How One Moment Can Captivate a Nation

25 06 2010

The story line runs near and dear to any racing fan’s heart.  A sport that has been long cherished and held in high regard around the world struggling to find relevance on the national stage here in the U.S.  Fans of the sport long feeling somewhat shunned and mocked by the general populace.  Only once every few years does even the prospect of having a chance to claim a sliver of the spotlight present itself – and only then when something truly remarkable is deemed imminent.

Earlier this week in South Africa, just such a moment occurred when Landon Donovan nailed the game winner against Algeria, propelling the U.S. World Cup team to the knockout portion of the tournament in the  round of 16.

I’ll spare the obvious Miracle on ice comparisons – if only because Algerian soccer is not quite the enemy that Soviet hockey was.  Certainly the moment invokes memories of the passion and excitement coursing through the land each time the U.S. drove a puck into the Russian net.

The sudden surge of interest and enthusiasm in the happenings of a sport long dismissed by Americans as “boring”, and (in so many words) “unmanly” has caught some of guard.  Not me.

We’ve been saying this for years.  The reason people love sport –  all sport – is because deep down in our hearts we are fascinated by watching the human spirit (or in our case the equine spirit) overcome adversity.  Every sport – given the right venue – is capable of captivating the people’s attention.  It just takes the right combination of accessibility, relevance, and of course heart-stopping dramatic moments.

When the U.S. began their World Cup campaign, they faced off against mighty England on a Saturday afternoon.  The internet was ablaze with excitement.  Twitter even went to so far as to add nifty little icons if you typed in a country’s name or the phrase  ”#worldcup”  into a message.  The match earned a 7.6 rating, whereas the longer broadcast that included pre-game coverage earned a 6.1 rating (making it the 5th highest rated FIFA broadcast since 1994).

The most viewed moment in American soccer history continues to be the shirtless romp of Brandi Chastain and Team USA beating China in the 1997 Women’s WC Final.  A whopping 18 million viewers tuned in for that epic moment – proving what horse racing fans have known ever since our leading ladies Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra burst onto the scene:  we may think of sports as being “manly” – but there might be something to this whole “girl power” thing after all.

What about that goal-heard-round-the-world by Landon Donovan that propelled the U.S. to the next round and elicited the response across the nation captured above?  While being dubbed the “most viewed soccer telecast in U.S. history” (despite the obvious math problems when compared to the Brandi Chastain moment above), the match drew just a 4.6  rating – reaching perhaps 6 million viewers overall.

Contrast that with what was generally considered a rather down year for the Triple Crown season in thoroughbred racing.  The Preakness stakes – won by Lookin at Lucky over Kentucky Derby champion Super Saver - earned 8.4 million viewers.  If the sources I’ve linked to are to be trusted, that means that a rather nondescript 2010 rendition of the Preakness still earned over 2 million more viewers than the greatest and “most watched” soccer moment in a generation within the U.S.  I find that fascinating given the general “racing is dead” talk and the ubiquitous, inescapable references to the World Cup everywhere one turns.

Now, it must be said – the U.S. match against Algeria came on a weekday morning – not exactly prime time television – which makes their ratings all the more astounding.  Most of racings largest moments happen on a Saturday – which tends to draw increased viewership (there’s a reason the NFL targeted Sunday for their main “game day”).  No doubt we’ll be looking at another huge draw for soccer when the U.S. takes on Ghana on Saturday.

What about when times are good for racing?   When Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness in 2009 – a race in which the favorite was not the Kentucky Derby champion (Mine That Bird), but rather a filly attempting to become the first of her kind in decades to prevail in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown - it earned a 7.9 rating (and reportedly 10.9 million viewers) – the second highest rating for the Preakness broadcast in almost 20 years.  Smarty Jones set the bar even higher back in 1994, earning a 9.4 rating.

Perhaps we should not be so fast to throw in the towel and trumpet the demise of racing?  I’m sure folks affiliated with FIFA are euphoric and will look to capitalize on their success.  While the popularity of thoroughbred racing is indeed declining as the decades march on, we must remember that there is indeed a “base” or “core” from which to build upon for the future.  Pessimism will get us nowhere.

As a sport, soccer has progressed with a definitive goal in mind over the last two decades – to aggressively carve out a slice of relevance and to earn a shot at capturing the attention of the nation.  They’ve dedicated themselves to securing a new generation of fans through efforts like youth soccer, and have embraced popular mediums like video gaming to drum up interest, familiarity, and enthusiasm (as anyone who has played the outstanding FIFA franchise games can attest).

And note – while it takes quite a bit of effort to nurture a growing following, you don’t even need ALL the stars to align themselves – as our matches in the World Cup have been marred by 90 minute scoring droughts, controversial decisions from officials, and those blasted, damnable vuvuzelas.

We’ve been over all of this before, of course – as each time the Olympics come around I find myself shouting at the television screen about competitions I know next to nothing about (I’m not a pretty sight in ice skates – nor in track and field uniforms).  The other evening my wife and I watched with amusement as our 1-year-old bellowed unintelligible yells of defiance directed towards the ineptness and futility of the Baltimore Orioles.  Obviously it’s a part of who we are from very early on in our development.  It’s as if our brains are firing up to declare: “something is happening – something exciting – I want to have a vested interest in this!”

Make no mistake – soccer is experiencing a surge in popularity the likes of which it has never seen in this nation.  Everyone I spoke with at work this week tended to have wishes for the team in their hearts, on their lips, and in their minds. Only time will tell if the attention is fleeting or if it has real  staying power.  We in thoroughbred racing no all too well about fleeting glory.  One factor that will no doubt play a key role is how the U.S. performs against Ghana on Saturday, and then, God-willing, against any future opponents they may face.  A strong run could propel the sport to a sustained (or semi-sustained) golden age of popularity.

Likewise – with some improved foresight, a bit of luck, and the courage to aggressively carve out our own niche audience and build for the future – we might find ourselves thrust back into the national spotlight one day-  and hopefully for all the RIGHT reasons.


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Categories : horse racing, Horse Racing News, Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta

Rachel and Zenyatta: The Return of Take Back Saturday!

11 03 2010

Zenyatta & Rachel Alexandra trading cards available at: http://www.appleblossominvitational.com

“Well have we done, thrice valiant countrymen.  But all is not done here.  Yet keep the French the field!”   – Henry V (Act IV, Scene VI)

Take Back Saturday.  Remember that phrase?  For about a year or so one could reasonably suggest I was mildly obsessed with the idea and everything it was supposed to stand for.  For those who weren’t around back then, it was the rallying cry for the Marketing Report a group of bloggers I was honored to be associated with presented to the NTRA in the fall of 2008 in an effort to put forth ideas on how to engage a new generation of fans. Take Back Saturday, by definition, stood for the notion of “telling a continuous story from the Triple Crown to the Breeders’ Cup.”  The idea rested upon two primary pillars for it’s foundation: accessibility and relevance.

The idea was that by making racing more consistently accessible to fans, and then giving them a reason to care about the entire racing season by doing a better job of “telling our story” and explaining why races mattered (rather than just the Kentucky Derby, Triple Crown, and the Breeders’ Cup), we could carve out a niche in the Spring/Summer that would help build excitement about the sport and make it more relevant on the national stage.

The idea was aggressively modeled after what the NFL was able to accomplish in turning Sunday from a day viewed primarily as one of religious worship into what we now refer to casually as “football Sunday.”  Folks knew that at 1PM on Sunday afternoons from September to January, they could watch compelling gridiron action on the television.  The sport sold itself.  It embraced the medium of television even when other sports insisted on doggedly sticking to the old ways.  The net result?  A country that only decades before cared more about baseball, boxing, and thoroughbred racing was suddenly a people obsessed with football – and we’ve never looked back.

Obviously it would be insane to think we have a chance of ever coming close to the popularity of a sport like football.  Nobody’s suggesting that at all.  What we can do, however, is learn some lessons from that success and apply them to our own world in an effort to grow the game as much as possible for the future of the sport.  Think about it for a moment.  The NFL was succesful because they made the sport infinitely more accessible than baseball or horse racing (by virtue of playing games on weekends), and they gave folks a reason to care by telling a continuous story from week to week as the season progressed, building up the hype for the marquee showdowns coming up just over the horizon.

Guess what?  We can do a bit of that ourselves.  Our biggest racing happens on weekends (usually Saturdays), and if we aggressively promote the sport on nationally televised networks from the Spring through the Summer, we can give folks a reason to care about our bigger races.  Consider that the person sitting next to you at work, though likely not a horse racing fan, has at least heard of the Kentucky Derby.  Most likely, however, they have never heard a word about other esteemed races like the Stephen Foster, the Woodward, or the Haskell.  Why is that?  Because the only time they ever see us is on the first Saturday in May (and perhaps an additional Saturday or two for Preakness and Belmont weeks, depending on how much the national press picks up on potential Triple Crown hype).  That’s it.  That’s our Andy Warhol “15 minutes of fame” each year.

Why not instead make the sport more readily accessible in the major preps leading up to the Derby, and through the marquee summer racing held at numerous tracks each weekend once the Triple Crown season is over?  We’ve got what it takes.  We’ve got compelling racing action, heated rivalries, and all of the excitement and drama associated with a major sport.  What we don’t do is do a solid job of selling those angles to the public, or even  making them available for public consumption in the first place.

That was the gist of our pitch.

More than a year has past.  In that time the calls for change to the sport have morphed to a degree, but they have not abated.  The NTRA, for it’s part, has kept our devoted band of fans informed and promised that we would see movement in the direction we desired sooner rather than later.

This weekend, my friends, the first step shall be taken.

The NTRA has announced today that they will host live streaming video of the seasonal debuts of both Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta on their website, www.ntra.com.

Now, let me be clear.  This is not “one giant leap for mankind”, or even “equinekind.”  This is not the end-all, be-all of what we set out to accomplish with our marketing report.  This is, however, a marked improvement over situations that would have presented themselves just a year ago, and an absolutely critical first step.

No racing fan with an internet connection will be shut out from seeing Rachel Alexandra or Zenyatta in their seasonal debuts.

Contrast this with what happened in 2008, when the defending Horse of the Year and Breeders’ Cup Classic Champion, Curlin, hot off his victory overseas in the world’s richest dirt race (the Dubai World Cup), came back to the U.S. to run in the Stephen Foster, and almost nobody here got to see it live.  Oh sure, a few folks with the correct satellite/cable tv packages were able to view the race live with no problems, but when devoted (and indeed self proclaimed “world’s biggest”) fans of the horse like me were relegated to watching the race on tape delay, well, let’s just say the situation left much to be desired.  This was our biggest star, running in a prestigious Grade 1 race at one of our most famous racetracks – and we couldn’t get the race nationally televised?  I remember thinking to myself at the time “no wonder the general population doesn’t care about us.  They don’t even know this race exists, let alone why they should care.”

Fast forward to today.  Now, any human being with access to the internet (sorry Somalia, looks like you’ll be shut out) will have access to the races LIVE.  Obviously it would be better to have the races this weekend being broadcast live on national television via one of the major networks (or ESPN), but let’s not kid ourselves here – this is huge.  In an era dominated by exclusivity in terms of track signals and televised races, suddenly we have a rare opportunity to ensure everyone can participate in a major event.  All of us will be able to watch with eager anticipation as our two biggest stars kickstart their 2010 campaigns, which already have everyone drooling in anticipation for the impending Apple Blossom on April 9 at Oaklawn Park.

Speaking of the Apple Blossom, good news arrived in the mail today just in time for this post.  See those photos up top?  Those are trading cards of Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta that Oaklawn has issued to help build hype for the Apple Blossom showdown.  Suffice to say, for a lad who was raised on baseball cards in the 1980′s, they were an instant “must have” addition to our memorabilia collection.  If you want some of your own, you’ve got to move quickly, as they are only distributing “while supplies last.”  Full details for the trading cards are available here.

For now, racing fans, rejoice and be glad that we shall not be “shut out” of one of this weekend’s big races.  It may not be all we asked for with the Take Back Saturday pitch, but certainly it’s a start.  The first element of the proposal was all about availability.  The sport has to be accessible to it’s fans and to others if it is ever going to prosper again.  Personally, I’d just like to tip my hat to Keith Chamblin, Alex Waldrop, Eric Wing, Fritz Widaman, and everyone else at the NTRA for making this a reality.

In closing, and I hope I’m not crossing any lines by doing this, I’ll share with you the note from Keith Chamblin that accompanied the email we received today announcing this development:

“…This is the first step-albeit a small one-in a multi-phased approach to “Take Back Saturday.”

That’s how a process begins.

To put a closing note on a totally unrelated (yet extremely relevant) topic, I’ll simply note that nearly 147 years after his heroic actions at Gettysburg during the repulse of Pickett’s Charge on July 3, 1863, Lt. Alonzo Cushing of Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery is finally going to receive his Medal of Honor.

And that, my friends, is closure.


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Categories : horse racing, Horse Racing News, Oaklawn Park, Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta

Belmont Day; Undercard Selections

4 06 2009

It’s not often that horse racing fans are treated to a weekend quite like this. Not only do we get the 141st running of the Belmont, but the entire card for Saturday is a star studded affair filled with quality runners. Mine That Bird, Forever Together, Benny the Bull, Court Vision, Cowboy Cal, Justwhistledixie…they are all here. What’s more, guaranteed $1 million pools await both Pick 4 and Pick 6 players. If there’s ever been a day outside of the Breeders’ Cup that exemplified the whole idea behind the “Take Back Saturday” initiative, it’s right here, right now. 

Obviously I’m jumping the gun a bit by posting my picks a full 48 hours in advance of post time. Needless to say late changes and scratches could totally alter the complexion of these races (and indeed the selections themselves). Even worse, one cannot be certain what Mother Nature may have in store.  As of this writing, current forecasts for Elmont, NY (according to weather.com) call for “periods of heavy rain” on Friday, followed by a “mostly sunny” Saturday with highs near 77°.

Let’s hope for the best then and assume that Saturday will be a glorious day for racing, befitting of all the talented competitors, equine and human, answering the call to post.   

DO NOT make the mistake though of overlooking this undercard.  It is jam packed with interesting races.  What follows are my initial thoughts, and while I rank my top 3 selections, I’ve decided to forego offering actual wager advice.  My reason for doing so is that, in all honesty, my wagers tend to change once I get a look at the horses in the post parade.  This means that any selections I give out here could be played by someone reading along, whereas my own wagers have evolved.  I try to “tweet” these changes whenever possible, but as one can imagine that’s not always so. 

Besides, as I always say, one should do their own handicapping if they are wagering a single dime.  It’s your money, so you’d be wise to make sure you’re betting your picks.  Not to mention you don’t have to wager to watch horse racing.  You can be a fan of the horses and not wager a single dime.  It’s still the best show in town. 

What then is the value of my selections and why do I bother sharing?  Because…we’re horseplayers.  And if we’re not that we’re at least horse racing fans. We’re the most opinionated, stubborn mules the world has ever seen.   Besides, we love to share our opinions. Speaking of which, make sure you check out the rest of the TBA bloggers as well, as no doubt we’ll be all over the place with our coverage. Quite a few of us “tweet” as well, if you’re so inclined.

With that in mind, I want to hear as many selections as possible from commentors. Everything you’ve got.   C’mon peeps. It’s Belmont time!  Sound off like you’ve got a pair!!!

 

Here’s a closer look at each of the races comprising the Pick 6 sequence, beginning with the True North Handicap (G2) in race 6 and ending  with the Manhattan Handicap (G1) in race 10. The Belmont, which concludes both wagering sequences, will be the subject of it’s own post.  It’s the Belmont for godsakes…it deserves it’s own post. 

Race 6:  The 31st running of the True North Handicap (G2) – 6 Furlongs

  • #1 Benny the Bull (E. Prado/ R. Dutrow) 5/2
  • #2 Silver Edition (J. Leparoux/ D. W. Lukas) 8/1
  • #3 Two Step Salsa (G. Gomez/ S. bin Suroor) 3/1
  • #4 Sixthirteen (E. Coa/ M. Hushion) 12/1
  • #5 Desert Key (J. Velazquez/ J. Jerkens) 6/1
  • #6 Fabulous Strike (R. Dominguez/ T. Beattie) 2/1*

Selections:

  • #1 Benny the Bull (5/2)
  • #6 Fabulous Strike (2/1)
  • #5 Desert Key (6/1)

We kick things off in the Pick 6 sequence with the True North Handicap. The race marks the return of one of the most popular sprinters in North America, #1 Benny the Bull.  Last year it took Benny until the final few hundred yards to kick into high gear before he was able to run down Man of Danger and Abraaj in the stretch.  He ought to get a decent pace to run at here and I wouldn’t be surprised at all given both the 6-year-old son of Lucky Lionel’s popularity and his human connections (particularly trainer Rick Dutrow) if he wound up going to post as the favorite.  Currently he’s listed as the second choice on the morning line behind #6 Fabulous Strike.  The question will be whether Benny is in sharp enough form to prevail after being on the shelf since last July.  If his workout tab is any indication (and really, what else have we to go on barring last minute eyeball handicapping during the post parade?), then he appears to be ready to roll.  His last 3 workouts in particular being the most encouraging.  

Fabulous Strike ought to be on the gas early on, but doesn’t necessarily need the lead in order to win.  Still, the son of Smart Strike would appear to be the one the rest of the field will need to catch in order to get their picture taken in the winner’s circle.  #5 Desert Key hasn’t been out of the Exacta in his last 8 races and looks like a “must use” horse underneath in the exotics.  You might be able to get away with using Benny the Bull as a single on your exotic wagers, but I’d probably cover Fabulous Strike as well just to be safe. 

 

Race 7:  The 16th running of the Just A Game (G1) – 1 Mile (Turf)

  • #1 Carribean Sunset (R. Dominguez/ C. Clement) 6/1
  • #2 Raw Silk (P. Lopez/ T. Albertrani) 10/1
  • #3 Captain’s Lover (J. Velazquez/ T. Pletcher) 8/1
  • #4 I Lost My Choo (J. Lezcano/ P. Serpe) 15/1
  • #5 Forever Together (J. Leparoux/ J. Sheppard) 6/5*
  • #6 Modern Look (G. Gomez/ R. Frankel) 8/1
  • #7 Diamondrella (R. Maragh/ A. Penna Jr.) 8/1
  • #8 My Princess Jess (C. Velasquez/ B. Tagg) 5/1

Selections:

  • #5 Forever Together (6/5*)
  • #6 Modern Look (8/1)
  • #7 Diamondrella (8/1)

The Just A Game features the current top turf female in the nation, Forever Together.  The 5-year-old daughter of Belong to Me and current Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf champion has won her last 3 races, as well as 4 of her last 5 overall.  She seems quite lethal at any distance from a mile onward, and boasts a 3-2-0-1 record from today’s mile distance.  Clearly she’s the horse to beat.  The question is whether any of the runners in this field have what it takes to potentially pull the upset?  

Depending on what kind of impression she makes in the post parade, it migh be worth taking a ride on #6 Modern Look.  She’ll likely offer some value as her running lines don’t necessarily jump off the page at you.  However, take note of a few key items. For starters, she was favored in her U.S. debut back in March and ran a decent race, all things considered, finishing 2nd. Certainly she’s got a right to improve.  Her workout lines also suggest she’s at least enjoying her Belmont surroundings. Most importantly, however, note the runners she finished  4th to last May at Longchamp (France):  Zarkava, Goldikova, and Halfway to Heaven.  Zarkava or Goldikova would be obvious singles in this race in my opinion, even with Forever Together. With that in mind, I’m going to use Modern Look as my 2nd choice behind the favorite. 

Looking deeper, #7 Diamondrella has gutted out 5 consecutive victoires going back to last June, including her only start of 2009 in the Giants Causeway at Keeneland in April.  This will obviously be quite a class hike for her as she faces off against the favorite, but you’ve got to like that sort of consistent form. The obvious question will be whether she can handle the extra distance as she seems to be more of a sprinter. #2 Raw Silk will likely be the pace and should enjoy the mile distance of the Just A Game.  One also can’t overlook the runners on the bookends. #1 Carribean Sunset was favored in her U.S. debut last month in the Beaugay (G3), but came up 1 3/4 lenths short behind #8 My Princess Jess.  I could see these two fighting for a minor award.

 

Race 8: The 25th running of the Woody Stephens (G2) – 7 Furlongs

  • #1 Regal Ransom (A. Garcia/ S. bin Suroor) 2/1*
  • #1A Everyday Heroes (J.C. Caraballo/ T. Ritchey) 2/1*
  • #2 This Ones for Phil (G. Gomez/ R. Dutrow) 7/2
  • #3 Gone Astray (E. Prado/ C. McGaughey III) 15/1
  • #4 Munnings (J. Velazquez/ T. Pletcher) 4/1
  • #5 Triumphant Flight (K. Desormeaux/ E. Kruljac) 15/1
  • #6 Hello Broadway (R. Dominguez/ B. Tagg) 12/1
  • #7 Kensei (R. Albarado Jr./ S. Asmussen) 15/1
  • #8 Hull (M. Mena/ D. Romans) 3/1

Selections:

  • #2 This Ones for Phil (7/2)
  • #1 Regal Ransom/ #1A Everyday Heroes (2/1*)
  • #8 Hull (3/1)

The Woody Stephens has bit of a “hey, whatever happened to so-and-so?” feel, as a couple of characters return to the spotlight after running a bit under the radar recently.  Trainer Rick Dutrow sends out the “Beyer freak” #2 This Ones for Phil.  You might remember this guy as the dude who improved his Beyer figure by 39 points in the Sunshine Millions Dash back in January.  Since then he was taken off the Triple Crown trail and kept at the shorter distances, where he’s proved he can consistently churn out impressive speed figures.  He hasn’t been able to win since January, but he has run into some pretty good runners in Quality Road, Big Drama, and Mr. Fantasy along the way.  He should find this field more to his liking, as well as the tricky 7 furlong distance that he’s proven he can handle (albeit through a disqualification of Big Drama in the Swale). 

The coupled entry of #1 Regal Ransom and #1A Everyday Heroes looks quite formidable here as well.  The interseting thing is that I actually liked Regal Ransom quite a bit leading up to the Kentucky Derby, but I’m now more interested in Everyday Heroes, who is undefeated in 4 lifetime starts.   Then there’s #8 Hull, who at one point was considered a Preakness contender before being pointed to the Woody Stephens instead.  I think you’d be wise to cover all of these runners in the exotics as this appears to be a bit more open a race than the first two in the sequence.  

Another horse you’ve got to consider here is #4 Munnings.  Remember this guy?  At one point last year he was one of the more highly regarded juveniles.  After disappearing for many months, he resurfaced at the allowance level and promptly posted a career best Beyer figure (101) in running a respectable 2nd in his first start of 2009.  Although he’s yet to win at the 7 furlong distance, he is a Speightstown colt, which means you’d be wise to consider him at any sprint distance.  Of the entire field, he’s the runner I’m most interested in getting an actual look at in the post parade.  I didn’t rank him as one of my top 3 selections, but he’s an intriguing runner in here.  The only trouble is that he might get hammered at the windows due to that triple digit Beyer.  If the value is there, and if he makes an impression in the paddock, he could well be the play. 

 

Race 9:  The 79th running of the Acorn (G1) – 1 Mile

  • #1 Casanova Move (J. Lezcano/ J. Jerkens) 6/1
  • #2 Gabby’s Golden Gal (J. Castellano/ B. Baffert) 15/1
  • #3 Be Fair (M. Mena/ D. W. Lukas) 12/1
  • #4 Funny Moon (A. Garcia/ C. Clement) 8/1
  • #5 Doremifasollatido (E. Coa/ J. Jerkens) 6/1
  • #6 Livin Lovin (R. Dominguez/ S. Klesaris) 15/1
  • #7 Dream Play (R. Migliore/ K. McLaughlin) 8/5*
  • #8 Justwhistledixie (J. Leparoux/ K. McLaughlin) 8/5*
  • #9 Four Gifts (R. Albarado Jr./ S. Asmussen) 6/1

Selections:

  • #8 Justwhistledixie (8/5*)
  • #4 Funny Moon (8/1)
  • #7 Dream Play (6/1)

The Acorn would seem to be all about #8 Justwhistledixie.  If there’s one 3-year-old filly in the nation capable of running respectably against Rachel Alexandra, it’s her.  Unfortunately, she scratched from the Kentucky Oaks last month due to the sloppy track conditions.  We all know what happened next as Queen Rachel romped by over 20 lengths and caught the eye of Jess Jackson.  The rest is history.  With no Rachel to contend with today, Justwhistledixie looks like a clear favorite that those looking for a life changing score in the exotics will have to hope they can get past.  

Of all the contenders, I’d give the improving #4 Funny Moon the best shot to pull the upset.  Not only is she improving rapidly, but her final times at the mile distance in her last two victories would appear to stack up very well against this field.  Also note that she’ll have Alan Garcia aboard for the trip, who also piloted Justwhistledixie in 3 of her 5 lifetime victories.  If she looks live in the post parade, she could be just the type of horse that helps blow up the payouts in the exotics.  

#1 Casanova Move has had the misfortune of running into ‘Dixie several times in recent memory, and seems to find a way to hit the board underneath.  It would be nice to see #5 Doremifasollatido in the mix at the end, if only to hear her name in the stretch call, but I’m not sure if the mile distance will be to her liking.  On the other hand, #6 Livin Lovin, #7 Dream Play, and #3 Be Fair all have victories at the distance, and are lightly raced enough that we’ve still got room for improvement.  Dream Play and Livin Lovin can also boast of being graded stakes winners.  Same goes for #9 Four Gifts.  This one might not be as obvious as it appears on paper is all I’m sayin’, although I do expect the favorite to prevail. 

 

Race 10: The 108th running of the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (G1) – 1 1/4 Miles (Turf)

  • #1 Court Vision (R. Dominguez/ W. Mott) 4/1
  • #1A Optimer (R. Rodriguez/ S. Dutrow) 4/1
  • #2 Champs Elysees (J. Leparoux/ R. Frankel) 12/1
  • #3 Marsh Slide (J. Castellano/ N. Drysdale) 20/1
  • #4 Premium Gold (E. Prado/ J. Kimmel) 20/1
  • #5 Gio Ponti (G. Gomez/ C. Clement) 7/2
  • #6 Wesley (K. Desormeaux/ M. Hennig) 12/1
  • #7 Senior (M. Luzzi/ J. Delozier) 50/1
  • #8 Better Talk Now (J. Rose/ G. Motion) 15/1
  • #9 Cosmonaut (J. Lezcano/ P. Serpe) 6/1
  • #10  Interpatation (R. Maragh/ R. Barbara) 20/1
  • #11  Lauro (A. Starke/ A. Wohler) 15/1
  • #12  Cowboy Cal (J. Velazquez/ T. Pletcher) 3/1*
  • #2B  Zambezi Sun (J. Leparoux/ R. Frankel) 12/1

Selections:

  • #6 Wesley (12/1)
  • #12 Cowboy Cal (3/1*)
  • #1 Court Vision (4/1)

I’m going to come right out and say something that probably sounds like heathen blasphemy on Belmont Day.  The Manhattan Handicap is the “race of the day”, by far, on paper.  Just look at this field!   I’ll start with “Blackie” (#8  Better Talk Now), a former turf champion and over $4 million lifetime earner.  You’ve no idea how happy it would make me if Blackie found a way to get it done on Saturday.  I’ve loved this horse for years, and whlie he’s clearly in the autumn of his distinguished career, it warms my heart whenever I see his name among the entries.  Over the past year I’ve also become quite fond of both #1 Court Vision and #12 Cowboy Cal on the turf.  Cowboy Cal in particular has quietly become one of my favorite runners. I was hoping to get more than 3/1 on him here, and was a bit shocked that he was the favorite on the morning line, but I suspect bettors will be spread out here offering decent value on whomever you wind up on. 

Despite my affinity for these runners, I’m going to pick a shocker here for the upset.  #6 Wesley looks primed and ready to run a big one. I saw this guy on Preakness day at Pimlico and was quite taken with him in the post parade fo the Dixie. If you didn’t see that race, it’s worth watching again. Wesley ran well enough to win, only he was forced to steady several times on the turns.  His running line merely denotes “6wd 1/8″, but it was much more than just being wide.  I left thinking he was by far the best horse of that field, despite finishing 3rd. I’m expecting a big improvement this weekend, and I’m encouraged to see his latest workout at Belmont on 5/31 was a sharp 4 furlongs in 47 and 3.  This is a salty group, and he’s obviously got to prove he can get the extra distance here, but based on that wide trip in the Dixie I’d argue that he’s already been a mile and a quarter! #5 Gio Ponti, #2 Champs Elysees, and # 9 Cosmonaut could all make some noise in here as well. Depending on how you’re playing your exotics, this might be another wise spot to go deep and spread on the coverage. 

Best of luck to all. With any luck you’re still alive in your exotics as we get set for Belmont 141.


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Categories : Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, Benny the Bull, Court Vision, Cowboy Cal, Dunkirk, Handicapping Selections, horse racing, Horse Racing News, Mine That Bird, Triple Crown, Triple Crown Coverage

Sleepy Saturday

21 02 2009

As many of you know, I’ve been an advocate of  an idea I call ‘“Take Back Saturday” that involves telling a continuous story to as wide an audience as possible from the Triple Crown through the Breeder’s Cup – focusing on our marquee racing action every Saturday afternoon.  The Road to the Roses races provide an excellent opportunity to illustrate how this is possible, as numerous horses competing for eligibility in the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May are knocking heads at tracks in New York, Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana, California, and soon will be adding Kentucky to that list as well.   That’s why I’m focusing so heavily on these preps right now. 

That being said, this Saturday is a bit of a sleeper.  The only main action occurring is the Turf Paradise Derby, a race that does not feature any big name runners.  As such, I’m not taking the usual vigilant “weekend warrior” stance here.  I’m only going to play lightly and I”ll use this opportunity to catch up on other chores that will undoubtedly go unfinished while my ever decreasing attention span is focused on races like the Fountain of Youth and Sham Stakes next weekend.

If you’ve been following along with the series “Jockeys” on Animal Planet each weekend, you’ve no doubt become more familiar with the Santa Anita jockey colony (personally I’ve noticed that I find something strangely attractive about Kayla Stra, but that’s a story for another time).   Today’s action at Santa Anita consists of a Pick 6 sequence with a $100,000 carryover.   Not a bad betting opportunity as aspiring horseplayers try their luck at becoming the next “Jimmy the hat.” 

Looking over that sequence, two races stand out to me.  The most interesting race of the sequence in my opinion is the maiden special weight contest in race 8. Ten maidens are going 6 furlongs over the main track, and I think this could be a race to catch a sweet price.   The worthy favorite is Zensational in post #4.   Enunciating the name of this runner invokes images of Zenyatta, but “slow cheetah“ he is obviously not.   This horse has every reason to improve off his debut effort and run this field out of it’s shoes, however, before eating chalk in this effort, cast your eyes down to #7 Off the Wall at very juicy morning line odds of 8/1.  

Off the Wall has very impressive pedigree and should under no circumstances be dismissed here if he makes any kind of appearance in the post parade.  I’ll be honest and admit that I’d consider making this horse an aggressive single in the Pick 6, if I weren’t so fond of choosing runners with a race under their belt over first time starters.  As such, I think you cover Off the Wall and Zensational on the ticket.   Don’t be fooled by the 0% stat with first time starters as trainer Bruce Headley knows how to get a horse cranked up for their debut.  Also note that the Candy Ride offspring have been having a sensational year so far, and are definite horses to watch out west when they debut.  If you happened to pick up a Saturday edition of the Daily Racing Form, you’ll be further encouraged by some of the “closer look” comments concerning Candy Ride and Off the Wall’s dam, Diablo’s Peace.  Giddyup!

I’m not going to go through each race on the card in one of my marathon handicapping posts here, but I also want to spend a little time talking about the Valentine Dancer Handicap.  Of particular interest is that a horse who played a role in last night’s episode of Jockeys, #8 Onebadkitty, is entered in today’s race.  In the episode, Onebadkitty reared up in the gate, tossing Gryder to the ground just two days before he was to pilot Well Armed in a bid for a Breeders’ Cup entry.  The two are paired up once again today. 

This race is actually stacked with horses you have to give a fighting chance to.   Tiz a Blend would probably be my top choice, if only for my affinity to horses with “Tiz” in their name (technically it’s more of a direct Tiznow affinity, but I’m also fond of anything sired by his daddy, Cee’s Tizzy). Chrsitiana’s Heat has had a bit of seconditis lately but figures to have  a shot in here as well.  Then you’ve got the recent darkened form of Bel Air Sizzle that might result in a slightly better value play at the windows. Don’t forget about Waveline, North Rodeo, and Swiss Diva.  I still give Tiz a Blend a slight edge, but not by much.  You might want to cover several options here if you can.

The other big race of the day at Santa Anita is the San Carlos Handicap.  I thought Mike Watchmaker summed this one up perfectly in his selections for the day.  I won’t steal any of his thunder, but suffice to say I think this one comes down to Georgie Boy and Past the Point.  I’m quite fond of Georgie Boy, so I’ll take him for the win, but he is a bit vulnerable here if he doesn’t get anything to run at.

One other quick pick for the day, and it’s more of a local one for me.  In the Maryland Media Handicap we appear to have a two horse race between All Smiles and Hello Poochi Pooh.  I’m taking All Smiles by virtue of the better odds despite the fact that ‘Hello should be loose on the lead.  I actually expected the odds to be reversed on these two, and bettors might make that a reality by post time, but if All Smiles is available at 5/2 he’ll be the play. 

That’s all for this weekend.  We’ll be back in full force next week to gear up for the Fountain of Youth and the Sham, two very important races in the Road to the Roses.  Best of luck to all.


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Categories : Handicapping Selections, Kentucky Derby Trail, Laurel Park, Santa Anita

Back to the Future

8 12 2008

“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion.  As our cause is new, so must we think anew and act anew.”

-Abraham Lincoln

 

Whenever you need a solid quote to emphasize your point, look no further than “honsest” Abe.  Our sixteenth and perhaps most distinguished President was of course not discussing any vexing problems threatening the long term health of the horse racing industry, but his quote is no less “fitting and proper” (to use another of my favorite Lincolnisms) to our occasion as it was to cause of liberty on which he spoke.

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. 

What followed was gripping, if not somewhat shocking.  Was I a disgruntled fan who was fed up with the way things were?  Hardly.  Was I a Johnny-come-lately trying to shout as loud as I could so that someone might pay attention?  I can see how some might think that.  In reality, it was simply a revulsion at the current state of affairs, through no one individuals fault alone, but rather through the culmination of decades of mistakes and misdirection, that had finally proven beyond the shadow of doubt that our sport had sold it’s soul for the Warhol-esque “15 minutes of fame” that come with a Kentucky Derby victory – and at the expense of everything else “we” hold dear.

The idea was not to point fingers.  Not to blame.  Not to shame.  Rather, the idea was to rally folks around the flag and resolve that which know to be true.  To reaffirm that which is good about the sport we care so deeply for, and put forth our best effort possible in moving it forward into the 2nd decade of the 21st century and beyond. 

The results?  Mixed, I’d say.  On the one hand, we managed to generate what I’m told was a record  number of comments (53 and counting) over on Bloodhorse for a TBA authored post.  On the other, I fear I may have not driven the message completely home, perhaps even obfuscating a few central facts, or even worse alienating a few potential allies.  These are, of course, easy to do when one is attempting to Thomas Paine there way through the blogosphere.

So, at the risk of alienating even more readers through the dreaded act of repetition, allow me to one more time (and most likely not the last time) make a compelling case for Take Back Saturday.  NTRA CEO Alex Waldrop is currently asking fans to put forth their ideas at “moving the needle”  and using earned media to more actively get the word out about thoroughbred racing.  As always, I encourage all readers to venture over and voice their opinions on the matter. 

From reading Alex’s post, I couldn’t help but think that perhaps I had been too forceful.  I certainly didn’t mean to make my previous case sound as if I were blaming the NTRA itself/alone for the current state of affairs – nor for the lack of interest in the story of Curlin’s retirement.  The point I was trying to make is that the fact that Curlin’s retirement received about as much public attention as last year’s meat loaf was the result of years worth of mistakes…many years, in fact. 

My assessment of the current state of affairs is that we only give the public a reason to care about horse racing on 1 day a year – Kentucky Derby Day.  The Queen of England is in attendance.  Presidential candidates and government officials make public their selections.  It’s a day when even folks who have never seen a horse or a race track understand that a “big race” is happening.  If, and only if, the same horse that wins the Kentucky Derby goes on to win the Preakness, then we have a new wave of public interest leading up to the Belmont 5 weeks later in the quest for the first elusive Triple Crown in 30+ years.  

I get WHY this is the way things are.  It’s not hard to understand.  It’s an easy story to tell.  Why should folks care?  It’s the Kentucky Derby!  It’s a Triple Crown!  Like Vince from ShamWow tells me every night “I don’t know, the product sells itself!”

Vince from ShamWow tells it like it is:  1:27 

 

What I don’t get is why we don’t try and change things so that this is not the ONLY day that matters.  That’s of course going to be a tougher sell, but impossible?  Hardly.  To me it comes down to three basic components: context, relevance, and accessibility.  Give folks a reason to care, build off of that to generate real interest, and then make sure the sport is there for them to participate in and enjoy.   Right now we fail miserably on all 3 counts. 

That’s the spirit behind the Take Back Saturday initiative.  Is it aggressive?  Certainly it is.  Audacious?  you betcha!  But what  plan that has ever revived a sagging industry has not been audacious in nature?  It’s been called numerous things by opponents, such as arrogant – which it most assuredly is not. 

The idea is that you make the best racing action we have available via a weekly Saturday broadcast on a nationally televised channel.  Why Saturday?  Because that’s when our biggest Grade 1 and Grade 2 Stakes are typically run.  It’s when our marquee action occurs.  It gives us a chance to sell our best product to the public.   Think of it this way, if you were a car dealer, wouldn’t you want your flashiest models there in the showroom for all to see?  Of course you would!  Why a “nationally televised channel?”   Well, don’t get me wrong, as I love TVG and I’m sure if it were available to me I’d love HRTV, but neither strike me as channels that are either easy to find (TVG is buried in the 600′s on Directv), nor are they conducive towards generating “new” fans.  They exist to serve the needs of the firmly entrenched fan.   Nationally televised networks like ESPN exist for different purposes, and would afford the opportunity to show the sport however we wanted.   This is the “accessibility” part of the equation.

To focus on the context and relevance portions of the equation, we have to make the races matter.   Part of this works in a fashion similar to compound interest.   You let it build upon itself.  How?  Our original selling line was “by telling a continuous story from the Triple Crown to the Breeders’ Cup.”   What does this mean?  It means explaining in detail why each race matters.  It could be a “road to the roses” Kentucky Derby prep race, or a “win and you’re in” race with Breeders’ Cup championship implications.  It also means telling the human and equine interest stories and making their names (to quote my favorite Shakespeare line) “as familiar in their mouths as household words.”   Think of a horse like Zenyatta, who’s only appearance on national television came on a Friday afternoon while most of the nation was at work.  Don’t you think seeing her or Pepper’s Pride numerous times would make people remember them?  I’d tend to think they leave quite an impression. 

The “compound interest” part is the real benefit.  The more familiar they become, the more folks care.  The more folks care and understand why the races they are running in are big, the more interested they will become.  From a strictly business point of view, “interest” should generate increased viewership and/or income through mediums like ownership and betting handle.  More importantly though, we’ll be nurturing a new generation of fans and showing them the beauty and pageantry of horse racing that is likely what first attracted many of us to the sport. 

Sure, we’ve got some degenerate gamblers in our ranks.  Who knows, I might be one of them – but I’m convinced that while folks like me wager quite a bit at the tracks over the year, it’s not really the betting that keeps us coming back.  Or perhaps more correctly, it’s not ONLY the betting that keeps us coming back.  It’s the horses – and the competition.  Human beings are absolutely drawn to watching compelling competition, and watching as challenges are navigated and ultimately overcome.   I recall vividly becoming convinced of this while watching numerous sports quite passionately during the Olympics that individually fail to register even a blip on my cumulative radar.  It’s the nature of who we are. 

And it’s within our ability to enact this.  It’s doable. It might be difficult to get into motion, and it will certainly require some significant up front costs, but the investment is in the future rather than the immediacy of the here and now. 

Of course, like all plans – it was a snapshot in time from it’s creation.  And it wasn’t our only plan.  We also pitched the NTRA and track marketing reps about selling merchandise that had more staying power (such as trending away from “event specific” merchandise that loses it’s value within 48 hours of going on sale , and instead selling horse/jockey/trainer specific memorabilia that has greater shelf-life),  incorporating standings (again hitting the context/relevance theme of “Take Back Saturday”), and incorporating web 2.0 technology and utilizing it to better connect with their fans.  Lastly, we touched on aspects like “gaming” (especially from a “fantasy” perspective), and even making horse ownership less of a misunderstood concept to prospective fans. 

So that’s what we came up with.  What ideas have you got?  Note – don’t leave ‘em here without venturing over to Alex’s “Straight Up” blog, as that’s where the ideas are most needed.  Do so by clicking here: http://www.ntra.com/blog.aspx?blogid=15&year=2008&month=12&day=5


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Categories : Breeders' Cup, Fantasy Horse Racing, Horse Racing News, Kentucky Derby, MISC

Curlin becomes a $75k stud; Shakis is euthanized

22 11 2008

 

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

 

 

- Charles Dickens

 

Once again we have mixed emotions swirling throughout the landscape of thoroughbred horse racing.  One piece of news reminding us of the dangers that still exist, the other reminding us of the glory of what has been and what may be again.

Curlin, the 2007 Horse of the Year, is officially finished.  No more rumors about a potential “last race.”  He’s standing stud at Lane’s End for $75,000.  He’ll take his class, speed, and stamina and attempt to become a champion stud now rather than a champion runner.  If he’s half the stud he was a racehorse, the breed will do well to get the infusion of his talents and abilities.

I’m no breeding expert by far, but my personal hope is that perhaps he is paired with a Giant’s Causeway or A.P. Indy mare.  What little I know (or at least I think I know) about breeding makes me think those pairings might be intriguing.  The part I’m somewhat uncertain about is how the ubiquitous Mr. Prospector lineage might limit his ability to breed successfully with many of the bigger named mares?  Oh well, we’ll let all of that play out on it’s own.

In perhaps his final “competition”, Curlin nudged out “rival” (I say that with quotes as it’s hard to consider two colts who never faced one another “rivals” in the true sense of the word, however I’ll submit that the drama filled exchanges between each colt’s camp was enough to warrant special rivalry consideration for the purposes of the point I’m making) Big Brown by $10,000 in terms of his stud fee.  That’s just one more notch on his belt, I suppose.  Although I suppose that says more about me than it does about Curlin that I actually take pride in that fact.

Ironically though, his $75,000 fee is decidedly less (roughly half) of what his father, the super sire Smart Strike, now commands at stud.  Like father like son.  You know what they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Hopefully that holds true for Curlin’s offspring as well.

I still think his story is one of the most amazing in recent memory.  A $57,000 purchase in 2004 who went on to win 11 of 16 races and become thoroughbred racing’s first “$10 million man.”  It’s the stuff of legends.  It may be quite some time, especially at the rate the top thoroughbreds are presently retired once they achieve greatness, before we see another career like his. 

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In totally unrelated news, the two time winner of the Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga, Shakis, had to be euthanized yesterday.  Apparently  he was injured during a workout and had to be put down. 

Those who have followed this blog may remember my long standing strained emotions with respect to Shakis.  Like many horseplayers, I probably held too much of a grudge against him for my own foolish handicapping.  During Preakness Day 2008,  Shakis was upset by longshot Pays to Dream in the Dixie Stakes.  This was the only race in the Pick 6 sequence that I lost.  My emotions are forever captured in the Cindy Pierson Dulay photograph below, as Pays to Dream crosses the line and I flash Shakis a look of strong disapproval for his performance (I’m the guy in the yellow hat/blue shirt in the left of the image – and I’m glaring right at Shakis). Like I said though, that was my fault for doing shoddy handicapping and not the fault of Shakis.  Like all thoroughbreds, all he did was go out and give his all every time he ran.  Can’t knock a guy for giving his best.  I actually feel quite shameful now for ever having been upset with him.

 

Pays to Dream upsets Shakis in the 2008 Dixie Stakes at Pimlico. Photo by Cindy Pierson Dulay. www.horseracing.about.com

Pays to Dream upsets Shakis in the 2008 Dixie Stakes at Pimlico. Photo by Cindy Pierson Dulay. http://www.horseracing.about.com

 

Obviously that one race was not the entire story for Shakis’ career. Not only was he a two-time winner of the Bernard Baruch, but trainer Kiaran Mclaughlin called him a “barn favorite” and a “neat horse.’  It’s never a appropriate to joke about one of our horses going down, and despite my shaky relationship as a bettor with him, I’d like to take this moment to officially state my condolences to all associated with Shakis.

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Lastly, just wanted to point out that the “why horse racing must tell its own story” column is now up on Bloodhorse and getting all kinds of feedback.  Some good, some bad.  One thing you know going into such an effort is that many (if not most) folks will resist, resist, resist, and will do nothing but criticize without offering anything constructive in retort.  The thing to remember is that even those people are committed fans who deep down want to see the sport succeed.  The way I look at it, if they are resisting, that just means we have an opportunity to do a better job of explaining.  Plus, you have to walk a mile in someone’s shoes, and no doubt they’ve been before where I am now  – young, dumb, and full of hope (ha! Thought that one might go a different way, didn’t ya?).  I know it failed miserably in Vietnam, but at some point we’ve just got to win their hearts and minds.  I’m convinced that our desires are the same. It’s our experiences, concerns, and expectations that are unique.


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Categories : Curlin, Horse Racing News

Change

20 11 2008

Depending on the situation, the word change either invokes a religious like fervor for reform, or reduces people to quivering masses of fear and uncertainty.  One thing is certain, as the hands of time move ever forward, change inevitably becomes – well, inevitable.

This isn’t some random rant about recent national elections.  I tend to shy away from direct (or even abstract) political musings wherever possible.  They are simply too divisive.  That doesn’t mean that every potentially divisive issue must be ignored or swept under the rug though.  Some you have to just come right out and confront.

The “change” we’re talking about here is within the sport of horse racing.  As anyone who has read this blog before knows well, I had the opportunity to take part in the NTRA online marketing task force several months ago in Las Vegas, where a group of bloggers, fans, and others involved with horse racing were asked to come up with a way to market the sport to a new generation of fans.

I blogged a bit about this, then sort of went back to business as usual only making passing references to what was done. As my recent post about horse racing needing to “tell it’s own story” showed, some recent events have brought things back to the surface.  Namely, the state of affairs following the retirement (or near-retirement, since technically there still “could” be one last race – although it won’t be the Clark Handicap) of thoroughbred racing’s richest horse: Curlin. 

Recently I ventured over to Alex Waldrop’s blog on the NTRA website.  During my trip to Vegas, I had the pleasure of meeting Alex and left convinced he was possibly the only guy in the world that could “save” horse racing.  I still feel that way.  He’s been out in the forefront of some aggressive “change” reforms all year long – pushing to ban race-day drugs from the sport as much as possible, and trying to unify a typically pessimistic “we can’t accomplish that” base.

I’m pleased to see that he’s out in front again, talking about “innovative reforms”and pointing out that in a declining economy with rapidly evaporating handles at out tracks that we “don’t have the luxury of allowing disagreements (such as ADW disagreements) to disenfranchise players.”  He then asks what other innovations fans want to see – and I encourage anyone who cares about the state of horse racing (whether you agree with me or not) to sound off.

You can see my long-winded, “Take Back Saturday” infused response as the 4th comment to the post.  Actually, I kind of look like a raving psychopath in hindsight.  I assure you all that there were paragraph breaks in the comment as I typed it - although now it looks like one jumbled, run-on sentence…but I digress.  The point is that we should all speak up. And yes, I wholeheartedly concede that the possibility exists I may just be a raving psychopath.  I must concede the possibility exists, at least.

To summarize my feelings, I know that Alex is focused on cleaning up “drugging”, resolving the ADW issue, and on improving human/equine safety within the sport.  I feel all of this is well and good, but that none of it will really matter if we don’t find a way to give our sport more relevance.  This is largely a repeat of my previous column, but I’ll stick with it until the message gets through.  If the only thing that matters in our sport is one day, and indeed 2 minutes of one day (the running of the Kentucky Derby), then all the reforms in the world won’t save us, no matter how fitting, proper, and necessary they are. 

What say you?  Oh yes, and please, if you’re passionate enough to leave a comment here, I beg of you to comment over on Alex’s post where the NTRA willactually hear what you have to say.  It matters not if you agree or disagree with my stances, the important thing is to stand up and be heard.

In lighter news, is anyone planning on purchasing a “moneigh” for a loved one over the holidays?


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Categories : Curlin, Horse Racing News

Why racing must tell its own story.

18 11 2008

“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.


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Categories : Curlin, Horse Racing News

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