click on title to see news-vid;

Billionaire "Equine Advocate" Goes Broke in Madoff Scam; Gets Himself Sued

Billionaire Investor and Boardmember of "Equine Advocates," and owner of Stonebridge Farm, -- out $7.5B in Madoff investments

By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer
First published in print: Wednesday, December 31, 2008

SARATOGA — A hedge fund investor who poured millions into Saratoga's equine economy has abruptly stopped all new construction on his huge horse farm and wants to sell his thoroughbreds after losing some $7.5 billion in the Bernard Madoff scandal.

Jeffrey Tucker, the founding partner of Fairfield Greenwich Group, bought Stonebridge Farm in Schuylerville in 2004, and has since built New York's first track with a synthetic racing surface and indoor arena on the 188-acre farm. Tucker, 62, owns and cares for about 50 thoroughbreds on the site, considered one of horse racing's premier training facilities, and recently purchased a 230-acre satellite farm in Gansevoort.

But two weeks ago, his Connecticut-based investment firm said it had lost $7.5 billion — apparently more than anyone — in the Madoff scandal, which is being called the biggest Wall Street scam ever perpetrated.

Authorities allege Madoff, a former Nasdaq stock market chairman, created a classic Ponzi scheme with investors' money in which he defrauded clients out of potentially $50 billion. About a dozen international customers of Fairfield Greenwich are preparing legal action against the company and its founders — Tucker, Walter Noel and Andres Piedrahita — claiming they failed to watch after their investments after "feeding" them to Madoff.

The losses have caused all construction on Tucker's vast farm to grind to a halt, and the properties' manager says Tucker will soon sell his horses. "It's going to be tough financial times," manager Dennis Brida said in an interview this week.

He said that rumors about the farm closing and laying off its 50 employees are false. But Tucker plans to carefully evaluate the farm and make necessary changes, Brida said, including unloading his 20 to 25 horses, some of which ran at Saratoga Race Course, in the coming months.

Tucker, a Manhattan resident, has worked in the finance industry for most of his life. He likes to spend weekends in a home he built on Stonebridge Farm because he loves horses, those who know him say.

Tucker serves on the board of Equine Advocates of Chatham (http://www.equineadvocates.com/) and has hosted multiple celebrity galas on his farm to raise money for the charity. He is chairman of Empire Racing Associates (http://www.nyc.gov/lobbyistsearch/search?client=Empire+Racing+Associates)

"He's the nicest man walking God's green Earth," said developer Sonny Bonacio, who helped build Stonebridge, but recently was asked to cease work on a barn.

"He asked us to hit the brakes until he figures out what his long-term plan is," Bonacio said. "It's such a shame what happened."

Tucker did not respond to a request for an interview. In a Dec. 16 letter to investors, Fairfield Greenwich Group reported that it had invested approximately $7.5 billion of its $14.1 billion in assets with Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities.

"We are seeking to gather all facts, work diligently with counsel to determine the appropriate course of action toward recovery, and stand ready to assist the authorities with their investigation," the company statement said.

It was Tucker who introduced the firm to Madoff in 1989, according to The Wall Street Journal. The fund that Fairfield Greenwich set up through Madoff had lost money in only 13 months over 15 years, the newspaper reported.

Fairfield Greenwich made money by charging its clients a 1.5 percent management fee plus 20 percent of the fund's profit, said Jacob Zamansky, a New York City attorney who represents clients who he says lost more than $50 million with Fairfield Greenwich. A lawsuit against the company would be filed in a few weeks, he said.

"Many people were unaware that Fairfield was invested in Madoff, and they assumed based on documents presented to them that it was doing proper diligence," Zamansky said. "Clearly, they didn't live up to their responsibilities."

If investors' money was used to buy Tucker's horse farms and a court decides against Fairfield Greenwich and Tucker in the case, the farms could be sold to satisfy the judgments, Zamansky said.

Such a development would be a blow to the area economy, said Bill Peck, supervisor of Northumberland, where Tucker's Gansevoort farm is located.

Everything at Stonebridge is "top shelf," Peck said, and Tucker tried to buy and hire local.

If Tucker cannot sustain the farm as is, there's hope at least one of the properties could be remade into a commercial operation.

"It's in a great location in a really great racing community," Brida said. "It will still thrive."

Dennis Yusko can be reached at 454-5353 or by e-mail at dyusko@timesunion.com.


http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=755477

AAEP 'in bed" with Horse Racing Industry,...creates Task Force that, they say, puts the horses first;

But do they really give....

Oh yeah, sure they do care, somewhat. A horse has to be healthy to race and win money for them. Once it is apparent that a horse is "a looser" and not meant to race,.....thats when the slaughter part comes in, AND THAT was not even mentioned as an issue in their new "Task Force" recommendations. Not worthy of even a thought on the subject. Hummmmm.

Frum TheHorse.Com
by: Kimberly S. Brown, Editor

December 17 2008, Article # 13283

"We have a crisis in Thoroughbred racing," stated Scott Palmer, VMD, of New Jersey, a past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and head of the AAEP Racing Task Force.
The AAEP Racing Task Force was conceived in Austin, Texas, at the organization's Focus meeting because of the country's outcry following the catastrophic injury of Eight Belles. The result of four months of furious work is two white papers that will be presented to the AAEP board in January for approval. One will be an internal white paper for the organization's members, while the other will be released to the industry with recommendations of how to put the horse first in racing.

At the AAEP Convention's Racing Forum on Dec. 6, the membership went into closed session to discuss the recommendations of the task force.

In a later interview with Palmer, he said the task force will make recommendations to the AAEP board on four areas:

societal changes and the public perception of racing;
the business model of racing, and particularly those aspects of the current business model that may not be in the best interest of the horse;
the owner/trainer/veterinarian relationship that is broken and needs transparency; and
medication, which he said is hugely important.
He said in this "crisis" environment numerous safety commissions or task forces have been created, which he said was good, but he added that the AAEP felt that a veterinary perspective was needed, one which was based purely on the health and welfare of the horse.


"What is good for the horse is good for racing."
--Dr. Scott Palmer
"We have to put the horse first," he stated. "The horse is what makes racing different from all other forms of entertainment.
"What is good for the horse is good for racing," he emphasized.

Palmer said while the AAEP doesn't have the power to make changes throughout the racing industry, the task force members felt the AAEP could provide support to the people in the industry who can make the changes.

"We strongly support the efforts of others, like NTRA and The Jockey Club Safety Committee; we believe what we've done (the recommendations they will offer) will work hand-in-hand to make racing safer for the horse."

He said welfare and safety isn't a new initiative for the AAEP. "The AAEP was formed by a group of racetrack practitioners in 1954; we've been working toward this for more than 50 years," he said.

He noted there's a lot of "finger pointing" going on right now in the racing industry, "and we need to use scientific knowledge to see the big picture."

Palmer said many in the industry have been consulted in developing the task force's recommendations, including The Jockey Club, HBPA, sales companies, and racetrack owners.

"A number of these (forthcoming) recommendations involve considerable expense," said Palmer. "We don't expect overnight compliance, but we believe we have the support" to make the changes happen. "We anticipate the cost of the recommendations will be an obstacle that we'll have to address."

For example, in some jurisdictions within the United States approximately $200 is spent for drug testing of a racehorse, while in Hong Kong $700 might be spent per horse for more thorough testing.

There is a need to upgrade security and test racing surfaces, he said.

Palmer said there is now an opportunity to make changes in the business model of racing to reduce racing injuries, particularly in the way that claiming races are conducted.

Palmer said most veterinarians provide superior care of racehorses; others have created problems. The task force recommendations will address those problems. However, he stressed that medication is not just a veterinary problem, but an industry problem.

Palmer posed the question: Why are racehorses medicated?

The answers are:

to prevent disease (such as vaccination and deworming);
to treat illness; to treat an injury;
to minimize the disruption of the training schedule (the horse is headed for a particular race); and
to "level the playing field" when the owner or trainer thinks someone else has an edge.
The last two categories are driven by the business model of racing, and restructuring needs to take place to make sure that veterinary treatments are done with the best interest of the horse in mind, he said.

"We must put the horse first," he emphasized.

He said owner education is an important piece of the puzzle to address the problems of racing. "It's a complex puzzle, and if you miss one piece, it won't work," he said. "For example, you can't have uniform (medication) rules if you don't have uniform testing and administration.


"We have a great story to tell, but we can't 'spin' our way out of this crisis; we know we have problems, and we will address them."
--Dr. Scott Palmer
"The role of media is important," he said. "We have a great story to tell, but we can't 'spin' our way out of this crisis; we know we have problems, and we will address them."
The task force recommendations will focus on Thoroughbred racing, but many of the recommendations do apply to Standardbred, Quarter Horse, and Arabian racing as well, with the knowledge that there can't be a "blanket" approach, since each industry has unique problems and needs. Palmer added that some of the same issues that are faced by the racing industry apply to other performance breeds as well.

The AAEP is planning to conduct a welfare assessment of other competitive disciplines (such as three-day eventing) to evaluate the need for veterinary recommendations, said Palmer.

"We need commitment in all areas; we need meaningful change" in the racing industry, concluded Palmer.


http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=13283

PoliTex as Usual: Texas Lawmaker Gets Perks from Gambling / Horse Racing Industry

Hot News frum BigMouth Broad Casting; Dec. 16th, 2008

Lawmaker got cabin from contributor

A powerful South Texas lawmaker who oversees the gambling industry — and is the subject of a wide-ranging corruption probe — quietly received the rights to a fishing cabin near South Padre Island from a family that's developing a racetrack in McAllen, records obtained by The Associated Press show.

Papers filed with the Texas General Land office show Joseph V. LaMantia III transferred a rare fishing cabin permit to state Rep. Kino Flores, D-Palmview, in 2006, a year before the Texas Racing Commission gave final approval for Tesoros Race Park, in which the LaMantia family holds a major stake.

Neither Flores nor LaMantia returned phone calls from the AP. Flores' attorney, Roy Minton, said he was aware of the cabin but didn't believe it would hold any interest to Travis County prosecutors looking at Flores' relationship with the LaMantias as well as two convicted drug dealers from whom Flores acquired his Rio Grande Valley ranch.

One of the convicted felons, Roel Benavides, got a job with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality after Flores recommended him at the state agency, said Flores' attorney, Roy Minton. The TCEQ forced Benavides to resign in August after discovering he had lied about his criminal past, agency employment records show.

A probe began over discounted air travel Flores allegedly received from the LaMantias but has since widened to include Flores' land holdings. Minton has said he knows of no wrongdoing by Flores. Travis County prosecutors in Austin can examine allegations of misdeeds by state officials.

The fishing cabin, accessible only by boat, belongs to the state as part of a unique public-private partnership that allows people to acquire cabins on government-owned land along the Texas coast. There are only 413 state coastal cabins, which are acquired by permit and often held for years by those who hold them, officials said. Joe LaMantia III acquired one of the cabins, about 30 miles north of South Padre Island, in 1986, officials said. He transferred his cabin rights to Flores in August 2006, records show.

Flores paid a $325 permit transfer fee for the cabin, which measures 2,166 square feet, including a porch and outhouse, records show. Flores also has to pay $1,200 a year for the permit and can renew it every five years, records and interviews indicate.

LaMantia III is a manager with L&F Distributors, a family-owned Budweiser supplier for the more than 1,200-mile Texas-Mexico border region. He is also a stakeholder in Muy Buena Suerte Ltd., a limited partnership made up entirely of LaMantia family members. Muy Buena Suerte Ltd., which in English means "very good luck," owns 59 percent of Tesoros Race Park, a $23 million horse track approved for Hidalgo County, according to records filed with the Texas Racing Commission.

Tesoros Race Park received its final approval from the Texas Racing Commission in August 2007 and was scheduled to open for simulcast races in early 2009 with live racing to follow later in the year. But the city of McAllen, which would extend utilities to the track, has not received any permit applications. The family also owns a controlling stake in a racetrack planned for Laredo that was approved last year.

Flores, a colorful and combative lawmaker with close ties to House Speaker Tom Craddick, chairs the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures committee, which oversees gambling and liquor industries in Texas.

Regarding Benavides' TCEQ job, Minton said he didn't know if Flores was aware that Benavides had been convicted at least twice for drug-related crimes and had served several years in federal prison when the lawmaker agreed to vouch for him at the TCEQ.

"(Flores) either signed a letter or did something giving him a recommendation, but I mean he didn't get him the job," Minton said.

The AP requested emails sent to or from Benavides during his tenure at TCEQ, but officials said his account had been deleted and that his emails are "not recoverable."


http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewContent.act?clipid=181484106&mode=cnc&tag=3.5721%3Ficx_id%3D20081215-stolfiler-tx0439

NY Racehorse Retirement Stats

I have heard about "pensioned" or "retired" racehorses disappearing from the face of the earth, so I am wondering how many of these "so called" retired or pensioned horses are actually still around. Seems what is needed is someone (some org) to keep track of these horses even after they are "retired";

2007 RETIRED RACE HORSE SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS

1 There were 1,845 race horses retired in 2007 by 1,108 owners living in
New York.
That equates to nearly 1.7 horses per owner that retired a horse.

2 Seventy-nine percent of the horses reported in the survey were retired in
New York
with the remaining 21 percent retired out of state. Less than 1 percent was
retired out of
country. Seventy-six percent of thoroughbreds and 84 percent of
standardbreds were retired
in New York.

3 Of the horses reported retired, 28 percent were still sound for racing.
Only 2 percent
were unsound and needed euthanizing. Thirty-one percent of thoroughbreds
and 24 percent
of standardbreds were still sound for racing.

4 Injury or lack of soundness and lack of economic viability were the
primary reasons
given for retiring race horses. Only 3 percent had reached the mandatory
retirement age and
11 percent were retired to breed. Forty-one percent of thoroughbreds and 39
percent of
standardbreds were retired due to injury or lack of soundness.

5 Over one-half of the horses that were retired had less than $2,000 spent for
retirement. Over $8,000 was spent of 16 percent of the horses. Fifty-five
percent of
standardbreds and 49 percent of thoroughbreds had less than $2,000 spent
for retirement.

6 Of the horses reported retired in 2007 by gender, geldings were of 46
percent, mares
were of 23 percent, fillies were of 21 percent, and colts were of 10
percent of the horses.
Standardbred geldings accounted for 50 percent of the standardbred horses
retired, while
thoroughbred geldings accounted for 43 percent of the thoroughbred horses
retired.

7 Of the horses reported by class last raced in, the primary races were
Allowance and
Claiming $4,999 and below. Only 1 percent raced in Claiming $50,000+ in the
last race.
Nine percent of thoroughbreds and 1 percent of standardbreds raced Claiming
$25,000-
$49,999 in their last race.

8 Seventy-three percent of the reported horses retired in 2007 had 2007
earnings of
less than $25,000. Only 3 percent of horses had earnings of
$75,000-$99,999. The 2007
earnings for thoroughbreds and standardbreds were significantly different.

9 Over two-thirds of the reported horses retired in 2007 had less than
$49,999 in
lifetime earnings. Horses with over $100,000 in lifetime earnings accounted
for 17 percent
of the horses. Twenty percent of standardbreds and 14 percent of
thoroughbreds had over
$100,000 in lifetime earnings

10 Over seventy percent of the reported retired horses were between the
ages of 3 and 6.
Twenty percent of standardbreds and 4 percent of thoroughbreds retired were
over the age of
10.

11 Of the major networks used for placement, 54 percent arranged private
placement.
Other networks were of 17 percent of the networks used. Both standardbred and
thoroughbred owners listed private placement as the primary networks used
for placement.

12 Of the respondents perceiving there are buyers for retired horses, 51
percent agreed
and 26 percent disagreed. Also, 23 percent of respondents were uncertain.
There were no
significant differences between thoroughbred and standardbred owners.
- 2 -

13 Twenty-six percent of respondents were uncertain if they would take back
a horse
previously owned or bred by them. Twenty-one percent of respondents
strongly disagreed
with taking back a horse previously owned or bred by them. Forty-one percent of
thoroughbred owners and 39 percent of standardbred owners responded they
would take
back a horse previously owned or bred by them.

14 Of the horses taken back by owners after retirement, 93 percent reported
taking back
1-5 horses. Only 4 percent reported taking back more than 8 horses. Two
percent of
standardbred owners and 6 percent of thoroughbred owners reported taking
back more than
8 horses.

15 Forty-eight percent of those responding to the survey agreed they would
pay to retire
a horse. Twenty-five percent were uncertain. Thirty-three percent of
standardbred owners
and 21 percent of thoroughbred owners disagreed with paying to retire a horse.

16 Of respondents willing to pay to retire a horse, 44 percent would pay a
monthly fee
of $150-$200, 28 percent would pay a lifetime fee of $2,500, and only 1
percent would pay
a lifetime fee of $10,000. Fifty-four percent of standardbred owners and 36
percent of
thoroughbred owners would pay a monthly fee of $150-$200.

17 Sixty-five percent of respondents would support a voluntary payment fund.
Seventeen percent of respondents would not support a voluntary payment
fund. And
eighteen percent of respondents were uncertain. Seventy-one percent of
thoroughbred
owners and 57 percent of standardbred owners agreed in supporting a
voluntary payment
fund.

18 Of those responding to the survey 43 percent would support a mandatory
payment
fund. Thirty-seven percent would not support a mandatory payment fund.
Twenty percent
of respondents were uncertain. Forty-two percent of standardbred owners and
32 percent of
thoroughbred owners would not support a mandatory payment fund.

19 Of the respondents that would support a mandatory payment fund, 36 percent
would pay $5 per race start. Twenty-six percent of respondents would pay
$25 per race start.
Thirty-six percent of thoroughbred owners and 9 percent of standardbred
owners would pay
$25 per race start.
Of the respondents that would support a mandatory payment fund, 76 percent
would pay
1% or less of the winning purse. There were no significant differences
between thoroughbred
and standardbred owners.

20 Respondents were able to select all applicable responses, so the percent
response does
not sum to 100 percent. Of the respondents indicating who helps in finding
a home for their
retired horses, 54 percent reported the trainer helped. Forty-six percent
reported other
sources that helped retire the horses. Fifty-eight percent of thoroughbred
owners and 49
percent of standardbred owners indicated the trainer helped in finding a
home for
retirement.

More on Magna's Slaughter Ban

Track policy seeks to protect horses

By Bethania Palma Markus, Staff Writer

Posted: 11/30/2008 09:29:03 PM PST


Leigh Gray, president of the non-profit Thoroughbred Rehab Center, with rescued mare Another Variety. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)ARCADIA -- Trainers and owners found to have sent injured or retired racehorses to slaughter will be banned from running or stabling horses at Santa Anita Park under a new policy from Magna Entertainment Corp., the company that owns the track.
Santa Anita President Ron Charles said the track hopes to ensure the safety of its racehorses by closely monitoring injured or retired horses and keeping dealers known to sell horses for slaughter off the property.

"It's not perfect, but I think it's a great first step, and it's something that's long overdue," he said. "If we know a horse is injured, we're doing our best to make sure when it leaves we have a commitment from the trainer and owner that it's not heading for slaughter."

Charles said the policy was entered into the track's horseman's agreement, which governs racing terms and conditions. Track officials plan to work with horse retirement and rescue organizations to help keep racehorses from grisly fates.

Owners also have been asked to donate a small percentage of winning purses toward racehorse retirement, Charles said.

No one has been banned from the track for violating the policy as of yet, Charles said.

Similar policies have been implemented by East Coast tracks such as Suffolk Downs.

The move comes after the demise of some of the world's racing legends, including champion stallions Ferdinand and Exceller, outraged racing fans.

Both horses earned millions of dollars on the track


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and changed hands several times after the end of their racing careers but ultimately ended up in foreign slaughterhouses.

While the last U.S. horse slaughterhouse was closed in 2007, the Humane Society of the United States said 2003 data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicated about 10 percent of the equines slaughtered were thoroughbreds.

The Humane Society estimated nearly 20 percent of all thoroughbreds bred for racing eventually were slaughtered. But some in the business of rescuing the animals say the percentage is higher.

Horse meat is eaten in some European and Asian countries, but the practice is taboo in the United States.

Some said selling horses to slaughter is a dark side of an industry that over-breeds the animals in search of the next star racer.

Caroline Betts, president of Southern California Thorougbred Rescue, said while domestic slaughterhouses are now closed, she often finds former race horses at auctions known for selling to "killer buyers" or dealers that ship the animals to slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada.

"What typically happens in Southern California is horses are purchased very cheaply at auction," she said. "They're then resold to another dealer in New Mexico or Arizona and that person ships them to the border for the slaughterhouses."

Betts said the going price for a thoroughbred at some auctions can be as low as $200 or even less. More reputable auctions have raised the minimum price for horse sales to $500 to deter killer buyers, she said.

Many race horses can become riding, show, jumping or trail horses.

Leigh Gray, who runs the Thoroughbred Rehab Center in Bradbury, takes horses off the track, rehabilitates them, re-trains them and finds new homes for them.

Gray, a former exercise rider at Santa Anita and veterinary technician, has rehabilitated and placed hundreds of horses.

She currently is helping Super Strut, an 8-year-old gelding fresh off Santa Anita's track, overcome a leg injury. Gray said his owner wanted to ensure his well-being and turned him over to her nonprofit organization.

The big, gentle brown horse had 38 starts and won more than $500,000 on the race track.

"He'll make somebody a really nice riding horse or show horse," she said. "He needs to have his legs heal."

Rex Levi, 46, of Agoura Hills adopted a former race horse from Tranquility Farms, a Tehachapi-based rescue that specializes in thoroughbreds. He couldn't be happier with Mr. B, a 5-year-old gelding who raced as "Braggart."

"He's becoming a fine jumper, and we're having a blast," Levi said. "He's become a phenomenal horse and has far exceeded what I ever thought I'd get."

While many said the racing industry needs to do more to help its racetrack veterans, Charles said Santa Anita is taking steps.

"We need to do more to protect our athletes and our stars," he said. "It's really about public awareness and putting the trainers and owners on notice that we are taking this very seriously."

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