No One to Stop the Crash
The lack of a national office is a perennial complaint of racing fans and horsemen, burned by widely varying state laws and industry disputes. “Nearly every other major sport has an overlord to preside over its disparate factions and intervene when conflict threatens to stop the action…. When horse racing careens toward trouble, there’s no one to stop the crash.” The situation isn’t likely to change soon, reports Tom Keyser: “The idea of a strong, centralized office runs counter to the reality of regulation on a decentralized basis, [NTRA commissioner D.G. Van Clief Jr.] said. In other words, racing is regulated by state commissions and legislatures, not an autocratic national office.” (Baltimore Sun)
