The Halsey Minor (Major) Saga

[Simengineer]

First off let me give a big 'Thank You' to Ray Paulick for giving the thoroughbred industry a different voice. He offten comments on industry subjects not covered (or covered well) in the main mags.

Ever since I frist caught wind of Mr. Minor's interest in Hialeah I have been reading everything I can find on the subject. I applaud his desire and courage to take on such a project. This sport needs a champion and I for one am hoping against hope that he succeeds in filling the role.

So here is a continuation of the saga that has developed around Mr. Minor:
http://www.paulickreport.com/blog/minor-takes-on-magna/

He even responds to the comments, so be sure to read past the article.

I love his comment "you p****d off a potentially valuable ally royally". But then both sides here have burnt some bridges.

[zinn21]

What a great read!! Halsey Minor has all my respect. Magna's racing enterprise is on life support. Magna should be kissing Minor's ass-instead they shun him as if they are swimming (no pun intended) in liquidity. What a joke..

[Heidilady]

Whoa, he wants to save Pimlico too? If I wasn't in such amazement I might blubber a little bit. How heartbreaking to have a track as storied as it is in such dire straits. And Santa Anita's a mess. Can you imagine what the BC might be able to pull off if he had majority interest before the 2009 BC? It might actually, gasp, attract the champions in the sport to compete without fear of a screwy surface.

I think we need "I heart Halsey Minor" t-shirts.

[spex4me]

Haha too funny to condemn a man who made his vast fortunes on computers for using email and *gasp* the telephone to talk business. I am hoping that I am reading between the lines in the interest he has in MD racing. If he can gain some control then perhaps he can do away with the stupid season VA currently operates on, and let them run longer or concurrently. If not I want a wet noodle to smack him with, because if he buys a &^#$^%#@ plantation in Williamsburg VA and allows VA's only track to become a relic only 30 miles from it, what's the use??

[Simengineer]

Perhaps Mr. Minor has had ideas for Pimlico all along since, as you point out, he bought that horse farm near there. Hialeah is in more immediate need of saving, but I agree, Pimlico needs a champion too.

[Simengineer]

I for one will be interested to see what Mr. Minor has to say in the Talking Horses.

Mr. Brunetti could have been the hero or the villian here, looks like he chose villian.

http://news.bloodhorse.com/article/47324.htm

[Joltman]

perhaps he can do away with the stupid season VA currently operates on, and let them run longer or concurrently. If not I want a wet noodle to smack him with, because if he buys a &^#$^%#@ plantation in Williamsburg VA and allows VA's only track to become a relic only 30 miles from it, what's the use??

Well said. The VA-MD season needs radical re-work because, the premise that the Williamsburg location would draw 'tourists' was a bust. The best days for a Va turf meet are the months when other tracks have tailed off in their turf offerings. If there was some way that a fall and early spring week could be put together, I think the quality would go up. Of course the tourists probably wouldn't show up, but they aren't funding the enterprise.

jm

[spex4me]

I think they could easily do April to October. Heck even during the summer make all the races night races and only run Thu-Sun. It is too freaking hot down here for the daytime weekend races. Yeah ,yeah great for family days.... well that worked out splendidly...NOT. The handle was down tremendously. Make it a hip place to go, and you'll get the people. Of course I was told the other day that there was talk about running SB's and TB's concurrently. For the life of me I can't figure out that one. But the thinking was to draw more people by combining them. Heck add QH and Arabian racing to the mix. Max it out while your at it! Honestly I don't know but I sure would embrace more than 2 1/2 months at the track.