“this is the way the world will end
this is the way the world will end
this is the way the world will end
Not with a bang, but a whimper”
-T.S. Eliot
Could Curlin’s retirement finally prove that thoroughbred racing needs to do a better job of telling it’s own story? I’ve looked ever since the announcement was made – and the general reaction among news outlets (including “sports” outlets such as ESPN) has been not even a whimper. Indeed, the first $10 million horse in U.S. history fades into retirement and is not even worth mentioning, yet Notre Dame struggles to defeat the Naval Academy and I’ve managed to see those highlights umteen thousands times already.
What gives?
The truth is it’s nobodies fault but our own. And by “our own” I mean everyone involved with horse racing. We operate inside a model that currently ONLY awards fame and recognition (and indeed mention to the outside world) when a Kentucky Derby is won. The Preakness has value as the world is watching to see the Kentucky Derby winner repeat, and if (and only if) he/she does, then the Belmont becomes an extravaganza. If, however, the Preakness is won by a different horse than the Kentucky Derby – so long public “care.”
We saw this with Curlin. Street Sense was the best known three-year-old from that amazing crop of 2007, despite the fact that Curlin defeated him twice (Preakness and Breeders’ Cup Classic) in the three head to head meetings.
This year a relatively unknown 3-year-old (Big Brown) rose from obscurity to national prominence by making his run at the Triple Crown. He won the Derby, and with that won fame and recognition. Indeed, heading into the Breeders’ Cup Classic he was arguably more well known to outsiders than even Curlin. When he was injured and taken off the Classic trail, it was news repeated in print, on radio, and on television around the world.
And yet nary a word about Curlin’s retirement.
To me it’s a slap in the face that Curlin receives no coverage – yet it’s also a clarion call to the sport in general – and I HOPE they are listening again!
When we went to Las Vegas and pitched the online marketing task force agenda, my major theme was “Take Back Saturday.” Some laughed. Some scoffed at the notion of achieving any sort of notoriety – but many more agreed and saw the value in “telling a continuous story from the Triple Crown to the Breeders’ Cup” by focusing on our marquee Saturday racing. That is, after all, when “most” of our Grade 1 races occur. By securing time slots on networks like ESPN and promising to deliver that which we already have – namely compelling, top-flight racing action every Saturday, we could help do many things including making bigger stars and househould names out of our best horses.
Curlin would’ve been one to benefit from such an initiative. Sadly, part of his legacy will always be that when he returned from Dubai as a champion in his initial U.S. race, the Stephen Foster, it wasn’t even televised to most of the homes in the U.S.
That, my friends, is an error we must not repeat ever again. We owe it to these guys. They deserve to be in a position of greater relevance when they retire. This is a story horse racing should WANT to tell. It didn’t end in injury, tragedy, or death (unless you consider Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride “tragic” for Curlin).
I hope you guys are still listening over at the NTRA and beyond. I think Curlin’s retirement just made the best case for “Take Back Saturday” we could possibly have.
Your love for horse racing really shows and you are not alone. Keep at it, the Curlin’s in the world owe you.
so i completely agree and may have to borrow your idea and expand it into a grad school paper on culture ect. my other question is why are the automatic generated possible related feeds all negative coverage about horse racing?
I absolutely agree! I have friends who get HRTV so I was happily able to see Curlin trump the Stephen Foster, but tons of people couldn’t.
You should try writing for a publication, your writing would really excite people and get attention!! Thanks for all your great blogs posts!!
@libby – thank you – means the world to me. Curlin owes me nothing though. He already gave me (us) all he had.
@Fritz – good question (about the “possibly related posts”) – wish I could edit that away. I’m guessing it picked up on key words and brought those posts over. I’ve never been a fan of that feature here on wordpress…wish it would restrict to “related posts” within my own blog.
@Brian – Thanks a million old buddy. I’m always amazed by how similar our opinions are. I’m guessing an official “Brian A” horseracing blog would be equally as fantastic. I think I’ve told you this before, but if not – you are EXACTLY what we need – more younger fans like you with an absolute passion for horse racing.
Random thoughts- your comments on Curlin were lovely and moving.
I really think racing online has to be easier than it is now. I think there is a new audience for racing that comes out of the hunter/jumper world. Zenyatta got a standing ovation at Breeders Cup. Chronicle of the Horse has a really active racing forum. Everything is moving to the internet, and if racing can keep in step it will save itself.
The L.A. Times stopped covering racing this year, but newspapers in general are in scary hard times.
I don’t watch tv at all, but I have watched many races on line, some of them even live and streaming. youbet.com made betting surprisingly easy for me. too bad the economy doesn’t let me experiment more with my bets. Your site is great, thanks for all the time you spend with your posts.
Please don’t view my input as negative!!!! Horse Racing needs new ideas and younger leadership. Its 2008, not 1908 any longer!!! Some of many ideas that may help:
1) I work at 1-4 PM Monday through Friday. Sorry! I have to pay for toilet paper and light beer and such. Why are we running the bulk of our racing schedule during these times??? I understand alot of retired people like this, but there is no future in this model.
2) If we do #1, we can have huge fields during the weekend when people can actually watch and wager on Horse racing. I would rather see 12-14 horse fields and less races. Thats what makes the derby so great, 16 betting entries.
3) One 24-7 Horse Racing network period! Horse Racing is in no shape to have competition right now. Merge TVG-HRTV into one Mega Channel.
4) Free parking, free programs, free admission at track and OTB. No brainer!
5) 50 Cent pick 3-4, and $1 dollar pick 6! Give the average guy some deeper tickets and a chance of making a huge score!
6) Some new racing format ideas: Ryder cup: USA vs Europe or World. One day Championship of Match Races. Relay Races!! Go crazy, go nuts!
7) More advetising! I never see Horse Racing commericals during prime time or even the Superbowl. Newspapers are dying for advertising right now!
Just some ideas, guessing there are tons more!
@Sally C – it’s you I should be thanking. Thank you for stopping over. I always enjoy hearing what’s on your mind.
About the L.A. Times – did I hear that they brought racing coverage back after they got swamped with subscription cancellations over it’s removal? Thought someone on TVG mentioned that. I’m on the wrong coast to know though.
@Shelton – why Scott, you negative bastard!!! (kidding)
I agree with you, bro. I wish we had more night racing as well. I know Laurel does the “twilight” thing, and that’s a step in the right direction, but I’ve always wondered who exactly tracks thought was going to show up to Wednesday noon post times?
About the Ryder Cup – Churchill just did that last weekend actually. I’m not sure what the results were, but I thought it was a great idea. Of course, I’m only able to get TVG here on Directv, so no HRTV and no Churchill – so my wagers went elsewhere….well, that and the fact that a certain (cough cough) Crimson clad football team has been kicking arse on Saturdays and taking names.
Love the $1 pick 6 idea (and the cheaper pick 4/pick 3 ideas), although I don’t know what that might do to track handle. Theoretically it could increase if more folks wagered, right? I know I’d play a HECk of a lot more Pick 6’s if I didn’t have to cough up $2 a combination on what will most assuredly be a losing play. $1 I’ll suffer through, but it’s way too easy to get up over $200 without going extensively deep on a pick 6 – and that tends to lead to burn city (both wallet and ticket).
That brings me to something else about the pick 6. Why is it the winning tickets I see in most of the big scores are well under $100? I’ve seen a lot of $8 and $16 tickets hitting this year. Are folks really that good? I know I’m not. Every once in a while you see the $1800 “corporation” ticket hit, but it seems just as often (if not more), it’s someone with 4 singles – and none of them favorites. Man I wish those folks would give me some pointers.
Oh yes, and I should add that Amy and I were reflecting on Preakness day today and I realized I’m still upset that I didn’t get your phone message about Pays to Dream when I had the tasteless chalk Shakis and got knocked out the race before the Preakness. I’m still pissed about that. I should probably go cry in a corner and work that out of my system.
Thanks Kevin!! (I think you just got my wheels turning with the blog idea!!). (-:
What can a passionate fan like myself do to help the cause?
Jeff –
My best advice – head over to http://www.ntra.com and navigate to Alex Waldrop’s “Straight Up” blog. He’s the CEO of the NTRA and is always interested in hearing from passionate fans. In fact, that’s what his blog is all about.
Sound off, join in the discussions, and get heard.
I’ve got some links to that site (and his most recent update) in my most recent post above called “Change”.
Beyond that – resist the urge to see only the glass half empty as so many others do. It’s going to be tough, and it’s going to be bumpy at times, but there’s a real chance here to enact positive change/reform. Having met Alex in Vegas -he’s the right guy for the job. I’m certain of that.
Kevin, I’ll know about the LA Times when we’re back there next week. Meanwhile, I think the ideas behind “Fastrack” over at your pal cangamble’s blog are brilliant. I’ve gone with groups to the track where many are first timers and they leave knowing just about as little as when they got there, though all say they had a good time.
[...] A few weeks ago the announcement of Curlin’s retirement came, and admittedly I flew into a sort of overall funk. Rising like a phoenix from the ashes of this funk, I was filled again with the spirit of pushing for reform and change within the sport. “Take Back Saturday” was focused in my mind, heavy in my heart, and fresh on my lips. Like any writer who feels they are attached to a “cause” – I picked up the pen (in this case a keyboard) and began to let loose. [...]
[...] screamed – in my living room. Thanks to Papa Clem and Old Fashioned for doing their part to help Take Back Saturday. Now let’s begin to look forward to what appears to be a very contentious 2009 Kentucky [...]
[...] you may recall, part of the whole “Take Back Saturday” idea that I continually reference was to reflect upon the successes enjoyed by other sports and to [...]