Take That Face!

From the never ending, comedic-tragedy that is California racing, comes another head scratching decision. This past Thursday, the California Horse Racing Board denied a request from the Oak Tree Racing Association to hold it's annual race meeting at Santa Anita. The jewel in the ever diminishing landscape of California race tracks, and arguably one of the finest, and most historic race tracks in North America. This would have marked the forty first racing season that the non profit Oak Tree Racing Association would have been conducted at the famed Arcadia Track.

Siting track safety issues amongst their "concerns", the Thoroughbred Owners of California, and the California Thoroughbred Trainers organizations spoke out forcefully against holding the meeting at Santa Anita. One by one prominent owners, trainers, and race track executives argued that not only would track safety be a concern, but moving the Oak Tree meet to "another location" ie: Hell-Hole = Hollywood Park, would give poor ole Frank Stronach more time to complete his transformation.

Although some reports are stating that the current surface may have some minor "issues", no one has indicated that they would remain unresolved in time for Oak Tree. As for the transformation of the surface, all indications are that it would have been ready well in advance of the Santa Anita winter meet. Three weeks before the meet begins in fact! It remains highly unlikely that anything would occur during that time period that would jeopardize the start of the meet.

What it comes down to is the CHRB, Ca. Owners, and Trainers seized their opportunity to "give it" (for lack of a better word) to the always controversial, outsider Frankie. A plan executed as well as anything we've ever seen conjured up by the Corleone family. Well done California racing industry! In cutting off your nose to spite your face, you found a new way to damage an already ailing sport that in most regions is on life support. After this latest round of egocentric behavior, you're one step closer to giving California racing it's Last Rights.

BTW........Leading Arlington Park Trainer Nick Canani had five more horses test positive for the class 3 medication Etodolac. Although it's a "minor" drug violation, it's pretty interesting how another Frank Calabrese Trainer, who's hitting at about thirty percent, has at least six horses test positive for a drug that's not supposed to be used at all on race-day. I'm sure it's an easy mistake to make. Besides you know he's not using any other illegal drugs on his horses. He's just "spotting them in the right spot"...........right?