John-- That's exactly why it's important to flood them (and other publications) with letters from our side.

I'm guessing not many remember this, but some years ago, before there was an NTRA, and while my friend Neil Cook was still editor of the DRF, some industry "leaders" in Lexington got together and thought that the thing to do was have a great big marketing plan, and pay for it by raising the takeout-- horseplayers would get to pay to help the breeders and racetracks. They hired a marketer/lobbyist, and they were pushing the plan in every publication they could.

Nobody said a word in opposition-- until I wrote a letter to DRF. The lobbyist came back at me, and I fired back again, this time joined by George White (Mandown of this site), former president of the Racing Times. The lobbyist came at us again, and we fired back again-- it got pretty heated, and he at one point accused me of threatening him (I didn't, I just said if he mentioned the idea to a horseplayer at a track he shouldn't stand within arm's reach). But the issues got a thorough (no pun intended) airing, and the rest of the industry finally took notice. The next week Nick Zito and others, some high profile, joined in with letters, and eventually the idea was dropped. It's a fair assumption that if we hadn't written the letters-- or if Neil hadn't been willing to run them-- the takeout would have been raised.

Look-- this game has always been very reluctant to change, due in large part to the apathy of horseplayers. You guys want change, do something about it. I kicked the door-- it's up to all the horseplayers who care to save the game, because for the most part the powers-that-be are clueless, don't care, and don't want to spend money. I kicked the door-- it's up to you guys to kick it down.



TGJB