I don’t play as much as I used to, though I am planning to go to the Big Cap next weekend- that used to be a premium day of racing in the springtime.
The effect of the Saudi cup and the Dubai World Cup on the big races in the US is pretty profound. There would’ve been a lot of good talent showing up next weekend down in Arcadia. Now the purse is down to 650K- why bother for that chump change?
The world of golf has had an incursion by the Saudis, fronted by Phil Mickelson. Unlike the world of horse racing, however, Mickelson got considerable blowback from his colleagues and sponsors about the possibility of a Saudi sponsored golf tour. In horse racing, crickets. Everybody flies to the Middle East to cash in, leaving a place like Santa Anita wanting for talent.
You can’t just blame the state of California racing for this. The horsemen in the US only look at the $$$ available from the corrupt regime in the Middle East – remember they dismembered that guy in the embassy. They’re looking for legitimacy by trying to buy premium sports events, and horseracing is only too willing to cash their checks. Disappointing that the top trainers in our country don’t even think about these issues.
I guess this is just another stop along the way downhill for horse racing. The only thing that will be left will be mule races and maiden claimers at the state fair…
