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CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED TRAINERS
Risky business By Alan F. Balch CTT Executive Director
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HORSE trainer without a high school diploma based his entire and considerable success on one aphorism, and relentlessly reminded his students and peers: it’s what you learn after you know it all that really counts. When I heard him talking like that with his students or clients, I always thought of Socrates – imagine, a horse trainer and Socrates in the same sentence – who said, “I know that I know nothing.” And this same trainer used to say to me, “Alan, for an educated guy, how can you be so stupid?” This trainer, the late and revered Jimmy A. Williams, didn’t make his mark at the track, although many a Thoroughbred trainer was fascinated by his methods and success with every kind of horse and client; they didn’t hesitate to consult him about their problems with either. He epitomized the smarts that make someone successful in any endeavor: whatever your education or experience, you have to be smart enough to want to continue to learn. And refine what you’ve already learned. Or think you’ve learned. He was constantly asked to write a book about his methods. He always refused. He told me that if he were ever to write something down about it, it would be called, “what not to do.” He reminisced, “it would just be too painful to re-live all the horses I’ve spoiled and all the mistakes I’ve made, just in trying to learn how they think and what to do about the problems you face.” I’ve been reminded of this recently, over and over again, when I see the debates among stakeholders in racing about bet menus and pricing and takeout and purse generation. I suppose it’s only natural, when business is bad and everyone’s stressed, to look for reasons and for blame. There’s way more attention on
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Thoroughbred trainers would often seek the advice of the late Jimmy A. Williams fixing blame than on fixing problems. Or, as Jimmy would say, “fix the problem, not the blame.” But how do we go about doing that? Racing is the riskiest of all businesses, in so many ways, and the risks multiply enormously when those of us responsible for it, each in our tiny way, turn away from learning. Just consider these factors. First, owning and then breeding racehorses is about as highrisk as any activity you can imagine. Not reason, but the most powerful emotion of all – love – is the only thing that would bring you to it. Love of sport, of horses, and love of risk. And then there are the customers who make it all go, the punters, the horseplayers. They love
“Racing is the riskiest of all businesses, in so many ways, and the risks multiply enormously when those of us responsible for it, each in our tiny way, turn away from learning”
risk, and since there are ever more ways and places to enjoy the thrill of risk besides betting on horses, the most ravenous among them love this particular type of risk more than any other. Our kind of risk, and what differentiates it from most others, is based on skill, on learning. Whether it’s learning the science and art of breeding, or training, or riding, or buying, or understanding and applying past performances, we are – or should be – dedicated to learning. And it’s what you learn after you know it all that really counts. The bedrock principle of our category of risk is skill at every aspect of the sport, as opposed to the random chance of most gaming. (Although I hastily add that random chance intrudes all the time in racing, and often at the most inopportune moments! Which is part of any sporting endeavor, but one we seek to minimize.) From the outset of my life around horses, well over 50 years ago now, I was curious, overpoweringly curious, and I guess one reason I loved it was because almost all of my peers were, too. When my professional life in racing began in management at Santa Anita, I found the same curiosity in our customers and most of my colleagues. How could it not be so? Our customers were hungry to learn
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