Archive for May, 2009

Statement by Jess Jackson on behalf of Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick

“Rachel Alexandra is an incredible thoroughbred who has proven to be the best three year old in racing today. We are elated by all the attention her wins in the Oaks and Preakness has garnered the sport. The many letters and emails we have received from young girls and racing enthusiasts lets us know that many fans are proud of Rachel.  When we purchased Rachel, our goal was to restore the sport’s vitality and grow its fan base by extending the racing careers of its stars.

After careful consideration, we have decided not to run Rachel Alexandra in the Belmont Stakes next weekend. We have advised Calvin Borel, Chip Woolley and Belmont of our decision.  We thank them, the media and the fans for their many courtesies and patience while we pondered.

We know the media and many fans would have liked to see her run in the Belmont Stakes — we feel the same. But all of us sincerely interested in the horse must agree that we only want to see her run when it is best for her. While she is in great shape, having strong works, and recovering well from her amazing performances, we feel Rachel deserves a well-earned vacation.  Since March 14, Rachel has won four graded races with just two weeks rest between her last two victories.  We will always put her long-term well being first. And, of course, we want to run her when she is fresh. 

Rachel, her owners, her trainers and her fans can continue to anticipate an exciting campaign.  All major races will be considered as we look to the rest of Rachel’s racing career.”

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Do you know an individual or organization who you think we should consider for an upcoming “Good News Friday” feature? Then please e-mail info@paulickreport.com with the name of the individual or organization and a brief description of why you think they should be featured. Additionally, we’d like to thank Rob Whiteley and Liberation Farm for encouraging us to bring to light some of the industry’s positive stories and for sponsoring this exclusive Paulick Report feature.

By Ray Paulick
Good news doesn’t always make us feel good. To me, that’s the story of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, a 501(c)3 charity that has the thankless task of providing financial assistance to help former jockeys cope with the realities of lives too often spent in wheelchairs. It’s an organization doing exceptionally important work, and like many other worthy causes it struggles to get the funding it needs.

That there is even a Fund for permanently disabled riders is almost a miracle, given the turmoil the Jockeys’ Guild went through under the disastrous leadership of Wayne Gertmenian, whose 2001-2005 reign of terror left the organization teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, and its Disabled Jockeys Fund depleted. Gertmenian was removed as president in November 2005, just a month after a Congressional hearing on the Guild uncovered massive problems. The Guild eventually was forced into bankruptcy.

Racing executives like Steve Sexton of Churchill Downs Inc. and Don Amos, then with Magna Entertainment, helped lead the charge to start a new Fund, and in May 2006 the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund was created as part of NTRA Charities. One month later, with seed money from Churchill Downs Inc., Magna and other tracks, it was able to begin offering financial assistance to permanently disabled riders in need.

LaSala said many racetracks have really stepped up to help raise money for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Horsemen’s organizations have not been as supportive, though individuals in the ownership ranks, including Richard Santulli, chairman of NetJets, Bill Casner of WinStar Farm, Barbaro owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson, and Michael Bello, a California-based owner, have made significant contributions. In 2008, thanks to Santulli and Casner, the Fund raised $500,000 during the Triple Crown, which amounts to more than half of the Fund’s $800,000 annual operating budget. Santulli and Casner again kicked in major contributions to the Fund at this year’s Kentucky Derby.

“Jockeys have the most hazardous occupation of any professional athlete, and I feel are greatly unappreciated,” said Casner, the former chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and a self-described “ex-gallop boy that got on about 25,000 of those beasts over 16 years as a young racetracker,” one who “had my share of hitting the ground and having several flip over on me …but for the grace of God."

“There are around 1,500 licensed professional jockeys,” Casner added, “with most of them struggling with weight and making a living. They put their lives and bodies at risk every time they get on one of our horses and most will deal with a plethora of injuries over a career. If they are lucky they will walk away and not have to deal with paralysis. Exercise riders and backstretch help should also be included in this group. While they do not experience the injury opportunities that race riders do, they are still subject to the same events. It is only right that we as an industry work with the jockeys to help them help themselves as well as other backside employees. I comment Richard Santulli, as well as the riders, for taking the leadership on this important charitable endeavor over the last two Triple Crowns.”

Riders have been directly involved in some of the creative fundraising that’s been done for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. At Keeneland this spring, “Riders Up!” a karaoke competition involving many current and past jockeys, was the highlight of a very popular dinner that raised $50,000 for the Fund.

Earlier, in Hot Springs, Ark., restaurateur Mike Loy provided free dinners at his popular KJ’s Grill and racing fans paid $100 each to dine and meet some of their favorite jockeys, raising another $17,000 for the Fund. A similar event, “Dining With the Dynasties,” will be held at Arlington Park Aug. 7, the day before the Arlington Million, thanks to Arlington boss Richard Duchossois and track president Roy Arnold, who is now a member of the Fund’s board of directors. Retired Hall of Fame jockeys like Pat Day and Gary Stevens, along with other current and former riders, including some of those who benefit from the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, are expected to participate at the Arlington event.

Speaking of Pat Day, there is good news about him and Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey, two former Jockeys’ Guild presidents who resigned from the organization when the former manager, John Giovanni, was forced out and Gertmenian was brought in. Now that the Guild has regained its credibility and is on the road to financial recovery under the leadership of Terry Meyocks and a newly configured board, Bailey and Day have rejoined the organization in a show of support. Meyocks said a number of other current riders who had quit the Guild during the Gertmenian era have also come back into the fold.

Earlier this year, the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund became a standalone 501(c)3 charity, and it is no longer part of NTRA Charities. It continues to struggle for its funding. “We need the support of the entire industry and all of its partners,” LaSala said.

Please contact the Fund if you would like to help. Its web site will have an online donation link in the near future. In the meantime, you can send donations to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, P.O. Box 803, Elmhurst, IL 60126. The telephone number is: (630) 595-7660 and fax is (630) 595-7655.

Liberation Farm celebrates the many horsemen and horsewomen who strive each day to make things better for horses and those who work with them.  To learn more about Liberation Farm, click here.

Previous Good News Friday subjects: Father Chris Clay, The Race for Education, Military Appreciation Day at Keeneland, Kentucky Oaks Pink Out for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Mary Lee-Butte and the Blue Grass Farms Chaplaincy, Mary Jo Pons and the Radio Reading Network, TV Ratings Are Up.

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By Ray Paulick
I don’t expect Jess Jackson to surprise us and call in with the Rachel Alexandra announcement the racing world has been breathlessly waiting for (you know, will she or won’t she?), but one never knows. Chip Woolley might give us some thoughts about potential jockeys for Mine That Birdor or even talk about Stupid Motorcycle Tricks. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin could charm us into believing that Charitable Man is a cinch to win the Belmont Stakes, and Jerry Hollendorfer may convince us that all Chocolate Candy needed in the Kentucky Derby was another quarter mile.

At any rate, starting shortly after 1 p.m. (EDT), I’ll be live blogging the NTRA’s Triple Crown teleconference call concerning the June 6 Belmont. Trainers Woolley, McLaughlin and Hollendorfer are the scheduled guests. I’m betting that moderator Eric Wing’s questions will be twice as long as the answers given by two of the three men (you can guess which one is more verbose!), but, hey, it’s a slow news day.

1:05 p.m. … This isn’t starting off well. The Muzak renditionwhile of the Beatles "I"m Happy Just to Dance With You" while I was on hold waiting for the conference to begin was utterly depressing. John and George are spinning in their graves. I didn’t know the song was a slow ballad.

1:07 p.m. … Eric Wing starts off with Chip Woolley and asks if there will be enough pace in the race if Rachel Alexandra doesn’t go. He’s not worried, saying that a slow pace puts Mine That Bird closer to the pace than usual. How long will he wait for a jockey if the decision about Rachel Alexandra extends till next week, putting Calvin Borel on the fence? "About to or close to entry time. I’m gonna give Calvin as much time as possible…to keep him from losing two mounts. He won me the Derby. I owe him the opportunity if it’s possible."

"It’s irrelevant to me" if the filly does or doesn’t go, Woolley says. He just wants Calvin on his horse. "I believe it would be good for racing (if Rachel goes). It brought out a lot of people last time."

1:10 p.m. … "It’s been a lot of fun…the one thing it’s done is validated my career," Woolley said when asked what winning the Derby meant to him. Woolley said he spent 25 years working hard and the Kentucky Derby gave him "validation" for what he’s done. "I thought today he looked as good as he’s looked…period," Woolley said of Mine That Bird’s condition. He expressed some concern that Mine That Bird’s closing kick might be compromised a bit on the Belmont’s deeper surface.

What has he learned about training a horse through the demanding the Triple Crown? "Fortunately for me, my horse only runs about three-eighths of a mile, so it’s not quite as hard on him as it has been for the other horses," he said. "It’s just horse racing. It’s just on a higher level. You just try to keep your horse in the best of shape and hope you don’t miss anything."

"He’ll gallop Friday, Saturday, Sunday, work Monday, walk Tuesday and leave Wednesday," he said of the Birdstone gelding’s schedule.

"You’ve got to respect Charitable Man, he’s a monster on that racetrack," Woolley said when asked about who he fears. Woolley said you have to respect all of the competitors in the race.

Woolley said his stable back in New Mexico is in the hands of his brother, though he checks in daily. "I have to keep my fingers in it. I can’t stand not to," he said.

1:18 p.m. … Is Woolley concerned about the effects the Triple Crown will have on Mine That Bird, who could have a long career since he is a gelding? The trainer said he plans to give him a month off  after the Belmont and only has three more races scheduled for the year. "He’s handled it well (so far)," Woolley said. "If the horse hadn’t been on his very best game we probably would have passed it up," he said of the Belmont. "I haven’t put much thought to it," Woolley said when asked whether or not he thinks Rachel Alexandra will run in the Belmont. 

1:20 p.m. … How important is timing Mine That Bird’s move in the Belmont. "Absolutely," it’s important. "If you push the button too early you could come up empty at the wire. It’s imperative we get the right trip and make our move at the right time. If you look at previous Belmonts, on average the horses closer to the pace tend to win. History says you need to be a little closer to the pace. So he’s got his work cut out for him."

"I’ve seen the films of Birdstone winning the Belmont, but it has no bearing on my horse’s race," Woolley said when asked about Mine That Bird’s breeding. "We were the best horse in the Derby on that given day and I felt we were the best horse in the Preakness on that day. Going into this I think we have the best horse."

"I managed to get him beat twice at Sunland Park…so I can see why he went off at long odds in the Derby. What nobody paid much mind to was that we changed his tactics."

What are the three races he’s plotted out? "We haven’t really decided where those races are and what they’re going to be, other than the Breeders’ Cup," he said.  Woolley said he is likely to return Mine That Bird to Churchill Downs after the Belmont, or somewhere close to Churhill. "We’re looking at all options, every major race around. It could be anywhere," he said.

1:25 p.m. … Was there any change of equipment from Sunland to the Kentucky Derby? "D bit and a tongue tie. That’ s all he really needs. The horse is such an easy horse to ride, so he doesn’t need any specific equipment. The main thing is just to ride with patience. That’s all I really wanted."

1:28 p.m. … Can Mine That Bird make a transition in running style to be closer to the lead at the eighth pole and will he like the "big sandy," the nickname of Belmont’s main track. "I don’t think the depth of the racetrack will probably bother him as much as the other horses," he said. Woolley said he isn’t going to change Mine That Bird’s running style.

Why did he ship back to Churchill after the Preakness instead of going to Belmont? "He got a little rattled on me when I got him to Pimlico. As soon as he got back here he settled right in." Woolley knew Mine That Bird had trained well at Churchill and was concerned about how well he would handle Belmont in the mornings during the two breezes schedule between the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

1:30 p.m. … "I don’t want Calvin sitting on the sidelines,"  Woolley said again about the delay in naming a rider. For that, he deserves some kudos. He understands the pickle Borel is in between Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird, and it would be easy for him to go out and get another rider ("They’ve all called me," he said.) Woolley just moved up in my book because of that loyalty to Borel.

1:32 p.m. … Kiaran McLaughlin is on. Is the Belmont a race in which tactical speed is important? "I think you have to be forwardly placed most of the time, but it’s also what your competition is and how the race shapes up for each horse. Mine That Bird, I agree with his trainer that he’s going to continue to run his style. Jazil (McLaughlin’s Belmont winner) had that style and we didn’t change. I have a lot of respect for Mine That Bird…but I wouldn’t trade places with anybody."

1:35 p.m. … What does McLaughlin make of Rachel Alexandra’s effort in the Preakness? "She’s a superstar, and it was a great day for our industry…although for both of them to run back in 35 days or 36 days it’s hard to do that. So it will be hard on her and tough on her to win the Belmont in a mile and  a half. Mine That Bird is a tough little horse. I DON’T see them running Rachel Alexandra."

How has Charitable Man bounced back? "He was one more work scheduled this Saturday, and then gallop to the race after that. He’s training great, eating well…he’s doing very well."  Does Charitable Man need a fast track? McLaughlin doesn’t think so. "He can handle anything other than the Polytrack," he said.

"I don’t think it is a big advantage (training on the Belmont surface," McLaughlin said. "The advantage is that we’re here." He said the stress of travel for horses can make a difference. "He doesn’t have to travel. He doesn’t have to get on a van or a plane, so that’s a plus. Belmont isn’t the kind of racetrack that horses either like or dislike."

What happened to Charitable Man to delay his 3-year-old campaign? "He cracked a shin," McLaughlin said, having a screw put on the bone and later removed. "We just didn’t have enough time to have him fit enough to run in a proper series of prep races. We made the choice to go in the Blue Grass (three weeks before the Derby). … Mr. Warren (the owner) was kind enough and patient enough to wait for the Peter Pan." The shin is completey healed, McLaughlin added.

"I’ve always dreamt fo winning the Kentucky Derby, and it’s hard to pass up the Kentucky Derby if you have a horse that qualifies on graded earnings. … I just thought running back in three weeks off the Blue Grass" would be detrimental for the rest of the year. "He’s a great sportsman," McLaughlin said of Warren, "and I didn’t have to twist his arm (not to run in the Derby." Warren wanted to do what was best for the horse, McLaughlin said. What a concept!

"He’s a beautiful horse, a magnificent horse," McLaughlin said of Charitable Man. 

1:43 p.m. "After he ran in the Preakness," McLaughlin said of Mine That Bird, "I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a gutsy little gelding." McLaughlin was stabled in the same barn as Mine That Bird before the Derby and said there was no comparison in looks between his horse and the Derby. "He’s a little gelding who cost $9,500 as a yearling," he said. McLaughlin thought Calvin Borel and the wet track had a lot to do with the Derby win, but felt the Preakness validated him as a good horse.

1:45 p.m. … McLaughlin said he actually had three horses under consideration for this year’s Derby and ran none of them. In the future, he said, he’d run four or five in the race if he could. "God put our eyes in the front of our head, so I always look forward, so I’m not going to look backwards," McLaughlin said, when asked if he thinks he might have been able to win the Derby with Charitable Man.

"Part of me wants to see her run and part of me doesn’t," McLaughlin said of the Rachel Alexandra’s possible run in the Belmont. "If she runs, she’ll probably be forwardly placed, and I do think we can beat her," he added. "It would mean a lot to the Belmont Stakes and NYRA if she’s in it, but Mine That Bird brings a lot to the race." Does a mile and half take more out of a filly? "It probably does…but I don’t think the mile and a half takes more out a horse than a mile and a quarter does on the first Saturday in the May." The faster fractions and bigger field make the Derby a tough race on a horse, McLaughlin said.

1:50 p.m. … Mafaaz, the horse who qualified for the Kentucky Derby by winning a race in England and then ran poorly in the Blue Grass Stakes, is now at Shadwell Farm in Lexington. He was switched from John Gosden to McLaughlin. McLaughlin said the horse has been gelded and will probably run at Saratoga.

1:52 p.m. … Jerry Hollendorfer is on the line. "He seems to be getting over the (Belmont) strip. He’s getting over the track very well (in his workouts and gallops)," Hollendorfer said. "Garrett’s ridden Chocolate Candy before and he’s won on hm last year. We’ very happy to have Garret (Gomez) riding our horse. He’s one of the best in the country." 

"You can only guess (on whether Chocolate Candy has improved since the Kentucky Derby). We think we’re in a pretty good position, going over the racetrack, and we think we can get the mile and a half. … I’d rather be more forwardly placed (than Mine That Bird figures to be). We should be a little better placed than we were in the Derby."

1:55 p.m. … "He’s been doing very well at Belmont. When Garrett worked him he said he got over the track very well." What were Hollendorfer’s impressions of the Preakness? "I don’t know how they’ll bounce b ack, but I assume if both are starters they have been doing very well. Speed is an asset in any race (and Rachel Alexandra would bring in a great deal of speed). The Belmont has been good for speed horses. I think Mine That Bird is a very legitimate horse. I don’t think there’s doubt in anyone’s mind that he’s a real runner."

Some guy in San Francisco wants to know if Hollendorfer can sleep in an airplane and whether he flies first class or coach! "Yes," to sleeping Hollendorfer says, and "no" to first class. "I flew Jet Blue to New York, and they don’t have first class," he said.

I think we must be nearing the end of this call.

2:00 p.m. … Where does Chocolate Candy rank with some of Hollendorfer’s past runners? "He’s one of the best that I’ve tried to take the Triple Crown races. He’s a beautiful looking horse and he covers a lot of ground."

That’s it from the NTRA Triple Crown teleconference.

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

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By Ray Paulick
The “polls” open on Monday, June 1, for the election of 13 individuals to the board of members and trustees of the Breeders’ Cup. Eligible to vote are breeders who nominated foals or stallions to the Breeders’ Cup program in 2008. There are 25 individuals seeking the 13 positions. Click here for the list of nominees.

Earlier this month an article in the Paulick Report outlined some of the positive changes that are bringing more transparency and efficiency to this year’s members and trustees election.

You also want to make certain Breeders’ Cup and its election partner, True Ballot Election Services and Solutions, have you  registered for the proper number of votes. (For questions, contact Dora Delgado, the Breeders’ Cup’s senior vice president of nominations, at bcnominations@breederscup.com).

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

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By Ray Paulick
How many times have we seen this happen? A jockey, thinking he is on a “live” horse but with nowhere to go, makes a sudden lane switch in tight quarters at the top of the stretch, bumping or impeding another horse in the race. Oftentimes the “live” horse turns out to be a dud and is outrun to the wire, finishing out of the money. Because there is no need for an inquiry, the stewards scarcely give the incident a second look.

By contrast, racing officials in many international jurisdictions routinely file in-depth stewards reports on every race they see. It is part of the culture in those countries that the racing public has a right to know. In some countries, trainers are required to disclose riding instructions to racing officials in advance if they are likely to result in a change in tactics. In other countries, jockeys or trainers are quizzed when a horse has a reversal in form. Interviews with jockeys about lane changes are published. Click on the following hyperlinks to see some examples of stewards reports in Dubai, Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore.

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By Ray Paulick
Jockey Jamie Theriot has been suspended 30 days by Illinois Racing Board stewards for his actions in Saturday’s Arlington Matron Handicap that resulted in a spill in which jockey Rene Douglas has been seriously injured and possibly paralyzed from the waist down.

Douglas, 42, was placed on a stretcher and taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Later that night, he was moved to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where he underwent seven hours of spinal surgery. His agent, Dennis Cooper, told reporters the native of Panama who came to the U.S. in 1983 and is a six-time Arlington Park riding champion might never walk again. Cooper said doctors held out remote hopes the paralysis might disappear as the swelling to the spinal region is reduced.

NTRA has a biography of Douglas here and video of the Arlington Matron here. Click here for the Equibase chart.

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By Ray Paulick
Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss’ Zenyatta kept her perfect record intact in Saturday’s Grade 2 Milady Handicap at Hollywood Park, rallying from last in the field of six fillies and mares to win by 1 3/4 lengths over her John Shirreffs-trained stablemate Life Is Sweet, with Allicansayis Wow third.

Jockey Mike Smith never went to the whip on the 5-year-old daughter of Street Cry, the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic winner and Eclipse Award champion who was making her 2009 debut. The Kentucky-bred mare was taken far off the early pace set by Gambler’s Justice, attempted to move through along the rail past Life Is Sweet down the backstretch, but jockey Garrett Gomez closed the gap, forcing Smith to check slightly and take Zenyatta back and around Life Is Sweet.

Smith asked Zenyatta to pick it up around the three-eighths pole, and the long-striding mare burst toward the front in a flash as she has done in so many of her previous victories. Once the win was secured in the final furlong, Smith eased up on Zenyatta and she cruised to the wire. Life Is Sweet got through on the rail all the way, edging a hard-trying Allicansayis Wow for the place.

This was the 10th consecutive win by Zenyatta and a repeat victory in the Milady. She covered the 1 1/16 miles on the Cushion Track in 1:42.30. Early fractions were :23.79, :47.14, 1:11.32 and 1:35.96. She paid $2.40 to win as the heavy favorite. Click here for the Milady chart and here for video of the race.

"We were just playing some serious jockey games out there," Smith told TVG’s Christina Olivares after the win. "It was great. It was all clean and fair and not to hurt the horses any. (Gomez)  was just trying to keep me out. … I coulda shot myself in the foot there, but she’s so handy that whenever he did come over I just eased back on the pedal, she backed up for me and I got to her outside and it was pretty much over then."

"I really wasn’t happy with the way she was traveling down the backstretch," Gomez said of Life Is Sweet, a full sister by Storm Cat to champion filly Sweet Catomine, owned and bred by Mr. and Mrs. Marty Wygod. "Usually she is taking me somewhere and she wasn’t taking me today. … My filly ran a respectable race, but she didn’t run the races she was running (at Santa Anita, where she won three consecutive graded stakes)."

Gomez said after he forced Smith to go around him Zenyatta passed him "in three jumps. It was unbelievable. For a big mare to have that kind of acceleration power, it was quite impressive. She’s a huge amazon that covers so much ground."

"There was a little games playing," Jerry Moss told TVG, though he said he wasn’t aware of it during the live running of the race. "Whatever happened, happened and the race is done and we’re happy with the outcome."

Zenyatta began her career with a maiden victory at Hollywood Park Nov. 22, 2007, going 6 1/2 furlongs. She followed that with an allowance win the next month, and has run in Grade 1 or 2 races ever since. Her 2008 ledger includes victories in (chronologically) the El Encino, Apple Blossom Handicap, Milady Handicap, Vanity Handicap, Clement L. Hirsch Handicap, Lady’s Secret, and Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic. She was entered to race at Churchill Downs in the Louisville Distaff May 1 but was scratched when the track came up sloppy.

She carried high weight of 126 pounds in the Milady, conceding from four to 14 pounds to her overmatched rivals.

Zenyatta, a $60,000 yearling purchase, has won over $2.2 million. She was bred in the name of Eric Kronfeld’s Maverick Productions Ltd.

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By Ray Paulick
Is Betfair developing a conscience? The world’s leading betting exchange, which recently dipped its toes into U.S. gambling waters with its purchase of the horse racing network and account wagering company TVG, has reportedly made a voluntary contribution to the Levy Board, the statutory group that disburses betting revenue from bookmakers, exchanges and the tote in the form of prize money for British racing.

The Guardian reported on Friday that Betfair recently made a voluntary payment of almost $2 million to the Levy Board in recognition of profits made by the exchange from clients outside of the UnIted Kingdom betting on British horse racing. The amount represents 10% of Betfair’s profits on such wagers.

“We have sent a check,” Betfair spokesman Mark Davies told the Guardian, “as there is no statutory mechanism by which we can pay the levy in respect of our international business. We are doing this because we support British racing.”

That begs the question of when Betfair will begin to share its wealth with U.S. racetrack and horsemen (or , more simply,“Where’s ours?” as Australian-based pedigree consultant Byron Rogers asked when alerting me to Betfair’s voluntary payment to the Levy Board.) Though the betting exchange says it does not accept any wagers from the United States, it does offer betting on American horse racing to its international clientele. Currently, to my knowledge, Betfair does not share any profits from those bets with American racetracks or horsemen’s organizations. Negotiations have taken place between Betfair and Breeders’ Cup officials, as well as with the Thoroughbred Owners of California, but no revenue sharing deals have yet been struck.

Those who want to learn more about the relatively brief and exceedingly successful history of Betfair, a company founded in 2000 by Andrew Black and Ed Wray, might be interested in Colin Cameron’s new book: “You Bet— The Betfair Story: How Two Men Changed the World of Gambling.” Click here for details.

Do you know an individual or organization who you think we should consider for an upcoming “Good News Friday” feature? Then please e-mail info@paulickreport.com with the name of the individual or organization and a brief description of why you think they should be featured. Additionally, we’d like to thank Rob Whiteley and Liberation Farm for encouraging us to bring to light some of the industry’s positive stories and for sponsoring this exclusive Paulick Report feature.

By Bradford Cummings
Oftentimes, the racing industry loses sight of what is important when trying to market its product. Talk of increased handle, while necessary for the bottom line of racetracks, does not change the public perception and momentum of a sport that has continued a slow and steady slide over the last 20 years. In order to grow this sport, racing needs new fans, not old fans making more bets.
 
So when the ratings came out for the Kentucky Derby and most recently the Preakness Stakes, it was a breath of fresh air and a much-needed shot in the arm for the psyche of racing. The first two legs of the Triple Crown brought in an average of 13.4 million viewers, the most since 1989 when Sunday Silence won both Classics over Easy Goer in a spirited East vs. West rivalry.
 
Individually, the Kentucky Derby brought in 16.3 million viewers with a 9.8 rating and 23 share, up 2.1 million viewers from last year. The Preakness came in at a strong 10.9 million viewers, pulling a 6.8 rating and 16 share. This number was up 3 million viewers from last year’s version with Big Brown easily pulling away from the field.
 
For those not familiar with the television ratings system, the Derby’s 9.8 rating means that 9.8% of all households with televisions were tuned into NBC’s telecast on the first Saturday of May while the 23 share means 23% of all televisions in use watched Mine That Bird pull an unprecedented upset. That means nearly a quarter of all Americans watching television showed an interest in racing’s biggest event.
 
Perhaps most significant was the true lack of a compelling storyline going into the race. Most of the favorites had been sidelined before the Derby, and morning line favorite I Want Revenge was scratched the morning of the race with an injury, leaving what has been proved to be an overrated colt from the Louisiana circuit in Friesan Fire as the betting choice. And while other sports have the ability to build audience throughout the course of a 3 hour game, the fact that a 50-1 shot won the race would have had virtually no effect on the ratings because of how quickly the telecast ends.
 
Much credit must go to NBC, which did an admirable job selling the event throughout the week prior with promos on mainstream mainstays like the Today Show and investing in a solid marketing campaign. The fact a long shot won only added to the mystique of the Derby they so effectively sold.
 
That momentum allowed for the male vs. female storyline to be created with Rachel Alexandra and the unintended positive consequences of media coverage from Mark Allen and Ahmed Zayat’s conspiring to keep her on the sidelines. Proving the old adage there’s no such thing as bad press, the Preakness well out performed every other running this decade except for Smarty Jones in 2004, which brought a 7.7 rating and 23 share.
 
Of course, all of these numbers are irrelevant without some perspective and comparison to other top events in high profile professional U.S. sports. While the Kentucky Derby will not be in the same league as the Super Bowl anytime soon with its 42 rating, racing’s biggest day in 2009 stands incredibly strong with other major championship equivalents.
 
The final game of the NBA Championship from last year, in a matchup of the two most storied franchises in the league, drew only 12.6 million viewers.  The Stanley Cup Playoffs featuring the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins never saw more than 6.8 million folks tune in to a game. The Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR, was down this year to a modest 15.95 million television fans. Even America’s Pastime peaked with just 15.49 million at home spectators during last year’s final World Series game.

Something the ratings do not take into account is the large number of racing fans who watch and wager on events like the Triple Crown races and Breeders’ Cup at a local track or simulcast site. Kentucky Derby Day is the biggest day of the year at some tracks, and those in attendance are not counted as television viewers.

This ranks the Kentucky Derby as the second most watched professional sporting championship of the last year, a fact few in the industry would have assumed. And the news is actually better than it looks. Wedged in at around 6 p.m. EST and potentially distracted by the dinner bell or an eventful Saturday, a viewer more likely schedules their day around the Derby coverage whereas a typical championship game appears during the primetime hours of 8-11 pm. That coupled with the lack of build up for the average racing fan as evidenced by the paltry ratings of preps like the Florida Derby, Wood Memorial and Santa Anita Derby, means racing has a legitimate opportunity to capture the imagination of the public if marketed correctly.
 
With drug issues and safety concerns being taken seriously, there will be an opening for racing to breeze through. Will we take the opening and shoot through like Mine That Bird’s last to first rally on May 2nd? Will we look at what we have and figure out how to sell this beautiful sport to the masses beyond the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes? Can we turn the Breeders’ Cup into a legitimate championship that builds from January on?
 
The good news is we can.

Liberation Farm celebrates the many horsemen and horsewomen who strive each day to make things better for horses and those who work with them.  To learn more about Liberation Farm, click here.

Previous Good News Friday subjects: Father Chris Clay, The Race for Education, Military Appreciation Day at Keeneland, Kentucky Oaks Pink Out for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Mary Lee-Butte and the Blue Grass Farms Chaplaincy, Mary Jo Pons and the Radio Reading Network

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