Letters to the Editor: Joe De Francis

Dear TDN,

Throughout my decades in the horse racing business, I have generally not bothered responding to articles that contained false or misleading information about me. However, because the false statements in the Op/Ed by Eric Hamelback of the National HBPA published by TDN on July 7, 2016, malign not just me but also a third-party organization–the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)–in this instance I am compelled to respond.

I fully realize and respect that an Op/Ed piece, by definition, is an essay that gives the opinion of a writer who is not employed by the publication, but I'm dismayed that Mr. Hamelback would be so careless with his facts, and disappointed that TDN would publish his Op/Ed with these factual errors.

In his attempt to belittle the recently formed HSUS National Horse Racing Advisory Council–which includes respected individuals who have spent their lifetimes in the horse racing industry as owners, breeders, regulators, racetrack executives and operators, and one Hall of Famer–Chris McCarron–Mr. Hamelback states that I “have not been actively involved with operating a racetrack since 2002.” In fact, I was the CEO of the Maryland Jockey Club, as well as an officer and a director of Magna Entertainment Corporation–the owner and operator of more racetracks in North America than any organization in history–until late in 2007.

Much more importantly, in the same sentence he states that I'm a paid consultant to HSUS. This is also untrue. I am not now and have never been a “paid consultant” to HSUS. I have never been paid nor received a penny from HSUS. Quite to the contrary, I am a proud financial contributor to and supporter of HSUS, and thus I am a donor, not a recipient.

Beyond the false statements and factual inaccuracies, I'm disgusted–as I'm sure many knowledgeable and caring members of our industry are–that the entire thrust and purpose of Mr. Hamelback's essay is to attack and malign HSUS, and to create totally unwarranted fear and paranoia within the horse racing community about HSUS and its involvement with horse racing.

The National HBPA has a proud history, so it is particularly sad that its current CEO would stoop to the same fear-mongering tactics and repeat the same falsehoods, misleading innuendos and hateful propaganda against HSUS regularly used by its most bitter enemies–practitioners of horse slaughter, dog and cock fighting, horse soring, and the most pernicious forms of factory farming.

There is no doubt that within the broadly-defined “animal welfare community” there are fringe or extreme elements–like PETA–who want to abolish horse racing. I can state unequivocally, however, that this is NOT HSUS' goal. HSUS wants to work WITH the horse racing industry–NOT against it–in order to achieve the best possible results for horses and industry participants alike.

HSUS has successfully done this with Fortune 50 companies like Walmart and McDonalds re the cage-free egg movement, and with SeaWorld and Ringling Brothers re changing their business models to reflect the popular culture of today's society.

In this regard, HSUS is clearly the “mature adult” in the animal welfare community. It's a real shame that the leadership of the National HBPA is obviously the “petulant child” of the horse racing industry.

I welcome continued open discussion and reasoned debate about the relative merits and particulars of the critically important issue of medication reform. At the end of the day, everyone involved in horse racing should share the common goal of taking all reasonable steps to protect and enhance the welfare of the equine athletes who give their all for the benefit of the fans and the people who earn their livelihoods from the horse racing industry.

But first, there needs to be a clean slate–one wiped completely of the falsehoods with which Mr. Hamelback has misled the readers of TDN. For more information on the facts and issues, I urge people to visit www.horseracingintegrity.com re medication reform and www.humanesociety.org re HSUS.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Joe De Francis