Posts Tagged ‘justin timberlake’

Though a leading Thoroughbred owner said "it didn’t pass the smell test," there was nothing fishy about a Breeders’ Cup board member getting a potentially huge publicity boost when the Breeders’ Cup placed a free ownership interest in some of his horses in 125 "gift bags"  distributed to prominent celebrities and athletes attending Wednesday night’s ESPY Awards in Los Angeles. At least that’s the word from the Breeders’ Cup executive who put the promotion together.

ESPY host Justin Timberlake, presenter Will Ferrell and star athletes ranging from David Beckham to Brett Favre and Danica Patrick were among those who received the 125 gift bags loaded with goodies: apparel, luggage, jewelry, technology, spa treatments and entertainment experiences were among the 50-plus freebies stuffed in each bag and handed out to the celebrities attending the ESPY Awards, which was taped Wednesday and airs Sunday night on ESPN at 9 p.m. Eastern.

According to Peter Rotondo, vice president of media and entertainment for the Breeders’ Cup, Indy car driver Helio Castroneves went through the gift bag for the ESPY telecast and identified the Breeders’ Cup package, which included a VIP experience at this year’s event and a small ownership interest in a horse, as the "number one" giveaway because "I get to own a horse." The certificate included a large cardboard cutout of a racehorse.

The horse ownership is a 2% stake in one of three Thoroughbreds offered by New Jersey-based West Point Thoroughbreds. To claim ownership to the non-transferable certificate, the athlete or celebrity must call West Point to redeem the certificate and agree to allow their name to be used in future promotions by West Point. 

Rotondo said West Point was the only racing partnership contacted about the promotion. West Point is operated by Terry Finley, a member of the 14-member Breeders’ Cup board of directors who was recently re-elected in a hotly contested vote July 11 among the 48-member board of members and trustees. Finley is also a close friend of Breeders’ Cup CEO Greg Avioli. 

And those factors, a competing racing partnership owner said, "didn’t pass the smell test."

"That is so predictable," another partnership operator said. "This is a great opportunity for West Point to promote its business. It was an inside job, obviously. It’s just the way they go about their business at the Breeders’ Cup." 

A third individual, who sits on the board of members and trustees, called the non-bid selection of West Point "outrageous," adding: "It’s clear the Breeders’ Cup board doesn’t feel accountable to the members and trustees or to the rest of the nominators who fund the entire organization."

Peter Land, the chief marketing officer and Rotondo’s boss at Breeders’ Cup, defended the practice. "My job is to work with the board," Land said. "Different board members offer up different ideas. We have a great relationship with our board members, and have worked with (board members) R.D. Hubbard and B. Wayne Hughes on other projects. Terry (Finley) was very receptive to (the ESPY promotion), so we worked with his marketing people."

Asked whether it was "free" publicity for West Point, Land said that it wasn’t: "He’s got to give up partnership interests in the horses," Land said.

Rotondo said he gave no thought to whether or not Finley was a board member when he contacted his close friend, Justin McDonald, a former associate of Rotondo from his days at the NTRA who is now doing marketing work for West Point.

"The whole point of doing this was to get a little buzz for the Breeders’ Cup," Rotondo said. "The second thing was, let’s do something cool to give people something to talk about it. Third, it’s great for West Point if someone redeems the certificate. When I brought the idea to Justin, who’s like a brother to me, he said, ‘We’ll do it.’"

In hindsight, Rotondo admitted the selection of West Point "could" give them a leg up on other racing partnerships in the competitive marketing battle for new investors and racehorse partners. 

"Look, it’s good for the whole sport if Justin Timberlake wants to own a piece of a horse," Rotondo said.

And it’s even better for West Point Thoroughbreds to land a celebrity racehorse owner.

Rotondo’s concept was extremely clever, and if anyone redeems the ownership certificates it’s a winner. It’s a good way to generate publicity involving the Hollywood celebrities the Breeders’ Cup desperately want to bring to their championship races at nearby Santa Anita Park this year and in 2009. It’s too bad other partnerships weren’t invited to participate or even bid on the promotion.

An unintended consequence of this promotion will be hard feelings among those who were left out of the process.

By Ray Paulick

Copyright ©2008, The Paulick Report

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