Billy Baffert

Horsemen should be on high alert as the Puerto Rico commission has instituted funding to import new horses in the wake of alleged off-label use of a product called "Hycoat," which was voluntarily recalled at the end of January. tinyurl.com/4b9vx7kz

Yesterday one of the Evil Empire’s henchmen tried to take a shot at my credibility. 90% of this industry saw right through it. But here’s what they didn’t expect…the truth hits a lot harder than their little sponsored posts. Let’s talk about caring for the breed. For 15 years, the @JockeyClub has given just $23 million to aftercare. $23 million. In the same breath, they spend more on executive compensation and more on America’s Best Racing than they do making sure retired Thoroughbreds are safe for life. That alone should make every single person in this sport sick. But here’s the part that really tests your moral compass. In 2013, a horse named Orb won the Kentucky Derby. Bred by the Janney/Phipps family. Owned by the Janney/Phipps family. Two families worth Billions. For 40 years, the Chairman of the Jockey Club was either a Phipps or a Janney. Think about that moment. Winning the most prestigious race in the world with a homebred. The joy. The pride. The tears. Orb goes on to stud. He doesn’t become a commercial superstar. It happens. This is a hard game. Now imagine you have an 11-year-old Kentucky Derby winner who didn’t pan out as a stallion. What would you do??? If I’m ever blessed enough to win a Derby… That horse isn’t going anywhere. He’d be in my backyard. I’d feed him carrots and mints every morning, probably before I kiss my wife and daughter. Because that horse changed your life. But what did the leadership of the Jockey Club do??? They sold their Kentucky Derby winner to Uruguay for $50,000. Fifty thousand dollars. That’s what the sport’s most sacred trophy horse was worth to them when he stopped generating revenue. When the leadership of the Jockey Club tells you they “care about the breed”… When they tell you they’re “committed to the future of the Thoroughbred”… Remember this: When their Derby winner had no residual value, they shipped him to South America for pennies. This isn’t about business. This is about values. You don’t get to lecture the industry about stewardship while treating a Derby winner like excess inventory. If this doesn’t bother you, if this doesn’t hit your heart, then maybe you don’t love these horses the way you say you do. This sport is built on emotion. On loyalty. On gratitude. On doing right by the animal that makes all of this possible. You can’t preach legacy and practice liquidation. That’s the difference between gratitude and greed. ❤️🙏 How do you feel???