Posts Tagged ‘Ray Paulick’

By Ray Paulick
 What’s that old expression often repeated in the legal world: He who represents himself has a fool for a client? I think a similar statement can be said of some horse owners: He who makes decisions on where and when his horses should run has a fool for a trainer.

That phrase came to mind, not once, but twice this week when the owners of two of America’s highest-profile Thoroughbreds, Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra and early Kentucky Derby favorite Eskendereya, made the type of decisions that are better left to their trainers. And the real trainers of these two horses, Steve Asmussen and Todd Pletcher, respectively, are anything but fools. Both are locks to someday be inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.

Jess Jackson struck first when he issued a press release Sunday declaring Rachel Alexandra out of the April 9 Apple Blossom Invitational at Oaklawn Park, less than 24 hours after she was defeated in the New Orleans Ladies at Fair Grounds.

“Yesterday’s race while a disappointment, helped us define Rachel Alexandra’s racing condition,” Jackson said. “While she is healthy, just as I had anticipated, she is not in top form. Therefore, I decided today she will not be going to the Oaklawn Invitational on April 9. Steve and I discussed this fully and we now regret we tried to accelerate her training in order meet the Apple Blossom schedule. We have a whole season before us to help define her greatness. She will tell us when her next race will be.”

The key phrase in the above paragraph is “Therefore, I decided…”

Only a few hours earlier, the Fair Grounds media office sent out the following comments from Asmussen, a two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer: “We don’t have any negative indications yet today. Like anything, you want to be 100% and if you’re not you go from there. We don’t have any negative this morning other than the loss and the hurt feelings of yesterday. Our main concern is how Rachel feels and her well-being and we’re very pleased with her today.”

Two days later, Ahmed Zayat made a decision to pull his Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth winner Eskendereya from an intended start in this Saturday’s Florida Derby and have Pletcher instead send him to Aqueduct for the Wood Memorial on April 3.

“The main issue is timing,” Zayat was quoted in Daily Racing Form as saying. “I’m not really comfortable off the six weeks (the gap between the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby). If I’m genuine about the Kentucky Derby, I need to give the prep I want to make sure he peaks on the right day.”

Zayat, who has been sued by Fifth Third Bank over alleged delinquency on a $34-million loan and has put his racing stable in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, like Jackson has owned racehorses for only a few years. Apparently, he thinks he knows more about training a Thoroughbred than Pletcher, a four-time Eclipse Award winner.

Earlier in the week, Pletcher was quoted in the Miami Herald saying he thought six weeks between starts was just right for Eskendereya. “He won an allowance (at Gulfstream) six weeks out from the Fountain of Youth,” Pletcher said. “So, six weeks seems like good spacing for him.”

Cynics may be thinking Jackson and Zayat–two owners with immodestly sized egos—might be fibbing about their decisions. In the case of Jackson, the real reason to skip the Apple Blossom could be based more on the winning performance by unbeaten champion Zenyatta at Santa Anita the same afternoon Rachel Alexandra lost. He can’t be blamed for wanting no part of Zenyatta at Oaklawn, and for that I say he’s nobody’s fool.

Zayat’s reason could be entirely different. The beleaguered owner has been entertaining offers to sell all or part of Eskendereya to help satisfy his loan obligations, and it’s possible he wants to finalize a deal before the son of Giant’s Causeway makes his next start.

I hope that’s the case. If Zayat thinks he can train a horse better than Pletcher, he really is a fool.

Copyright © 2010, The Paulick Report

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By Ray Paulick
Damon Thayer, the Kentucky state senator from Scott County and a Thoroughbred industry consultant, reminds me of the fellow with one foot on a dock and the other on a boat that’s ready to set sail.

Standing with both feet firmly planted on dry land is Thayer’s good buddy, fellow Republican David “Blackjack” Williams, the Senate president who seems bent on destroying Kentucky’s signature industry. Aboard the boat are members of that horse industry, people Thayer worked alongside for years during professional stints at Turfway Park in Northern Kentucky and later with the Breeders’ Cup. The boat is starting to pull away from the dock, and Thayer has to decide which side he’s on, or he’ll wind up in deep water with no one willing to throw him a life preserver.

That’s where Thayer finds himself today, having to choose between doing what’s right for the horse industry and standing up to the big, bad Senate president, or turning his back on his old friends and hiding under his mommy’s skirt.

Thayer, whose ill-conceived and poorly timed constitutional amendment calling for slot machines at Kentucky racetracks was always a non-starter, tried to redeem himself by inserting language permitting pari-mutuel Instant Racing machines in a bill being heard by the Senate State and Local Government Committee that he chairs. The committee approved the language, amending House Bill 368, sponsored by Louisville Democrat Larry Clark. That bill was designed to add a 0.5% tax on advance deposit wagers made by Kentucky residents, but the Senate committee amended it with additional language that could make Kentucky’s simulcast export signal weaker and result in even less revenue for Kentucky’s tracks and horsemen.

The Instant Racing language was added with the blessing of the Senate president, and seven Republicans including Thayer voted for the bill. Then, last night, Williams did an about face, saying the Instant Racing provisions would be removed from the bill by Thayer’s committee or it would not pass the full Senate. (So much for even attempting to disguise Thayer as anything but a puppet of the Senate president.)

Williams indicated that he wants the governor or Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to approve Instant Racing, but what he really wants is for the issue to wind up losing in a court battle, similar to what has happened with Instant Racing in Wyoming and Maryland. The legislative language proposed by Thayer would likely have allowed Instant Racing to overcome a court challenge.

Plain and simple, Williams is trying to set Instant Racing up to fail.

On Wednesday, the Senate State and Local Government Committee declined to take action on the Instant Racing provisions of HB368 because of a lack of consensus.

Where we go from here is up to Thayer and his fellow Republicans. Does the Senator from Scott County have the fortitude to stand up to Williams’ bullying tactics and tell him he is wrong? Instant Racing could be very beneficial to an industry that has been put at an extreme disadvantage by the presence of casino gambling on nearly every border of the state. The efforts that have brought the bill this far represent rare bipartisan cooperation in the Kentucky legislature.

Thayer could emerge a hero to the horse industry by telling Williams he is wrong, and by keeping the coalition together that supported the Instant Racing language in the committee vote.

Or he could end up all wet. It’s his choice.

Copyright © 2010, The Paulick Report

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By Ray Paulick
One of the most interesting and encouraging developments of the young 2010 racing season was the recent announcement in New Jersey that Monmouth Park will slash the number of racing days but increase daily average purses to $1 million—the highest ever in the United States for a regularly scheduled race meeting. A daily average of $1 million is roughly triple the daily purses offered in previous years at Monmouth Park.

Most weeks, Monmouth will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, offering 12 races per day, rather than a more traditional Wednesday-Sunday schedule. A weekends only fall meeting at Monmouth will replace the previous Meadowlands Thoroughbred meeting.

Click here to learn more about the 2010 Monmouth Park schedule and here for the stakes schedule.

How to pay for this? A large chunk of the money, $20 million, comes in the way of a subsidy from the New Jersey casino association, a deal that expires this year. The hope of New Jersey Sports and Exposition and Monmouth Park officials is that higher quality racing with bigger fields will substantially increase handle. Average daily handle in New Jersey has dropped from $5 million to $3.2 million over the last five years.

Longtime Monmouth Park executive Robert J. Kulina, the track’s vice president and general manager, talked with the Paulick Report about how he is planning to put Monmouth Park back on the map of major league racetracks.

This is a pretty dramatic step. Reminds me of the lyrics to Neil Young’s “My My Hey Hey”—“it’s better to burn out than to fade away.” Is that that the scenario you felt as though you were facing with New Jersey racing?
You’re the second one to mention that great song. It’s true. First of all I don’t think any other state would have had the horsemen that allowed us to entertain this concept. It’s almost been two years we’ve been working on this.

It boils down to a couple of things. Everybody in the industry understands what we are doing is not working. I liken our industry to Detroit, where the auto industry is almost gone. They had a monopoly, we had a monopoly and it’s not working. This is the last year of our purse supplement (from New Jersey casinos). We needed to come up with a model to show the racing can be successful and give us a vehicle to ask for future funding for purses. If we went with the same day-in and day-out cards, the reality for additional funding would be more doubtful. It’s a big picture thing. Dennis Drazen (former New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association president), myself and John Forbes (current NJ THA president), we talked about any number of dates scenarios. Finally we decided we wanted to cut it to the point where there would be were no excuses left; it’s  the least common denominator, with the hope being that in the future we can add. I am very appreciative of the horsemen. There was a lot of hard work on their part.

Did you look outside of the United States? This looks an awful like what Japan or Hong Kong is doing.
There are no geniuses here.  Less is better. We looked at foreign models. We added the fall dates to see if there would be any life at Monmouth that time of year. It’s been 30 years or more since we raced that late at Monmouth. For one year, it’s something we had to do, but there are a lot of negotiations, a lot of issues that still need to be resolved.

You’ve said you need to double handle to sustain these purses of a million a day. What are the realistic chances of that?
That’s not what I said. My projections were soft, 20% to 25% increases. What I tried to allude to is that Saratoga is still the best in the country. We looked at the model–$13 million in daily handle at Saratoga). We are at $3.2 million. Somewhere I said can I grow toward that Saratoga number. Can I double my number this year? I don’t know. We made very soft projections just to maintain where we were: 20% increases on live handle, 20% on transmission of races, and that’s adding two or three races per day, ans assuming our field size will increase from under 7.5 horses per race to 8.75 or maybe nine. We think we’ll sell more races to California. Philadelphia Park won’t be running on Sundays, so how much can we pick up there? It’s a big gamble.

In 1970s when I was racing secretary here and New York was dark on Tuesdays, I’d put an overnight stakes on Tuesdays and we were doing $3 million a day in handle just in that building.

One thing that’s important to understand is that I want the other guys to have a good product, because I’m selling bets on it. I want racing across the country to be strong and good and competitive. I think one of our problems is that we are trying to become a slot machine in our wagering mentality.

Have you put more into the marketing budget?
We’re doing a lot of new things. We’ve had success adding events the last few years. We’ve had a crab cake event, we’re adding a jazz and blues festival, adding a burger event with the Newark Star-Ledger on Memorial Day weekend. We are doing more food events, adding a second music event. We’ve reintroduced the Monmouth County Hunt meet and believe that can become a big event. These things take two or three years to build. There are 16 weekends during this time and we’re trying to create an event every weekend. There is a lot of excitement among people who are lapsed fans. The upside can be big; I remember what it’s like to have 17,000 here every Saturday.

In addition we are real close to getting the Haskell televised on ABC, a one-hour show. You know we have a record of trying to be aggressive with our 3-year-olds.

What’s the impact on the stakes program?
Mostly minor things. Our graded stakes are right at $5 million, pretty much the same as before. We’re bringing the Meadowlands Cup to Monmouth and running the Pegasus as a Haskell prep. Our overnight stakes, something I created a long time ago, will start at $100,000. We are really focusing on the high end.

I have a great relationship with the horsemen, and they bought into the concept. We’re now trying to work on the purse schedule. Part of the plan is to put meaningful money back to last place. Right now we are talking about $2,000 for the last-place horse. That’s a lot of money. Too many small owners can’t make it, and just because you’re small doesn’t mean you’re not good.  If you can run a horse, and you perform, the $2,000 helps pay some of the training and offsets part of your losses. We’ll try to stop people from abusing the system by running just for $2,000.

You can’t finalize your purses until you write the condition books. We’re still working on it, but the purses are going to be very good at all levels. The first condition book is almost finished. It’ll be on our website soon.

What’s been the immediate reaction?
The stall applications look like when I started in 1977 as racing secretary, and it’s a who’s who of American racing. There are a lot of interesting things going on.
 
The comments on blogs from different people have been very encouraging. The game needs to do something different, and a lot of people are wishing us good luck. Hopefully, we can find something that works. There’s a lot of hope and enthusiasm out there.

Copyright © 2010, The Paulick Report

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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.

What are the odds that there would be a tie at the top of any poll with 28 participating voters (unfortunately one of our voters was unable to weigh in this week)? Pretty good, it appears. Unlike other polls out there, the Paulick Derby Index shows a dead lock for first with Rebel Stakes winner Lookin At Lucky and Fountain of Youth victor and likely Florida Derby favorite Eskendereya sharing the top line. And it’s probably pretty appropriate as both horses fought off impressive fields to win their respective prep races.

Speaking of the Rebel Stakes, it was a tale of two finishers in place and show positions. Noble’s Promise’s performance, despite being nosed at the end, shot the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile third-place colt to the number four position this week while wise guy favorite Dublin dropped to nine in our poll. But with the tendency for third-place finishers to be forgotten in polls like these, it is a strong sign of the continued belief in this early favorite as a true Derby contender.

San Felipe wire-to-wire winner Sidney’s Candy rocketed from nineteenth to fifth after an eye-opening outing with second place finisher Interactif getting back on the big board at number twelve. And Tampa Bay Derby winner Odysseus became the new number six while previously unheralded Schoolyard Dreams went from zero votes to fifteenth after being narrowly beaten.

Sadly, early favorite Buddy’s Saint leads the list of those who dropped off our rankings after being pulled from the Derby Trail. The list includes American Lion, Dave in Dixie, A Little Warm and Uptowncharlybrown.

Ray Paulick’s Analysis

I don’t think there has been a stronger race for 3-year-olds in 2010 than Saturday’s Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park and I am convinced that the three finishers—winner Lookin At Lucky, runner-up Noble’s Promise and third-place finisher Dublin—will be serious contenders in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby come May 1.

I know the Beyer Speed Figures came up much lower for Lookin At Lucky (97) than they did for last month’s Grade 2 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth winner Eskendereya (106), but if the “best” Beyers determined the Derby winner, wouldn’t Andy Beyer, the creator of those figures, have a much better record of picking winners in the Kentucky Derby than he has over the years? I’m not putting the knock on Andy or his figures, because I believe they are a great handicapping tool in day-to-day races. But the Kentucky Derby is unlike any other race on the calendar, and there are a multitude of other factors that have to be considered beyond a simple numeric figure.

The top three Rebel finishers were all Grade 1 winners, and they all ran to their form. Lookin At Lucky had a lot of trouble midway down the backstretch when Robby Albarado aboard Noble’s Promise did some race riding to keep Garrett Gomez and Lucky boxed in and the latter had to jump over his heels to avoid possible disaster. That move displayed Lookin At Lucky’s great athleticism, and his recovery from the incident showed how determined he was to get back into the race and wear Noble’s Promise down at the wear. Dublin was wide most of the way. And Noble’s Promise never stopped running, though for the third consecutive start he finished just behind Lookin At Lucky.

The victory by Odysseus in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby was not visually impressive. The Malibu Moon colt got a good trip but started to fade around the final turn, only to re-rally in deep stretch to snatch the victory from Sam F. Davis runner-up Schoolyard Dreams and front-runner Super Saver, winner of last year’s Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and the only graded stakes winner in the field. I think the front-runners tired more than Odysseus came again. I want to see him face tougher competition before jumping on his bandwagon.

Finally, there was the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita, where a strategic decision to take American Lion off the pace virtually gave the race to the front-running Sidney’s Candy, who got away to an uncontested lead and easy fractions throughout. It’s hard to learn much from that kind of a race, but I’ve decided to take Dave in Dixie out of my top 10 after he failed to show any late kick.

1. Eskendereya. If Lookin At Lucky’s Rebel win was so impressive, why have I left Eskendereya on the top of my list? Because I believe the Giant’s Causeway colt is on the way up for trainer Todd Pletcher, while Lookin At Lucky has achieved close to his full potential. We’ll see if he can back that claim up with another strong performance this week in the Florida Derby.

2. Lookin At Lucky. Trainer Bob Baffert said the Smart Strike colt reminds him a lot of Silver Charm—he gives everything he’s got in every start. He proved that in winning the Rebel after the scary incident at the half-mile pole. Baffert hasn’t fully wound up Lookin At Lucky, as the Rebel was his 2010 debut.

3. Noble’s Promise. Cuvee colt proved he’s not just a turf or synthetic track horse, running his eyeballs out in his first try on dirt and in his 2010 debut. I don’t see a lot of stamina in that pedigree (out of a Clever Trick mare), but this is a hard-trying horse in the hands of the very capable Ken McPeek.

4. Dublin. I doubt that trainer Wayne Lukas was discouraged by the Afleet Alex colt’s third-place finish in the Rebel. He was wide all the way and I’m sure Lukas has not brought him to his peak physically in mid-March. Look for further improvement as May 1 approaches.

5. Rule. Roman Ruler colt getting the kid gloves treatment from Pletcher after getting all the graded stakes money he needed as a 2-year-old to crack the Derby line-up.  Possible for Florida Derby but more likely in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

6. Discreetly Mine. Another Pletcher Derby contender, this one pointing for the Louisiana Derby a week from Saturday. Comes off an easy win there in the Risen Star Stakes and will be favored to repeat.

7. Conveyance. Heading to New Mexico for the rich Sunland Park Derby, where Mine That Bird prepped last year. Trainer Baffert has had some success in New Mexico, having sent Real Quiet there en route to his Kentucky Derby victory.

8. Awesome Act. Moved up on my list by virtue of some of the disappointing performances in the San Felipe Stakes. If he can do in the Wood Memorial what he showed in the Gotham Stakes he’ll be a legit contender for British-based trainer Jeremy Noseda.

9. Sidney’s Candy. Tough to gauge how good he is because of the way the San Felipe was run, getting an easy lead and setting soft fractions in his first try around two turns, winning over turf horse Interactif. Candy Ride colt out of a Storm Cat mare is trained by John Sadler, a dominant trainer in California who is little known on the national stage.

10.  Odysseus. Showed determination in deep stretch, getting up to win Tampa Bay Derby after looking like a sure loser at the top of the stretch. Were those front-runners backing up or did Malibu Moon colt find a second wind?

As the Paulick Report continues to grow, we will be bringing on more turf writers and industry insiders to share their opinions and perspective on the racing industry across the country and internationally. Longtime turf writer Martha Claussen, currently with SureBet Racing News, will be writing a piece for the Paulick Report once a month opening our readers to the South/Southwest region of the American racing industry.

- Ray Paulick
 

By Martha Claussen
There are few names in the Thoroughbred industry as well known as Bob Bork.

I met up with Bob for lunch this week in Houston. My intent was to interview him for a Paulick Report story on the difficulty of smaller tracks getting a graded stake. We discussed his hard-fought battle to get a grade for Sam Houston Race Park’s Connally Breeders’ Cup Turf in 2005, but soon branched out into so many topics, that I felt compelled to revise my story angle.

Bob came to Texas in 1995 to serve as general manager of Sam Houston Race Park and was  promoted to president in 2002. He brought a solid knowledge of racetrack management, having served as vice president, general manager and chief operating officer of Arlington International in Chicago; vice president and general manager of Philadelphia Park and general manager of Garden State Park in New Jersey. Bork made some major changes to save the Houston Class 1 track, which opened to much fanfare in 1994, and two years later filed for bankruptcy. Houstonians didn’t quite "get" horseracing. They liked their football, basketball, baseball, rodeo and even supported the Houston Dynamo, a MLS team that made its Houston debut in 2008. 

Bork, loved the challenge. He switched the post times from afternoons to evenings and increased the number of simulcast track offerings. He was the mastermind behind the 12% takeout on Pick 3 wagers, and even more daring, the ten-cent superfecta, which Sam Houston began offering in 2005. Many tracks across the country, including the most venerable in Kentucky and California, followed suit.

Sam Houston has two well-regarded track surfaces. The main dirt track has a Brazos sand base that has been popular with horsemen and boasts one of the lowest fatality records in the nation. It’s turf oval is named after the late John B. Connally, the governor whose support of pari-mutuel racing lead to the opening of Sam Houston and other Texas tracks. The Connally Breeders’ Cup Turf Stakes had been run at Sam Houston since 1996. Many noted trainers including Hal Wiggins, Bill Mott, Bobby Frankel, Steve Asmussen and Graham Motion, shipped horses in for the mile and one-eighth handicap.  Beginning in 2000, Bork and Sam Houston racing secretary Eric Johnston annually approached the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association for consideration on the Connally Turf. Their best shot came after the 2004 edition of the stakes which attracted a nationally prominent field of turf specialists, most notably Better Talk Now. The heralded Graham Motion trainee did not win the Connally (heavy rain that evening rendered the course yielding and the front running Warleigh led gate to wire), but captured the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf later than year.

Bork, who was also serving as president of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA), attended the graded stakes session in December, 2005, and was thrilled when the committee gave the Connally its Grade 3 status for the 2006 calendar year.

When asked if that was one of his proudest moments, Bork reflected for a moment, and said no. He went on to discuss the challenge of getting OTBs in Pennsylvania and the uphill battle with legislators. In 1989, it was finally passed in the house and senate, but vetoed by the Governor. Bork and other industry officials  had a three-day window to get a reversal and worked 24-7 to get the word through media sources that tax-payers would benefit greatly from the revenue spawned by off track betting. Just hours before the deadline, OTBs passed in the state. Exhausted, but elated, Bob got in his car to return to his office. On the way, he decided to stop in a local watering hole and have a beer. The place was empty, except for the bartender and a regular, who was already three sheets to the wind at noon. No sooner than Bob had pulled up a barstool, the patron stared at him and yelled out "I know you; you’re the guy on tv."  Wino aside, that was a highly memorable career moment for Bork.
 
Some industry veterans can be aptly described in a few words. Smart, dedicated, focused, passionate, driven. There are few words to sum up the total essence of Bob Bork. He is all those, but irreverent irascible, unconventional and sometimes, hilariously funny as well.

I worked for Bob for ten years at Sam Houston Race Park. He was a tough task master, but in retrospect, we had a lot more fun than many people in the workplace. Bob balanced his authority with a challenge to each one of his department heads to be innovative and creative. Of course, that did  not mean that every idea or suggestion was taken into account. On more than one occasion, I researched, prepared and walked into his office with an elaborate plan. Minutes later, I was dismissed with words including "don’t let the door hit you on your ass on your way out". At first I was offended, but over time, I came to understand that Bob only kidded certain people. If he didn’t respect you, you received the silent treatment. Despite the quirks, Bork had no trouble pitching in when someone was shorthanded, even taking on concession stand duties when the hot dog line for the “Quarter Night" promotion got too long.

The marketing department, under the savvy leadership of Bryan Pettigrew, produced a video spoof on Bob. Our goal was to incorporate as many "Bobisms" as possible. There were lots, including “everyone’s a marketer”, “prove to me that if I let you spend $100,000, you will bring in over $100 K in revenue”, “mopes” and our personal favorite, if you tried to sneak out before the evening races were over, even if you had been there 14 hours since 8:00 am, he would ask you if you were working “half day”?

Bryan portrayed Bob and the rest of us took our turn at getting shot down.  We unveiled the video to Bob and his wife, Judy on Derby Day and held our collective breath as he watched. First a smile, then a chuckle followed by an ear to ear grin. He knew we had captured his true spirit. Judy loved it more than Bob; she asked for extra copies for the Bork Christmas gathering.
 
Running a racetrack is a tough job. The general manager attempts to balance the needs of the horsemen, simulcast patrons, live racing fans and employees, all the while trying to make a profit in these challenging economic times. Bob was pretty good with the horsemen and empathized with their frustrations over lower purses than the surrounding states (Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico) with VLTs. He did get into it with a Texas owner who preferred to run his mare against state-bred company instead of facing Take Charge Lady in the 2002 NTRA Great State Challenge. Bob asked nicely, implored and came marginally close to begging. The owner would not change his mind. A heated encounter took place in the winner’s circle when the owner simply told Bob "you can’t tell me where to run my horse" and Bob, without missing a beat replied "I can tell you not to run at my racetrack."
Three years ago, Maxxam, the parent company of Sam Houston, selected a new management team focused on making the track more of an entertainment destination. Bork retained a position as chairman and worked on legislative affairs as well as his national role as president of the TRA. His contract with Maxxam expired eight months ago.

He refuses to use the word “retirement” and would gladly go back to work full time. But for now, he has plenty of hobbies and past times. He is a great cook, loves to create concoctions with his juicer and enjoys heading to Freeport on the weekends to enjoy his 35′ Viking fishing boat.  He is also working out with a trainer several times a week, not just to stay in shape, but to compete in the 2011 Chevron Houston Marathon, a 26.1 mile run through the city of Houston held in January. The race attracts 22,000 participants each year, including some internationally elite runners. Bob’s goal: to win his age group and best his time of 4.29 he ran in 2001.
 
Gotta love the guy!
 
Martha Claussen has been involved in the racing industry since 1997 as a publicity director and writer for the Houston Chronicle, Texas Thoroughbred Magazine and SureBet Racing News.

Kate Hunter wins the prize for traveling the farthest to see Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Saturday, coming all the way from Tokyo, Japan. Actually, Hunter, a native of Nashville, Tenn., is an English teacher in Tokyo who was back home on a school break but decided to go forego family and hop in a car for the drive to Louisiana.

Paulick Report asked if she would mind sending us a brief account of her experience at the Fair Grounds, whether Rachel Alexandra won or lost.

Hunter writes her own blog on Japanese racing at www.keiblog.net and takes racing photos in Japan for Bloodhorse.com. Following is her recap of the mood at the Fair Grounds after the reigning Horse of the Year suffered her first loss in more than 15 months. –Ray Paulick
 

By Kate Hunter
You wouldn’t have known that Rachel Alexandra had lost her 2010 debut by listening to the reaction of the crowd as she made her way back toward the grandstand to be unsaddled. The cheers and applause were just as loud after the race as they had been during the post parade.

People of all ages and from far away places were there to see the 2009 Horse of the Year in action and to cheer her on, no matter what the results were. Racing fans from all around the United States came to the Fair Grounds on March 13tto see the inaugural New Orleans Ladies Stakes and their favorite racehorse. New York, California, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, and of course Louisiana were there to lend their support.

Between all of the hats, signs, shirts, hoots and hollers, it felt more like a rock concert than a horse race. Track officials hoped for about 10,000 people to visit their dear Fair Grounds, and they might have gotten close. There were so many people in attendance that late comers had to park in the stable area. This ended up delaying Rachel’s return to her stall by almost an hour, since hundreds of race fans found themselves trying to navigate their way to an exit, through the racetracks vast stables.
 
Even after hearing about Zenyatta’s victory, Rachel’s fans held to their beliefs that their girl would win when she finally does meet trainer John Sherriffs’ other mare whose name also starts with Z. They justify their belief by the 11-plus lengths between second place Rachel  Alexandra and third place Unforgotten, and the fact she fought back so hard down the stretch. "Rachel Mania" won’t let a second  place finish rain on their parade.

By Ray Paulick
There are a lot of people sitting on pins and needles in Hot Springs, Ark., this afternoon, all waiting to see what happens at Santa Anita Park and Fair Grounds when two-time champion Zenyatta and Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra make their 2010 debuts in anticipation of their long-awaited match-up, scjheduled to take place  in the $5-million Apple Blossom Invitational at Oaklawn Park on April 9.

From the hotel and motel owners, bar and restaurant operators, the folks who sell their front lawns for parking spaces to souvenir stand concessionaires and Oaklawn Park owner Charles Cella, everyone has the same question: Will they both show up?

Consensus seems to be in the 50/50 to 60/40 range that the Battle of the Amazons will take place, though anyone who’s been following Rachel Alexandra’s camp carefully in recent days wouldn’t be surprised to see Jess Jackson burst racing’s bubble and say his filly won’t come to Hot Springs.

Behind the scenes, there have been discussions for national television for the Apple Blossom, though the Paulick Report has learned that NBC Sports, which will have its camera and crew in place at Oaklawn Park for the April 10 Arkansas Derby, has passed on the opportunity.

If that’s the case, the best opportunity for the Apple Blossom will be on ESPN, which is currently scheduled to show the second round of the Masters golf tournament from 4-7 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) If the published reports of the last couple of days are true and Tiger Woods makes his comeback in the Masters, and has an afternoon tee time for the second round, a 7-8p.m. Eastern time slot would have a terrific lead-in audience.
 
Sunset in Hot Springs will be around 8:35 p.m. (Eastern Time), and track officials are planning to put the Apple Blossom very late on the card. Thus, it’s possible the race could go off at close to prime time in the East Coast and a reasonable time for a wide viewing audience in the Midwest. But many West Coast are more likely to be sitting in their car on a freeway at post time for the Apple Blossom.

A further indication of ESPN’s interest in the Apple Blossom could come later today when they may cut in to SportsCenter to show Rachel Alexandra’s and Zenyatta’s comeback races. Let’s all hope for a safe journey for both of racing’s superstars.

Today’s attendance at Oaklawn is probably in the vicinity of 25,000, and it’s not easy to navigate through the crowd lined up for beers, food and wagering inside the gr7andstand (not to mention the long line for the ladies room). I can’t imagine what this place will be like on April 9 if Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra are here.

5 p.m. … Oaklawn Park’s general manager, Eric Jackson, stopped by the press box and updated the Paulick Report on plans for the Apple Blossom. It looks pretty the certain the race will be run at 7:45 p.m. (Eastern) as the 11th and final race on the program. Jackson said. That makes a one-hour ESPN spot all the more likely following hte Masters from Augusta. While some will complain that racing needed to be on a broadcast network, the 7-8 p.m. timeslot on the networks belongs to local affiliates who fill the hour with trash like "Access Hollywood," "Entertainment Tonight" or with game shows like "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune." 

Jackson talked bluntly about the economics of offering a $5-million purse for the big race. "God bless Charles Cella,"  Jackson said. "From a sporting standpoint, this is one of the greatest gestures in the history of the sport. From a business standpoint, as I said to the racing commission, it’s the dumbest thing Oaklawn Park has ever done.

"We can’t make a dime," said Jackson, indicating the Friday of the "Racing Festival of the South" would have been a sellout with or without the two champions. "But that didn’t enter into Charlie’s thinking on this."

Prices will remain the same as usual at Oaklawn Park on Apple Blossom (hot tip–the Reuben sandwich for $6.50 is a steal), though private parking lot operators said they will charge as much as $50 a spot (up from $20 on Rebel Stakes Day). The infield will be open, and for the first time Oaklawn will have hospitality and corporate sponsor tents there–even though they don’t have any corporate sponsors yet. "We had a staff meeting when we first came up with this and someone said, ‘You want us to do in seven weeks what most people have a year to do?’" Jackson said. "I told them, ‘No, we actually have eight weeks now.’"

Handicapper Paul Skelton tried to convince Jackson the Apple Blossom day races will be stronger along with the following day’s Arkansas Derby because horsemen shipping in will sent other horses to fit the card. Jackson thought about it for a second and said, "Okay, maybe now we’ll only lose $4.7 million instead of five. That makes me feel a whole lot better."

So it all comes down to what Bill Murray’s character in "Caddyshack," Carl Spackler, got the time he caddied for the Dalai Lama and got stiffed on his tip. "I say, ‘Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know.’ And he says, ‘Oh, uh, there won’t be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consiousness.’ So I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.

So will Charles Cella and Eric Jackson. Gunga galunga.

5:40 p.m. …  Well, if the Tampa Bay Derby is any indication of how this day is going to go, it could get a little strange. Odysseus, making his stakes debut after romping to a 15-length allowance/optional claiming win at Tampa Bay, surged to the lead right at the wire to edge Schoolyard Dreams by a nose in a weirdly contested race. Super Saver, the 3-2 favorite who set fractions of :23.52, :47.02, 1:11.74, and 1:37.42, was a close third for trainer Todd Pletcher.  Final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:44.37.

Rajiv Maragh had Odysseus in a perfect striking position throughout the Tampa Bay Derby but the Malibu Moon colt looked to be struggling at the top of the stretch, falling back to fourth or fifth position when Schoolyard Dreams moved to the lead. But as Schoolyard Dreams and Super Saver battled in the final sixteenth, Odysseus squeezed between them and had just enough to get up at the wire and win in a head-bobbing finish. Local hope Uptowncharlybrown had a rough trip from the rail, having to block and steady around the final turn before winding up fifth. Gleam of Hope was pinched back to last after the start but rallied into contention on the stretch turn before fading to fourth.

The winner races for Satish Sanan and family’s Padua Stables and was the 2-1 second choice in the wagering. The $250,000 OBS March 2-year-old purchase, bred in Kentucky by Haymarket Farm and Lakemont Stable, is trained by Tom Albertrani.

Tampa Bay Derby chart.

6 p.m. … Saw Airdrie Stud owner and former Kentucky Gov. Brereton Jones  earlier in the card and didn’t think much of it when he said he’d only been to Oaklawn Park three other times, and each  time he ended up winning a graded stakes race on the day. "Of course, I don’t really know if we belong in this field," Jones said about his filly No Such Word’s chances in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes. All I could think about as the Canadian Frontier 3-year-old filly pulled away from favorite Beautician and the rest of the Honeybee Stakes was "Thanks, Gov!" The filly is trained by Cindy Jones, whose husband, retired trainer Larry Jones, is one of the most recognizable hotwalkers in all of racing.

6:16 p.m. … The fillies are walking toward the starting gate for the New Orleans Ladies and I notice that Rachel Alexandra has taken about $975,000 of the $1 million in wagers in the show pool.

6:20 p.m. … It got awfully quiet at Oaklawn Park when Zardana pulled up alongside Rachel Alexandra  and then went right on by in the stretch run of the Ladies to win by three-quarters of a length. Trainer Steve Asmussen has been telling anyone who would listen that he’s concerned Rachel wasn’t quite fit enough, and guess what? He was right. 

Zardana, coming off a fourth-place finish in the Santa Maria Handicap for John Shirreffs–YES, THAT JOHN SHIRREFFS, also the trainer of Zenyatta–is a Grade 2 winner of the Bayakoa Handicap at Hollywood Park who was ridden to perfection by David Flores. Zardana settled into third position  while Fighter Wing set fractions of :23.84, :47.22 and 1:12.86 for six furlongs.  Calvin Borel had Rachel Alexandra second early, racing wide around the first turn and then just off the leader down the backstretch while appearing a bit eager. She moved to the front before hitting the far turn, but was quickly under attack from Zardana, who had all the momentum entering the stretch. Rachel Alexandra fought back, feeling the sting of Borel’s whip four times from the left hand four times from the right, but then the rider wrapped up on the filly when defeat was certain.

The winner, a Brazilian-bred daughter of Crimson Tide was winning for the eighth time in 19 starts. She is owned by Arnold Zetcher. Zardana paid $21 to win on a $2 mutuel. Unforgotten was a distant third, followed by Fighter Wing and Clear Sailing.

Here’s the New Orleans Ladies Chart.

6:45 p.m. … Zenyatta did her job, winning the Santa Margarita with yet another dramatic stretch run. More in a few minutes, but let me just say that Mike Smith did one hell of a job negotiating through traffic at the top of the stretch, then swinging ooff the fence and winning comfortably without ever going to the whip.

6:52 p.m. … Champion Lookin At Lucky just got up to win the Rebel, defeating Noble’s Promise by a nose, with Dublin third. That wasn’t what I would call a comfortable win, and I’m not thinking Lookin At Lucky looks like a horse who has another three-sixteenths of a mile in him.

6:55 p.m. … Planning to escape the press box for a while and catch the post-Rebel press conference. Back in a little bit. Need to catch my breath. Too many exciting races in too short a time.

7:30 p.m. … Horses in the paddock for the day’s final 3-year-old prep,. the San Felipe at Santa Anita.

7:35 p.m. … I asked one of Lookin At Lucky’s co-owners, Mike Pegram (pictured, left), if he thought after today’s narrow win in the Rebel if he thought the Smart Strike colt could get a mile and a quarter for the Kentucky Derby, and he had a quick response. "Mickey Mantle never knew he could hit a curveball till they threw him one. This horse is an athlete."

Trainer Bob Baffert said jockey Robby Albarado aboard Noble’s Promise put Looking At Lucky in a box near the half-mile pole and said jockey Garrett Gomez told him he got bounced around a little near that point of the race. Watching the head-on replay as the horses were pulling up when Gomez could be seen saying something to Albarado. "Look, he’s telling him something," Baffert said, "He’s saying, ‘You sonofabitch!’"

Dublin ran a solid third behind the top pair after moving toward the lead at the top of the stretch.

7:50 p.m. … Like taking candy from a baby. That’s how easy the win by Sidney’s Candy was in the San Felipe. Under jockey Joe Talamo, the John Sadler-trained colt cruised through soft fractions of :24.39 for the opening quarter mile, :48.55, 1:13.53 and 1:36.26 en route to a final clocking for the 1 1/16 miles of 1:42.30. Interactif chased early and late, finishing second, beaten about a length, with American Lion third after taking back off the early pace while wearing blinkers for the first time. Sidney’s Candy was coming off an easy win in the seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes, so this was the Candy Ride colt’s first try around two turns.Sadler’s other entrant, Dave in Dixie, a stretchrunner, never fired.

8:00 p.m. … I am still in absolute awe of Zenyatta and the manner in which she won the Santa Margarita, spotting from 11 to 15 pounds to her rivals and coming off a four-month layoff. Today’s win was "only" by 1 1/4 lengths, and the filly that finished second, a 51-1 shot named Dance to My Turn, is obviously not a world beater. But when Smith was caught in traffic at the top of the stretch more than a few people watching the telecast around me said ‘She’s gonna lose.’ But just as in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Smith found room along the inside (he’s not Five-Wide Mike any more), then guided her into the clear to make a breathtaking run to the lead in a matter of strides.

I don’t want to get in the 2009 Horse of the Year debate, but those who continue to put Zenyatta down mystify me. What more could they possibly want her to do? 15-for-15 is pretty darned good.

Here’s the Santa Margarita chart.

8:25 p.m. … Media relations director and race caller Terry Wallace stopped by for a chat and you could feel a great sense of disappoint about the Apple Blossom from him—not that the race or the day will be any less exciting for racing fans (with or without Rachel Alexandra, since Zenyatta is scheduled to come here either way). "If both fillies were to come here off a win, this would have really given the sport something it needed,"  Wallace said. "It will still be a big day, but this really took the starch out of the sails." He agreed that it would be like a prize fighter losing his warm-up bout before a championship boxing match against an opponent he’d never faced. Racing people understand that prep races are meant to get horses ready for something bigger down the road, but the general sports fan or non-racing media person might not. The New Orleans Ladies should be viewed with the same significance as a spring training game for Major League Baseball or a pre-season game in the NFL.

The only problem with that philosophy is that Jess Jackson wants to win them all, and now that Rachel has lost carrying his silks I’m afraid he will back out of the Apple Blossom,. even though veteran horsemen I spoke with after the New Orleans Ladies thought it was an excellent prep race for Rachel Alexandra.

8:45 p.m. … Bouncing around yet again, I want to revisit the Rebel Stakes. Lookin At Lucky really had a rough trip, according to the Equibase footnotes: "Lookin At Lucky, bothered start, settled off the pace and on the inside, jumped across Noble’s Promise heels when that one came out just outside the half-mile marker, quickly recovered, advanced four wide into contention turning for home, set down, late bid, gained the nod in a game effort."

"There was a lot of race riding going on. They put him in a spot," said Baffert, who said he got exactly what he wanted out of the Rebel, whether Lookin At Lucky had gotten up to win or not. "This was kind of a Kentucky Derby experience he got." Baffert hasn’t been to Oaklawn Park for over a decade, but said he really liked the dirt surface of the main track, saying it’s as close to Churchill Downs in its composition as any track he’s seen. He even told the track superintendent he’d like to take him back to California with him. (Of course, I have to wonder how many days Baffert would be here before he started complaining about the track surface, something he’s known to do just about anywhere he’s been stabled.)

He said "anything’s possible" regarding the next start for Lookin At Lucky, though indicated the Wood Memorial or the Arkansas Derby would be the most likely spots. He compared Looklin at Lucky to the first of his three Kentucky Derby winners, Silver Charm. "You know he’s gonna give you everything he’s got," Baffert said.  Speaking of Silver Charm, it was when he was considering what to do with Bob and Beverly Lewis’  horse after scratching out of the Santa Anita Handicap that he said, "We could either go the Oaklawn Park for the Oaklawn Handicap or Dubai for  the Dubai World Cup (which Silver Charm won), but it’s a lot easier to get to Dubai." The private jet owned by one of Lookin At Lucky’s owners made Baffert’s trip to Hot Springs a little easier this time around.

Here’s the chart for the Rebel Stakes.

Here’s the chart for the San Felipe.

9:20 p.m. … Oaklawn Park is becoming one of my favorite racetracks in the country. It’s all about horse racing, and the management and staff seem to always put on a good show. Today’s attendance turned out to be 36,298. Yes, a lot of them came in hopes of winning the pickup truck and boat/trailer given away, but find me another track that packs ‘em in like this on the weekends. From Arkansas billionaires to farmers in bib overalls they love their horse racing here in Hot Springs and the whole region that Oaklawn Park draws from.

Come April 9, the day of hte Apple Blossom Invitational, this place will be jumping again, whether or not Rachel Alexandra shows up.If she is here, she’ll be a lot fitter and better prepared filly than she was today in the New Orleans. And if she isn’t here, racing fans will be treated to what I think is the greatest female Thoroughbred in my lifetime. It will be a day to remember…. no matter what.

That’s it from Oaklawn Park.

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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By Ray Paulick
The story of James E. Jones, the co-breeder with Randy Swanson of Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks winner Crisp, is one that is so unusual for the Thoroughbred business that it almost defies belief.

In decades and years past, Thoroughbred racing and breeding, especially at the highest levels, generally had been reserved for wealthy businessmen or titans of industry (in other words, old, rich, white men). Racing partnerships have made the game more accessible to people of more modest means, and the expansion of the commercial market brought more risk-takers and speculators into the breeding side of the business. Still, even with those changes, there has not been a great deal of diversity in the Thoroughbred industry, especially when it comes to race.

That’s what makes the story of the late James Jones, known as “J.J.” to his friends, so different.

Jones, the son of a Baptist minister named Joseph Jones, was one of 12 children raised in Jimtown, a small black community north of Lexington created in the 1880s to provide a home for freed slaves in the segregated south. Money was scarce, so Joseph Jones padded the income from his ministry by working as a groom at the famed Spendthrift Farm, then owned by Leslie Combs.

One day in the late 1960s, J.J. tagged along with his father, who was helping prep yearlings for an upcoming sale, and he was put to work, holding the yearlings while they were being shod. The blacksmith, a legend in the profession named John Madison who had worked with the likes of Man o’ War, saw something special in the way young J.J. handled the horses, and soon thereafter the younger Jones was working alongside Madison as he made his daily rounds.

He learned enough to go out on his own at the age of 18, and his clients included some of the biggest names in the industry, including Darby Dan Farm, managed for years by Olin Gentry, Spendthrift, Gainesway Farm, and many others.

Olin Gentry, grandson of the Darby Dan manager and co-owner of Gaines-Gentry Thoroughbreds, is the third generation from his family to have called on Jones for his expertise, his father, longtime breeder and consignor Tom Gentry, also having used him as a farrier and blacksmith. “He could spread a horse’s heels better than anyone,” the younger Gentry said.

John Hayes, who manages the farm for Gaines-Gentry, said Jones “had a technique that others tried but couldn’t do as well,” but added there was much more to the man than his knack with shoeing a horse. “He always, always, always had a smile,” said Hayes, “and he could never say ‘no’ to anyone. He was a gentleman, very generous, and I never heard him say a bad word about anyone and I never him use a swear word. Just one of the greatest guys I ever met in this game.”

Jones wanted to breed his own horses, and with the help of former Spendthrift owner Bruce Kline and yearling manager Randy Swanson in the late 1990s claimed a mare named Thorough Fair for $5,000 at Turfway Park. Bred to Mr. Greeley (then standing at Spendthrift), Thorough Fair produced eventual Grade 1 stakes winner Whywhywhy, who now stands alongside his sire at Gainesway Farm. Jones sold the bargain mare, in foal to Giant’s Causeway, for $825,000, at the 2005 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. The following year her son Spellbinder, also bred by Jones, won the Grade 2 San Antonio Handicap at Santa Anita.

Jones liked that family enough to buy Thorough Fair’s half-sister Cat’s Fair, for $14,500 at the 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale. Though unraced, she went on to produce Crisp, the second Grade 1 winner bred by Jones.

Were it not for the nose defeat of Quiet Temper in the Grade 2 Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds, Jones would be one of only two breeders to have bred a pair of 2010 American Graded Stakes winners. The other breeder is Overbrook Farm, which has bred two individual AGS winners of 2010.

That’s pretty heady company for James Jones to be mentioned in, but he is a man who rose above his humble beginnings to excel in Thoroughbred breeding and in life. A little over a year ago, B. Wayne Hughes, the current owner of Spendthrift Farm, invited Jones to his office one day to talk horses with a special guest, George W. Bush, who had only recently left the White House after serving two terms as president.

A couple of weeks later, on March 17, Jones collapsed and died from an apparent heart attack while shoeing a yearling at Sparks View Farm near Lexington. He was only 56 years old.

Fortunately, Jones passed along much of his knowledge about horses and foot care to a son, Jerard, who is following in his footsteps as a blacksmith after working with his father for nearly 10 years. His widow, Linda Denise Jones, and a daughter, Lisa, are carrying on the breeding business that had such remarkable success and showed so much promise at the time of James Jones’ death.

Copyright © 2010, The Paulick Report

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