Posts Tagged ‘winstar farm’

By Bradford Cummings
One of the historic criticisms of horse racing is its inability to adapt to changing times. Whether it was the unconscionable decision to not grab a television share in the 1950s or our relatively late arrival to the Internet dance, this industry has seldom been accused of having significant vision.
 
I admit to being guilty during football season of pouring excessive hours over my computer trying to decide who my third wide receiver should be for the upcoming weekend slate of NFL games. I’m not alone. It has been estimated that 27 million people play fantasy football spending nine hours a week on building their teams to perfection.
 
That’s why it is so heartening that two major farms have spearheaded similar campaigns to bring fans into the sport through the popular fantasy sports platform. With WinStar Farm and Vinery LTD leading the way, we are seeing a desire to catch up to the rest of the sports world and create a platform for casual fans to get more involved in racing.
 
The two games vary in format. WinStar Farm’s version, WinStar Fantasy Derby, is a free opportunity for fans to manage a stable of horses through the Kentucky Derby. The prize pool is strong with first prize being a full Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks weekend package including three nights in a hotel, airfare, box seats and a VIP tour of WinStar Farm.
 
Vinery’s Derby Dreamer contest takes the emphasis off the Road to the Derby and gives fans the opportunity to engage in a year-round contest with opportunities to win up to $10,000 each month. For $12 annually, a fan can purchase a full stable of 18 horses and 5 jockeys to use for the entire year. Of those selected, 12 horses and 3 jockeys can be activated for use each month. While there are some limitations to the game (most fantasy players are used to being able to switch rosters weekly but in Vinery’s version you can only alter your selections on a monthly basis) the $12 entry fee is relatively small for the opportunity to win a large cash prize each month.
 
So where did the impetus for these games come from? According to Finn Weisse at Vinery, it was an attempt to reach out to new fans. “At first we had the idea to get the fans involved by enjoying Vinery horses only. But in the end, we thought this wouldn’t be exciting enough to attract a huge group of people, especially not exciting enough to attract people new to the horse industry.”
 
But this new endeavor has not come without a price. The legal costs are quite high, especially when you are dealing with cash prizes across state lines. “We had to overcome a lot of legal hurdles and finally we developed a proper fantasy contest through which people can follow the stars of our industry,” said Weisse. “As you can imagine, a lot of money has been invested in this project. We hope that we can turn this venture into one that carries itself financially, while giving back to the fans and being able to invest in recruiting new fans.”
 
The WinStar version is a bit less ambitious than the Vinery game with no cash prizes and a limited season. But their entry is no less welcome. “We invented the WinStar Fantasy Derby because we felt the need to create something exciting for the fans and we have the tools with the nice 3-year-olds we have this year,” said VP & Racing Manager Elliott Walden. “We believe there are many opportunities to create fan interest and we wanted something targeted to a new audience.”
 
On designing a free fantasy game, Walden went on to say, “We purposefully made the game free with great prizes, easy to play and fun to follow. We marketed to different audiences and got a good response. We are extremely excited about the possibilities of creating interest in our sport.”
 
The only real negative here is that both of these farms, outside of the Thoroughbred industry, are not exactly nationwide brands. As concerns for the future of our industry continue to be voiced, WinStar and Vinery are clearly willing to stand up and be counted as out-of-the-box thinkers and solution-oriented organizations.
 
Hopefully both farms will be rewarded for their ingenuity. “We know the target is set very high and will not be easily achieved,” said Weisse. “But as the site is called ‘DerbyDreamer’ we allow ourselves to dream big!”
 
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

UPDATE: I was remiss to mention Churchill Down’s Road to the Roses Kentucky Derby fantasy game. It has been running much longer than any other fantasy game of its kind.  This version allows players to draft horses, jockeys and trainers and follow them on the road to the Derby. Like the WinStar game, this one is free and offers prizes over cash as awards. I am happy to be proven wrong and see a leading company in our industry utilize technology to bring in more fans.

UPDATE 2: We also slighted our friends at TVG who have been running a fantasy game for quite some time as well. Click here for complete information on their version and to sign up for free.

Copyright © 2010, The Paulick Report

Savvy businesses recognize value. Advertise in the Paulick Report.



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

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.

By Bradford Cummings
Many sports fans have played fantasy sports of some sort. Especially with growth of the Internet, fantasy football has become king but many fans can recall at least once sitting in a friend’s basement during their teenage years with a group of like-minded pimply-faced contemporaries drafting fantasy baseball teams with nothing more than a Bill James guide and case of Mountain Dew.

So like most innovations, the horse racing industry has found themselves behind the times. While a quick Google search will bring up several instances of attempted fantasy racing leagues, any in depth look will reveal little follow through. That’s why it’s refreshing to see WinStar Farm utilize a little ingenuity to give fans the opportunity to simulate the excitement of horse ownership through their WinStar Fantasy Derby.

The rules are simple. Create a 12 horse stable to compete against others along the Derby Trail. The stable that racks up the most purse winnings through April 17th wins.

The prize packages are very well thought out and definitely sweeten the pot for those interested in this type of game. Click here for the entire list of prizes for the top ten winners. Then sign up and put your stable together. Most importantly, you had better act fast. The deadline to sign up is tomorrow, February 13th at Noon EST.

We applaud WinStar’s attempt to bring fans to the table and feel a part of a sport that can sometimes feel a bit untouchable. So get off your duff and put together your winning stable.

Copyright © 2010, The Paulick Report

Savvy businesses recognize value. Advertise in the Paulick Report.



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

This is our first look at American Graded Stakes Standings for 2010, and though it’s early in the year, there are some patterns established that I think we can count on to continue in the coming months.

Trainer Bob Baffert is the leader by American Graded Stakes wins, with three in the first five weeks of 2010, and with several top contenders for the 3-year-old classics, there is no reason to believe he will not double that number before the first Saturday in May. Rick Dutrow and Todd Pletcher have two each, and Pletcher has yet to unleash his deep roster of Triple Crown prospects. Both of his AGS victories were supplied by Quality Road, who at this point has to be considered the top older male in training.

Among jockeys, Robby Albarado and Garrett Gomez have three AGS wins apiece, with four riders with two each: Martin Garcia, Joel Rosario, Chantal Sutherland, and John Velazquez. Gomez and Albarado each ride for top stables and can be expected to win a bunch more AGS races before the year is out.

Zabeel Racing International has two AGS winners, both of which were private purchases over the winter: Richard’s Kid, winner of the Grade 2 San Antonio Handicap, was bought from Arnold Zetcher and is headed to the Dubai World Cup next; and Conveyance, winner of the Grade 3 San Rafael Stakes, was sold Zabeel by Legends Racing after winning his first two starts. Zabeel is the racing stable of Sheikh Mohammed’s eldest son, Sheikh Rashid.

Also with two AGS winners is IEAH Stables, which owns Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap winner Court Vision with Resolute Group Stables and WinStar Farm; and Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes winner Amen Hallelujah with Whizway Farms.

Eleven of the 24 individual AGS winners thus far in 2010 were sold at public auction at least once, with three of them consigned by Eaton Sales, and two by Taylor Made Sales Agency. Nine of those 11 auctioned horses were purchased during the Keeneland September yearling sale for prices ranging from $27,000 for Grade 2 Palos Verdes Handicap winner Kinsale King to $310,000 for Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes winner Winslow Homer.

Press Release

Adena Springs heads the list of leading individual breeders in North America in 2009 with earnings of $12,853,329, according to statistics released today by The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc. (TJCIS). In topping the list for the seventh consecutive year, Adena Springs bred the winners of 568 races from 3,903 starts and is followed by Eugene Melnyk, who bred the winners of 291 races from 1,588 starts for earnings of $7,513,369.
 
Adena Springs also tops a second breeder list that includes partnerships. Including partnerships, Adena Springs bred the winners of 568 races from 3,908 starts for earnings of $12,856,254. Runner-up was Eugene Melnyk, who alone or in partnership bred the winners of 291 races from 1,589 starts for earnings of $7,513,696.
 
Rounding out the list of top 10 individual breeders were Juddmonte Farms Inc., $7,055,634 (46 wins/310 starts); Brereton C. Jones, $6,184,957 (265/1,676); Edward P. Evans, $4,356,533 (99/554); Pam Wygod and Martin Wygod, $4,328,166 (138/777); Stonerside Stable, $4,064,060 (104/644); Gulf Coast Farms LLC, $3,683,500 (62/401); Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, $3,459,377 (152/1,132); and Maverick Productions Ltd., $3,368,507 (6/14).
 
Completing the list of top 10 breeders including partnerships were Juddmonte Farms Inc., $7,055,634 (no horses bred in partnership); Brereton C. Jones, $7,025,758 (295 wins/1,915 starts); W.S. Farish, $5,198,485 (184/1,173); WinStar Farm LLC, $4,888,763 (124/830); Stonerside Stable, $4,825,395 (127/792); Martin J. Wygod, $4,603,613 (155/867); Edward P. Evans, $4,356,533 (no horses bred in partnership); and Pam Wygod $4,328,166 (138/777).
 
The complete lists of the top 100 breeders of 2009 are accessible through equineline.com.
 
The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Jockey Club, is an industry leader in the areas of technology and information services for industry professionals, including owners, breeders, trainers, veterinarians and farm personnel. TJCIS utilizes state-of-the-art technology to enhance the services it provides through equineline.com as well as its cataloguing and software sales and consulting divisions.

Press Release

For the first time, female Thoroughbreds occupy the top two spots on the list of leading North American earners in 2009, according to final statistics released today by Equibase Company LLC, the Thoroughbred industry’s official database for racing information.
 
Zenyatta earned $3,330,000 in 2009 to become the fourth filly or mare, and the first since Dance Smartly in 1991, to top the leading earners list. Runner-up Rachel Alexandra earned $2,746,914.
 
In the other categories, Steven Asmussen, Garrett Gomez and Michael Gill head the individual lists of the leading trainers, jockeys and owners, respectively, by North American earnings in 2009.
 
The year-end compilations are distributed annually by Equibase and include results from Thoroughbred racing in North America only. The top 100 North American leaders in each category are accessible at equibase.com.
 
Asmussen, who previously topped the trainers’ list in 2003 and 2008, won a single-season record 650 races from 2,944 starts for North American earnings of $21,876,405 in 2009. Runner-up was Todd Pletcher, whose horses won 238 races from 1,108 starts for earnings of $15,454,429 in 2009.
 
Completing the list of top 10 trainers by North American earnings in 2009 were Bob Baffert, $9,574,394 (117 wins/504 starts); William Mott, $7,957,370 (116/689); Jerry Hollendorfer, $7,309,169 (273/1,210); Kiaran McLaughlin, $6,983,433 (113/555); Scott Lake, $6,928,884 (307/1,462); Christophe Clement, $6,849,013 (91/448); Robert Frankel, $6,586,098 (42/293); and John Sadler, $5,999,956 (132/637).
 
Garrett Gomez, with earnings of $18,571,171, topped the North American leading jockeys’ list for the fourth consecutive year in 2009. He rode the winners of 210 races from 967 mounts. Julien Leparoux finished second, with 247 wins from 1,284 mounts and earnings of $18,560,565.
 
Rounding out the list of top 10 jockeys by North American earnings in 2009 were Ramon Dominguez, $18,348,422 (391 wins/1,651 mounts); Kent Desormeaux, $13,262,760 (177/936); Joel Rosario, $13,073,777 (284/1,476); John Velazquez, $13,069,881 (204/1,160); Rafael Bejarano, $12,403,993 (240/1,129); Rajiv Maragh, $11,736,729 (236/1,479); Robby Albarado, $11,504,625 (204/1,148); and Alan Garcia, $11,280,481 (183/1,049).
 
Michael Gill won 370 races from 2,247 starts and earned $6,669,950 in North America in 2009 to lead all owners. Runner-up was Juddmonte Farms Inc., which won 27 races from 116 starts for earnings of $6,525,818. 
 
Completing the list of top 10 owners by North American earnings in 2009 were Zayat Stables LLC, $6,323,286 (113 wins/573 starts); Darley Stable, $4,977,513 (78/343); Heiligbrodt Racing Stable, $4,880,906 (151/819); Augustin Stable, $4,825,552 (57/244); Mr. and Mrs. Jerome S. Moss, $4,172,533 (31/128); Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, $4,108,857 (140/521); Melnyk Racing Stables Inc., $3,991,368 (81/387); and Maggi Moss, $3,799,637 (193/716).
 
In addition to the official North American racing leaders’ lists available at equibase.com, Equibase also provides a second set of leaders’ lists that includes the results of the Dubai World Cup card from March 28, 2009, at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. Including these international earnings, Well Armed was the leading Thoroughbred with earnings of $3,649,000 and WinStar Farm LLC was the leading owner with earnings of $7,145,236. Steven Asmussen remained the leading trainer with earnings of $21,876,405 and Garrett Gomez the leading jockey with earnings of $18,571,171.
 
Equibase Company is a partnership between The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America and serves as the Thoroughbred industry’s official database for racing information. In addition to year-end rankings of the top trainers, jockeys, owners and horses, the company’s website, equibase.com, features daily rankings of the top 100 by category for the current year as well as an ever-increasing menu of racing information and handicapping products for handicappers of every skill level.

By Ray Paulick
I guess this is what you call serendipity. Only a few minutes after I scraped a couple of high school kids off the hardwood of the YMCA basketball court in Lexington (okay, so maybe they were sixth graders), I received the following email from Elisabeth Jensen at the Race for Education, the organization that has done so much to help fund college educations for the sons and daughters of people who work in the horse industry:

“This year 16 teams will play for the trophy and prestigious title of Horse Farm Basketball Champions.  The 2010 tournament will be held Jan. 20-25 at WinStar Farm and benefit the Race For Education and Blue Grass Farm Charity.  Entry fee is $250 per team.  Spectator admission is free. Last year’s tournament raised approximately $10,000 for scholarships for Dara and Chase Mullins.

“To enter a team or for more information call 859-252-8648.”

I checked with Elisabeth to see if the media could enter a team, and she said “bring it on!”

Brad Cummings, associate publisher here at the Paulick Report, may be a little wet behind the ears, but I hear the boy can play a little ball, and I know I can pull from my long-ago high school experience as the 13th man on the Hononegah High School junior varsity team in Rockton, Ill., where I mostly learned to hold a clipboard (pictured, left, wearing No. 11).

So the Paulick Report is in, but we need some help, since five on two would make this a bit of a challenge, especially against those teams that include recently hired “interns” who all happen to be young, tall and fast (would Darley really do that?).

Therefore, I hereby am throwing down the gauntlet to recruit players from all the other Thoroughbred media here in Central Kentucky to team up for a very good cause. I would think that between Blood-Horse Publications, Thoroughbred Times (we’ll even let them include staff from some of their sister publications like Hobby Farms, Reptiles USA and Bird Talk), Daily Racing Form, Indian Charlie (maybe that Ed Musselman fella can rebound), we should be able to field a team that can put a few points on the scoreboard—or at least make it up and down the court without passing out. We compete against each other all year. Let’s all play on the same team for a change.

You know who you are and you know how to reach me. Game on. Let’s have some fun and help a good cause.

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

Savvy businesses recognize value. Advertise in the Paulick Report.

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

By Ray Paulick
“I have to say ‘no’ to 500 families each year, and it breaks my heart,” says Elisabeth Jensen, president and executive director of the Race for Education scholarship program. “I hate saying ‘no.’”

Jensen is hoping she can say “yes” to an increasing number of deserving and needy students in years to come as the college scholarship program created in 2002 continues to grow and gain support from individuals and businesses from within the equine industry. So far, the Race for Education has provided $2.5 million in scholarship funds to more than 200 students in 40 states across the U.S. Its selection committee recently approved 70 new students as recipients.

Race for Education scholarships are available to sons and daughters of equine industry employees or students seeking careers in the horse business. Eligibility is limited to children of parents whose combined annual income is $50,000 or less. Jensen said over a five-year period the average combined annual income of parents of a scholarship recipient was about $27,000.

The program offers more than just scholarship funds. It also provides advice and training to help students minimize their education debt load, mentoring services and references or referrals for permanent jobs upon graduation.

 In conjunction with the American Association of Equine Practitioners Foundation and Platinum Performance, the “Winner’s Circle Scholarship Program” supports one veterinary student at each of the 30 vet schools across the country to help offset the burdensome costs associated with obtaining a degree leading to a career as an equine practitioner. There are other scholarships designated for students in specific states or with defined career interests. 

Click here for information on those scholarship programs.

All administrative and staffing costs are paid for through a private donor, meaning that 100% of the money contributed to the Race for Education goes toward scholarships.

Sixty-seven Race for Education students will graduate from college this spring, adding to the 89 graduates from previous years. Among them is Joseph Miller, one of four students to receive Race for Education Funds the first year they were awarded in 2003. The University of Louisville equine business school graduate works for Lincoln Collins’ Kern Thoroughbreds in Midway, Ky., and he recently was named to the Race for Education’s board of directors.

The board is chaired by Team Valor International’s Barry Irwin, who was instrumental in the organization’s first major fund-raiser in 2003 when he secured the rights from Gary Barber, a Team Valor partner and movie producer, for the world premiere of the “Seabiscuit” movie. The premiere, at Louisville’s Palace Theater, helped raise nearly $100,000 for the Race for Education.

Irwin also is one about 35 Thoroughbred owners participating in the Racehorse Nomination Program, which donates a minimum of 1% of a racehorse’s purse earnings to the program. Team Valor donates 1%, and Irwin matches that from personal funds. 

(Click here to see how you can be part of the Racehorse Nomination Program.)

Irwin was among the volunteers and students who brought their paintbrushes to help redecorate the Race for Education offices in December when they were relocated to 1818 Versailles Road in Lexington, in a historic building purchased by Bill and Susan Casner. Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt sponsored the office’s conference room, and donations from Carl and Wanda Nafzger, David Ingordo and Chris Young helped furnish the offices.

The program began when Jensen was working at Kentucky’s WinStar Farm and co-owners Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt, who have provided financial backing to many other charitable causes, challenged her to create something meaningful and lasting to benefit people in the industry. A horse-loving native of Indiana who graduated from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology and later worked in Burbank, Calif., as a brand manager for Disney, Jensen took the idea of creating the Race for Education to several organizations and received a positive response.

The program was launched in 2002. It took on even greater significance for co-founders Bill and Susan Casner when their daughter, Karri, died in a terrorist attack in Bali later that year. A 5K/10K run held in Karri’s memory each autumn has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Race for Education. WinStar is also one of the owners participating in the Racehorse Nomination Program, so the scholarship fund got a big boost last month when Well Armed won the $6-million Dubai World Cup. Two percent of the winnings were donated to the program.

However, as Jensen said, for every deserving student that receives scholarship money from the Race for Education, there are many more who have to be turned down because of a lack of funds. Matching dollars from the federal government have helped, but the program can only grow through greater participation of the many charitable people in our industry.

It is a great investment in our future.  Click here to see how you can help.

Copyright © 2009, 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.