Business Decisions by Dan Liebman Date Posted: 7/22/2003 2:52:07
PM Last Updated: 7/24/2003 12:35:55 PM  Every time an American-
raced horse is sold to stand at stud in another country, there
are those who are up in arms. How could you do such a thing,
they ask. How could you sell a horse like Forty Niner or Strike
the Gold to stand in Japan or Turkey?  I've always figured the
outcry comes from people who love horses but aren't involved
enough in breeding and racing to understand the economics of the
game. Some people simply cannot comprehend, or perhaps choose to
ignore, that this is a business.  They need to know there is not
a single person out there who breeds a horse who doesn't love
horses. But they also need to know those same people have a
responsibility to operate a business.  When someone is offering
to purchase a stallion, what difference does it make if the
offer is from Maryland or Malaysia? When a yearling is sold at
public auction, why should it matter if the buyer is planning to
race in Saratog