Posts Tagged ‘Big Brown’

PRESS RELEASE

HASKELL INVITATIONAL TO ANCHOR RECORD $12.1 MILLION IN STAKES PURSES FOR 2010 MONMOUTH PARK MEET

Oceanport, N.J. – With the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 1, leading the way, Monmouth Park will offer a record $12.1 million in stakes purses for the 2010 racing season, which gets underway on Saturday, May 22. A total of 90 stakes races are on the calendar, 16 graded and 74 overnight events.

In addition to the record stakes schedule, Monmouth Park will offer record purses in 2010. In what’s being called the “Million Dollar Meet”, Monmouth will race primarily on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day - a calendar that spans 50 live racing days. Overnight purses, when coupled with stakes events, are expected to be $1 million for those live programs, with stakes races starting at $100,000. By comparison, stakes at Monmouth Park in 2009 started at $60,000 with a total of $9,170,000 paid in stakes purses.

“What we’re offering this year is a new approach to racing,” said Bob Kulina, vice president and general manager of Monmouth Park. “This stakes schedule, along with our new race meet, is certainly attracting the interest of new horsemen from across the country.

“Our goal is to deliver the public what they’ve asked for - quality, competitive racing with big fields. We believe this new schedule should help us achieve that goal.”

Returning for the third time to the stakes calendar is the $250,000 Monmouth Stakes, which will carry a Grade 3 status for the first time when it’s renewed on June 12. The turf test, which serves as a prep for the Grade 1 $750,000 United Nations on July 3, was captured by champion Big Brown in it’s inaugural running and last year saw fan-favorite Presious Passion go wire-to-wire.

Other notable changes include the addition of the Grade 3 $200,000 Pegasus Stakes for 3-year-olds. Set for June 19, the mile and a sixteenth Pegasus will be run six weeks before the mile and an eighth Haskell. Also added to the schedule is the $300,000, Grade 2, Monmouth Cup (formerly the Meadowlands Cup), to be run on Oct. 9, for 3-year-olds and up.

The 2010 racing meet spans 71 days, beginning with the May 22nd-23rd weekend. The racetrack will then offer live programs on May 29, May 30 and Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day). Following the Memorial Day card Monmouth will be open for live racing on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6. In addition, the track will host live racing on Monday, July 5 (4th of July Holiday). A fall meet will get underway on Saturday, Sept. 11, and run through Sunday, Nov. 21. Racing in the fall will take place on Saturdays and Sundays.

New York Times sports writer Joe Drape takes a look at the highlights and low-lights of racing during the ‘aughts’. From the successes of Azeri, Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta to the lows of Barbaro’s breakdown and Big Brown’s chemical enhancements, to some of the Triple Crown near misses, it was a mixed bag of a decade for racing.

Read what Joe has to say here and then come back to the Paulick Report and let us know what you think.

- Bradford Cummings

By Ray Paulick
Horse of the Year won’t be the only racing subject being debated in the coming weeks in the wake of the 26th Breeders’ Cup championships from Santa Anita Park Nov. 6-7. For what it’s worth, if I had a vote in the Eclipse Awards (and I don’t), it would go to Zenyatta as Horse of the Year. I can’t blame anyone for supporting Rachel Alexandra, but I am a believer in the Breeders’ Cup being a key factor in determining  year-end championships, including Horse of the Year. Zenyatta showed up and turned in a performance for the ages. Rachel Alexandra remained in her stall, resting on her own historic achievements from earlier in the year.

Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra make up the greatest unfulfilled rivalry since…well…Curlin and Big Brown in 2008. If you’re like me, I’ll bet you’re getting tired of these rivalries, the ones that only play out in the mind. I prefer the type settled on the racetrack: Affirmed and Alydar…Sunday Silence and Easy Goer.

The other subject worthy of discussion and debate is the Breeders’ Cup itself. This is year three of the two-day version of this event, one that began in 1984 as an audacious seven-race, $10-million day of racing. It’s now a 14-race smorgasbord that includes more “championship” races than we have championships (as measured by the Eclipse Awards).

The expansion in large part was based, not surprisingly, on money. In 2005, then-Breeders’ Cup president D.G. Van Clief Jr., who was serving in the dual role as commissioner of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, set a goal of $200 million in handle for the event by 2010. Total handle that year (when the event was at Belmont Park) was $124.0 million, and it rose to $140.3 million in 2006 (Churchill Downs was the host site), the last time the Breeders’ Cup was conducted on one day.

The expansion to two days and more races was also designed in part to be more attractive to an international audience of horseplayers. The downside is the dilution effect it has on the entire event. Has victory in a Breeders’ Cup race lost some significance?

The first two-day Breeders’ Cup, held at a very wet Monmouth Park in 2007, yielded a total of $147.2 million in handle, and $155.7 million was bet at the 2008 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree Racing Association meeting. Handle dropped in 2009 to $150.2 million, despite the availability of common-pool wagering for the first time to Betfair’s two-million-plus customers.

Barring some sort of a miracle, the 2010 Breeders’ Cup will fall well short of Van Clief’s stated goal. In fact, it could be argued the event is less successful today from a wagering standpoint than it was 10 years ago in 1999, when it hit $100 million in handle for the first time and was still conducted on a single day.

But should handle (or television ratings, which also are lower today than they were 10 years ago) be the yardstick for success? The expansion from eight to 14 Breeders’ Cup races has broadened participation in the event from a horse owner’s standpoint, and it’s given the breeders who support the program through nominations more chances to recoup the fees they’ve paid over the years.

I wouldn’t pretend to compare the Breeders’ Cup Marathon or Juvenile Fillies Turf or some of the other new races with the Turf or Classic in terms of importance or prestige. Those races aren’t going to produce as much betting turnover, either. But they are races that should attract the best of their division from around the world, and they are interesting betting races for fans (compared to the standard fare of five- or six-horse fields that plague so many top races nowadays). In addition, though the new races have increased the total prize money to $25.5 million, roughly one-third of those new purses are paid for by pre-entry and entry fees.  So in my mind these new races do serve some purpose.

Have Breeders’ Cup officials hit on the perfect formula on how to present the two days? Probably not. There are many who feel stacking all the filly and mare races on Friday (along with the Marathon) is insulting and sexist. There are other options, including putting the newest and least compelling races on Friday and keeping Saturday with the traditional Cup races. They could also consider making Friday all turf racing and Saturday the main track races.

But the real problem with the Breeders’ Cup is not the event itself, or the order in which the races are run. It’s the absence of an understandable, easy-to-follow ranking or eligibility system in the weeks and months leading up to the Cup.

The Win and You’re In qualifying races are a start, but not the end game solution. It also doesn’t help that so many other tracks are hosting live races on the same day as the Breeders’ Cup and, in effect, competing with the championships for wagering dollars. Our industry should take a look at another racing sport that has its biggest event early in the season and has still managed to create an exciting and engaging championship Cup. NASCAR has the Daytona 500, as big an event for NASCAR as the Kentucky Derby is for horse racing, and has managed to create a build up after its early climax with its Chase For The Sprint Cup. In order for horse racing to build itself back to national prominence outside of the first Saturday in May, a similar invention must be instituted with the Breeders’ Cup as the final act.

It’s a challenge to organize a sport that lacks structure and organization, but that’s the challenge the Breeders’ Cup was given through a long-term strategic plan presented to the board of directors earlier this year. For this plan to be fully developed and implemented, it will require the cooperation of not just horsemen, but of racetracks that in years past have been reluctant to work with the Breeders’ Cup. Those tracks have to understand that a healthy and prosperous Breeders’ Cup is in their best interest, just as the Breeders’ Cup has to realize that tracks must be viewed as partners in developing the strategic plan.

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

Savvy businesses recognize value. Advertise in the Paulick Report.

Sign up for our Email Flashes to get the latest news, analysis and commentary from Ray Paulick

Lexington advertising executive Fred Pope has come up with an intriguing proposal for a race between Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta, one that would help explain how racing’s business model for simulcasting is broken and needs fixing. Will any one listen or act on the suggestion? –Ray Paulick

NYRA was reduced to this weak position because the premier track operator cannot make $400,000 from off-track wagering on the race.

That’s because of the upside-down, off-track revenue model, where casinos and off-track betting companies pay as little as 2% to the host track, while they keep up to 18% of the wager themselves.

If $20 million were wagered off-track on the proposed race, the purse account would have only gotten $300,000. The off-track bet takers would have gotten $3,400,000. That’s right, ten times more money just for taking the bet, than for the racehorse owners putting on the show.

Trying to put on a show for racing has become the Theatre of the Absurd. Host tracks cannot make the fillies’ owners “an offer they can’t refuse”. Perhaps the racehorse owners need to step in with some common sense.

Inside the Box Thinking

You are about to read a outrageous proposal for how the owners of the star attractions, Jess Jackson and Jerry Moss, can focus the sporting world on Thoroughbred racing and deliver the Filly Race of the Century.

When you do a Situation Analysis on racing today, you come to the painful conclusion that the host event gets nothing from off-track wagering on its product and nothing from the television networks for its product. Since the basic objective of providing the owners of the racehorses with a valuable purse, the strategy becomes crystal clear:

If you can make 20% from the wagers made on-track, but only 2% from the wagers made off-track, then you need to see how you can maximize the on-track wagers.

No off-track wagering and No televised coverage

Sheer madness? Maybe not, it seems to work for the NFL when they haven’t sold out a studium.

To make a statement for all racehorse owners about the upside-down, off-track revenue model that bled $500 million out of purses this year, the owners of these two magnificent fillies have a timely opportunity.

Jess Jackson knows how to market a product and Jerry Moss definitely understands the entertainment business, so let’s explore how these two racehorse owners can achieve for their sport what the industry around them cannot seem to grasp — You either control your product and its distribution, or someone else will control it.  You can increase demand for your product by limiting supply.

We are about to revisit the revenue model of 1938, when Seabiscuit was a star.

Let’s Go Retro

Hell, Jess Jackson even saw Seabiscuit race at Santa Anita, so he knows the excitement and electricity that fans feel being on the grounds at a closed sporting event.

There are three tracks big enough to handle the crowd — Belmont, Churchill Downs and Santa Anita (I know the surface problem for Jess, but this is a different consideration).

I would go to those tracks and offer the race, with these conditions. The track would get all admissions, concessions, parking, programs, etc. The track and local purse account would get the on-track takeout from a quality-packed under card of races.

For the big event, the fillies’ owners would agree the race would have no set purse amount, but instead they would get 100% of the takeout from on-track wagers on the race. In effect, the racehorse owners take the risks.

By locking out all off-track wagering and televised coverage, if we can get a crowd of 80,000 and drive the on-track handle to $20 million, the takeout for the purse would be $4 million gross. If we paid back to 6th place, there is a huge incentive for the owners of other good fillies to enter the race and drive the handle higher.

To publicize the race, the two major owners could take the satisfaction of the winner being named Horse-of-the-Year and dedicate their share of the winnings to charities like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and the Race for Education. A ban on cell phones and computers at the track will further boost the on-track handle.

A replay of the race the next day will allow fans to see the great race, but the attraction of a great sporting event would be live attendance.

The tracks would need their racing commissions to pre-approve a non-traditional day, similar to Breeders’ Cup days.

With all the advances in technology and expanded distribution of wagering, the host track should be able to make a lot more money today than they could in 1938. But, because the off-track revenue model fails to pay the host event for its product, the stakeholders of racing are back where they started.

The real “True Blood”

Last July 2008 the industry was “shocked” by a series of articles I wrote on this subject. But, obviously not shocked enough to fix it.

As a result, more than $1 billion has been sucked out of racing this year. The money is lost forever to the tracks, racehorse owners, trainers, jockeys and everyone in between. The lost money has not flowed down to breeders through the sales as reinvestment in racing prospects. The lost money will not be spent at the upcoming September Sales

This past year I have traveled to Arizona for the Racetrack Symposium and throughout the year presented the problem and solution to the heads of every organization in racing and breeding. To date, not one of these organizations have done anything to change the off-track model or push for the corrections to the IHA.

Each month about $100 million is bleeding out of our sport and the rate is accelerating very rapidly through the cannibalization of bets previously made at the tracks and now increasingly made through phone and Internet companies with no connection to racing.

The Future of Racing

If we can get quick passage of the correction to the IHA and the host event starts getting 50% of the takeout from bets made at other tracks; then gets up to 75% from non-racing bet takers, and finally the future of racing is when the host event can start accepting wagers direct from customers for a virtual “on-track” revenue model. We could have 15% of the wagers going to the host event.

Then on big race days, if we have $50 million in off-track handle, the revenue at 15% to the host event would be $7.5 million for the day. That’s how you bring Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta, or Curlin and Big Brown together in races.

That’s when you have the star power to fill the seats and make racing a viable sport again. So that no matter where the bet is madej, or how the bet is made, the majority of the revenue goes to those producing the show.

Once the IHA is corrected, the opportunity for creative, innovative thinking on how racing is packaged and presented will abound, because the host event can make money on the show.

But, until then we will continue in the Theatre of the Absurd, where the off-track bet takers walk off with all of your money and your sport.

Hank Aaron hits number 715…Secretariat wins the Belmont by 31 lengths…Brett Favre starts 269 games in a row at QB…and now Ray Paulick liveblogs from the Eclipse Awards without a computer! That’s right, Ray will be entering the pantheon of the unlikely as he attempts to bring you the Paulick Report reader unprecedented coverage of tonight’s awards ceremony. We will be operating here at Paulick Report Command Central giving the play by play results of tonight’s event while Ray will be the color commentary via text message.

What are the stars wearing? (We knew Larry Jones would be in his black-tie cowboy get-up, but were taken aback by the Scottish fellow in kilts standing nearby — pictured below.) How many people are sporting Zenyatta for President T-shirts? How many licks does it take to get to the candy center of a Tootsie-Pop? These and other questions will be answered below. Enjoy and keep the comments flowing!

6:56CC…Alright folks, Brad here at Command Central. I will be receiving messages from Ray throughout the night and keeping up to date with the things you won’t be privy to on the telecast. My comments will have a CC for Command Central after the time and the ones from Ray will have a RP after the time.

6:58RP…closest thing to a celebrity I’ve met so far is former WI Gov. Tommy Thompson, who has been hired by the NTRA to oversee the health and safety alliance. Tommy seemed happy to hear that I grew up on the Illinois side of the Wisconsin border.

7:00CC…and the telecst begins. Something about Frank Sinatra and a cocktail party.

7:01RP…Many of the guests were lamenting the passing of Joe Hirsch, the longtime executive columnist of the DRF. The PR learned that NYRA is preparing a memorial for Hirsch the week of the Belmont Stakes in June.

7:04CC…Interviewing Jerry and Ann Moss, they ask if they think Zenyatta could pull Horse of the Year. Gives a solid if not predictable answer.

7:05RP…Good line from Cot Campbell during the blustery cocktail hour outside of the Fountainbleu Hotel. "My hair’s getting all messed up," Campbell said patting down his gray locks. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the shiny pate of Mike Smith and commented, "Mike’s in pretty good shape with the wind."

7:06CC…Who thinks Eight Belles should win 3 year old filly? I’m a Proud Spell guy myself.

7:07CC…Iavarone looks shiny. And the interviewer mispronounced his name. Thinks that it’s the competition was so strong and that’s the reason Big Brown isn’t going to win the HOY award. Either that or maybe it’s because he finished last in the Belmont and bowed out of the BC Classic.

7:10CC…Frank Stronach isn’t there. Wonder why?

7:15CC…Asmussen being interviewed. Sure, it’s good to hear from him but I wonder what his facial hair has to say. And he looked a little scary on screen. Just saying.

7:16CC…announcer just made an interesting observation. Asmussen has more wins than Dutrow and Frankel combined.

7:19CC…I don’t know about you but nothing is more interesting than insurance talk…

7:20RP…Dinner is served! Ceremonies starting soon.

7:22CC…just pushed the new Jockeys show on Animal Planet. Said it was The Hills or Real Housewives of Orange County only with jockeys. Decided jockeys have more drama. Scandalous!

7:24RP…Jess Jackson is here with a new look…a nifty goatee. (Only two bodyguards according to an associate. I don’t have a count yet on the number of bodyguards for Iavarone of IEAH…see earlier post on Eclipse predictions for further explanation)

7:26CC…NTRA Moment of the Year of course is Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup. Sounded like six people clapped for the clip.

7:28CC…TWO MINUTES TO POST!!!

7:29CC…Darby Dan with a big ad buy during the break. I hear there’s a website that’s much cheaper than what TVG charges…

7:30CC…Privman starts off the ceremony with a Joe Hirsch memorial.

7:33CC…Faith, I’m efforting a response on your important request…

7:33RP…Nice touch to dedicate the awards to Joe Hirsch. There are several hundred folks here tonight and I’d be hard pressed to find one person who didn’t love Joe.

7:35RP…(FAITH UPDATE) The vine ripened tomato salad was excellent, the seared tenderloin tender (tho a bit overcooked) and the roast garlic shrimp outstanding. I could have used a bit more of the curried sweet potatoes, but I did just squeeze into my tux pants.

7:37RP…Kenny Rice don’t give up your day job to become a stand up comic

7:38CC…and our first technical glitch of the evening!

7:39CC…first (non) surprise of the night, Midshipman wins 2 year old male

7:40RP…more food update…Kendall-Jackson wine is being served to all (whether or not they supported Curlin)

7:41RP…A dinner companion staying at the Fountainbleu rated the dinner "four stars" compared to other restaurants at the hotel

7:42CC…and now 2 year filly goes to…

7:42CC…Stardom Bound!

7:44RP…Even though IEAH now owns Stardom Bound, the award was rightly given to Charles Cono. Fifteen years ago when Kotashaan won HOY, the Eclipse wasn’t given to his longtime owners, the Werthemer brothers, but to the Japanese stud farm that bought him to run in his final start, the Japan cup. They got it right this time.

7:47RP…Bob Baffert isn’t at the awards. Times are tough. He tells me he can’t afford to fly his family from LA. Guess Baffert doesn’t get those Southwest Airlines special fare emails.

7:50CC…John and Brad Henegan from First Saturday in May accept the award they already got.

7:51RP…From one of the Hennegan brothers the first ever Eclipse award shout out to Payless Shoes.

7:54CC…Did you know that WAVE 3 TV won a media Eclipse Award? You did? Oh, I must have slept in that day.

7:54RP…They need more journalism awards…you think? That’s my favorite part of the Academy Awards…best movie review!

7:56RP…The podium reminds me of a Barack Obama press conference when several women advisers were introduced to the media and only the top of their heads showed. Same with the jockeys and Jennie Rees of Courier Journal

7:58CC…the photog award is so embarassing with that misspelled background. Junenile…unreal

8:00CC…Vinnie Perrone just asked for a step stool. No, actually, he demanded one and asked "what kind of operation are you running here?"

8:01CC…and this is why

8:03RP…Anyone remember the Grammys when the band started playing because Sinatra went on too long…Sinatra!!!

8:04CC…And he’s finally finished. Four minutes later. Did anyone not tell him to keep it pithy? I mean, he seems like a nice guy, but honestly everyone is here for things besides Vinnie’s award.

8:07CC…Kenny Rice just bombed like three jokes in a row. Literally no response from the crowd. Love it!

8:09CC…Oooh! An award I’m not 100% sure of the outcome on! Male Turf

8:10CC…The winner is Conduit.

8:11CC…More importantly, this just came in from Ray. Dessert!

8:13CC…Female Turf goes to…

8:14CC…Forever Together

8:15RP…George Strawbridge defines grace and class. He gave a very elegant acceptance on behalf of Forever Together.

8:15CC…If you are watching both the TVG telecast and this blog, apparently Ray is in the future. That’s why he already knew about Strawbridge’s speech.

8:17CC…Apparently Ray was still hungry

8:18RP…Dessert was outstanding…my first roast hazelnut praline, chocolate terrine, coconut bavaroise

8:19CC…Standing ovation for Alice Headley Chandler

8:19RP…Tommy Thompson left his table…I think the media awards got to him

8:20CC…Hopefully Alice will run into Vinnie Perrone in the hallway and talk to him about speech length. That was a perfect acceptance speech.

8:22RP…Weird observation…some people who are seated near the stage are watching the large screen monitor instead. Kind of like the racetrack  where we watch the TVinstead of the horses in front of us.

8:23CC…Steeplechase winner Good Night Shirt

8:25RP…Steeplechase owner..time’s up. Where’s the band when you need them? Hostage taker.

8:28RP…Although the acceptance was about as long as a jump race.

8:29CC…And now for Breeder, Adena Springs, Stonerside and WinStar

8:30CC…Adena Springs wins News at 11

8:31RP…Barbara…I saw Steve Asmussen up close and personal and I found him not the least bit scary looking. But he did growl at me

8:32RP…And I did eat the holy cross on the dessert. Yum!

8:32RP…Love the lecture from the handicapper of the year. He’s really good.

8:33RP…Random thought. Chantal Sutherland is mesmerizing Here she is, sitting with Mike Smith while no doubt catching up on my live blog!

8:35RP…I think Steven Crist wishes he had a hook to yank the handicapper off stage

8:37RP…Now I wish I had a hook for this guy. I take my earlier comments back.

8:39CC…and still going….

8:41CC…like the Energizer Bunny. Seriously.

8:43RP…Dayyam. I missed the Conduit wardrobe malfunction. Had my head down thumbing away

8:44RP…What’s with the Joan Rivers remark? No facelifts for me.

8:45RP…The vets do a great job with the on call program but they are making me feel like I’m at a funeral service. How about a little joke fellas?

8:48RP…Rep Cardoza…pandering for votes and political contributions.

8:53CC…and Benny the Bull wins Male sprinter

8:49RP…Wow…Michael Iavarone is redder faced than me after I spent five hours on the beach

8:51RP…Good news from Iavarone that Benny the Bull will race in 2009…

8:56CC…And now Female Sprinter…

8:57CC…Indian Blessing. I love this horse

9:00RP…I doubt many trainers worked harder than Steve Asmussen in 2008. It really was a remarkable year he had. And he’s got the cutest family in the room…hands down.

9:01CC…For those of you watching on TVG, Ray is quite a bit ahead of us (tape delay). If you don’t want to know before the telecast, look elsewhere.

9:03CC…Which is why you already knew that Asmussen won the award. Barbara, thanks. I was starting to feel sorry for myself. Hopefully Asmussen and Iavarone know it was all in fun!

9:05CC…Well, apparently Stonach won for owner.

9:06RP…I wonder how many racing secretaries that work for Frank Stronach voted for him as leading owner and breeder. I’d imagine they might be more inclined to vote against him.

9:07RP I also wonder how many Breeders’ Cup employees vote and how they voted? Seems they have a vested interest.

9:08RP…Racing secretaries and Breeders’ Cup employees have been part of the NTRA voting members.

9:10RP…and Zenyatta wins. Jerry Moss couldn’t drag trainer John Shirreffs on stage to help him accept Zenyatta’s Eclipse Award.

9:11RP…Moss is the west coast version of George Strawbridge…full of class, extremely articulate and one of the game’s very best. Wish we had more like both of them.

9:13CC…Curlin wins older male. in related news, grass is green and the sky is blue.

9:15RP…Good comment by Jess Jackson saying that older horses can race and also make good sires.

9:16CC…Turk, I’m with you. Why wait when you can hear it from Ray first.

9:17RP…His comment about the industry’s movement to eliminate drugs and become more transparent was well received.

9:18RP…"Keep the horse first, and the horse will take care of you." Well said Jess Jackson

9:19CC…Time for a photo. The Jackson clan.

9:21RP…Curlin wrote a note saying he liked racing but likes his new job even better.

9:22RP…Jerry Moss gets a do-over to thank Mike Smith..this could be a first. Told you he was a class act.

9:23RP…I wonder if Mike stormed off. (Just kidding…there isn’t a more humble guy in the jockey’s room)

9:24CC…Apprentice jockey coming up soon.

9:27CC…Faith, I thought he sent it in Horse Code. (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist)

9:28RP…Winner is Paco Lopez

9:29RP…Someone wrote to say Jess Jackson looks like Don Rickles. That’s not nice you hockey puck!

9:31CC…And now for outstanding jockey, the Eclipse goes to Garrett Gomez.

9:32RP…Garrett Gomez is one tough dude. I said his smile looked pretty good before dinner and he said all his front teeth were temps. Lost em in an ugly spill and he still has a knot on his hand from that spill. To think he was back in the saddle a few days later.

9:34CC…3 year old male goes to…Big Brown

9:35RP…Cash Asmussen presenting with Todd Schrupp of TVG. Hard to believe Cash was a jockey all those years. So tall.

9:36RP…Interesting comment from Anne Campbell about Michael Iavarone. "He looks like Jerry Lewis (a young Jerry Lewis)."

9:39RP…Schrupp gave a very nice tribute to Larry Jones before introducing the 3 year old filly finalists. Second standing ovation of the night.

9:40RP…It was to thank him for facing the media so tirelessly after the death of Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby. Well done.

9:41RP…But Proud Spell won

9:42RP…Second politicians of the night at the podium, former KY Gov Brereton Jones owner and breeder of Proud Spell. Jones says organizers can forget about the one minute rule for acceptance speeches, acknowledging his political past.

9:44CC…picture time again, featuring the Iavarone party

9:46RP…Jones acknowledged the many great trainers in the room but said no one was greater than Larry Jones, who also trained Proud Spell.

9:47RP…Horse of the Year next…

9:48RP…Alex Waldrop to present Horse of the Year.

9:49RP…Alex said someone in the room was live blogging…"so be careful what you say." Wonder who he’s talking about…

9:50RP…And the winner is…CURLIN!!!

9:51RP…Jess Jackson high fives the table.

9:52RP…Jerry Moss picks up his wine glass raises in the air and thanks John Shirrefs for a great year

9:53RP…The other two nominees were Zenyatta and Big Brown

9:55CC…And the Horse of the Year picture

9:56RP…Jess Jackson says Curlin still wants to run…but will enjoy his new job

10:04RP…After the awards closed Brereton Jones said he was more nervous accepting the award than he had ever been giving any political speech. I guess that sums up what the Eclipse Awards mean to horse people.

10:05RP…Congratulations to all the winners and a big thank you to our hosts, Cot and Anne Campbell of Dogwood Stable and to the dinner companions I wasn’t able to spend enough time talking with.

That’s it from Miami Beach…

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

Visit the Paulick Report for all the latest news throughout the racing world.

Sign up for our Email Flashes to get the latest news, analysis and commentary.