For much of the COVID-19 pandemic my chief concern has been inconsistency. Inconsistency pertaining to what is said about the seriousness of the virus itself; inconsistency pertaining to how we protect ourselves from the virus and ultimately inconsistency pertaining to measures needed to be taken by society to prevent future spread of the virus. We have always been told to "follow the science and follow the facts," but in New York City for example, the science and facts through testing and contact tracing told us that schools and restaurants were not high-risk environments. Schools yielded less than a 0.2% positivity rate while the city as a whole was over five percent. Yet, schools were closed and indoor dining was prohibited. Why? Enter Ontario and its inconsistency. Within the province the National Hockey League was permitted to begin play. This was done by creating an all-Canadian division within the league as to limit the travel of Canadian teams within Canada. The Toronto Raptors are playing basketball, but doing so in Tampa, Florida. But the Raptors heading south for the winter has nothing to do with them not being allowed to play in Canada for health concerns, it's a travel issue. The Raptors are the only Canadian basketball team and there are restrictions pertaining to entering and leaving the country, as well as other teams doing the same when having to travel to play the Raptors. Why can they play hockey in Ontario but horses cannot race? Hockey is a full-contact sport. It is indoors. The competitors are constantly crashing and bumping into each other. Sure, there are strict protocols for the players and widespread testing. But why can't that be the case for racing as well? Why is one sport allowed to continue when another is not? The most compelling argument for racing, in my opinion, is that these horses need to be cared for regardless of whether or not they are racing. The trainers, grooms and veterinarians all have to continue to work to keep the horses (who are athletes by the way) healthy and safe. By prohibiting racing from continuing at this moment, the leaders of Ontario are saying that the actual racing element of the sport is the problem. Follow the science and follow the facts they say. Yet an outdoor sport, in which the athletes, both human and equine alike, are not supposed to have any contact with one another, is being prohibited, while hockey, an indoor sport with constant contact, is permitted. I am admittedly not anything close to a healthcare expert and I can only live my life by following the instructions of those who are. But for the better part of a year we have been told to be socially distancing ourselves from others. We have been told to limit indoor activities with groups of people. Yet, the leaders of Ontario have made the decision that it is safer to have these horses remain in their barns --being cared for by people as they jog around training tracks in the morning, under safety protocols implemented by tracks and training centers -- rather than have these horses compete in races while implementing more oversight into how to keep everyone safe. How does this make any sense? When I learned that Ontario was going into a lockdown and racing was going to have to shutter, I believed this was simply an oversight by the government. I thought that they simply hadn't thought this through, not realizing these horses were going to be cared for regardless of whether or not they were racing, and thus, it would have been logical to allow them to race so long as proper protocols were implemented to keep everyone safe. I was shocked when the Ontario government did not allow racing to continue. It seems to me that if you are a famous millionaire playing the country's most beloved sport that you can continue to make a living, but if you are a horsemen, not making millions of dollars and needing to compete to earn money, then you are out of luck. I really do feel for the horse racing industry in Ontario. They are facing adversity that in my view is not justified. Here in Staten Island, New York we have seen so many of our favorite restaurants close their doors for good. Friends of mine that are small business owners don't know what to do. Entire industries are being wiped out that we don't even think about, like catering halls or entertainment companies that provide services for weddings, graduations, etc. If not for a strange twist of fate in which I got out of that business shortly before this pandemic started, my family would be in a much different situation right now because sadly for some of these industries, there is nothing that can be done. You can't have a big wedding right now in a catering hall. Even if you could, how many people would actually go? So, you have no need for the band or DJ that plays at a wedding. The ripple effects are endless. But something can be done about the situation in Ontario, because to say what has transpired is a hypocrisy would be a gross understatement. They are telling those in the industry that you can take care of your horses and you can train your horses, you just cannot race the horses. This would be the equivalent of telling the Toronto Maple Leafs that they can hold practice in their arena, they just can't play an actual game in that same arena. It borders on the insane. Other than writing this piece, there really is very little I can do. But to our friends north of the border, I say that I am sorry you are going through this ordeal. You shouldn't have to be in this situation. It's illogical and beyond unfortunate. I only hope racing returns sooner rather than later so the men and women of the Ontario horse racing industry can get back on their feet.