Posts Tagged ‘oak tree racing association’
Friday, March 12th, 2010
By Ray Paulick
The late Lou Rowan, a California owner and breeder and one of the founding directors of the Oak Tree Racing Association, gave much of his time helping racetrack employees whose lives were spiraling out of control due to drug and alcohol problems. A recovering alcoholic who understood the disease of addiction, Rowan helped more than a few people learn how to deal with their problems. But the needs at the track were greater than any one man could resolve, so in 1984 Rowan convinced the Oak Tree board to put a trailer in the stable area where 12-step meetings could be held to help alcoholics and addicts begin the process of recovery.
That was how the Winners Foundation was formed. Funded originally by Oak Tree but now supported by all of California’s racing associations (and individual donors), the organization has a presence at every track in the Golden State, helping front and backside employees troubled by alcohol, drugs, or gambling problems, as well as mental illnesses such as depression. The Winners Foundation also assists with domestic abuse issues and divorce that often result from the various types of addiction. Another program it offers trainers is drug-testing of potential employees before they are hired.
There is an annual caseload of over 225 patients, according to Bob Fletcher, executive director of the Winners Foundation for the last seven years. Fletcher, a longtime employee on the front side of California’s tracks, referred several fellow workers to the program even while developing his own problems with alcohol and drugs. In 1991, he went to the Winners Foundation for help, and has been clean and sober ever since.
When former executive director Don Murray retired in 2003 after more than a dozen years with the organization, the board asked Fletcher if he could take over, and he was happy to do so. Fletcher isn’t the only Winners Foundation staffer in recovery. Four of the organization’s five employees have overcome their own problems with drugs or alcohol, which gives them greater understanding in helping those currently in need.
Many employees are referred to the Winners Foundation by California Horse Racing Board stewards or track management. They are given an assessment to determine the severity of their problem by Fletcher or one of the case managers (there are two at the Northern California tracks and one in Southern California who works with Fletcher). Many are sent to detoxification centers and in-patient programs, some for as long as three months. Front side employees, many of them labor union members, are usually covered by their health insurance, but Winners Foundation foots the bill for most of the backstretch workers licensed with the CHRB. The cost of those programs can be significant, and have not been immune from the escalation in health care prices.
When those workers are released from the in-patient programs, Winners Foundation provides a variety of fellowship meetings so they can continue in their recovery. The offices expanded from that original trailer and are now large enough to host several types of 12-step meetings, day and night, seven days a week. “We have meetings for Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, in both English and Spanish, along with Al-Anon (for the families of alcoholics/addicts), meetings of adult children of alcoholics, and even Bible study one night as week,” Fletcher said. “There is something going on every afternoon and night.”
Fletcher said one of the strengths of the Winners Foundation throughout its history has been a strong and active board of directors. Gino Roncelli, a horse owner and local businessman, is the only remaining member of the original board put together by Rowan. He has served as president for nearly 20 years. Joe Harper, chief executive of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, is board chairman. One of the newest board members is Mary Forney, who works for the Thoroughbred Owners of California.
“It’s one of my beliefs that it’s just as important to take care of the people as it is to take care of the animals,” said Forney. “Animal rights issues get a lot of headlines, but the people who care for the animals often get ignored. If you want to take care of the animals you also want to provide a clean work force to handle them. It’s an advantage for the owners to have clean and sober stable help handle their investments.”
“The heartening thing is to see these men and women after they recover,” said Roncelli, “and see their families back together. When you get caught up in drugs and alcohol addiction, you think your life is about over. This program gives you a whole new life to look forward to. Almost everywhere you look around the racetrack, there’s someone who has been helped.”
Among the high-profile success stories of the Winners Foundation are jockeys Garrett Gomez and David Flores, but there are many lesser-known individuals, from pari-mutuel clerks to security personnel to grooms who have gotten their lives back on track through the program.
Fletcher had some big shoes to fill when he took over for Murray, but Roncelli said the program didn’t miss a beat. “Bob is such a great guy,” Roncelli said. “He has empathy for people in that place, because he remembers being there.”
For more information on the Winners Foundation, click here to visit their website.
Copyright © 2010, The Paulick Report
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Tags: Al-Anon, Alcoholics Anonymous, Bob Fletcher, david flores, Don Murray, garrett gomez, Gino Roncelli, Golden State, Good News Friday, joe harper, liberation farm, Lou Rowan, Mary Forney, Narcotics Anonymous, oak tree racing association, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, thoroughbred owners of california, winners foundation
Posted in Good News Friday, Industry | 10 Comments »
Friday, December 11th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
I always felt as though Marje Everett unnecessarily shoe-horned in the Hollywood Park fall meeting when it was added to the Southern California racing schedule in 1981. Until then, there had been a break in the action at the area’s major tracks from the end of the Oak Tree Racing Association meeting at Santa Anita Park in early November until the traditional Dec. 26 opening day of the Santa Anita winter-spring meet. That break gave horses, horsemen and fans a brief reprieve from the daily grind.
It may have been good business at the time for the former Hollywood Park owner to add the autumn meeting, especially since it helped her land the inaugural Breeders’ Cup in 1984. And there have been many outstanding and exiting races offered during that meeting over the last 28 years.
Lately, however, the Hollywood Park fall meeting merely serves as a reminder of how tired and old horse racing has become in Southern California as it limps to the end of the racing year.
Perhaps we should count our blessings that Hollywood Park is still in business, given its present ownership by a land development company that has a wrecking ball at the ready as soon as it can obtain financing. Its caretaker management team, led by Jack Liebau, who turned Bay Meadows in Northern California into a useless pile of rubble, is doing little more than going through the motions, knowing the end is near. Can they really be blamed? The track is on life support, with Liebau playing the role of assisted suicide doctor Jack Kevorkian, aka Dr. Death.
But when some look at what’s going on during the fall meeting at the “track of the lakes and flowers,” they might wonder if it would be better to put Hollywood Park out of its misery and move on…to wherever that is. California horse racing’s “leaders” have no plan for the future.
Field size is abysmal, and the quality of racing, even on weekends, may be at an all-time low. Saturday’s nine-race program has just 58 horses entered. There are six claiming races, three five-horse fields and three six-horse fields. The average field size before scratches is 6.44.
That follows a Wednesday card with an average field size of 6.375, a Thursday program with 7.375 and a Friday card that has 6.625 horses entered per race.
The falling economy and real estate crisis has hit California especially hard, affecting horseplayers and horse owners. There aren’t enough horse owners with ready-to-run Thoroughbreds to fill the cards adequately for a year-round circuit anymore in Southern California. The daily diet of bad betting races is only discouraging to horseplayers.
The California Horse Racing Board won’t make any significant changes because it is rudderless. Is anyone willing to step up and save California racing?
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: Breeders' Cup, California Horse Racing Board, Hollywood Park, jack liebau, marje everett, oak tree racing association, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, santa anita park
Posted in California, California Horse Racing Board, Hollywood Park, santa anita park | 63 Comments »
Monday, March 16th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
Legislation approved by the Kentucky state Senate on Friday would pave the way for the Breeders’ Cup to make an emergency return to Churchill Downs this year in the event complications with Magna Entertainment’s bankruptcy prevent the Oak Tree Racing Association from hosting the two-day championships this fall at Santa Anita Park in California as scheduled.
The economic development bill, HB229, passed the House earlier this session and was amended by the Senate on Friday to include several incentives, including a pari-mutuel excise tax credit submitted by Republican Sen. Damon Thayer that would only go into effect if the Breeders’ Cup is held in Kentucky a minimum of two times between 2009 and 2012. The credit would remain on the books indefinitely, provided the Breeders’ Cup returns to Kentucky on a continuous basis of at least once every three years. Churchill Downs has hosted the Breeders’ Cup six times, in 1988, ’91, ’94, ’96, 2000 and ‘06 — more than any other track. The Keeneland Association is also looking into substantial expansion to its racing facility in Lexington in order to become a potential Breeders’ Cup host.
The pari-mutuel excise tax credits go to the racetrack, which contracts with Breeders’ Cup for distribution of pari-mutuel handle and other sources of revenue from the championships.
The 2010 Breeders’ Cup is scheduled for Churchill Downs, but no sites have been determined for future runnings. If this year’s Breeders’ Cup stays in California, Thayer told the Paulick Report that for the 2010 tax credits to kick in, the Breeders’ Cup will have to be contractually obligated to return to Kentucky in 2011 or 2012. He estimated the tax credit was worth $700,000 when the Breeders’ Cup was last staged at Churchill Downs as a one-day event in 2006. The amendment requires a minimum of $500,000 of the tax credit be used to fund Breeders’ Cup undercard races.
Thayer worked for the Breeders’ Cup from 1999 until parting ways with the organization in 2007, when he was vice president of event management. He started his own consulting firm and was given a six-month deal with the Breeders’ Cup to help with the 2007 championships at Monmouth Park – its first year as a two-day event – but that deal was not renewed.
The racing industry veteran and second-term state senator pushed for the Breeders’ Cup incentives in spite of any bitterness over his parting with the organization.
“As a legislator I have a responsibility to enact policy that I believe is beneficial to the commonwealth and having the Breeders’ Cup in Kentucky is an economic windfall for the state,” he said. “The University of Louisville said it has a $30-million impact for a one day event, and I’m no economist but I would think a two-day event could be worth $40-$50 million. Plus, the horse sales in Lexington that follow the Breeders’ Cup benefit by the Breeders’ Cup being in Kentucky. A rising tide lifts all ships. I tried to put any of my personal feelings aside and try to do what was right for Kentucky and the horse industry — which are not mutually exclusive, by the way.”
Though Breeders’ Cup president Greg Avioli has publicly stated the bankruptcy of Magna should not affect the ability of the Oak Tree Racing Association to host the event this year, Breeders’ Cup has retained legal counsel that specializes in bankruptcy and has Churchill Downs pegged as an emergency backup site. There are some fears that a bankruptcy trustee could nullify any leases that are not profitable to Magna, which could leave Oak Tree without a home.
“I’m well aware of the issues with Magna and how it could affect the Breeders’ Cup and Oak Tree, and that’s why I included 2009 in the Breeders’ Cup tax credit legislation,” Thayer said. “If there’s a chance Kentucky could get it back, I wanted to make sure the definition included a two-day event instead of a the one-day event that’s currently on the books.”
Thayer also submitted a one-day pari-mutuel excise tax credits to all Kentucky tracks that race 30 days or more, with Kentucky Oaks, Derby and Blue Grass days not eligible.
The same economic development bill includes a sales tax rebate for Kentucky Speedway, which is now owned by billionaire Bruton Smith’s Speedway Motorsports. The rebate will pay for 25% of the renovations to Kentucky Speedway if the track is able to secure a NASCAR event.
The bill returns to the House, where it is expected to be passed during the final two days of the General Assembly’s regular session March 26-27.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: 2009 breeders' cup, 2010 breeders' cup, Breeders' Cup, Breeders' Cup championships, churchill downs, damon thayer, Greg Avioli, hb229, Keeneland, magna bankruptcy, Magna Entertainment, magna entertainment bankruptcy, oak tree racing association, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, santa anita park
Posted in Breeders' Cup, Churchill Downs Inc., Keeneland, Kentucky, Magna Entertainment | 3 Comments »
Friday, March 6th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
While Thursday’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by Magna Entertainment (MEC) leaves a multitude of unanswered questions about the future of the racetracks the Frank Stronach-controlled company owns, there was a positive reaction from the investment community concerning MI Developments — another Stronach company spun off from the auto parts mothership Magna International – which is the majority shareholder in MEC.
Shortly after news of the bankruptcy filing was released in the afternoon, the share price of MI Developments (MIM) shot upward, jumping over $1 from 3.50 to 4.55 on heavy trading. Thursday’s closing price remained relatively steady after the market opened Friday morning.
Nevertheless, MIM is far off its 52-week high of 30.26. Like many stocks, it began a steep descent in mid-September when the global financial crisis first hit, but MIM has underperformed against the markets. Institutional shareholders Greenlight Capital and Farallon Capital Management have protested moves by the company to keep Magna Entertainment out of bankruptcy by extending loan deadlines and infusing cash into the company’s operational budget. Its principals have not publicly weighed in on the bankruptcy filing.
It’s too early to tell how MIM’s move to bid on some of the Magna racetrack properties (Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream Park and the surrounding shopping mall, Palm Meadows training Center, Lone Star Park, and AmTote) will play out. The "stalking horse bid" of $195 million includes $44 million in cash, $15 million in an assumed capital lease, and $136 million in existing debt) may be topped by other interested parties. The other properties, including Santa Anita Park, Pimlico and Laurel, Thistledown, Remington Park have purportedly been on the market for some time now, but there have been complaints from shareholders and some interested outside parties that Stronach and his key executives have not been earnest in their efforts to sell.
Who might be interested in some of the properties that Stronach bought in Magna’s name in a buying frenzy from 1998-2002? Halsey Minor, the internet entrepreneur who previously attempted to buy Hialeah Park from John Brunetti and offered to pucrhase one of the loans MIM extended to Magna Entertainment, could still be a player. So might Churchill Downs, the publicly traded company that has little debt and a strong balance sheet. However, Churchill already exited the California market in 2005 when it sold Hollywood Park to a real estate development company, so it’s questionable whether or not it would have any interest in Santa Anita or Golden Gate. There have been reports in Florida that Churchill-owned Calder race course could be the site of either a baseball stadium or convention center at some point, although that seems less likely now that the track is being converted to a racetrack/slots casino. So its interest in Gulfstream Park is in doubt.
It is not inconceivable that some wealthy individuals involved in owning racehorses – among them Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed — could step forward to make a bid, either individually or in partnership, particularly on Santa Anita, which many see as a critical lifeline for horse racing in California. It’s expected that Hollywood Park will be closed for development in the next few years, as it is owned by the same company that shut down Bay Meadows with the intention of developing it (though development of the property is said to be at a standstill).
In the meantime, there have been assurances that all of the Magna tracks will continue to operate, just as United Airlines planes continued to fly after that company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2002. In the case of United, there were serious cuts made in operations and employee benefits. The company emerged from bankruptcy a little more than three years after originally filing.
And Stronach has not indicated that he wants to get out of the business of owning and operating racetracks. He may do everything within his power to retain the tracks under one of the Magna umbrellas.
“The fact that MEC’s day-to-day operations will continue uninterrupted throughout the Chapter 11 process is good news to industry participants, including thousands of horsemen and employees, as well as customers," said Alex Waldrop, president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
Magna and its tracks remain members of the NTRA, though it isn’t known if or when their $400,000 in annual dues (which are billed quarterly) will be paid. The NTRA went through a similar situation when the New York Racing Association filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2006. NTRA senior vice president Keith Chamblin said NYRA made good on all of its dues when it emerged from bankruptcy.
Greg Avioli, president and CEO of the Breeders’ Cup, said the filing by Magna should have no bearing on plans to return to Santa Anita this fall with the two-day championships, which are being hosted by the Oak Tree Racing Association. Oak Tree, which hosted the 2008 championships, leases the facility and staff from Santa Anita for its fall meeting.
“Our agreement is with Oak Tree, so at this time based on the information available to us, we fully expect to have the event there,” Avioli said. In the meantime, the Breeders’ Cup has retained the same bankruptcy counsel used when NYRA’s looming bankruptcy threatened the 2005 Breeders’ Cup at Belmont Park. It is expected that Churchill Downs would serve as a potential backup site if developments threaten Santa Anita or Oak Tree.
Perhaps Avioli’s key phrase is "based on the information available." No one really knows how this bankruptcy will proceed at this stage — not even Stronach.. We’ll learn more when the legal proceedings begin.
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Tags: alex waldrop, Breeders' Cup, Greg Avioli, keith chamblin, magna bankrupt, magna bankruptcy, Magna Entertainment, mec, mec bankruptcy, meca bankruptcy, mi developments, mim, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, New York Racing Association, NTRA, nyra, nyra bankruptcy, oak tree racing association, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, stronach bankruptcy
Posted in Breeders' Cup, Churchill Downs Inc., Halsey Minor, Magna Entertainment, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, New York Racing Association, santa anita park | 9 Comments »
Monday, February 2nd, 2009
The Breeders’ Cup board of directors meets Wednesday, and they’ve got a lot to talk about. The organization that hosts the two-day world championships is facing difficult financial challenges caused by a steep reduction in stud fees that contribute toward a significant portion of the Breeders’ Cup annual operating budget. Foal nominations also are expected to be down in 2009. The 2008 event, hosted by the Oak Tree Racing Association, failed to produce the $5-million in on-track revenue that Oak Tree guaranteed to the Breeders’ Cup, and the two organizations are negotiating a settlement on the difference. This year’s event, scheduled at Santa Anita, is projected to produce well short of $5 million.
Compounding these financial pressures was the loss of approximately $11 million in the stock market, dropping Breeders’ Cup cash reserves from $40 million to $29 million. As a result of the declining revenue, market budgets and racing telecasts have been cut. The board initially voted to suspend the Breeders’ Cup stakes supplement program, but reversed the decision after an outcry from nominators. To make up for revenue shortfalls, the board voted to use some of its cash reserves.
Some industry stakeholders are beginning to speak out, suggesting that the Breeders’ Cup management team and board of directors may be jeopardizing the future of the program with some of their decisions. Among those critics is Peter Blum, a longtime, Atlanta-based owner and breeder who wrote a guest commentary in the Jan. 10 issue of Thoroughbred Times saying the time has come for breeders to “take back” the Breeders’ Cup from those who currently run it.
Two weeks later, Breeders’ Cup board member Satish Sanan responded with a counterpoint to Blum that was also published in the Thoroughbred Times. Sanan spoke with the Paulick Report about Blum’s criticism, and also outlined a Breeders’ Cup strategic planning committee that Sanan is heading.
Blum wrote a response to Sanan’s commentary that was published as a letter to the editor in the Jan. 31 issue of the Thoroughbred Times, and also copied the letter to the Paulick Report. In the interest of continuing the dialogue about the Breeders’ Cup management and governance issues, we are republishing the letter below in its entirety.
Blum’s viewpoints printed here do not necessarily represent those of the Paulick Report. I spoke with Blum over the weekend, and learned more about the specific criticism he has with how the Breeders’ Cup board of members and trustees and its smaller board of directors are elected, and how the board can be more transparent. Those comments will appear in tomorrow’s Paulick Report. – Ray Paulick
Management changes are needed at Breeders’ Cup
Election process flawed; all breeders should have input into the organization’s direction
By Peter Blum
I feel compelled to respond to Satish Sanan’s guest commentary in the Jan. 24 edition of Thoroughbred Times.
It is apparent that Mr. Sanan has contributed in major ways to several positive accomplishments achieved by the Breeders’ Cup, and I applaud his efforts and his commitment to “the Cup” and to the industry. I hope, also, that Mr. Sanan and other genuinely involved members of the inner Board do not take my comments personally, as my comments are not intended to be personal in nature. Even more importantly, none of my comments are an “attack” on the Breeders’ Cup itself. In no way do I wish to damage the concept or viability of the Breeders’ Cup per se and our important festival of racing.
My intention is simply to speak out about the poor fiscal decisions made by management and the way our money is invested and allocated. I am also greatly concerned that the original purposes of the Breeders’ Cup have been re-directed further away from benefitting the breeders who write the checks that make the Cup races possible. The shocking decision to eliminate the 121 supplemental stakes races is powerful evidence of a management culture and a decision-making process that is off-track and out of step with constituents who already receive a paltry amount of breeders’ awards in return for their contributions.
Although the decision was quickly rescinded because of widespread outrage, the mindset that led to the original announcement is disturbing. Many options were available instead of eliminating the entire supplemental program. For example, the program could have been scaled back in number, or all supplemental purses reduced by a certain percentage. In addition, purses for the Breeders’ Cup festival could also have been scaled back. The title of Breeders’ Cup “champion” is a huge motivator and, to most owners, worth more than the purse money.
Frankly, it is hard to stomach an investment strategy that led to losing approximately 25,000 foal nominations in a high-risk stock market. Knowing that paid-in money had to be paid out, this failure of fiduciary responsibility is inexcusable.
Furthermore, I am concerned about the process involved in electing the inner Board and the skewed voting structure that is in place to keep the same people in power. The deck is stacked when Breeders’ Cup officers, past presidents, and founding board members are also allowed to vote (if necessary) on who gets in the inner circle. It appears that four officers, six founding members, and two former presidents are eligible to vote on the composition of the inner board. This virtually ensures that the same small group of people maintains their power and control over the Board.
We need a cross-section of industry participants with an effective mix of fresh ideas and high-level business expertise to develop new strategies that serve the breeder, while preserving our championship events in the best way possible. However, I fail to see how a new mix of people and ideas can be put in place unless the election process is changed.
I am further troubled by the lack of communication on important issues and decisions between the management/inner Board and the many accomplished and dedicated horsemen on the outer Board. The fact that many members of the outer Board first learned by e-mail of the decision to drop the Supplemental Stakes Program, just one hour before the press release went out, is hard evidence of leadership operating in a vacuum.
As with Mr. Sanan, my comments about Greg Avioli’s leadership are intended to be descriptive, and not personal. In my Jan. 10 guest commentary, the only mention of Mr. Avioli’s name came about because the Thoroughbred Times editorial staff inserted his name in place of my titular reference to “the CEO of the Breeders’ Cup.”
If mentioning Mr. Avioli by name suggests anything that needs addressing, however, then let him speak up about the many questions and observations regarding his leadership that have recently appeared in print. A leader must be held accountable for his actions.
I have been deeply moved to hear from so many concerned breeders and respected industry participants who have thanked me for my efforts to bring attention to what I and many others see as poor strategic decisions. I have been told a humbling number of times how much my being a voice for their concerns is appreciated.
I asked a number of questions in my commentary which Mr. Sanan chose to ignore. The only one I believe he tried to answer resulted in his stunning statement that our industry is better off today than it was in 2006 when he became involved as a Breeders’ Cup inner Board member. I am not sure we are looking in quite the same way at an industry with falling attendance, lower handle, shrinking purses, a steadily declining fan base, and a continuous exiting of owners. Even Las Vegas not that many years ago accounted for 10% of the national handle, but now only brings in 4% of the total. Readers can decide for themselves whether or not we are better off today.
On a positive note, I agree unequivocally with Mr. Sanan’s last paragraph which reads: “In difficult times like these, we need more dialogue and less name-calling. We need constructive people looking for solutions who are willing to work together to make things better.” And, I thank Mr. Sanan for his leadership on a Breeders’ Cup strategic planning committee that is currently seeking to obtain input from professionals outside the industry related to formulating an effective long-range plan. Gaining perspective and ideas from “outside” is an intelligent way to proceed, but it will still be up to the Breeders’ Cup management and inner board to evaluate the sense of specific ideas and strategies. Therefore, it is essential that we elect the best and most representative people as possible to fill decision making positions on the Board.
I believe that if people are not part of the solution, they are part of the problem. Where Mr. Sanan and I differ, perhaps, is about who should be the constructive people looking for solutions. In this regard, however, the recent addition of Don Robinson of Winter Quarter Farm to the inner Board is a welcome development. As a relatively small but successful breeder, Mr. Robinson brings a needed perspective to the table. Hopefully, he will be an active and assertive voice to represent many other small breeders who often seem to be forgotten.
This is a time to speak up or, before long, we may not have much to speak up about. It is clearly a time when we need to put our egos aside and work cooperatively and cohesively toward injecting more effective ideas into the formulation of crucial decisions that affect the entire industry. The same small group of people in power should not have the ability to re-elect themselves year after year.
We cannot continue down the same path that has led us to the sad place where we find ourselves today. Together, we can make a difference to bring about much needed change.
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Tags: Breeders' Cup, Breeders' Cup board of directors, Breeders' Cup World Championships, Don Robinson, Greg Avioli, oak tree racing association, Paulick Report, peter blum, Ray Paulick, satish sanan, thoroughbred times, winter quarter farm
Posted in Breeders' Cup, Industry Organizations | 8 Comments »
Monday, January 12th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
If the Breeders’ Cup board of directors and management thought the decision last month to reinstate the stakes supplement program in 2009 (less than a week after voting to suspend it) was going to quiet any dissenting voices, they were wrong. A scathing commentary on the Breeders’ Cup, written by longtime owner and breeder Peter Blum and appearing in the Jan. 10, 2009, edition of the Thoroughbred Times, states publicly what a number of nominators to the program have been saying privately for some time: the Breeders’ Cup has lost its way.
Blum’s commentary is a must read. If you’re not a subscriber to the Thoroughbred Times (the article, unfortunately, is not available online), do yourself a favor and beg, borrow or steal a copy of the Jan. 10 issue.
Blum insists the Breeders’ Cup will not be living up to its mission if the board eliminates the stakes supplements after 2009, as many fear will happen. Board chairman Bill Farish said the reinstatement applied only to 2009. Blum suggests some of the Breeders’ Cup leaders “mirror the problems that characterize virtually all of our industry’s leadership; they are uncreative, self-serving, arrogant, out of touch, and not mindful of their constituents.”
He also questions the investment strategy for the organization’s cash reserves, saying the “mismanagement of our money amounts to a serious breach of trust and a failure of fiduciary responsibility.” Blum said he is appalled by compensation packages for and lack of accountability by top management, and believes voting for board of director seats is “skewed.”
His conclusion is a call to action by others who have similar feelings: “We have lost the Breeders’ Cup as it was defined in its original mission statement,” Blum wrote. “It is time for breeders to take it back.”
Blum’s plea should serve as a reminder for breeders throughout the country not to give up on the program and continue to nominate their stallions and foals. The financial backbone of the nominations remains in Kentucky, but every single stallion or foal nominator is a stakeholder in the program who has the opportunity to vote in the annual election of members and trustees. Those members and trustees decide who sits on the Breeders’ Cup board, so the elections are critically important. As citizens of Florida in 2000 and Minnesota in 2008 learned, every vote matters.
It will be interesting to see how the Breeders’ Cup reacts to Blum’s commentary. Will board chairman Farish and CEO Greg Avioli chant a “this too shall pass” mantra and instead focus on a behind-the-scenes strategy to ensure the balance of power on the Breeders’ Cup board of members and trustees remains in their favor when 13 of them are elected later this year? Will they use a vehicle like Bloodhorse magazine, on whose board Farish sits, to respond to Blum’s criticism?
The Breeders’ Cup is not just feeling heat from breeders. There is more than a little sentiment throughout the industry that the expansion of the former one-day, eight-race program to a two-day, 14-race event has diluted the championships among American fans (while, admittedly, increasing interest for European horsemen). Additionally, many racing fans were vocal in their disapproval of the Breeders’ Cup moving all of the filly and mare races to the Friday program in 2008.
The Oak Tree Racing Association, which opted to guarantee $5 million in revenue to the Breeders’ Cup for hosting the 2008 championships at Santa Anita Park, reportedly fell more than $2 million short because of weak ticket sales and lower than anticipated on-track handle. I imagine Oak Tree officials aren’t thrilled with that deal right now. The two sides have been busy working on a settlement that will not jeopardize the Cup’s scheduled return to Santa Anita in 2009.
The growing criticism of the Breeders’ Cup is no small matter. By many accounts, its creation more than 25 years ago was one of the most positive developments the sport has ever seen. No one – including breeders, owners, jockeys, trainers, racetrack companies and racing fans – wants this enormous industry asset to be lost in a maze created through poor leadership.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: 2008 breeders' cup, Bill Farish, Breeders' Cup, Breeders' Cup board of directors, breeders' cup cash reserves, Breeders' Cup championships, breeders' cup election, breeders' cup investments, breeders' cup nominators, filly friday, Greg Avioli, Horse Racing, oak tree racing association, Paulick Report, peter blum, Ray Paulick, thoroughbred breeders, thoroughbred times, william farish jr.
Posted in Breeders' Cup, Industry Organizations, Racing Media | 14 Comments »
Friday, January 9th, 2009
The death of Daily Racing Form’s longtime executive columnist Joe Hirsch has brought an outpouring of tributes from people throughout the Thoroughbred industry who remembered him for his dedication to the sport and to his profession, and for his friendship.
“Joe Hirsch was much more than just the dean of American racing writers for half a century. He was a global ambassador for the sport, a mentor to two generations of journalists, and probably the most universally respected figure in the world of horseracing.” Steven Crist, publisher, Daily Racing Form
“He was a great, great man and a racing journalist the likes of which we will never see or read again.” Charles Hayward, president and CEO, New York Racing Association and former president and CEO of Daily Racing Form
“Joe was a great ambassador for our sport. He had the best interests of horse racing at heart at all times. He was a true student of the game and it was always a privilege to spend time with him.” Ogden Mills Phipps, chairman, the Jockey Club
“Joe was a friend of the Breeders’ Cup, an inspired advocate for the sport he loved and, most importantly, a true gentleman.” Greg Avioli, president and CEO, Breeders’ Cup
“There has been no more respected figure in horse racing over the last 50 years than Joe Hirsch. He eloquently brought our sport to the hearts and minds of millions, and those of us who had the good fortune to know Joe personally have an even greater sense of what racing has lost today.” Alex Waldrop, president and CEO, National Thoroughbred Racing Association
“Keeneland joins the entire Thoroughbred industry in mourning the death of Joe Hirsch. Joe devoted his entire life in the tireless effort to chronicle the sport, traveling throughout the world and making the racetrack with the next major event his temporary home. No one has ever done it better—he was so good he made it look easy. I’ll miss his visits, friendship, dinner together and most of all our conversations filled with his stories.” Nick Nicholson, president and CEO, Keeneland
“To many the image of Joe Hirsch was racing’s national journalist, with his trademark dark glasses, the deliberate walk and the diminutive notebook in his left hand documenting irrefutable quotes. He redefined the role of sports journalist, becoming the most widely read turf columnist in the world, respected by his peers, revered and admired by his colleagues, truly one of racing’s treasures and one of its finest ambassadors.” James E. Bassett III, former chairman of the board, Keeneland
“He was one of the gentlemen of the sport, one of the most thoughtful men I’ve ever known. He had a difficult time with his health for many years, and he never, ever complained. Every time I feel a little down or things aren’t going the way I’d like them to, I think about Joe and how he handled his life. He carried on with extraordinary class. … He would often send me Joe’s Stone Crabs packed in dry ice from that restaurant in Miami Beach. When I’d visit him in Miami we’d go there for dinner, and it was a place that supposedly didn’t take reservations. But the waters would part whenever Joe walked in.” Sherwood Chillingworth, executive vice president, Oak Tree Racing Association
“Joe Hirsch earned and deserved universal respect and admiration throughout Thoroughbred racing. Owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys, grooms, racing executives, members of the media, and lovers of racing around the world revered Joe for his immense knowledge, remarkable talent and positive impact on our sport. But those who had to good fortune to know or simply meet him through the years will remember Joe for the incredible kindness he displayed to all who crossed his path. Countless journalists benefited from his guidance and counsel, and the Kentucky Derby and Thoroughbred racing are stronger because of the work and influence of Joe Hirsch. Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby family are deeply saddened by his passing, and mourn that his insightful and impassioned voice is now quiet. One of Joe’s most memorable sentences came in a Daily Racing Form piece on five-time ‘Horse of the Year’ Kelso in which he wrote: ‘Once upon a time there was a horse named Kelso … but only once.’ Let us borrow Joe’s brilliant phrase and proclaim today that once upon a time, there was a special journalist and man named Joe Hirsch … but only once.” Steve Sexton, president, Churchill Downs
“Joe Hirsch founded and served as the first president of the National Turf Writers Association, but more importantly, was a role model and mentor to so many of its members. Joe set a high standard of excellence that so many in the industry admired and while we are deeply saddened by Joe’s passing, we are tremendously honored to be the recipient of his guidance, generosity, and leadership.” Tom Law, president, National Turf Writers Association
“One thing I can say about Joe, and I think this is universally accepted. He didn’t have one person in this world who would say a bad word about him, and there’s not many people you can say that about.” Peter Blum, Thoroughbred owner and breeder, who in 2003, the year Hirsch retired from Daily Racing Form, named a Giant’s Causeway colt after his longtime friend
“Joe always brought out the good in the sport. All of his columns, no matter what happened, he always looked for the good in a horse or in the people in racing. There’s only one other writer I could compare him to: (the late) Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times. They were both listeners. The first time I was interviewed by either one of them, I’d tell them my story, and they’d only write down a few words here and there. But when the papers came out the next day their stories got everything and were great. Guys like that are really missed. Joe set the bar for all the other writers in racing, and it hasn’t been the same since he left.” Bob Baffert, trainer
“He was a special guy. I was always flattered whenever he wrote an article about me and quoted me because he always made me sound a lot better in print. He’ll be missed by me, and more importantly, by horse racing.” Shug McGaughey, Hall of Fame trainer
“He had such a wealth of knowledge about the history of the game, and it was always fascinating to listen to him talk. When I was on the Triple Crown trail with Seattle Slew, he’d come around and interview me. I’d pick his brain, and after about a half-hour he’d say, ‘Wait a minute – I’m supposed to be interviewing you!’ He put so much color into his stories. He expected things to be done first class, and that’s the way he wrote. He will be irreplaceable.” Billy Turner, trainer of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew
“I wish we had more turf writers like Joe Hirsch. He was a class act all the way and a tremendous historian of the sport. He knew horses inside and out.” William Badgett, Jr., trainer
“We’ve lost a good man. It’s very sad. Racing has lost such a knowledgeable man, who was always fair and accurate … and always a gentleman.” Jorge Velasquez, Hall of Fame jockey
“I don’t have one specific memory – he was such an icon. Even before I rode I’d look forward to reading his column to see what he had to say about the best 2- year-olds, or Derby prospects, or whatever champions he was writing about that day. He wrote about racing in such a passionate, articulate, thorough way and it was always a pleasure to read his thoughts and interpretations on what was going on in the game. Then, when I started riding and you’d get the call that Joe Hirsch wants to interview you it was so special and humbling that he’d pick you as a topic.” Richard Migliore, jockey
“I just remember being a kid and seeing PEB’s drawing of Joe–it was the best, really lifelike and it stands out when I think of him.” Mike Luzzi, jockey
“He was the greatest that Joe Hirsch. He and Charlie Whittingham used to use this expression—‘where Molly hid the peaches.’ I’d always ask him what it meant and he’d never tell me. Guess now we’ll never know.” Sonny Taylor, NYRA placing judge
Tags: alex waldrop, billy turner, Breeders' Cup, charles hayward, churchill downs, daily racing form, Dinny Phipps, Greg Avioli, James E. Bassett, Jockey Club, joe hirsch, joe's stone crabs, jorge velasquez, Keeneland, kentucky derby, mike luzzi, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, national turf writers association, New York Racing Association, nick nicholson, NTRA, oak tree racing association, Ogden Mills Phipps, peter blum, Richard Migliore, sherwood chillingworth, shug mcgaughey, sonny taylor, steve sexton, steven crist, Ted Bassett, tom law, william badgett
Posted in People, Racing Media, daily racing form | 1 Comment »
Monday, October 27th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
There are many ways to look at this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships from a business and sporting standpoint, and not all examinations are going to lead to the same destination.
The most important question is whether or not the 2008 Breeders’ Cup was a success or failure. Was the decision to hold the Cup at a racetrack with a synthetic surface a wise move? Has the expansion of the world championships from eight races in one day to 14 races in two days helped or diluted the event?
How is success or failure of the Breeders’ Cup measured? Is it attendance, pari-mutuel handle, revenue, TV ratings, racing results, international participation?
It’s difficult to measure some of these factors because the circumstances of the Breeders’ Cup have changed so much between 2008 and previous years, rendering it an apples to oranges comparison. Making those comparisons even more challenging are the current economic conditions that have hit all levels of society this year, from Wall Street bankers to blue-collar workers. Virtually every industry is feeling a severe impact.
Putting that aside, last year’s Breeders’ Cup at Monmouth Park was the first time the event was stretched over two days, and handle totaled just over $147 million ($31.5 on the Friday program and $115.7 on Saturday) despite poor weather and messy track conditions (a near monsoon came through New Jersey during Friday’s program and the track was very sloppy on Saturday). This year’s two-day handle increased by only 5.5%, to $155.5 million ($47.9 million on Friday, $107.6 million on Saturday), despite perfect weather and the addition of three new Breeders’ Cup races. Comparisons are for the whole cards, including non-Breeders’ Cup races run at Monmouth Park last year and Santa Anita this year.
Steve Crist’s weekend blog at DRF.com (Friday, Saturday), which detailed the race-by-race betting figures for the last three years of the Breeders’ Cup, shows that handle dropped sharply on the races moved from the Saturday card in 2007 to Friday (Filly & Mare Turf, Juvenile Fillies, Ladies’ Classic) this year. That makes perfect sense, since there were fewer people betting Friday’s program this year than there were betting Saturday’s program last year. But there were five Breeders’ Cup races on Friday this year, when the all of the filly and mare races were packaged as "Filly Friday" or "Ladies Day," compared with three in 2007, leading to the increase in Friday-to-Friday comparisons.
Handle dropped virtually across the board on Saturday’s races this year, with the day’s total handle declining by 7%, from $115.7 million in 2007 to $107.6 million in 2008. It was the lowest handle on a Saturday Breeders’ Cup since 1999, when $100.3 million was bet on the races from Gulfstream Park.
Santa Anita’s on-track handle of $11.8 million was down almost 10% from the $12.7 million wagered on-track at Monmouth Park in 2007 and a steep decline of 33% from the 2006 Saturday Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs, when $18.3 million was bet on-track during the one-day event.
Saturday’s on-track business was the lowest for a Breeders’ Cup since 1997, when $11.2 million was wagered at Hollywood Park. The last time the Breeders’ Cup was held at Santa Anita, in 2003, one-day on-track handle totaled $16.3 million. This year’s two-day on-track handle was $18.7 million.
The economic climate has not been good for racing in 2008. Most major race meetings have experienced double-digit declines in business. For the Breeders’ Cup to increase handle from 2007 is an accomplishment, though not a major one when considering both the additional races and superior weather conditions.
It is difficult to say there has not been a dilution of the event based on the early evidence. Do the positive benefits outweigh any negatives? I think it’s too early to tell.
Attendance was up this year from 2007, but that should have been a no-brainer following the poor weather at Monmouth Park. Breeders’ Cup officials got greedy with ticket prices and, to their credit, have admitted as much. The increase in prices was outrageous, especially for the Friday program, and it is hoped they will be scaled back considerably next year.
TV ratings have not yet been reported, but it’s hard to imagine they will be up from 2007.
The racing was spectacular on both days – and safe. More than a few people commented at the conclusion of the Breeders’ Cup that no one died or suffered any serious injuries, a sad commentary on the bumpy road the sport has been traveling in recent years. The Pro-Ride synthetic track was fast and safe, though it appeared to compromise some horses who had only raced on conventional dirt tracks and help those horses with synthetic track or turf experience.
Synthetic surfaces have increased the difficulty of handicapping, and running the traditional Breeders’ Cup dirt races on the Pro-Ride track may have led some big players to downsize their bets. The Classic, according to Crist’s figures, handled $24.3 million in bets this year, down from $30.1 million at Monmouth Park last year and $37.7 million at Churchill Downs in 2006.
The dominance of European horses was widely embraced by Breeders’ Cup officials, including president Greg Avioli, who sees international participation as the last, best hope for further growth in pari-mutuel handle. The success of Raven’s Pass and four other European-based winners on Saturday’s program will ensure enthusiastic participation from European horsemen when the races return to Santa Anita in 2009, but there is no guarantee that’s going to mean greater interest among horseplayers outside of North America. There is a conceivable backlash among American breeders who provide the financial foundation of the Breeders’ Cup program through foal and stallion nominations. Some of them view this as an American event, and they would be happier if the considerable purse money stayed in this country. On the other hand, those breeders who want to reach an international audience with their sale yearlings may cheer the success of European-based runners.
The Breeders’ Cup will conduct a post-mortem on the event to determine what worked and what didn’t. Many have said the Oak Tree Racing Association and Santa Anita did a terrific job from a logistical standpoint, and there may not be a more telegenic racing facility in America in late October than the "Great Race Place." There were many people critical of the decision to hold the event at Santa Anita in consecutive years, but those critics surely are fewer in number following this year’s Breeders’ Cup
Provided that no major changes are made in the format, holding the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita next year will be more of an apples to apples comparison, allowing Cup officials to assess whether or not the expansion from one day to two was a sound decision.
Tags: Breeders' Cup, breeders' cup results, Breeders' Cup World Championships, business of racing, Greg Avioli, Horse Racing, monmouth park, oak tree racing association, pari-mutuel handle, pari-mutuel wagering, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, santa anita
Posted in Breeders' Cup, Horse Racing, International Racing, Synthetic surfaces, Wagering | 12 Comments »
Sunday, October 19th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
I’m sure I wasn’t the only one holding his breath when the gates opened for the fourth race Saturday at the Oak Tree Racing Association meeting from Santa Anita. Seven “old” men and one still young woman, all of them Living Legends who have retired from professional race riding, were set to show that their skills had not all faded.
This wasn’t like one of those Old Timers Day baseball games at Yankee Stadium I remember watching on television in the 1960s, when pitches were lobbed up to the plate and spikes weren’t sharpened for slides into second base. These eight Living Legends would be aboard racehorses still in the prime of their careers in a game that can be dangerous for even the youngest, fastest-thinking and quickest-reacting athletes.
Thankfully, the eight horses and riders made the seven-furlong course safely, with 59-year-old Canadian Sandy Hawley, one of the all-time great riders and gentlemen of the game, romping to victory aboard the race favorite, Tribal Chief. (Click here to view the race.) Hawley took his charge wire to wire to win by 6 ½ lengths, looking every bit as good as he did in his prime 30 years ago, when he was nine times Canada’s champion jockey and four times led all North American riders by wins. Tribal Chief gave Hawley his 6,450th career victory, 10th on the list of all-time North American leaders.
Following Hawley across the finish line were horses ridden by Living Legends Jerry Bailey, Gary Stevens, Pat Day, Julie Krone, Jacinto Vasquez, Chris McCarron and Angel Cordero Jr. (Equibase chart.) All are members of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame. Not riding but participating in autograph sessions were three other Hall of Famers: Eddie Delahoussaye, Laffit Pincay Jr. and Jorge Velasquez.
Turns out I wasn’t the only nervous one. “I was a little nervous going into the starting gate, because I haven’t been out of a gate in 10 years,” Hawley said afterwards. “That was the part that I was worried about, so I grabbed a big handful of mane.”
The Living Legends race turned out to be a popular promotion for the riders and racing fans, and was a clever way to kick off a week featuring the 25th Breeders’ Cup world championships. Fans in the Los Angeles area and at tracks across did more than watch the Living Legends; they bet on them to the tune of over $1 million, with the $438,012 in the win, place and show pool the highest on the 10-race card.
There was immediate talk of holding another similar event in the future.
“If I was invited back again, I would do it again in a minute,” said Hawley, whose biggest personal challenge came in 1987 when he beat skin cancer. “I was 122 pounds two months ago, and when I got invited, I started working out and got on a few horses, and the weight came right off. I weighed 110 in the room today.
“Being back with these guys was a thrill. I’ve been with them the last few days, and you really don’t get to see them more than maybe once or twice a year at the Derby or the Breeders’ Cup. To be able to ride with them … when I got the call, I was like, ‘Holy cow, yeah, it would be an honor.’ The field of riders they ended up getting was tremendous, and I never thought in a million years that I had an opportunity to win, but I got on a good horse.”
I kept waiting for track announcer Trevor Denman to say that Hawley had the Living Legends race “in the bag” as they came down the stretch. Back in 1983, when Denman was just getting started as a racecaller in the United States, that’s exactly what he said about Hawley and a horse named Shanekite when they opened a big lead in the Morvich Handicap, run on the hillside turf course. “Sandy Hawley and Shanekite have this one in the bag,” Denman announced as they hit the sixteenth pole.
Unfortunately, Hawley heard Denman’s call and eased up a bit on Shanekite as they approached the wire, only to get beat on the money by a John Longden-trained runner named Kangroo Court, who was charging hard to the wire under a young apprentice rider, Joe Steiner. It was a rare mistake in an outstanding career for Hawley, and a racecall Denman would like to be able to do over. “I heard the announcer say I had it in the bag,” a fuming Hawley said afterwards, explaining the loss to reporters.
There was no letting up on Saturday. On this occasion, Hawley was the best of the Living Legends.
Copyright © 2008, The Paulick Report
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Tags: angel cordero jr., Breeders' Cup, Breeders' Cup World Championships, chris mccarron, Gary Stevens, hall of fame jockeys, Horse Racing, jacinto vasquez, jerry bailey, joe steiner, john longden, Julie Krone, kangroo court, living legends, living legends race, oak tree racing association, oldtimers day, oldtimers games, pat day, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, sandy hawley, santa anita, shanekite, trevor denman, tribal chief, yankee stadium
Posted in Breeders' Cup, California, Horse Racing, People, Racing Greats | 1 Comment »
Thursday, October 16th, 2008
At 1 p.m. Eastern Ray Paulick will be live blogging today’s National Thoroughbred Racing Association teleconference focusing on the 25th Breeders’ Cup from the Oak Tree Racing Association meeting at Santa Anita Park Oct. 24-25, pre-entries for which were announced earlier. Click here to get the list of pre-entries.
Scheduled guests on the conference are:
. Greg Avioli, President and Chief Executive Officer, Breeders’ Cup Limited
. Sherwood C. Chillingworth, Director & Executive Vice-President, Oak Tree at Santa Anita
. Tom Robbins, Chairman, Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel
. Rick Hammerle, Racing Secretary, Santa Anita Park
. Trainer Steve Asmussen.
. Trainer Eoin Harty
. Owner Jerry Moss
. Alastair Donald, Director of the International Racing Bureau
1:04 p.m. … Before the conference begins, let me send a cautionary note to readers of today’s blog. In the event any of the participants starts talking about Joe the Plumber, I am out of here. That is, unless there is actually a pre-entered horse named Joe the Plumber. It comes to mind that we could have used Joe the Plumber at this year’s Belmont Stakes. If you were there, you’d know what I mean.
1:06 p.m. … It’s post time! Where are the horses?
1:12 p.m. … Still no tellie conference! While we are waiting, let me remind everyone that post positions will be drawn for the Friday and Saturday races next Tuesday, Oct. 21. TVG will have the live draw of some of the races that afternoon. Let’s hope the draw is as dramatic and entertaining as the Kentucky Derby draw! (Actually, it’s a pretty serious and busineslike affair, given the number of races that will be drawn, and they do it the old-fashioned way.)
1:16 p.m. … We begin! Jim Gluckson, the Breeders’ Cup publicist gets on the call and we immediately hear someone’s cell phone going off.
1:18 p.m. … Jimmy G. says there is a record number of pre-entries from overseas (I guess it helps that three races were added.) There should be a lot of records with the expansion. Greg Avioli is giving introductory remarks now. "Strongest fields in the 25 year history of our event….$25 million in purses. We are particularly pleased that the six new races (three in 2007, three this year) all have been oversubscribed." Avioli says he could talk for a long time but won’t. Good news. More good news. Advance forecast…83 degrees and sunny. No fires in sight this year, thankfully.
1:20 p.m. … Sherwood Chillingworth of Oak Tree takes the phone and mentions that this is a year of firsts: first time on synthetic, and first time without steroids (thanks for that reminder…does that mean we should put an asterisk in front of all previous Breeders’ Cup champions like baseball may do with Barry Bonds and that shameless dude from the St. Louis Cardinals?
1:25 p.m. … A little humor is injected into the call. Gluckson asks if Jerry Moss is on the line (he isn’t yet), then asks if trainer Eoin Harty is on the line. Harty says he is, and is ready to answer questiions anyone has for Jerry Moss, too.
1:30 p.m. … Steve Asmussen on the call says he was a little concerned with the hot weather when Curlin first arrived in California but it’s cooled off. Synthetic tracks can be very different day to day, says Asmussen, but he is satisfied with how Curlin has handled it so far. Asmussen isn’t going to judge anyone else’s horses (no trash talk against Duke of Marmalade, given a question about that horse from a writer).
1:31 p.m. … Does Eoin Harty have a home field advantage on synthetic surfaces with Well Armed and Colonel John? "Only in that I don’t have to ship," he replied.
1:32 p.m. … Jerry Moss talks about Zenyatta. "It’s not that we weren’t aware she didn’t have great talent. John Shirreffs always said she was special. … We don’t consider anything’s in the bag. Mike’s (jockey Smith) going to have to be lucky and she’s going to have to run her best race to win. … "We had a really nice filly that won the (Kentucky) Oaks in 1994, Sardula, and unfortunately she contracted an illness and didn’t make it past her fourth year. So we don’t take anything for granted. When I think of the great fillies I think of Personal Ensign, and the great race she had with Winning Colors back in the 1980s. I remember how she went to the breeding shed undefeated and that would be great if we could do something like that." Moss said he and wife Ann have not made any decision yet about 2009 with Zenyatta, as to whether or not she will run. Talking about Tiago, Moss said he will be "running against some the greatest horses of our time."
1:37 p.m. … A question about why the Breeders’ Cup came to a track with synthetics. Avioli said the Breeders’ Cup board made "an intentional decision" to have the races on a synthetic surface. "I don’t foresee going back to an era when you only have traditonal dirt tracks. … I expect you are going to see many, many more Breeders’ Cups held on synthetic tracks in the future."
1:39 p.m. … Back to Moss. He isn’t thinking about Horse of the Year for Zenyatta in the event Curlin is beaten in the Classic.
1:40 p.m. … Is Asmussen concerned Curlin may be vulnerable on a synthetic track. "There’s a lot out there…horses as accomplished as Tiago is a longshot. It’s competitive and we have nothing but respect for the horses involved. Having said that we are very proud of Curlin and very proud to be on his side."
1:41 p.m. … Did Moss ever consider the Classic with Zenyatta? "It never really entered our minds. We were always pointing toward this race, the Ladies’ Classic. OK she’s an undefeated filly and she might do well against colts, but this would be the first time she runs a mile and a quarter. Maybe there’s another time for that if she runs next year, and there’s some mile and quarter races for fillies we can try."
1:42 p.m. … Edgar Prado will ride Colonel John after Garrett Gomez chose to ride Go Between in the Classic. Harty said he wasn’t surprised by the deicison by Gomez and his agent.
1:43 p.m. … "Curlin looked absolutely fabulous in the California sun," Asmussen said about Curlin’s afternoon work on Monday. "The crowd erupted in the work," he said, "and Curlin jumped into the bridle." Asmussen said Curlin "has spoiled us with his consistency and ability. … I felt the track was very quick that afternoon. We were very pleased with the result." It was just a breeze, however, he added, a race is a completely different thing.
1:45 p.m. … Well Armed’s comeback from a serious health problem was a testament to the "owner’s perseverence," Harty said, then referred to WinStar Farm co-owner Bill Casner as a "hard-headed Texan." Veterinarians had recommended to Casner that Well Armed be euthanized.
1:47 p.m. … Asmussen has two others in the Classic… Student Council and Pyro."Student Council is a tremendous horse mentally and physically. He will show up and run his best race in the Breeders’ Cup. … Pyro deserves a chance at a mile and a quarter again (especially after the trouble he had in the Derby and Travers). The synthetic surface is a huge question because of his disappointing Blue Grass. But Polytrack isn’t Pro-Ride, and we’ll go from there." Asmussen refers to Curlin as a "Baby Huey" kind of horse early last year.
1:49 p.m. … Moss named many of his horses after the music business he’s in. How was Zenyatta named? "Zenyatta is named after the third Police album, Zenyatta Mondatta, which means absolutely nothing. We thought this would fit her and it has," he says.
1:51 p.m. … "Candidly after last year’s event we spent a lot of time thinking about what we could do to bring more European horses and Asian horses," Avioli said in response to a question about the increase in International runners this year. Avioli said it has to remain a "world championship." He said Breeders’ Cup officials actively recruited foreign runners. "There are more and more of these late fall championships in the world. The Arc, Hong Kong, Japan, and the Melbourne Cup. There’s a lot of competition out there for international horses."
1:54 p.m. … Tom Robbins said the Juvenile Fillies Tur f was a very difficult race to sort through and choose the field.
1: 56 p.m. … Someone asks Jerry Moss how he feels to have his unbeaten filly relegated to a Friday afternoon race (Filly Friday). "I’m just thrilled we are in the race," he says. "So in that sense whenever they decide to hold the race would be just fine with me. Whenever they scheduled it is up to them. They have the whole picture, and I’m just concerned about our horses and how they are doing. I really don’t have a comment on that. It’s not my place to ruminate about that."
1:58 p.m. … How much will be the economy going in the tank hurt this year’s Breeders’ Cup? "We will not be able to do the same level of handle that hypothetically we would have done if the economy not taken the nosedive it did.," said Avioli. Any estimate on this year’s handle? "It’s an inexact science," Avioli says. (Trust me: they have projections, they’re just not going to say what they are.)
2:00 p.m. … "European horses in the Turf are fast-ground horses," says Alastair Donald of the International Racing Bureau. He thinks the synthetic track will give Europeans a better chance to win the non-turf races, but adds, "I still think that we may put out our best performances on the turf." As for European horses coming to California, Donald said it isn’t the heat that gets to the European horses or the firm surface, but the farther distance horses must travel (as opposed to Belmont or Churchill Downs). It’s also the end of a long year for many of them, he added. "The steroid situation is greatly improved and there is consensus that we are on a level playing field. The synthetic surface helps level the playing field, too."
END OF TELECONFERENCE
Tags: 25th anniversary breeders' cup, alastair donald, Breeders' Cup, breeders' cup classic, california racing, colonel john, Curlin, cushion track, eoin harty, european horses, Greg Avioli, Horse Racing, international racing bureau, jerry moss, joe the plumber, oak tree racing association, Paulick Report, police, pro-ride, Ray Paulick, rick hammerle, santa anita park, sherwood chillingworth, steve asmussen, sting, synthetic surface, synthetic track, tom robbins, well armed, world championships
Posted in Breeders' Cup, California, Curlin, Horse Racing, International Racing, Racing Greats | 6 Comments »
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