This past Saturday at the Saratoga New York Racecourse, Golden Tempo amazed horse racing fans by winning the Belmont Stakes which is the “third leg” of the coveted Triple Crown prize of horse racing. Earlier this year, the speedy colt was also the “come from nowhere” winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby in May which is the Triple Crown’s first leg. Golden Tempo exploded out of the starting gate stall late Saturday afternoon and ran in last place on a rainy track until charging at the final turn and racing to the finish line to victory. Over 121,000 people attended the four days of Belmont racing including the Saturday race with receipts of more than $116,000,000 handled. It’s too bad that our state can’t seem to get out of the gate as fast as Golden Tempo.
There are over 75 major horse racing tracks in the United States where thoroughbred horses compete. If you include smaller seasonal tracks, county fairs and other smaller venues, the number nationally rises to more than 300. Of these venues, 75 of the major tracks feature parimutuel betting, and 100 of the smaller tracks do as well. Public attendance at these existing major locations averages over 120,000 people per event. Currently, 30 states in the U.S.A. allow live horse racing and parimutuel wagering, including neighboring Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and Texas. But not Georgia. Believe it or not, the state legislature of Georgia has been deliberating this issue for nearly 100 years, and despite support in various areas, has not acted to pass legislation to develop the estimated billion-dollar industry in Georgia. Unfortunately, there has been little time and little serious effort devoted to the discussion.
You don’t have to be an equine expert to be a fan of horse racing. The closest I ever got to a fast horse was when one threw me off on the way to the barn where he knew his supper was waiting. But I have been lucky enough to be at three Kentucky Derbys and watch the spectacle of horses and humans engaged in a rite of competitive sporting unmatched anywhere else. Regardless of the chosen level, there is no substitute for the thrill of live horse racing. It has been a part of this country’s story from the very beginning, and it should always be celebrated. Leisure, sporting, and recreational pastimes will continue to grow. Georgia is continuing to miss the mark on an exceptional economic opportunity by it’s neglect of live horse racing. But even more than the commercial benefits that will be lost, is the refusal of the Georgia legislature to allow the simple appreciation and enjoyment of the race as well as the beauty, precision and glory of the amazing animals that run.
