California Horseracing Industry Leaders (CHIL) has announced a bold plan aimed at preserving horseracing in the face of recent and imminent racetrack closures -- micro racing. By using miniature horses (averaging 3 inches in height), races will be confined to tiny tracks that can be built quickly and located just about anywhere.
Based on a 1/100 scale, the micro racetrack will be 5.28 feet in circumference -- small enough to fit on a coffee table. The smaller tracks are inexpensive to install and can be maintained with tiny garden rakes, eliminating the need for expensive harrowing and renovation equipment.
"These pocket ponies are just as cute as can be," said CHIL chairman Prof. Arthur Wagstaff. "And, along with their little bitty racetracks, we believe they will be a real boon to racing. Just think of the money we can save," Wagstaff continued. "Racetracks can be set up in little dioramas, complete with rows of tiny barns!"
The first of the mini tracks will open almost immediately. "Our kick-off for Micro Racing is scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, or April Fool's Day," Wagstaff concluded.
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In a first statement, officials of CDI and MEC expressed support for this new development, adding that they would “give serious consideration” to running miniature racetracks in California, provided that the state would legalize slots at those tracks (about 1.000 machines per square inch would do, one CDI board member told us). MEC is currently looking into the opportunity of turning GGF and Santa Anita into MicroTracks. "It’s a win-win for both racetrack owners and the sport" said a jubilant Frank Stronach, "since a MicroTrack can easily be fitted into our existing paddocks, we can transform the large parts currently wasted on turf and polytrack courses into huge slot halls. And I have a couple more ideas...". In a related story, MTR Gaming and Harrah’s have announced plans to apply for MicroRacing licenses in California, saying that MicroRacinos come closer to their ideas of the perfect racing venture than they ever dared to dream.
Criticism is coming from the California Associaton of Not All That Tiny Jockeys (CAONATTJ), the Jockeys Organization of Kentucky and El Salvador (JOKE) has joined their protest.
Nakatani will never make the weight. Professor Wagstaff might consider teaching his circus fleas how to horseback. I'm sure they could follow instructions as well as our current riders do.
Yeah the maiden race of mini horses will use hampsters as the jockeys though the pudgy little things will need to slim down to about .12 pounds to fit the acurat 1/100 scale. Oh by the way Mary what ever happened to Zenyatta?
Callico, Zenyatta is in training at Hollywood Park, and will probably run during their Spring-Summer meet, which begins April 22nd. I'll try to get some pics of her when we move over to Hollywood!
Thanks I will definatly keep a lookout she is one of my favorite mares so I'll be looking for those posts for sure. Oh by the way is Mike Smith still riding her?
Callico, yes as far as I know.
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