Florida Horse Racing at its Best

Florida horse racing at its best is not what those who first opposed it foresaw when they tried to keep horse racing in Florida from ever happening. Judging from the latest horse racing news some may conclude their biblically based warnings were right, but as the bible itself points out, there is nothing evil of itself but rather comes down to us and the choices we make. Throughout Florida's horse racing history there have been those who through poor choices have fulfilled nearly every prediction of those early critics from gambling addiction to track owners battling each other for every racing cent they can get. There is however another side to that coin which should not be overlooked conveying the image of Florida horse racing at its very best. That image was also created through choices, albeit much better ones. Like for example a florist named James Donn Sr. who drawing upon his keen business sense as well as his masterful landscaping skills chose to help turn the shattered racetrack dreams of a young entrepreneur who had sacrificed everything into a place called Gulfstream. Or what about Stephan Zachar's contributions not only to the Florida thoroughbred, but his consideration for both the racing fan and stable worker in his innovative designs at Calder And as for the horses themselves, it brings to mind names like Carl Rose or James (Uncle Jimmy) Bright who chose to ignore the naysayers and prove that a horse raised and trained under the Florida sun could be just as big, just as beautiful and just as fast as any horse in the world. As every jockey knows, a horse race can be won or lost by making the right choices at the right time. We can only hope the ones having to make those decisions now and in the future will remember the men and women who have made the right ones in the past because they truly are Florida horse racing at its best.

Read more about the fascinating story of Florida Horse racing in Charlene Johnson's, Florida Thoroughbred.

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