Ocala Should Have A Track/Meet
Feb 3, 2014 11:52:50 GMT -5
Post by cait on Feb 3, 2014 11:52:50 GMT -5
really? fla needs another track? is stronach running out of adversaries to crush? hey mr miller - move to ft lauderdale lol or - maybe they can get the calder dates?
Lack of horse racing in Horse Capital of the World is inexplicable
By David Miller
Ocala Star Banner
My wife and I moved to Ocala about four years ago. Part of what drew us to this area were the numerous horse farms and the fact that Marion County is one of the foremost thoroughbred-producing areas in the entire country.
I've owned race horses for more than 30 years — initially in Michigan and most recently racing in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland — and believe me, the quality of the horse product and facilities here is very impressive.
I have attended a few of the horse auctions held at the Ocala Breeders Sales (OBS) facility and was amazed at the quality of the facilities as well as the horses. It is truly one of the best racing facilities I have ever seen.
At the same time, I am completely flabbergasted there is no extended thoroughbred race meet in Ocala. The track is beautiful, the barns are magnificent, and the infrastructure for pari-mutuel wagering is already in place and used for off-track betting (OTB).
So we have, right now, a turn-key facility ready and able to hold a race meet (at no cost to the taxpayers); yet, we talk about spending $60 million on a baseball stadium that nobody wants, except the Yankees. I just don't get it.
And it gets even more ridiculous.
OBS does have a racing license — for quarter horses! But it only holds a few races annually in order to keep its OTB privileges active. What is wrong with this picture?
OBS should have a thoroughbred racing license and be able to hold races for more than one or two days a year.
I've been in the racing game long enough to know getting approval to hold a race meet is highly political. But why not get our political representatives involved? They are not going to bring this topic up without a proposal from OBS, preferably with the backing, input and support of local politicians and business leaders. It will take a strong, proactive approach.
I don't know all of the restrictions in Florida that stand in the way of this idea — there were certainly many restrictions in my home state of Michigan — but nothing will happen if we don't press the issue.
Given the overwhelming response to the races held this past week, one can only imagine the popularity that a regular thoroughbred race meet would have. The financial benefits to the local economy, OBS and the invested local horse farm owners would be tremendous.
A race meet could integrate well with the primary mission of OBS. Imagine holding a race meet featuring locally bred horses that are just beginning their racing careers. Imagine holding a horse auction at the end of the race meet, highlighted by local horses who raced during that meet. Wow, what a sales angle! Among the many benefits of this plan: higher utilization of OBS facilities; financial benefits for the local area; promotion for a huge local industry; and one more major sale opportunity for OBS and Marion County breeding farms.
Yes, there would be opposition to this idea. Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park would not want to see their operations negatively impacted. These concerns could be addressed by careful scheduling of the Marion County meet, so as not to take away business from these two tracks. Certainly not an insurmountable issue.
This idea makes so much sense for Ocala/Marion County, OBS and the state of Florida. How can we make this happen?
Lack of horse racing in Horse Capital of the World is inexplicable
By David Miller
Ocala Star Banner
My wife and I moved to Ocala about four years ago. Part of what drew us to this area were the numerous horse farms and the fact that Marion County is one of the foremost thoroughbred-producing areas in the entire country.
I've owned race horses for more than 30 years — initially in Michigan and most recently racing in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland — and believe me, the quality of the horse product and facilities here is very impressive.
I have attended a few of the horse auctions held at the Ocala Breeders Sales (OBS) facility and was amazed at the quality of the facilities as well as the horses. It is truly one of the best racing facilities I have ever seen.
At the same time, I am completely flabbergasted there is no extended thoroughbred race meet in Ocala. The track is beautiful, the barns are magnificent, and the infrastructure for pari-mutuel wagering is already in place and used for off-track betting (OTB).
So we have, right now, a turn-key facility ready and able to hold a race meet (at no cost to the taxpayers); yet, we talk about spending $60 million on a baseball stadium that nobody wants, except the Yankees. I just don't get it.
And it gets even more ridiculous.
OBS does have a racing license — for quarter horses! But it only holds a few races annually in order to keep its OTB privileges active. What is wrong with this picture?
OBS should have a thoroughbred racing license and be able to hold races for more than one or two days a year.
I've been in the racing game long enough to know getting approval to hold a race meet is highly political. But why not get our political representatives involved? They are not going to bring this topic up without a proposal from OBS, preferably with the backing, input and support of local politicians and business leaders. It will take a strong, proactive approach.
I don't know all of the restrictions in Florida that stand in the way of this idea — there were certainly many restrictions in my home state of Michigan — but nothing will happen if we don't press the issue.
Given the overwhelming response to the races held this past week, one can only imagine the popularity that a regular thoroughbred race meet would have. The financial benefits to the local economy, OBS and the invested local horse farm owners would be tremendous.
A race meet could integrate well with the primary mission of OBS. Imagine holding a race meet featuring locally bred horses that are just beginning their racing careers. Imagine holding a horse auction at the end of the race meet, highlighted by local horses who raced during that meet. Wow, what a sales angle! Among the many benefits of this plan: higher utilization of OBS facilities; financial benefits for the local area; promotion for a huge local industry; and one more major sale opportunity for OBS and Marion County breeding farms.
Yes, there would be opposition to this idea. Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park would not want to see their operations negatively impacted. These concerns could be addressed by careful scheduling of the Marion County meet, so as not to take away business from these two tracks. Certainly not an insurmountable issue.
This idea makes so much sense for Ocala/Marion County, OBS and the state of Florida. How can we make this happen?
