WHJC Round Table Discussion 02'

02' WH Jockey Club Discussion

Every year the real Jockey Club holds a meeting with icons of the Thoroughbred world.
In WH we wanted feedback from the members that work so hard on their stock each year, and we want to improve the quality of racing.

Listed below are a few of issues we plan to discuss, and some solutions that would make racing more fun, and educational to future, and new members.
Email: Wiccan4one@aol.com if you would like to address, add, or comment on something.
Thank you,
WH JC President
Lily Rawkdove

#1. Since we didn't race in January, it created problems for new 3 year olds (Unraced 2 year olds, New 3 year olds, or late bred/created 3 year olds). Meaning horses didn't have enough time to prepare themselves for the TC preps.

Well, this was the first time we didn't race in January b/c the registry needed time to update points. In 03' we plan on starting right in January, it still only leaves about 5 weeks before the 1st prep to get 3 year olds ready.

#2 The possiblity of using impartical parties to randomize numbers for qualifing races for the Bc/Tc.

This was brought up because more then 1 person emailed a complaint that people hold preps just to get their horses in. It's up to the Association (BCA, or TCA) to decide who holds preps. If you feel asthough certin people have more oppurtunity to hold preps, then others it's up to you to become involved in the Association, and you maybe the next person to hold a fair prep.

#3 The unfair resevations of spots in Stake races

The Jockey Club has proposed a rule for race holders:
*All spots in a raceday that are to reserved, must be payed for in advance.
*Must be filled 24 hours prior/post closing entries.. If they are not filled money and position will be forfeited.
*In a race where positions have been reserved, There is to be a "Also Eligible" list.. meaning these horses will be on the list will draw into the race if the positions are not filled or horses scratch out..

#4 Race Field Size :

Because of the number of horses competing in stakes races, and allowance races. The number of horses in a race is limited to 16 starters. A race must be split in half if more then 16 horses are entered in a race. This does not include spots reserved. In more then 16 horses are entered in a race, IT must be split.

#5 Real life Stakes Races vs. WH made stakes races. Which ones hold more credibility?

The Jockey Club also adressed this issue. Real Life races will definetly have bigger priority over WH races. Such As ... The BC, Derby, Preakness, Belmont, Dubai, Arch, Queens Plate,Travers, Stallion Stakes, State/Track-breeder's cup races etc.
Next In priority will be Handicaps, invitationals, Any Memorial races, or any RL races named after people,places or horses..
Third in priority will be WH named races.. I.e. Chocolate-Zippy Chippy Stakes,, Do What I want Stakes, YellowSubmariane Stakes.. etc
#6 Proper Race procedure, page set up, and Larger/smaller racedays.

Soon we will be posting a racepage templet for new members, as well as a run down of how to hold your first raceday. On the issue of bigger racedays. That is to be decided by the Event Association, but the Jockey Club will provide ideas on what could be included in Bigger racedays.

#7 Distances for all horses

2 year olds especially go short distances until around Auguest, when they start running longer to prepare for their 3 year old season. There should be varried distances for all horses in each race day, unless it is specified it's just for sprinters.

#8 Entry Fees / Purse sizes

Structures Purse sizes are a possibility, Especially for stakes races. In real life if a races wants to recieve "Black Type" it must carry a purse of atleast $30,000. The Jockey club would like to propose purse structures for graded stake races. (i.e. listed/restricted races carrying $15,000, grade 3- $20,000, grade 2- $30,000, grade 1-$50,000).
Entry fees have also been left up to the raceholder, but some owners have commented that they are so high it isn't possible for them to enter. The JC believes if more people took the time to learn about the Purse Loan Program it would help shrink entry fees a lot without dimishing the purses.

#9 Garentueed Purses vs. Purses Depending on Entries

This also has been left up to the raceholder. More and more often we are seeing the phrase "purse depending on number of entries". If more people would step up and offer their own money for a purse, entry fees would be smaller. Even if races didn't fill, they would still have to give out a garenteed purse. This would attract many smaller stables/breeder to enter their horses.

#9A Sponserships, Donations & Advertising

Like seen in this years Breeder's Cup. Purses were larger because sponsers had donated money for Air-Time, and advertising. This would be a excellent idea for Raceholders. Instead of just asking for sponsers and donations, Offer Advertising Plans. Such as " You get your add on one page for $10,000, 2 or 3 pages for so much more money" The Add can be a Simple stable business card, logo, or stallion logo. This would generate more money for racedays and people who make graphics and logos.

#10 Reasonable Percentage payouts in races

It makes a owner fustrated when they enter $70,000 worth of horses into a race, and recieve a fraction of that back. The Jockey Club would like to propose the following purse structure for each race, including a possible "paid to others" base in the purse. This is based on Real Life Purse distrubation.
Win - 60%
place- 20%
Show - 10%
4th - 5%
5th - 3%
The Balance of 2% could be divided up and paid equally to other runners.

#11 The Nominations of Stallions/offspring to larger races & Breeder/Stallion payback.
Like in Real life when a stallion is nominated to the Breeder's Cup, his foals become eligible for a small fee shortly after they are born. The Jockey Club would like to work with the TCA, and the BCA and start a Nomination program for Stallions in WH. The Stallion owner would pay a yearly fee to the Association, and all of his racing offspring would recieve a discount on entry fees for the preps of each race.
For the idea of a breeder/Stallions pay back. This would be handled threw the jockey club, when a nominated foal wins a large stakes race, the sire would recieve a percentage back based on the grade and purse size of the race.

#12 Number of GRade 1 stakes races held per raceday.

This has been handled up to this point by the race approver, however it has been commented that there are so many Grade 1 stakes races, it is starting to loose it's peristige, which is true. The number of graded stakes races will be discussed further.

#13 RACETRACKS. How WH doesn't Have a Main Track

This has been in the making for quite a while. However, it's making a track that can accomidate quite a few things. Stock horse/Arab Racing, Steeplechasing/Harness racing, as well as Thoroughbred flat racing. It's not just a issue of creating a track and running there. But it needs to be managed daily, rules and regulations need to be set up, as well as a schedule of races that is updated frequently. Up to now, no one has stepped up to produce a racetrack, I know of a few in the making, but until one is shown to us, and criteiqued WH is without a main track.

#14 Possibility of Weekely smaller races

This falls in line of the racetrack being built, as well as scheduling with the Event Association. Weekly racing would be a nice addition. Running small maiden races, claimers, and allowance races. However we would need someone from the SPCA to watch over the races to make sure no one is overworking, as well as someone to do the results weekly, which is a big responsibilty.

#15 Unrealistic ammounts of Horses, and stables not spending the money they need to keep them.

This has reared it's ugly head again. WH members start out with 10 horses, and it's up to them to breed the rest. There has never been a cap on the ammount of horses a person should breed. However it has been noticed, and documented that many stables do not regularly have their horses checked by the vets, buy feed & equipment. If you are making money in racing, please be kind a generate some money for other businesses and stables.. Go to the vet center and make a appointment for your horses to have checkups, and have the farrier visit. In the WH Super Center the prices are very reasonable for large stables, so check ups every 4 months are very affordable. Please visit a tack shop and buy supplies for your horses (bandages, blankets, bridles, horse treats etc). You don't need to spend millions, but just enough to keep your aethlete comfortable. If you can breed 200 horses, Please Be resonsible and CARE FOR THEM!!!! Have them vet checked before a sale!

#16 Realism in Racing Settings

So many Things happen daily in real life racing. It would be a nice idea to bring some of them to WH.. The idea of Livejournals to record things that happen in your stable was introduced earlier this year, but however sizzled because they weren't available to too many people. Simple Stable webpages are also a nice touch, but very hard to keep updated.
What could become a possibility is Raceholders handing out, something like a lesser Misfortune to horse owners. Things that are educational, and the owner will have to research a little to find a solution for. Such as..
* You horse does poorly in a race, and back at the barn you find your horse has bled from both nostrils.
-You research a few websites, or talk to the vet, and find out your horses in a bleeder, and has to be put on Lasix for each race.
* Your horse is scratched at the post parade because he seems off.
- You find out he threw a shoe in warm up, and talk to your farrier about possible different sized shoes.
* Your horse comes back from a race bleeding at the back of both front ankles.
- You have your vet look at him, and find out he has "run down" and you need to race him in bandages from now on to prevent this.
* Your Horse refused to break from the gate at the start of the race.
- You school him daily at the gate until you are satisifed that he has learned a lesson on manners in the gate.

#17 BREEDINGS: Over breeding of certin stallions, and certin recieving more attention then others.

Advertising stallions is up to the Owner. Most stallions don't need lots of Advertising because they have offspring prooving their worth in the field. So naturally more breeder's choose stallions that seem to have better offspring. For Smaller breeders who don't breed like commerical farms they often feel they don't have as much chance for their stallions to do well. WH has always toyed with the idea of a Stallion Registry ( a list of stallions by breed). This would give all breeders a equal oppurtunity to showcase their stallions.

#18 BREEDING: Pedigree vs. Race Record vs. Likeable Stallions

Breeding selections is only for the mare owner to decide. You as the stallion owner have no course of action against people who wish to breed to your stallion. You have no ownership over the foal, unless agreed upon. So if someone decided to go to your stallion because of his name, So Be It..

Pedigree is a decision that the horse breeder decides when they create a horse. Weather it's a Real life pedigree after a famous racer,, or a totally SIM pedigree. They should all be judged equally, If you strive for a turf horse, look around for a stallion with a good turf history, same as for a sprinter. Look at Pedigrees online.. Delmar Pedigree Quary has a incredible data base for searching for horses.

As For Racerecord.. that purely depends on the horse owner.. Weather you use a real race record from a horse yours' is modeled after, or you devote years to creating a SIM Race record to be proud of, The choice of breeding purely lies in the mind of the beholder. It should all be judged equally.

#19 BREEDING: Does A Stallion owner have the right to delete a foal out of his stud books if the owner disapears/quits, or the foal is never re registered.

If a owner disapears, then the foal is still techically in WH. The SPCA may step in and re-sell the foal, or if your stable initals are on that foals name, you maybe asked if you would like to reclaim that foal. The same goes for if the owner quits. Some people disapear, and some leave a "WH Will" meaning when they quit certin people may get their horses.
If a foal is never re-registered (in the data base) or if it is never transfered, it's up to the breeder, or seller what to do with it.

#20 Time And Effort for a great race.

The idea we have to create a newborn raceday. Where people take the time, not just to write stories about horse a race went, but to conduct a day at the race track..Make it interesting!!! Create odds on a race..create a story about what goes on in the barn.. The vet visiting,, the grooms getting a horse ready,, the trainer getting nervous.. The exercise rider showing up late.. Things that would be interesting to read.

The Final Product

The final product of all this is for people to put more effort, time, and construction into racedays that are held. In efforts that it will produce better all around quality. Perhaps better horses, and happy owners. And at the end of the year, Superior equines reciving reconitaion for a job well done.

The idea is to try and generate more money moving in the WH community. It's not just the rich getting richer off each race, and you need 100 horses to be a serious competitior. If more money is made and generated in each raceday then it will give owners a oppurtunity to spend more on Vets, farriers, feed, and Tack businesses. Thus creating more realism and teaching more people about the responsibilites of owning a horse.

Thank you,
Lily Rawkdove