Fewer owners now......

[Any1Left]

BROWN JUG,,,,,,,,I remember that moment BENOIT was the man and randy also commented on the situation,,,,,,,,, i remember when sprinter BEN JOHNSON WAS CAUGHT and the announcers never stopped talking about it,,,,, That is reality,,,,

[Brown jug]

yes thank you any1 eft
it was in fact when ben b was coming back
amazingly his barn has been rather cold for a few years now

[Any1Left]

mr brown jug ,,,,,He reminds me of a ROBIN WILLIAMS movie awakenings were once in a while benoit wake up but shortly falls back to sleep..........If i am playing poker and 2 guys are working to cheat me i will not still play but yet in harness racing the non cheats do nothing and stay spineless and that hurts all gamblers and honest horsemen but helps vets and cheaters,,,,,,,,

[SeattleSlew]

I remember years ago they had a two week school for people interested in Harness Racing in all areas. There were classes for people who wanted to be trainers, drivers, owners, grooms, etc. It was part classroom study and parts "Hands-on". I think the school was run by Alfred "Bucky" Day. I wanted to avoid college and go to this school, but my dad thought that it might not lead me to a job right away. I've always wondered how many came out of these schools and became sucessful. And if they did, did they become part of the "juicers" everyone talks about now.

I don't know about a 2 week program, but I am very familiar with a program that Lou Miller (and his companion Joanne) ran at Roosevelt.  Aside from acting as a quasi-rescue barn they also helped many people learn to train (and some went on to drive also) from the ground up.  I donated a horse I had at that time who could both pace and trot around 2:04 (which was essentially worthless as an owner, but valuable for them to use to help people learn on).  I became sufficiently interested so that I became a 'student" there also.  I had no intention of becoming a groom/trainer or driver, but was an owner and what I learned there made me a much more successful owner and also added more pleasure by allowing me to jog some of my own horses.  This was in the later 70's and early 80's.  If I am not mistaken Nick Sodano attended there and the horse he had was the one I donated!  I would guess many other people who attended there entered the industry in a variety of functions. 

[The Exporter]

I attended the BOCES program 1976-1977. They had a barn at Roosevelt when the meet was at Yonkers. The other times, we were at the old Ambros Clark estate, nowa part of Old Westbury University. Quite a facility. I bet the main barn, made if stone and hardwoods, would be worth millions. They also had a Thoroughbred program. Students would do a semester in each, you first year. Final year you did the program of your choice. I chose harness and my horse i took care of was Earl Lad.

[Grandstand Handicapper]

The demographics of the sport and industry are changing. From way back in the sport's heyday with YR and RR. I grew up and made my bones on NY racing. Before, during, and after me, so did guys like Bob Marks, Morty Finder, Bob Boni, Geoff Stein, Dave Reid, and a whole slew of handicappers, track characters, bettors, and owners. When the Meadowlands opened, many moved there. Big owners of yesteryear, and still some today, came from that generation. Ted Gewertz, Marty Granoff, Arlene Traub, Jimmy Plate, etc., and many backbone of the industry owners, people who owned a horse or two. Later on was who? The Brooks Brothers? LOL. Today Howard Taylor? If it weren't for his dad, Howard wouldn't know the inside of a racetrack. LOL.

Today, who do you have? The big owners of today? What about the real backbone of the industry and sport? There are none. Far fewer. The sport and the business have changed like everything else. Tracks aren't built and won't get 50k to 100k of people, except for the odd big day, and mostly t-breds. But, this sport and business will change, and survive. It won't go like dog racing did. There will be fewer tracks, but the sport and business will still be there.