Hmmmmm what to say......Well, I will say that everyone in the harness racing industry needs to think about what they do in order for it to survive in Maine. Harness racing is a sport with spectators and many critics. Some people think it is abusive and cruel. Other's think the horses are bred to race and they enjoy it. I'd like to think it is the oldest sport for a reason and that everyone can compete fairly and honestly; however, with any sport there seems to be those who are trying to gain an advantage (Ex. Lance Armstrong, Alex Rodriguez, etc.).
Personally, I want harness racing to survive in Maine. I would like to see a modern track with a convention center, concert venue, hotel, eating establishments, etc. Along with this, I do believe some sort of legislation will have to occur to allow a Southern Maine casino and sports betting. With this being said, we will require marketing, location, and precise signal scheduling to acquire a market across the world. We do have tourists in Southern Maine and they do like to go out at night. We should capitalize on this fact. Honestly, I do think if we are not all realizing that our sport is front and center of being critiqued by animal rights groups and the public we are mistaken. Anybody allowing their peers to veer outside of the box and having them get away with it is adding to the problem, not the future or the solution to survival of the game in Maine.
Anyhow, one thing I can say about Dan is he is NOT intellectually challenged. The kid gets up early each day, takes great care of his horses, and works to get better. His horses always look great in the paddock and on the track. He isn't a boozer or drug user. He simply loves to train and race horses while taking care of his family. He also wants to win each and every time he puts his body and life on the line in a harness race. He leaves it on the track. If he is whipping horses too hard, I guarantee there are others that are as well. This is a judges issue where criteria needs to be be clarified with clear expectations and commensurate consequences for all if the rules are truly broken. This needs to be clear and consistent for all. There is a much bigger picture here......much bigger!
I have been following Maine harness racing closely. It appears there are 2-3 trainers winning the majority of the races. I don't know why this is, but I can say it is interesting. It is also concerning because the "little" guy needs a good piece of the pie once in awhile for them to survive and want to remain in the game. I hope race secretaries realize this and everyone in the sport needs a win once in awhile. I can guarantee if what I see continues, this sport collapses sooner versus later here. There is simply too much great harness racing to the south of us where they have numerous bells and whistles.
Last, I do know Dan doesn't need to use a whip. He knows how to use a whip to make noise, rates a horse very well when he wants to, and positions them well in a race. He adjusts his style to the stock he has in the race. Maine is fortunate to have such a talented drivers colony. We really are. Winning races with cheap horses for the most part isn't an easy thing to do. Some of our drivers are literally carrying horses across the finish line. My hat is off to anybody who is brave enough to sit behind an animal going forty miles per hour and weighs in the vicinity of 1,000 pounds.
