(Battle of Midway was trained by Jerry Hollendorfer / Photo Courtesy of Churchill Downs)

Every so often, we will be addressing a few things: comments, decisions, people, whatever that – for one reason or another – should be tossed into the literary “muck pit.”

It is in the spirit of cleanliness, recycling, and protecting the environment that we offer this service of “addressing the muck” – free of charge. After all, someone has to do it, right?

And, it didn’t take long for us to find a few pounds of, well, manure.

Here is a look at our “15th Edition”:

Santa Anita’s Management Team Is a “Mucking” Joke:

Well, I guess we have seen and heard it all now.

After the latest catastrophic injury at the “Pathetic Race Place,” better known as Santa Anita, the management team took the only action that they possibly could.

Only thing they could do.

Thank goodness and Greyhound, they found the courage to take the most aggressive and corrective action possible.

Bless be to everything sacred, the conscientious and considerate folks that make the day-to-day decisions in Arcadia finally mustered up the mind set to do the only thing that can help stop this onslaught of disaster.

Maybe the Eclipse Awards can come up with a special “Thank You” plaque for Belinda Stronach and her team of merry mercenaries.

They got rid of Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

Scratched all of his horses from upcoming races.

Told him to get the hell out, and don’t let the backside gate hit you where the good Lord split you.

Gave the old hard-boot trainer the boot. Right in the keister.

After all, it was his horse that took a bad step while breezing over the Santa Anita training track and suffered a life-ending injury. And, of the near 30 horses who have now met their demise at this place since Dec. 26, it was Hollendorfer’s third.

The audacity of that Jerry Hollendorfer, who lost a horse; a stable friend; a cohort; one of his horses. Damn his hide. Sorry so-and-so.

Wow.

What a bold move.

I’m sure this will cure the problem.

No doubt.

Thanks, Belinda.

Can’t be the racetrack’s fault.

Can’t be your team’s fault.

Can’t be your damn fault.

Has to be the trainer, right?

What’s next?

You going to start going through the list of horses located at the track and start kicking them out onto the streets of Pasadena where they can pull a carriage around?

Let me help you out a little, Belinda. Since you can’t seem to get there on your own, and your advisors are simply incapable of mustering a convincing argument.

Here’s the truth, Belinda.

You have refused to do the right thing right from the start of this awful mess.

Why start now, right?

Oh no, you didn’t announce you were going to shut down live racing; call it quits; dig up the horrid racing surfaces; reveal and fully disclose what has been a major problem in this entire mess; and present a corrective plan going forward — which would include a new and improved drainage system and an all new racing surface.

Oh no, you didn’t do what we called for back in February and the impotent racing commission in California finally called for just a week or so ago, and shut this down before someone and somebody else got hurt.

Oh no, you didn’t do what any right-thinking person — who has any affinity towards the care of a Thoroughbred race horse or the very sport itself — would do. For that matter, what anyone should have done months and injuries ago.

No.

Hell no.

After all, you are the same damn people who have told us all that this entire, infamous, sickening situation — which is flowing downhill faster than a Los Angeles mudslide — has never been your fault.

Hell no.

It’s always been someone else, right?

First, “Belittling Belinda” blamed the Kentucky breeding industry and their addiction to dangerous bone-drafting drugs. She said it was Kentuckians that were endangering the sport with misfit horses, that look good to sell; but are defective to run.

Never mind that all of the Kentucky-bred and Kentucky-sold horses are every other venue in the entire world are not sustaining this alarming rate of injury and death.

Never mind the truth.

Had to be Kentucky’s fault.

Secondly, “Belittling Belinda” blamed the entire messy mess on the use of Lasix — the anti-bleeding medication that is used to help prevent horses from experiencing pain and suffering. A therapeutic way to help horses breathe easier and better. A safe medication developed to help; not hurt. After all, she had a little band of merry believers ready to already jump on that bandwagon — led by The Joker’s Club. Er, I’m sorry. The Jockey Club.

Never mind that horses running on Lasix all over the country for years have not and were not experiencing these same kind of catastrophic injuries at this alarming rate of injury and death. Not even close.

Never mind the truth.

Had to be Lasix’s fault.

Third, “Belittling Belinda” even went so far as to blame all of the breakdowns on the jockeys. Those pesky riders. They were using that whip to push horses to do more than they wanted; more than they should; forcing them to to injure themselves.

Never mind that riders have been using a new, safer, riding crop right under her penthouse suite and nose, and that racing-related injuries all over the world have not been attributed to over-use of the jockey’s whip.

Never mind the truth.

Had to be the jockey’s fault.

Now, it’s Jerry Hollendorfer’s fault.

I’ll be honest. I don’t know Jerry Hollendorfer very well. Had a private dinner with him at Saratoga one summer, along with my good friend and racing partner Rob Murphy. But other than that, and an occasional conversation on the backside, I have never spent much time with the man.

Can’t tell you how he trains or treats his horses.

Can’t tell you if he cuts corners or takes an edge.

Can’t vouch for much of the man’s character.

But I can tell you what the record book says about him:

Elected to the Racing Hall of Fame in 2011.

Ran third in the 2017 Kentucky Derby with Battle of Midway.

Won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in 2017 with Battle of Midway.

Won the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with Songbird.

Won the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile with Dakota Phone.

Since the year 2000 — 19 years in the making — he has ranked in the Top 15 winningest trainers every single year. In 16 of those years, he has ranked in the Top 5 in number of wins.

And, when the great Battle of Midway had trouble in the breeding shed and was returned to racing in 2017, the ownership team of Don Alberto Stable and WinStar Farm had the confidence to return the son of Smart Strike to Jerry Hollendorfer to train, keep, care for and get back to the top of Thoroughbred racing.

Top owners. Sent a top horse. Back to a top trainer.

And, until Battle of Midway suffered a catastrophic injury at this same location earlier this year, Hollendorfer did exactly what he was asked to do. Take Battle of Midway all the way back to the top. All the way.

With care.

In 2017, Battle of Midway won the Breeders’ Cup mile at Del Mar. After his breeding season in the early part of 2018, the colt returned to the races in August of 2018. He ran second in the G2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar. Later on, he won the G3 Native Diver Stakes; ran second in the G2 San Antonio Stakes and then won the G2 San Pasqual Stakes.

Jerry Hollendorfer was good enough to do that amazing feat.

Truly, amazing.

But on Saturday, he was unceremoniously kicked out of Santa Anita?

Never mind the truth.

Has to be Jerry Hollendorfer’s fault, right?

Wonder what the world looks like in that mind of Belinda Stronach.

Just wonder.

Here’s a Project for “The Joker’s Club,” er, “The Jockey Club”

Ever since this old, ugly, nasty, disgusting situation developed at Santa Anita, the only thing that the sport’s “Rich & Famous” organization — which operates under some illusion that it has some modicum of respect and some group of followers — has come up with as a possible solution wide is to roll out that dusty, mildewed argument that therapeutic, race day medication is killing racing.

Unfortunately for all of us, it is people and organizations like this that give credibility to the crazies of PETA and the outcry of the ignorant to denounce the sport of Thoroughbred racing.

Instead of lead, with innovative and new ideas, the Jockey Club continues to fall back in the muck of yesterday.

Instead of joining with other industry groups with far more credibility and success, like the Breeders’ Cup and others, the Jockey Club continues to dredge up bogus arguments — that even the most ardent members of their very own board do not even attempt to comply with.

When was the last time that a member of the Jockey Club ran a horse without race day medication, when they have the chance to do so?

Bet you can find more of those chaps that do run their horses medicated with Lasix more often than you can find those same people that do not. Bet you.

But here’s an idea for you, Jockey Club, since you can’t seem to develop one on your own.

Why don’t you take some of those zillions that you and your cranky, old board members have stashed away with Warren Buffet and buy out Belinda?

Go buy Santa Anita.

Go buy Gulfstream Park.

Go buy Laurel and Pimlico and Golden Gate.

Put a new track in at Santa Anita. A safe one.

Do something to restore a true grass course in South Florida.

Do anything to help Pimlico from falling down.

Shut up the complaints and accusations. Put up your money.

And, then?

Run those tracks by the rules that you best deem fit.

Outlaw raceday medications at those tracks that you now own, if you want.

Restrict races for 2-year-olds, if you wish.

Put in fake dirt tracks, made of land-fill plastics and wax — if you think that’s what God intended for his creatures to run over.

Create a better tomorrow, that you believe in.

Now, that is worth debating.

And, you can have your very own little test market.

But until you are willing, you are only found to be wanting.

Why Would Any Industry Want The Feds to Ru(i)n Their Business:

Let me see if I have this right.

There are some people in the horse business that want the United States federal government to take over running the sport?

There are some people that are inviting the bureaucrats to take over control of the sport of horse racing?

There are some people trying to convince you that the industry needs Washington — more of D.C. and government folks — to decide the major issues of the industry?

There are some people that want the federal government to pick people to oversee and operate an industry with absolutely has no earthly idea how it operates?

Are you kidding me?

Seriously?

I spent over 30 years of my life lobbying for major industry groups. I can tell you right now that I have not encountered a single one of them that wanted more government oversight. Or more government interference.

Zero.

None.

Nada.

Now, a group of people in the horse industry want to convince you and me that the sport and industry is better off with turning over all decisions and oversight to a collection of people like U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Ron Wyden?

Go look up those guys.

The same cats who want to turn horses into house cats?

The same jackasses who can’t get a balanced budget for the greatest country on Earth, and can’t tell the difference between a Thoroughbred and a donkey?

Hmmmm.

Let me think.

No thanks.

I say WHOA to that idea, WHOA.

Or better yet, why don’t you let all license holders in the industry vote on it.

Isn’t that the democratic process at work? After all, it’s you that want to go the legislative route.

Let’s vote.