"Oh no! Not another expense."
I can hear the cry already, but The Jockey Club foal registration fee needed to go up, and should go up even more. Why? Because we are losing the battle for our very existence and must rely on a patchwork of well-meaning aftercare and grassroots organizations that try to provide the practical and public relations services needed to turn the tide of public opinion back in horse racing's favor. Most of these organizations are uncertainly funded by piecemeal financial contributions and live "hand-to-mouth."
Those of us involved in Thoroughbred racing and breeding are facing a crisis that we have never seen before. Until recently, I couldn't have imagined that there would be serious calls to ban racing, or that the national media would move from indifference to racing to outright hostility, or that animal rights activists would have virtually total control of the welfare narrative—but that is where we are.
We must fight back, and fighting back will cost money. Aftercare needs to be fully funded, as does research on prevention of breakdowns, and we need a public relations campaign that effectively makes the case that we really do care about the horses.
This piece is not a defense of The Jockey Club, but there are many who dislike and distrust it and believe that it is an "Old Boys Club" that only functions as a breed registry. This is simply not true. The Jockey Club will be putting more than $7 million back into Thoroughbred racing this year alone, funding many of the initiatives we so desperately need.
A foal crop of 18,000 is projected for 2024 with a registration fee of $260. If the fee were $500, even if the increase reduced registrations by 10%, we would have an extra $3.42 million to spend on saving our sport. If the fee were $1,000, and the increase reduced the crop by 20%, we would have a "fighting fund" approaching $10 million per annum. All in addition to The Jockey Club's current contribution.
Whatever your opinion of The Jockey Club, it does have the power to increase registration fees and could pledge to use the money, perhaps in consultation with an advisory board, for the betterment of the sport in the ways outlined above.
Why should breeders pay? Because some group must lead by example and challenge other stakeholder groups to follow. As a practical matter, we "create" the animals, and if we don't act soon, there won't be any more horse racing and, tragically, no reason to breed racehorses.
If we can't afford to pay $1,000 to qualify our foals as Thoroughbreds and safeguard their futures, then we probably shouldn't be breeding them in the first place.
