Posts Tagged ‘steve sexton’
Friday, May 29th, 2009
Do you know an individual or organization who you think we should consider for an upcoming “Good News Friday” feature? Then please e-mail info@paulickreport.com with the name of the individual or organization and a brief description of why you think they should be featured. Additionally, we’d like to thank Rob Whiteley and Liberation Farm for encouraging us to bring to light some of the industry’s positive stories and for sponsoring this exclusive Paulick Report feature.
By Ray Paulick
Good news doesn’t always make us feel good. To me, that’s the story of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, a 501(c)3 charity that has the thankless task of providing financial assistance to help former jockeys cope with the realities of lives too often spent in wheelchairs. It’s an organization doing exceptionally important work, and like many other worthy causes it struggles to get the funding it needs.
The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund makes a huge difference in the lives of these former riders, who currently number 60 (nine are women). Nancy LaSala, the Fund’s board chairman, is like so many in the racing community who is hoping and praying that Rene Douglas, severely injured in an Arlington Park accident on May 23, does not become disabled jockey No. 61.
“There is a need for assistance for these individuals,” said LaSala, a native of Chicago who for 26 years has been married to jockey Jerry LaSala, currently an officer with the Jockeys’ Guild. “Many of the riders are hurt at a young age. They don’t have time to build retirement savings. Some have young children. They have no other means of income. Many have said to me, ‘If I didn’t have this assistance, I wouldn’t have a roof over my head.’ The $1,000 a month we provide helps them pay for basic necessities. If they’re ever thrown a curveball, believe me, it’s devastating for them.”
That there is even a Fund for permanently disabled riders is almost a miracle, given the turmoil the Jockeys’ Guild went through under the disastrous leadership of Wayne Gertmenian, whose 2001-2005 reign of terror left the organization teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, and its Disabled Jockeys Fund depleted. Gertmenian was removed as president in November 2005, just a month after a Congressional hearing on the Guild uncovered massive problems. The Guild eventually was forced into bankruptcy.
During the final stages of Gertmenian’s tenure, Nancy LaSala and a number of Guild officers worried that the disabled riders would be left on their own, without any assistance. “I very much care about the welfare of the jockeys,” LaSala said. “In 2005, before the Guild severed its relationship with Gertmenian, I asked, ‘If this organization fails, what will happen to these disabled riders? We got involved in helping with their needs, and I think that was very valuable. We then started having meetings with other groups in the industry in January of 2006.”
Racing executives like Steve Sexton of Churchill Downs Inc. and Don Amos, then with Magna Entertainment, helped lead the charge to start a new Fund, and in May 2006 the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund was created as part of NTRA Charities. One month later, with seed money from Churchill Downs Inc., Magna and other tracks, it was able to begin offering financial assistance to permanently disabled riders in need.
LaSala said many racetracks have really stepped up to help raise money for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Horsemen’s organizations have not been as supportive, though individuals in the ownership ranks, including Richard Santulli, chairman of NetJets, Bill Casner of WinStar Farm, Barbaro owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson, and Michael Bello, a California-based owner, have made significant contributions. In 2008, thanks to Santulli and Casner, the Fund raised $500,000 during the Triple Crown, which amounts to more than half of the Fund’s $800,000 annual operating budget. Santulli and Casner again kicked in major contributions to the Fund at this year’s Kentucky Derby.
“Jockeys have the most hazardous occupation of any professional athlete, and I feel are greatly unappreciated,” said Casner, the former chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and a self-described “ex-gallop boy that got on about 25,000 of those beasts over 16 years as a young racetracker,” one who “had my share of hitting the ground and having several flip over on me …but for the grace of God."
“There are around 1,500 licensed professional jockeys,” Casner added, “with most of them struggling with weight and making a living. They put their lives and bodies at risk every time they get on one of our horses and most will deal with a plethora of injuries over a career. If they are lucky they will walk away and not have to deal with paralysis. Exercise riders and backstretch help should also be included in this group. While they do not experience the injury opportunities that race riders do, they are still subject to the same events. It is only right that we as an industry work with the jockeys to help them help themselves as well as other backside employees. I comment Richard Santulli, as well as the riders, for taking the leadership on this important charitable endeavor over the last two Triple Crowns.”
Riders have been directly involved in some of the creative fundraising that’s been done for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. At Keeneland this spring, “Riders Up!” a karaoke competition involving many current and past jockeys, was the highlight of a very popular dinner that raised $50,000 for the Fund.
Earlier, in Hot Springs, Ark., restaurateur Mike Loy provided free dinners at his popular KJ’s Grill and racing fans paid $100 each to dine and meet some of their favorite jockeys, raising another $17,000 for the Fund. A similar event, “Dining With the Dynasties,” will be held at Arlington Park Aug. 7, the day before the Arlington Million, thanks to Arlington boss Richard Duchossois and track president Roy Arnold, who is now a member of the Fund’s board of directors. Retired Hall of Fame jockeys like Pat Day and Gary Stevens, along with other current and former riders, including some of those who benefit from the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, are expected to participate at the Arlington event.
Speaking of Pat Day, there is good news about him and Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey, two former Jockeys’ Guild presidents who resigned from the organization when the former manager, John Giovanni, was forced out and Gertmenian was brought in. Now that the Guild has regained its credibility and is on the road to financial recovery under the leadership of Terry Meyocks and a newly configured board, Bailey and Day have rejoined the organization in a show of support. Meyocks said a number of other current riders who had quit the Guild during the Gertmenian era have also come back into the fold.
Earlier this year, the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund became a standalone 501(c)3 charity, and it is no longer part of NTRA Charities. It continues to struggle for its funding. “We need the support of the entire industry and all of its partners,” LaSala said.
Please contact the Fund if you would like to help. Its web site will have an online donation link in the near future. In the meantime, you can send donations to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, P.O. Box 803, Elmhurst, IL 60126. The telephone number is: (630) 595-7660 and fax is (630) 595-7655.
Liberation Farm celebrates the many horsemen and horsewomen who strive each day to make things better for horses and those who work with them. To learn more about Liberation Farm, click here.
Previous Good News Friday subjects: Father Chris Clay, The Race for Education, Military Appreciation Day at Keeneland, Kentucky Oaks Pink Out for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Mary Lee-Butte and the Blue Grass Farms Chaplaincy, Mary Jo Pons and the Radio Reading Network, TV Ratings Are Up.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
Visit the Paulick Report for all the latest news throughout the racing world.
Sign up for our Email Flashes to get the latest news, analysis and commentary from Ray Paulick
Tags: Arlington Park, Barbaro, Bill Casner, churchill downs, dining with the dynasties, disabled jockeys, disabled jockeys fund, don amos, Gary Stevens, Good News Friday, horse racing injuries, jerry bailey, jerry lasala, jockeys' guild, john giovanni, Keeneland, kj's grill, liberation farm, Magna Entertainment, mike loy, nancy lasala, pat day, Paulick Report, permanently disabled jockeys fund, Ray Paulick, rene douglas, richard duchossois, richard santulli, roy and gretchen jackson, roy arnold, steve sexton, terry meyocks, wayne gertmenian
Posted in Good News Friday, Jockeys, racing injuries | 9 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 »
Tuesday, October 28th, 2008
Ray Paulick will be live blogging the meeting of Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear’s Task Force on the Future of Horse Racing at 1 p.m. Eastern today. The Task Force meeting takes place at Keeneland. Following is the agenda:
Opening remarks from Task Force chairman Tracy Famer
Discussion regarding Proper Staffing and
Funding Levels of the KHRC Ellen Hesen
Discussion regarding Industry Financial Matters Nick Nicholson
Discussion regarding Integrity of Racing
and Pari-mutuel activities Edward Bonnie
Discussion regarding Laboratory Facilities
in Kentucky Robert Beck Jr.
1:15 p.m. … Late starting, but Task Force chairman Tracy Farmer calls the meeting to order and announces that there is a quorum, Steve Sexton of Churchill Downs being the only apparent no show. That’s better than the last Task Force meeting I covered, when a subcommittee on integrity failed to attract a quorum.
1:20 p.m. … Quarter Horse racing now has a representative on the Task Force, Ed Ashcraft, who talked briefly about a Quarter Horse meeting held on the Polytrack at Turfway Park this year. He called it a success and said something about people like Wayne Lukas and Bob Baffert, who used to train Quarter Horses. Relevance?
1:25 p.m. … Sexton arrives. Must have got a speeding ticket on I-64 coming over from Louisville.
1:28 p.m. … Ellen Hesen reported on the proper staffing and funding levels for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and source of funding. She’s not talking loud enough for anyone to hear her, but we know what she’s saying: the commission needs more staff and more money.
1:29 p.m. … Someone in the audience asks the speakers to talk louder so that people can hear what they are saying. Amen!
1:29 p.m. … Correction on Sexton. No speeding ticket. He went to Fasig-Tipton instead. Keeneland president Nick Nicholson hopes that’s not an omen.
1:30 p.m. … Speaking of Nicholson, he takes the floor to offer his report on the subcommitte on industry financial matters. It’s a huge industry, he says, with $4 billion in economic impact and between 80,000-100,000 jobs. He’s done this PowerPoint thing before. Very professional. (Click here to read his entire report.)… "It should not surprise us that other states are coming after what we have," says Nicholson. "The competition for horses in other jurisdictions is probably at an all-time high. … Racing secretaries (in other states) are pressuring trainers not to ship their horses to Kentucky. … Alternative gaming has fueled dramatic increases in purses in other states. .. Breeders are moving broodmares and stallions to others states." In short, we are headed straight to hell.
1:35 p.m. … In big bold type: "PURSES ARE KEY MEASURE OF COMPETITIVENESS," say Nicholson. They lead to better horses, higher quality racing, which attract more fans and betting handle and a better simulcast product that people bet more money on. Total purses in Kentucky have not grown in recent years, Nicholson says. All states where purses are growing have alternative gaming, he adds."Slot machines at New York tracks will dramatically alter Kentucky racing. … Illinois racetrack will soon begin receiving riverboat subsidies…of $75 million. … The Illinois condition books will be stronger than they have been in years. … Purses in Indiana will double from slots from 2006 to 2008."
1:40 p.m. .. Nicholson puts up a map like one of those red states/blue states maps showing the electoral count, in the presidential except its slots states and hobo states. The slots states are taking over racing.
1:43 p.m. … If you like bar graphs and electoral maps, Nicholson’s presentation is a dandy. But it’s also downright depressing. It’s clear that our wagons have to be removed from horses and hitched to slot machines.
1:45 p.m. … More depressing news. Pennsylvania will be the center of the Thoroughbred world by 2009. Purses will be $166 million, a 400% increase from 2006. Pennsylvania’s purses will even be better than New York’s. Looks like Kentucky polilticians better legalize moonshine or medicinal marijuana to replace the lost Thoroughbred business that’s a comin’ round the corner.
1:48 p.m. … Still, Nicholson says Kentucky is the only "exporter" of Thoroughbreds in the U.S., that other states focus on having their horses competing against each other in restricted state-bred races, and that Kentucky-bred horses are competitive on a world stage. Check mark to Kentucky.
1:49 p.m. … The Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund is shrinking like a horse coming off steroids, one chart shows. The amount of awards have dropped by 25% from over $8 million in 2002 to less than $6 million this year. Erase that check mark.
1:51 p.m. … Pennsylvania again. Their breeders funds have jumped from $8 million to $15 million. Nicholson runs through other states with breeders fund programs. Louisiana and New Mexico up. New York heading up soon. There is a saying here in Kentucky about the national ranking of our state’s education system: "Thank God for Mississippi." Nicholson doesn’t say it, but when he shows how pitiful the California bred breeding fund is, you can almost hear the people in the room say, ‘Thank God for California."
1:55 p.m. … "This subcommittee’s been a wakeup call for us," Nicholson concludes. He talks about a deluge of competition from other states and says, "We cannot afford the status quo." Ellis Park owner Ron Geary talked about all the new slot machines at Indiana tracks he saw on a visit there. Then he said he went to Philadelphia Park to see the slots. "I came back completely stunned about what kind of competition we have," Geary said. "We’d better get on-track or we’re going to get left behind."
2:00 p.m. … Ned Bonnie, the attorney who chairs the subcommittee on integrity, gave a lawyerly report on his panel’s meeting that focused on how to make sure wagering is stopped when it’s supposed to (i.e., once a race begins). He reviewed the presentations from the meeting and then moved on to talking about backstretch "shakedowns" of trainers and veterinarians. He seems to intimate that harness tracks are doing a better job of surveillance and searches, citing a recent search at the Red Mile of two veterinary trucks during which some prohibited substasnces were found. "The responsibilities on the integrity issues vis a vis medication issues have been delegated to the Equine Drug Council," Bonnie said, "and they have assumed the responsibility of talking about integrity related to the medication issue."
2:05 p.m. … Another attorney, Bob Beck Jr., is head of the laboratory facilities subcommittee. "There is a great deal of support for establishing a (drug testing) laboratory in Kentucky," he says. "If we’re not going to do a lab that isn’t world class, it isn’t worth pursuing," he added. Beck said it will be important to hire a lab director, he added.
2:10 p.m. Chairman Farmer thanks all of the committee chairs for their reports and says, "The task force is moving forward very forcefully. We intend to meet Nov. 25 in Frankfort, hopefully with a conclusion of all these committees and combine them into one report, which we will give to the governor."
Meeting adjourned.
Copyright © 2008, The Paulick Report
Sign up for our Email Flashes to get the latest news, analysis and commentary from Ray Paulick
Visit the Paulick Report for all the latest news throughout the racing world.
Tags: bob beck, churchill downs, edward bonnie, ellen hesen, Keeneland, kentucky horse racing task force, ned bonnie, nick nicholson, racinos, robert beck jr., ron geary, Slot machines, steve beshear task force on the future of horse racing, steve sexton, tracy farmer
Posted in Kentucky, Regulatory Issues | 10 Comments »
|
|
