After having visited Michael Straight and his exceptional parents during our Breeders’ Cup or Bust fundraising drive, it fills me with much excitement and hope to find out that the twin brother of Matthew Straight has reported the ability to move his toes. While we’re nowhere near being out of the woods for his recovery, this is unquestionably a good sign for Michael and his family.
By Bradford Cummings
Just four and a half years ago I was working as a barista at a Starbucks in Louisville, Ky., trying to get a break after an acting career cut short and yet just a few days ago I had the pleasure of finishing a 13-day, 7-“city” tour with who I believe is one of the preeminent thinkers in the Thoroughbred industry. As they say, only in America.
And it was our beautiful and remarkable country that served as an appropriate backdrop to a trip that so easily could have gone wrong. The idea for a fundraising “drive” across country to the Breeders’ Cup was hatched two weeks prior to our visit with Keeneland, the first stop on the tour to raise money through Breeders’ Cup Charities to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and The V Foundation for Cancer Research. In that time, five of six racetracks, TVG and the Breeders’ Cup all quickly rallied around the cause and captured our vision. Tens of sponsors were called and agreed to shell out $2,000 each. And two guys who have a general liking for each other but have opposite views on the world (what type of person continues to root for a team that hasn’t won the World Series since Teddy Roosevelt was President?) successfully completed 13 days in a car together and are still on speaking terms and managing a growing business.
Each day was an adventure. Spending part of our day with Tom Leach, while not a big deal for this Louisville Cardinals fan, served as great fodder for my many poorly misguided University of Kentucky friends. Getting to meet the father/son duo of Randy and Brandon Meier at Hawthorne made it clear that when this sport is in the family, it stays in the family.
The pain in my thighs two days after the bouncy ball race at Remington Park did not last as long as the emails I still receive laughing about the YouTube video featuring that giant man racing people half his size. The drive to Hobbs, N.M., was a long and arduous one (on a side note, don’t stay at the Motel 6 in Amarillo) but led us to a perfectly small racetrack not pretending to be anything more than it is.
Going from the outhouse to the penthouse, we finished the stretch run of our trip through Phoenix and to Las Vegas where the truly spectacular Wynn Hotel accommodated us. We were unsuccessful in our betting there, but our nights of rest there were much needed.
And of course, the Breeders’ Cup was topnotch. I’ve been to several major sporting events yet this event was by far the best. The racing was dramatic, the corned beef sandwich was delicious and I got to meet Bo Derek. Oh, and as one of our Facebook followers said, the mare that won the feature at Santa Anita on Saturday gave quite a performance, too.
But the real magic was in meeting the jockeys at each stop and hearing their stories. They ranged from the tragic to the inspiring, often depending on where they were on their journey back from the brink.
I can’t remember a more heart-heavy day than when we visited Michael Straight’s hospital room in Chicago. To see a young man who was on his way to accomplishing his vision for his life get it all stripped away, crushed the dreamer in me. He was understandably emotional about what had happened to him with even the idea of moving hospital rooms setting off his ire. And yet through my tears and heartache, I left his room knowing things would be okay for Michael because he is blessed to have such an amazing set of parents by his side. And though I didn’t meet his twin brother Matthew, I know that relationship will never be strained. Whether he walk again, whether he ever rides a horse, Michael Straight will come out of this tragedy with a strong purpose for his life.
In Oklahoma City, we met Jo Hays, who will most likely be in her wheelchair for the rest of her life. She was paralyzed in an accident at Remington Park so for her to revisit the scene of the accident must cause her to go through emotions you and I will never understand. And yet she too is blessed with a supportive family network including a strong, quiet husband and several beautiful children. You could see the spirit in her eyes and just how grateful she was for what she had. And yet there was the pain of knowing she could never get back on a horse, at least not a fast one (her words). But pain is not entirely a bad thing for I imagined it is pain that keeps her going on some level, keeps her motivated to enjoy the life she has been given.
Dennis Keehan, who we had the pleasure of meeting at Hawthorne in Chicago, may not have had the support system of others on our journey but his spirit and love for humanity was clear. (Of course, your opinion of someone you share fried green beans and cheese balls with will always be slanted to the positive.) A 64 year-old man, Dennis had already gone through the struggles of accepting the cards dealt to him in his life and had come out the other side a person our industry can be proud of. It is my sincere hope that he has a chance to talk with jockeys like Michael Straight and Julia Brimo, recently injured at Keeneland, as they work their long road back in recovery.
And of course, who could forget Stacy Burton and Jan Hortyk in Phoenix. Turf Paradise management was less than supportive for the fundraising cause, though they did buy us lunch. We decided to reimburse them for the cost; perhaps they can use that money to improve the backside we heard nightmares about.
These two dynamos—Stacy and Jan–were enough to put a smile on any face. Stacy defines fighting spirit, having worked her way back from a brain injury and paralyzed lower half to walking on her own again. She spends seven days a week in rehab, still working to get as close to all the way back as she can. And despite a slow speech pattern suffered from a stroke she had during the beginning of her road back, she has a sense of humor and quick wit that was both surprising and uplifting. But her recovery could not have been possible without the love and support of Jan, who has been there every step of the way in Stacy’s recovery. While I found it disappointing Stacy’s parents weren’t more involved in her life, Jan serving as her caretaker is truly a divine intervention. Our country would be better off if we were all a bit more like her.
But any story about the PDJF should begin and end with a tribute to Nancy LaSala. Few organizations are fortunate enough to have her brand of talent and energy leading their cause. Whenever we needed something to make our trip easier, Nancy was on the spot. Every disabled jockey we spoke with sang her praises without hesitation. Dennis Keehan put it best when he referred to her as ‘lightning’. Having someone like Nancy in charge should reassure all who want to give to this cause that their money will be used as effectively as possible.
The stories of these disabled jockeys along with the 60 or so others we did not get the pleasure of meeting need to be told. We as an industry must shine a light on these permanently disabled athletes who willingly participated in a dangerous sport—because they loved it, and still do. Sadly, one consistent theme we noticed throughout our trip was how the jockeys felt like second-class citizens in horse racing. When discussing synthetic tracks, several stated that while people thought about the well being of the horse, no one considered what it would be like for a jockey to land on what some of them said was a hard and unforgiving surface.
Ultimately, this is why we chose the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund as one of our charities. We believe the horses need to be taken care of and found homes after their careers in racing are over. We hold horse welfare issues close to our hearts. But things have gotten a little backwards in our thinking as of late with over 50 horse related charities and only a handful of groups concentrating on the jockeys that risk their lives every day. We have forgotten about the people on the back of the horse and what happens to them if tragedy strikes. In an ideal world, there is enough support to go around but if given the choice to only help animals or concentrate solely on people, I will pick a human being every single day of the week.
By Ray Paulick
OK, so we were a little steamed at Sentient, the private jet membership company that failed to provide transportation solutions to Brad Cummings and me on the BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive when we were forced to traverse ridiculously long stretches of highway between racetracks in the American west.
Of course, it might have helped if we had actually asked Sentient for a lift between Oklahoma City, Okla., and Hobbs, N.M., but we were too proud. All they could have said is “no.” Besides, we figured someone at Sentient headquarters would have been following our journey to raise money for Breeders’ Cup Charities, felt sorry for us having to drive 12 hours a day, and sent a little Citation jet to bail us out and keep Brad and me from fighting over the radio dial or singing showtunes together deep into the night.
Send us a jet, Sentient, and we’d happily have given you a shout out.
But that’s water under the bridge now. We put the pedal to the metal and made it back home in one piece (though I’ll be happy if I never set foot inside another Waffle House as long as I live).
Upon our arrival back in Kentucky, we learned why Sentient may have been too busy to notice our little fundraising excursion. The company’s marketing whizzes were putting together a promotion and advertisement that ran in the Wall Street Journal this week celebrating Zenyatta’s historic achievement in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and hailing the unbeaten superstar as the winner of the Sentient “Perfect Trip” award.
I’d like to think BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST might have been the runner-up for the "Perfect Trip" award.. The only thing that could have made it better was a smooth ride in a Citation or Hawker jet. Oh, well. Wait till next year!
On a serious note, however, the Sentient ad in WSJ (and a similar promotion on the company’s website) is a great example of how corporate sponsorship can bring much more to racing than mere dollars. In a down market, Breeders’ Cup managed to increase sponsorships (thanks to the work of senior vice president Carter Carnegie), and Sentient’s participation helped increase awareness of the event and the excitement of horse racing within an important demographic.
While the BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive has reached the end of the road in Arcadia, Calif., it’s not too late to donate. Please click here to send a tax-deductible donation to Breeders’ Cup Charities. All proceeds will be divided evenly between two vital organizations: the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and The V Foundation for Cancer Research.
This cross-country journey to raise awareness and money for PDJF and the V Foundation would not have been possible without the encouragement and support of many individuals and organizations, beginning with Breeders’ Cup president Greg Avioli and members of his staff. We would also like to acknowledge and thank Gerard Cunningham, president of Betfair USA/TVG, the racing network and account wagering service that has been instrumental in promoting the 10-day tour as our exclusive media partner on this venture.
Keeneland, Hawthorne, Remington Park, Zia Park, the Wynn Hotel Las Vegas, and Oak Tree/Santa Anita rolled out the red carpet and made us feel welcome in our stops along the way. Each track promoted the fundraiser with special events, and did so on relatively short notice, and we thank them for that. Scott Wells and his team at Remington Park, along with horsemen, jockeys and fans at the Oklahoma City track, and especially Remington’s new owners, Global Gaming Solutions, deserve special recognition for their extraordinary efforts in fundraising and FUNraising (if you saw the video of me and my Paulick Report partner, Brad Cummings, participating against Remington Park’s jockeys in a “hippity hop” race on bouncing rubber balls, you’d know what I mean).
Nancy LaSala, the executive director of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, was extremely helpful in opening doors for us and letting us get to know some of the recipients of the PDJF’s benevolence. We are grateful for meeting the likes of Dennis Keehan, Jo Hayes, Stacy Burton and Michael Straight, who with his family are in the early stages of dealing with a tragic racing accident. LaSala is a tireless advocate for these disabled athletes, many of whom feel abandoned by an industry they love.
Finally, we would like to thank all of those who made contributions, no matter how small or large, to Breeders’ Cup Charities or directly to the PDJF or V Foundation as a result of the BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive.
As a result of their generosity, we are pleased to say that $75,000 has been raised for the two charities.
Those sponsors and contributors are listed below (a number of them asked for anonymity).
SPONSORS
- Barry Irwin/Team Valor International
- Bill Casner/WinStar Farm
- Bill Young family/Overbrook Farm
- Bob Baffert
- Brereton Jones/Airdrie Stud
- Cot Campbell/Dogwood Stable
- Darley America
- Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
- Global Gaming Solutions/Remington Park
- Kate Lantaff/Tahoma Stud
- National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protection Association and the following affiliates and officers (Arizona, Arkansas, Charles Town, Finger Lakes, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Mountaineer Park, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Robin Richards, Tampa Bay, Virginia, Washington).
- Penn National Gaming/Zia Park
- Rick Porter/Fox Hill Farm
- Robert and Blythe Clay/Three Chimneys
- Suffolk Downs
- Terry Finley/West Point Thoroughbreds
- Tommy Simon/Vinery
- TVG
- Will Farish/Lane’s End Farm
- Wynn Hotel Las Vegas
CONTRIBUTORS -Ace and Rancy Hare
-Anne Faulconer
-Carol Ricks
-Cesar Benavides
-Chris and Hillary Hartman
-Danny Caldwell
-David Ashforth
-Dana Byerly
-Danny and Sabina Pish
-Diana Phipps
-Donald Reed
-Donald Veronneau
-Dr. Robert H. Zoellner
-Duane and Joyce Salisbury
-Dustin Orona Photography
-Eric Clemenic
-Eugene G. Kershner
-Francine Rose
-Gary Thomas
-Gina Peters
-Glen and Joy Murphy
-Grace Sheehan
-Heidelberg Family
-Heritage Place
-Jeffrey Lewis
-Jeff True
-JoAnn Adams, Duane Harrel and Jimmy Harrel
-Joan Fiedler
-Joe and Hazel Lucas
-Joe and Karen Offolter
-John McEvoy
-John Roach
-Kenneth Meng
-Kenny and Sally Nolen
-Linda Jahn
-Lynda Tanner
-Margaret Burlingham
-Mark Sommers
-Mary Schweitzer
-Michael Sheridan
-Michael “Roxy” Roxborough
-Mohammed Sayed
-Noelle Driscoll
-Oklahoma Thoroughbred Association
-Pasquali and Palumbo Law Firm
-Patricia Clark
-Patricia A. Mulderig
-Paul Hasken
-Petalino Racing Stable
-Randy Morse
-Randy Patterson
-Remington Park Jock’s Room
-Remington Park Jockey’s Agents
-Richter Family Trust
-Rob Whiteley
-Robert Penchina
-Robyn Roach
-Roger Engel
-Ronald Gibson
-Rusty Roberts
-St. Philip Neri Church and School
-Stephen Husberger
-Steve and Julie Asmussen
-Susie Sourwine
-Terry Edwards
-Thomas Jenkins
-Thomas Pauly
-Thomas Squires
-Tim and Terry Doocy
-Tommy and Claire Page
-Von Hemel Family
-William Huntington
-William Landes
Thanks to one and all for their generosity and for showing that this truly is an industry that cares.
Please click here to donate to Breeders’ Cup Charities benefiting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and V Foundation for Cancer Research. Give a minimum of one penny per mile and you will be eligible for a drawing to win one of 10 Breeders’ Cup caps to be signed by the winning jockeys of all 14 Breeders’ Cup races this Friday and Saturday.
I had heard that the story of former jockey Stacy Burton was an amazing and inspirational one, but it wasn’t until I spent some time with her that I realized just how tough, courageous and full of life she really is.
By all accounts, Stacy shouldn’t be alive. The injuries she suffered in a freak racing accident at Prescott Downs in Arizona on Aug. 26, 2000, were severe. The damage to her skull was so bad that a portion of it was surgically removed so her brain would have room to expand from the swelling. She was in a coma for three weeks and doctors had nearly given up hope that she would survive.
But Stacy Burton is a fighter who refused to give up. Nine years later, she is nothing short of a miracle. She can now walk, talk and get out and about with the assistance of a full-time caretaker. Her gait is unsteady, and her speech at first is difficult to understand—the result of a stroke she suffered while in the hospital. Her memory is spotty. She remembers her childhood and her days as a high school economics teacher, which she left in her 30s to pursue a career as a jockey. She can’t remember anything about the terrible accident or any of her time in horse racing.
But she is sharp as a tack mentally. Brad Cummings and I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with Stacy and her longtime companion, Jan Hortyk (pictured, left, with Stacy Burton), at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Ariz., during the Paulick Report’s BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive to raise money for Breeders’ Cup Charities to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and The V Foundation for Cancer Research.
Jan did a lot of the talking, filling in the details of Stacy’s amazing recovery, her will to live and her intense dedication (she does therapy seven days a week to improve her physical and verbal skills). At one point, I asked Jan and Stacy how much the months in the hospital and the aftercare cost. “A whole shitload,” Stacy said.
“Thank God she was a member of the Jockeys’ Guild,” Jan said. “Their $1-million accident policy really helped, but it didn’t take long for it to max out. She was in the hospital for eight months and at one point weighed just 88 pounds.”
Stacy’s story was profiled by the cable network Animal Planet. The program sensationalized the accident, repeating over and over the video of a loose horse running the wrong way up the stretch and smashing head-on into the horse Stacy was riding. It was an ugly accident caused by a horse that slipped and fell rounding the first turn, then took off running back up the stretch. Stacy was sitting just off the leaders, and when one of the jockeys ahead of her saw the loose horse he switched to the outside, leaving a hole for her to go through. It was right in the path of the loose horse. The collision was so violent both horses died.
Estaban “Steve” Gomez, the rider who swung his horse out of harm’s way is haunted by the accident. “I have felt so much guilt,” he told Jan and Stacy. Gomez said the muddy track was unsafe and felt he should have told the stewards he wouldn’t ride because of the conditions.
“I blame no one,” Stacy said.
Film of the accident is used by Chris McCarron to teach aspiring jockeys at the North American Riding Academy “to show them what can happen in a horse race,” Jan said.
There was no riding school when Stacy decided to switch careers, but it wasn’t done on a whim or without planning. She grew up riding horses, and a visit to Yakima Meadows racetrack in Washington as a 6-year-old inspired her to someday become a jockey. She spent several years preparing, exercising horses on the track, took a leave of absence from her teaching job in 1999 and began to ride at county fairs in Utah before moving back to Arizona to ride at Turf Paradise and the Arizona fairs. She also spent some time at Mountaineer Park in West Virginia before returning to Arizona.
Stacy and Jan traveled to Arlington Park this summer to take part in the “Dining With the Dynasty” fundraiser to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and Racetrack Chaplaincy of America. The event brought to Chicago a number of Hall of Fame jockeys and several disabled former riders who depend on the PDJF for assistance, Fans or horsemen who purchased tickets got a chance to spend some time with them. “Everyone was so nice to me. It was wonderful,” Stacy said.
“When Stacy got hurt there was nothing like this,” Jan said. She said the PDJF has come a long way in a relatively short time, thanks in large part to Nancy LaSala, its tireless executive director. “Nancy is really fighting for these jockeys,” Jan said.
Stacy is dispensed medication regularly through a hockey puck-sized device doctors implanted in her midsection. “It ruined my bikini line,” Stacy joked.
She and Jan have shared a lot of laughs and many tears throughout Stacy’s remarkable recovery. At one point in our conversation, Jan was trying to come up with a word to describe a certain procedure when Stacy interrupted her and said “simulation.”
“Spoken like a girl with a brain injury,” Jan said.
Jan wants to put the entire experience into a book she hopes will inspire both caregivers and those who have suffered crippling injuries or illnesses. “I know it can help people out,” she said.
The BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive is in the home stretch, as we arrive at Santa Anita on Thursday afternoon following a brief stopover in Las Vegas. Meeting people like Stacy Burton who have shown such courage in the face of disabling injuries has, without question, been the highlight of our journey.
Thanks to Suffolk Downs, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, trainer Bob Baffert and the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas for sponsoring this segment of the drive. Previous sponsors were Robert and Blythe Clay’s Three Chimneys Farm, Cot Campbell’s Dogwood Stable, numerous affiliates of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, Zia Park, Global Gaming Solutions and Remington Park; Terry Finley and his West Point Thoroughbred partners; Tommy Simon’s Vinery; Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm; TVG; Bill Casner and WinStar Farm; Barry Irwin of Team Valor International; Kate Lantaff of Tahoma Stud; William S. Farish’s Lane’s End, Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley, Brereton C. Jones’ Airdrie Stud and the Young family’s Overbrook Farm. A special thanks to our media partner TVG and TVG’s online community for playing such a big part in promoting the drive.
By Ray Paulick Driving from Kentucky to California for the Breeders’ Cup and stopping at racetracks along the way to raise money for the Breeders’ Cup Charities to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and The V Foundation for Cancer Research has been a terrific experience.
For starters, I got to go to a couple of racetracks I’d never been to before (Zia Park, Turf Paradise) and revisited two others I hadn’t been to in some time. There were a couple of unscheduled stops: Indiana Downs (though the live racing program was finished for the night) and Will Rogers Downs in Oklahoma for some simulcast betting.
One thing that stood out is that racetracks with slot machines—Indiana Downs, Will Rogers Downs, Remington Park, Zia Park—are thriving, and those without, Hawthorne, Turf Paradise and Santa Anita, where we will arrive on Thursday—are struggling.
Keeneland, where the BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive kicked off last Wednesday, is in a separate category, since a significant portion of purse money comes from auction commissions. But with sales down significantly this year, Keeneland will be hard-pressed to sustain its purse levels in 2010.
Brad Cummings, my partner in the Paulick Report, handled many of the logistics for the journey, working with track marketing departments to set up promotions (jockeys autographing Breeders’ Cup caps, handicapping contests, etc.), and he was pleased with how most of the tracks responded to the fundraising effort. The tracks did not have much time to plan, since this idea came to us only a few weeks ago, so any level of participation was much appreciated.
It was great to see that the willing participation of the tracks to raise money for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund went over big with many members of the local jockey colonies we met. A common theme at every stop was a feeling by jockeys that they’ve been abandoned to some extent by the racetracks and the racing industry, especially when they are injured. So it was heartening to them to see the tracks promoting their cause.
The only track we visited that showed no interest in helping raise money for the two charities was Turf Paradise. At our earlier stops on the drive, we were warned by horsemen and others who had previous experience with the Phoenix, Ariz., track not to expect too much in the way of promotions or cooperation.
Much to our dismay, they were right. Track management didn’t return numerous phone calls we made to them and ultimately did nothing to promote the two charities. The track was virtually empty for our Tuesday visit, and I’m really not surprised. If the fans are treated with the same indifference we felt, they’re going to find somewhere else to spend their entertainment or gambling dollars.
It’s too bad. Phoenix is a major league sports market, the racetrack is attractive, and many retirees (perfect for racing’s older demographic) winter in the area. The employees we dealt with were cheerful and helpful, but management certainly left a lot to be desired.
The one thing Turf Paradise did for us was buy us lunch. After the day was over, though we decided they probably need the money more than we do. We’ll be sending a check to Turf Paradise to cover the cost of the lunch.
Just remember, if you start to hear the folks from Turf Paradise complain about economic hardships due to tough times, know that is only part of the truth. In economic climates of all shapes and sizes, good business generally gets rewarded. When an opportunity to help a good cause falls into a racetrack’s lap and they don’t seize on it in any way, it’s indicative of a greater problem. Racetracks that operate likeTurf Paradise need to reassess their priorities if they want to find success in our industry.
By Ray PaulickPlease click here to donate to Breeders’ Cup Charities benefiting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and V Foundation for Cancer Research. Give a minimum of one penny per mile and you will be eligible for a drawing to win one of 10 Breeders’ Cup caps to be signed by the winning jockeys of all 14 Breeders’ Cup races this Friday and Saturday.
Mischief Man was a handful as his groom led him out of the Zia Park walking ring and toward the racetrack for Monday’s 10th race, a $12,500 claiming event for 3-year-olds and upward. He was the last one out of the paddock because of his temperamental behavior, and stopped suddenly by a metal fence that lined the pathway to the track, digging his feet into the ground.
Jockey Rico Flores tried to coax the son of Awesome Sword to join the others in the post parade, but the gelding would have none of it. Instead, he reared up high in the air and then flipped over backwards, transforming Flores into a projectile heading toward that hard metal fence and a potentially crippling injury. Luckily, he hit it with only a glancing blow to his body, tumbling to the ground on the other side.
Mischief Man’s foot got caught in the fence and he thrashed around for a few seconds before freeing himself and getting back to his feet. Flores got up, too, shaken, but not seriously injured. He was examined immediately by emergency medical personnel on the scene.
The outrider scheduled to accompany Mischief Man to the gate rode into the paddock and asked if the horse was going to be scratched. “No!” Flores shouted, not wanting to give up the mount that had been acting so crazily just a few moments earlier.
The track veterinarian overruled Flores, and he walked sadly back into the jockeys’ room after Mischief Man was taken out of the race.
The incident demonstrated how quickly things can go wrong for jockeys or handlers of these high-strung Thoroughbreds—even before a race is run. Flores escaped injury this time, though his head came dangerously close to smacking the fence as he fell toward the ground. It also showed the courage (some might craziness) of these athletes who risk their lives every time they get on a horse’s back.
I was at Zia Park with my Paulick Report partner, Brad Cummings, on the fourth stop of our 10-day BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive, held in partnership with Breeders’ Cup Charities to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and V Foundation for Cancer Research. We were at the Hobbs, N.M., track to enjoy a day of Quarter horse and Thoroughbred racing and participate in a handicapping contest with a couple of local sharpshooters, KRUI radio talk-show host and handicapper Tim Keithley, and trainer Todd Fincher, a former leading at Ruidoso Downs and other tracks in the Southwest.
It was our first trip to Zia Park and Black Gold Casino, a racetrack and casino in eastern New Mexico about 100 miles southwest of Lubbock, Texas. R.D. Hubbard built the track for $50 million in 2004 and sold it three years later for $200 million to Penn National Gaming—a pretty good pinhook. The slot machines support the purses for what is a pretty good racing product Those $12,500 claimers were racing for a $13,500 purse; New Mexico-bred 2-year-old maidens competed for a $27,700 purse earlier in the card.
Hobbs is a working-class town of about 28,000 people, and their median household income is $28,100. Cowboy hats, Wranglers and big belt buckles are the order of the day for this horse-loving part of the country.
Rick Baugh, the assistant general manager who hosted us for the day, gave Keithley and Fincher a $1,000 bankroll to build up for the two charities. Brad and I also had $1,000 to wager. Whatever was left at the end of the day would go to Breeders’ Cup Charities, and the team with the biggest bankroll after the final race would bragging rights.
The Kentucky invaders didn’t embarrass themselves, hitting several winners on the card, including a maiden winner that had gone 0-for-32 prior to the day, and a couple of exotic bets. We managed to wind up with about $1,600 and looked like we would cruise to victory over the local hotshots, but Keithley and Fincher (a pretty sharp trainer, with 11 wins from 31 starts going into the day) hit the exacta and trifecta on the final race, nearly doubling their bankroll. We were more than happy to finish second, since it meant that more than $3,000 would go to the charities.
The $3,000-plus from Zia Park brings our total to nearly $65,000. Many thanks to this segment’s sponsors, Robert and Blythe Clay’s Three Chimneys Farm; Cot Campbell’s Dogwood Stable; numerous affiliates of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association; and Zia Park/Penn National Gaming.
Sponsors for our previous segments were Global Gaming Solutions and Remington Park; Terry Finley and his West Point Thoroughbred partners; Tommy Simon’s Vinery; Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm; TVG; Bill Casner and WinStar Farm; Barry Irwin of Team Valor International; Kate Lantaff of Tahoma Stud; William S. Farish’s Lane’s End, Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley, Brereton C. Jones’ Airdrie Stud and the Young family’s Overbrook Farm. A special thanks to our media partner TVG and the TVG’s online community for playing such a big part in promoting the drive.
It was all ion good fun, and that seems to be what Zia Park is all about. It’s a friendly track, well designed, and about the right size for what racing needs to be in a town like Hobbs. One bit of advice from locals that’s worth passing on: if you stop in, be sure to have the green chile cheeseburger. You won’t find anything like it in Kentucky.
It’s a 10-hour drive from Hobbs to Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Ariz., where we’re scheduled to be on Tuesday afternoon. Another track I’ve never had the chance to visit, and another opportunity to raise money and awareness for two worthy charities. Zia later, Hobbs. It’s been fun.
By Ray Paulick
Please click here to donate to Breeders’ Cup Charities benefiting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and V Foundation for Cancer Research. Give a minimum of one penny per mile and you will be eligible for a drawing to win one of 10 Breeders’ Cup caps to be signed by the winning jockeys of all 14 Breeders’ Cup races this Friday and Saturday.
ON THE ROAD FROM OKLAHOMA CITY TO AMARILLO, TX.—Somewhere near the Oklahoma-Texas border, while listening to the Broadway showtunes station on satellite radio, Brad Cummings and I heard Alfred Drake’s booming voice singing “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” from the 1940s hit musical “Oklahoma!”
How appropriate.
We’d left Remington Park a couple of hours earlier on our BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive, and, oh, what a beautiful morning it had been, as well as a beautiful day. From the moment we’d contacted the track’s general manager, Scott Wells, a couple of weeks ago, we had a feeling that Remington Park might be the highlight of this seven-stop, 10-day journey to raise money and awareness through Breeders’ Cup Charities for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and The V Foundation for Cancer Research.
We had no idea how special the day would be. Thanks to the track’s new owner, Global Gaming Solutions (a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation tribe), general manager Wells and his staff (particularly an amazingly creative and hard-working promotions coordinator, Joy Rose Murphy), and very giving jockeys, horsemen, and patrons, we were able to add nearly $25,000 to the money raised for the two charities, putting our total for the first five days above $60,000. We were overwhelmed by their passion for the cause and the gracious hospitality they afforded us during our 24-hour stopover in Oklahoma City.
Global Gaming donated $12,500 to the cause, well beyond the $2,000 we had been asking for segment sponsorships. Murphy, along with the 16 jockeys who, after the day’s regular program was over, competed against Brad and me (more like humiliated us) in a pair of “hippity hop races” on big rubber balls, raised more than $10,000 to sponsor each starter in the races. And two well-cast young ladies roamed the facility and filled a pair of jockey boots with cash donated by track patrons.
Ray before the race
Ray after the race
Brad ‘hopping’ in race
But the BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive is about more than just raising money. Remington Park really scored on this account, too. Jo Hayes, a former Remington Park jockey paralyzed in a 1997 riding accident and a beneficiary of the PDJF, was invited to take part in winner’s circle ceremonies and the presentation of the check to Breeders’ Cup Charities. She was also the subject of a heartfelt video tribute produced by Remington Park that recapped her riding career and her life since the racing accident.
As with our previous stop in Chicago, where we spent a day at the races with paralyzed former jockey Dennis Keehan at Hawthorne and then met with recently injured Michael Straight and his family, our resolve to not let these people be forgotten was further strengthened by the courage and dignity shown by Jo Hayes. The one thing I’ve learned about disabled former jockeys like Dennis and Jo is that while they may be out of racing, they haven’t abandoned their love of the sport. Jo still enjoys riding horses, though she admitted she gets frustrated that she can’t ride the fast ones anymore.
There was a sense of pride among the management team and many members of the jockey colony that Remington Park was the leader in raising money for Breeders’ Cup Charities. That may come from a feeling that Remington’s comeback from a near-death experience only five years ago has been largely overlooked on the national scene. This is a proud group, and for good reason.
The Remington Park comeback was fueled by legislation permitting slot machines at state racetracks. Before slots, according to Wells, purses at Remington Park had bottomed out to a paltry $64,000 a day. Currently, he said, thanks to the addition of revenue from electronic gaming machines, purses and state incentive awards total more than $250,000 per day, almost a 400% increase. It’s attracted stronger stables and better horses, and it should be a matter of time before it is recognized by more simulcast and account wagering customers as a top product on which to wager.
It’s interesting to compare Oklahoma to Kentucky. Both states have only a couple of major population centers and both have deep-rooted horse traditions. Christian values are equally important in both states, yet Oklahoma’s legislature had the foresight to allow racetracks in the state to play on a more level playing field with the 81 Indian casinos throughout the state by giving the tracks the opportunity to install slot machines. While Kentucky has no such competition from Native Americans within the state, its borders are virtually surrounded by casinos in adjacent states.
Remington was built by the late Edward J. DeBartolo in 1988 under the supervision of former track executive David Vance, who was on hand for Sunday’s fundraising activities. Twenty years later, it remains one of the best designed and comfortable facilities in racing, though most of its first-floor grandstand has been converted to an electronic gaming facility. Vance built a spirit of commitment to both the local community and racing industry within the track’s management team, and that commitment has continued through the bad times and good times that followed his departure.
We would like to thank the following individuals who sponsored the two “hippity hop” races: JoAnn Adams, Duane Harrel and Jimmy Harrel; Steve and Julie Asmussen; Danny Caldwell, Tim and Terry Doocy; Terry Edwards; Roger Engel; Global Gaming Solutions and the Chickasaw Nation; Ace and Randy Hare; Chris and Hillary Hartman; Heidelberg Family; Heritage Place; Joe and Hazel Lucas; Randy Morse; Glen and Joy Murphy; Kenny and Sally Nolen; Joe and Karen Offolter; Oklahoma Thoroughbred Association; Dustin Orono Photography; Tommy and Claire Page; Petalino Racing Stable; Danny and Sabina Pish; Pasquali and Palumbo Law Firm; Randy Patterson; Remington Park; Remington Park Jock’s Room; Remington Park Jockey’s Agents; Richter Family Trust; Carol Ricks; Rusty Roberts; Duane and Joyce Salisbury; Mark Sommers; St. Philip Neri Church and School; Gary Thomas; Von Hemel Family; Dr. Robert H. Zoellner.
I’d also like to apologize to my race sponsor, the Pasquali and Palumbo Law Firm, for putting forth such a poor effort when eased in the late stages of the “hippity hop race.” I did have an excuse, however: I was stuck in a bad post position, broke slowly, and never got ahold of the track. It’s clear that I was at least one or two workouts short of being fit for this spot. I think I needed a race over the track.
We also want to thank the following sponsors for the Chicago to Oklahoma City portion of this fundraising drive: Global Gaming Solutions and Remington Park; Terry Finley and his West Point Thoroughbreds partners; Tommy Simon’s Vinery; and Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm.
Sponsors for our previous segments were TVG; Bill Casner and WinStar Farm; Barry Irwin of Team Valor International; Kate Lantaff of Tahoma Stud; the William S. Farish’s Lane’s End, Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley, Brereton C. Jones’ Airdrie Stud and the Young family’s Overbrook Farm. A special thanks to our media partner TVG and the TVG’s online community for playing such a big part in promoting the drive.
If you’re interested in sponsoring one of the remaining segments of BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST, please send an email to info@paulickreport.com or give me a call at (859) 312-2102.
We’ll be on the road bright and early Monday morning, headed to Zia Park, in Hobbs, N.M., for an afternoon of racing
By Ray Paulick Please click here to donate to Breeders’ Cup Charities benefiting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and V Foundation for Cancer Research. Give a minimum of one penny per mile and you will be eligible for a drawing to win one of 10 Breeders’ Cup caps to be signed by the winning jockeys of all 14 Breeders’ Cup races this Friday and Saturday.
Saturday was supposed to be strictly a driving day for the BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive, but Brad Cummings and I never met a racetrack we didn’t like, so when we saw that Will Rogers Downs was just a couple miles from the Claremore, Okla., exit on I-64, we felt compelled to stop.
The fundraising drive, done in partnership with Breeders’ Cup Charities, will benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
There was no live racing going on at WRD, but plenty of slot machines, simulcasting and a friendly staff. We even saw a patron arriving on horseback—not something you see every day.
The simulcast room was relatively full, and we talked with one of the regulars, a fellow who looked like a love child of Yosemite Sam and ZZ Top. He was a serious player, bringing a briefcase full of trip notes on tracks around the country, but said he was looking forward to the live meeting that begins at WRD in February. “The racing’s gotten pretty good here,” he said. “Some of the horses from the Fair Grounds and Oaklawn Park will show up.”
This is one of those racetracks that probably wouldn’t be in business were it not for slot machines, or in this case Indian gaming. Will Rogers Downs is owned by the Cherokee Nation, one of three Indian tribes that own racetracks in Oklahoma. The Choctaw Nation owns Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw. That’s the track where jockey Mark Pace died earlier this month. Since that tragedy, the Choctaws announced they will be closing the track because of economic reasons related to the track’s location.
Tomorrow, we’ll be visiting Remington Park, which recently was purchased by Global Gaming Solutions, a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation. No track has taken ahold of the bit on raising funds for the BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST drive like Remington Park has, and I think we’ve got an exciting and gratifying day ahead of us tomorrow. Scott Wells and his staff have gone above and beyond any of our wildest expectations, and we owe a special thanks to Joy Rose Murphy, the track’s promotions coordinator.
I’m not sure I’ll feel the same way after tomorrow’s “Hippity Hop” race, when Brad and I mount giant rubber balls and bounce our way down the track against members of the local jockey colony. But if you’re going to be humiliated, you might as well do it for a good cause.
On a serious note: If our experiences with Remington Park under its new ownership are any indication, horse racing is going to benefit from the Chickasaws’ involvement in the industry. It appears they understand the value of good corporate citizenship.
The visit with Michael Straight and his family at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago will be with us for a long time. Sadly, just in the last 24 hours we’ve learned of more spills and mishaps involving jockeys, beginning with an accident at Keeneland involving Julia Brimo, a Sovereign Award winner as leading apprentice in Canada. She was listed in critical condition at a Lexington hospital. Apprentice Amanda Casey, who earlier on Friday at Aqueduct celebrated her first win of the meeting, ended up at a New York hospital with a bruised liver after getting kicked in a paddock mishap. Earlier today, we learned that Omar Moreno was involved in a spill at Woodbine in Canada.
The beat goes on, and so does the industry’s need to help provide for jockeys who are permanently disabled from riding accidents. If you haven’t made a donation to Breeders’ Cup Charities to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the V Foundation for Cancer Research, please do so by clicking here.
After Friday’s visit with the Straight family, we headed south and encountered heavy rainfall alongo the way. We thought we’d stop in and catch some racing at Fairmount Park’s simulcast room late in the afternoon, but didn’t bring our waders to walk through the parking lot to the front door. Apparently we’d just missed a heavy storm that flooded the parking lot and other businesses in the St. Louis area.
Our Saturday began with a tasty breakfast at a Waffle House in Springfield, Mo., in the Ozarks. I thought I’d walked into a bizarre rehearsal for the Rocky Horror Picture Show, but Brad reminded me that it was Halloween morning, and the crew was just having a little fun. Too bad. I think the Rocky Horror Waffle House could be the next big thing in the franchise world.
Sponsors for the Chicago to Oklahoma City portion of this fundraising drive are: Global Gaming Solutions and Remington Park; Terry Finley and his West Point Thoroughbreds partners; Tommy Simon’s Vinery; and Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm.
Sponsors for our previous segments were
TVG; Bill Casner and WinStar Farm; Barry Irwin of Team Valor International; Kate Lantaff of Tahoma Stud; the William S. Farish’s Lane’s End, Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley, Brereton C. Jones’ Airdrie Stud and the Young family’s Overbrook Farm.
A special thanks to our media partner TVG and the TVG’s online community for playing such a big part in promoting the drive and raising awareness and money for these charities. All sponsorship dollars go directly to Breeders’ Cup Charities, to be divided evenly between the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
By Ray Paulick
Every kid should be so lucky to have parents like Sandy and Beth Straight.
“They are very inspirational people,” said Nancy LaSala, executive director of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.
The Straights are parents of 23-year-old twin sons, Michael and Matthew, who were living out their dream together as professional Thoroughbred jockeys until that dream turned into a nightmare in a split second on Aug. 26. That’s the day Michael Straight suffered severe spinal and head injuries in an Arlington Park racing accident. The lives of the family from Albany, N.Y., took a dramatic and tragic change.
Sandy and Beth Straight were watching the race at the Albany OTB parlor. Matthew was riding in Kentucky. All of them knew immediately that this was a bad spill. Arlington Park chairman Dick Duchossois dispatched his private jet to New York to bring Michael’s parents to the hospital. Matthew didn’t need to be told. He got in his car and began driving to Chicago within minutes of the accident.
Sandy and Beth Straight put their lives on hold and have remained with their son in Chicago since August. Every day they come to the hospital, first at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge and now at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where Michael was moved Oct. 11 and is now undergoing occupational, physical and speech therapy. They are there from nine in the morning till seven at night many days, offering support, love and hope to their son. “It’s one day at a time Michael,” Beth Straight said.
The Straights aren’t wealthy people; they work for the state of New York’s labor department—or used to until Michael was injured. But thanks to fellow riders, friends, family, people in the horse industry and organizations like the Jockey Club Foundation, the Don MacBeth Fund and the Jockeys’ Guild, they are getting able to stay with Michael. Right now, the situation is grim. “No one knows,” Sandy Straight said. “The spine is a mystery. You just can’t give up hope.”
Matthew has been there for his twin, too, spending as much time with him as he can. “He likes us to be around,” Sandy said, “but there’s nothing that lifts his spirits as much as seeing his brother.” Earlier this week, Matthew took Michael out for lunch and cruised the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue, not far from the Rehabilitation Institute.
Michael and Matthew Straight have always been best friends, and they both grew up dreaming of becoming jockeys. Sandy Straight talked about how as young boys he’d seen them straddling the back of a couch, using pillows for saddles and crouching low while driving their mounts to the wire in an imaginary race. When they were nine, the boys went from riding the couch to practicing on an Equicizer, the simulated riding device developed by jockey Frank Lovato and used by professional jockeys to get back in riding shape after taking time off. At 12, Michael and Matthew learned about an organization started by the late Trudy McCaffery, “Kids to the Cup,” which offered expense paid visits to tracks hosting major races around the country including the Breeders’ Cup. Getting a close-up look at their sport through the “Kids to the Cup” program cemented their desire to ride.
Eventually they went to the North American Riding Academy that Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron established at the Kentucky Horse Park, Matthew graduating in 2007 and Michael the following year. As required by the NARA curriculum, Michael served an apprenticeship, working in the stable of trainer Wesley Ward. He launched his career earlier this year, winning with his first mount at Tampa Bay Downs on March 6. He had 39 career wins when Im No Gentleman, the horse he was riding Aug. 26 apparently clipped heels and fell, throwing Michael to the Polytrack surface awkwardly. The horse, which apparently died from a broken neck, did not fall onto or roll over the jockey.
One of the Chicago-area owners Michael rode for, Dan Sullivan, organized a fundraiser for the jockey and his family on Oct. 25 at a restaurant Sullivan owns in a Chicago suburb. “Dan Sullivan has been incredible,” Sandy said. “He’s done so much for us. One of his kids wrote that letter up there on the wall,” he said, pointing to an over-sized, hand-printed letter signed by all of his classmates.
“Bill Thayer (Arlington Park racing executive) just loves Michael and he’s devastated over what happened. Guys like Wesley and Chris are being really hard on themselves, thinking they somehow are to blame for this, but it’s not their fault.”
Sandy and Beth said it was tough to watch Matthew when he rode at Arlington Park for the first time after Michael’s injury, and they watch his races from a completely different perspective today. “We always said ‘just get around the track safely,’” Sandy said, “but now…” He didn’t need to finish the sentence.
We had the opportunity to visit with Michael and his parents, along with the PDJF’s Nancy LaSala on Friday morning, while in Chicago on the second stop of the BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive from Kentucky to California. The drive, in partnership with Breeders’ Cup Charities, is benefiting the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the V Foundation for Cancer Research. We’ve had some fun raising money for the charities, but today’s visit really hit home what these seriously injured riders go through.
Everyone in racing is hoping that Michael Straight will not have to become the next rider to benefit from the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund—certainly not his parents. But the PDJF has to be there to help these riders when there are no miracles and prayers are not enough.
Michael and Matthew Straight will turn 24 years old in a couple of weeks, on Nov. 12. The best birthday present for them would be an improvement in Michael’s condition, but the odds are against that happening so soon. A donation to Breeders’ Cup Charities to benefit the PDJF and V Foundation would be an appropriate way to recognize their birthdays. Please click here to make a donation.
If you can’t give, please consider sending a birthday card to lift Michael’s spirits. (It can be sent to Michael Straight, c/o Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 345 E. Superior, Chicago, IL 60611.) It might also lift the spirits of Sandy and Beth Straight. They have shown incredible strength over the last 10 weeks, but the stress they are experiencing and the pain they are feeling is taking a toll on them, too.
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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.
Oh, and as one of our Facebook followers said, the mare that won the feature at Santa Anita on Saturday gave quite a performance, too.
But she is sharp as a tack mentally. Brad Cummings and I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with Stacy and her longtime companion, Jan Hortyk (pictured, left, with Stacy Burton), at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Ariz., during the Paulick Report’s BREEDERS’ CUP OR BUST fundraising drive to raise money for Breeders’ Cup Charities to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and The V Foundation for Cancer Research.
There was no live racing going on at WRD, but plenty of slot machines, simulcasting and a friendly staff. We even saw a patron arriving on horseback—not something you see every day.
After Friday’s visit with the Straight family, we headed south and encountered heavy rainfall alongo the way. We thought we’d stop in and catch some racing at Fairmount Park’s simulcast room late in the afternoon, but didn’t bring our waders to walk through the parking lot to the front door. Apparently we’d just missed a heavy storm that flooded the parking lot and other businesses in the St. Louis area.