The clock is ticking

While this dispute between the Thoroughbred Owners of California and the account-wagering companies over out-of-state revenue continues, there appears to be no end in sight.

Prominent trainer/owner Bruce Headley took out an ad in today's Daily Racing Form voicing his displeasure with the deal owners are currently getting, and he says he will not run any more of his horses until this impasse ends.

It's not the disagreement per se, but the timing of it that makes no sense. Just when the industry and racing fans are feeling good about a tremendous Breeders' Cup, this dispute over money crops up while a good number of racing fans are living paycheck to paycheck.

Bob Reeves, president of the newly formed national Thoroughbred Horsemen's Group, of which the TOC has aligned itself with, claims owners nationwide are losing a collective $1 billion per year. He says it costs about $2 billion for the owners to maintain their stables yearly and that national purses add up to a little more than $1 billion.

There is a pretty significant gap between the amount of money that goes to support live racing, i.e. horsemen, when a bet is made through account wagering as opposed to a bet physically made at the racetrack. Reeves says the THG's goal is to narrow that gap.

No one disputes the fact that account wagering is the fastest-growing segment of the industry. Last I heard, companies like TVG and Youbet.com were not hurting financially. By the same token, is the increase the THG is seeking from these companies out of whack at a time when on-track attendance and overall handle is down throughout the country?

Joe Blow from Lincoln, Neb. doesn't care about how much money TVG or the horsemen are making or losing. He just wants to bet the races at Hollywood Park this month, and right now he can't. How much longer will he care about California racing while this dispute lingers?

At a time when this sport should be pulling on the same end of the rope and trying to lure new fans to its product, two factions are doing their best to drive the old fan base away.

It's time to sit down and hammer out an agreement that is fair to both horsemen and the account-wagering companies. Stubborness at this point in the game is only hurting the industry.