Advice on how to Decrease Already Dwindling Revenue By Alienating Fans: Breeders Cup Twitter Edition

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

I follow two less people on Twitter now than when I woke up.

I follow a lot of horse racing Tweeters. One of them was a west coast handicapper whose Twitter ID is Pick4andWin. Today he posted the following Tweet aimed at owner of Rachel Alexandra, Jess Jackson:

Jess Jackson why don't you bring your superbowl horse to play on the artificial turf? A "NO-SHOW" in the B/C should be considered a forfeit

I don't blame a west coaster for feeling slighted that the best horse trainer doesn't want to run on their fake surface, especially after that fake surface swallowed up Horse of the Year Curlin last year. I disagreed, but didn't think much of it- he's entitled to his opinion.

Then I got a tweet from BreedersCup, which I can only assume is the official Twitter feed of the Breeder's Cup- it certainly looks convincing, and their tweets up until this point have all seemed in line with what I'd expect from their official Twitter mouthpiece. Until 3 hours ago. The (I assume) Official Breeder's Cup Twitter page re-tweeted the Pick4andWin tweet.

RT @pick4andwin Jess Jackson why don't u bring your SuperBowl horse to play on artificial turf? A "NO-SHOW" in BC shld be considered forfeit

For non-Twitter people, the "RT" means "Re-Tweet" which is like forwarding an email, and in essence is saying, "I echo this sentiment", or "Couldn't have said it better myself". So the (alleged) official Breeder's Cup Twitter page is now "callling out" Rachel Alexandra? For what? Being the best thing for this sport in several years?

Previously, I blogged about the inexcusable stupidity shown by the horse racing Powers that Be (very stupid) for scheduling TWO consecutive Breeder's Cups at a track with a synthetic main track- despite a reduced betting handle last year, and several disappointing performances by traditional dirt horses. I also defended Rachel's decision to sit out the Breeder's Cup on a surface that is alien not only to her, but to common sense as well.

Kudos to the head of the Moronic Department at the Breeder's Cup Twitter office for a job done all too well. Instead of drumming up enthusiasm and keeping your few followers (currently they are following 1,347 people and being followed by an anemic 1,383), you decided to draw a line in the sand and act provincial and tough. Simmer down there, tough guys- you're trying to attract the biggest number of fans you can, not draw sides. How about doing your job and being more PT Barnum and less Don King? This is horse racing, not West Coast versus East Coast rap feuds.

When the new kid in town hosts a party and invites everyone, and the popular kids sit the party out- who is the loser?



See my Socrates-inspired Follow up here.







I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Zenyatta Still Aint Nothin' to Eff With

ZeBy: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

The awesome Zenyatta is now 12-for-12 after winning the Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on Sunday. The finish was actually pretty close on this one. What I'm about to say will surprise you- I still want to see her race Rachel Alexandra even though it now appears that Rachel would be a decisive favorite. After seeing their last two races I think of Zenyatta as undefeated and Rachel Alexandra as a Superhorse.

In her last race out, Flashing, a 3-year old filly finished third (of three) to Rachel Alexandra in the Mother Goose Stakes on June 27th- beaten by a wopping 31 lengths. So what did she do in her next race? Won the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga.








I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Bobby Flay Announced the 8th Race at Saratoga on Sunday

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

Daily Racing Form's Steven Crist summed it up pretty well on his blog-

"5:00 pm: Which was the most surreal part of the 8th race? The skies opening the moment the field started loading into the gate? The race's being called, and not very well by "guest announcer" Bobby Flay? Or the victory after an agonizing nine furlongs in 1:53.07 by 32-1 Freddy the Cap, trained by Finger Lakes-based Oscar Barrera Jr.?

Maybe none of the above. If you watch the replay carefully, coming out of the first turn, it appears winning rider Sebastian Morales is hit in the head by an unfortunate seagull, who bounces off him and then hits Julien Leparoux, (TR Slyder's note: that means from the 7 horse to the 9) aboard A Zero Trap, also in the head. At this time I can not determine the further fate of the seagull. "


The seagull strike is right at :39 seconds when Bobby is saying "the club sandwich turn". It hits the horse in the lead right as they pass the 8th pole (I think it's the 8th)- The white pole with black and white stripes and a gold ball on top. You can't see it flying in very well, but you can see it flop after impact and go from the 7 to the 9. Once Bobby says "they go around the club..." lean in and really stare and it's fairly easy to see.

P.S. When is Bobby gonna get a show called "The Bobby Flayshow"? (If you didn't get the joke, don't ask a co-worker to explain it).

I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

A Cutesy Story

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

I won't get mad at you if you don't click this link and read the story, but if you need a pick-me-up or are skeptical about why I like horse racing, then check it out.

I'll ruin the story for you anyway- a little girl got to pet Rachel Alexandra while Rachel was in her stall at Saratoga. That's pretty much it.

That's what's neat about horse racing. Human athletes can rebuff kids for autographs, or get arrested with a DUI, say something stupid in the media, or hold out for money and leave your town and break your kid's heart. But when your kid likes a horse, they get to pet its nose and maybe even feed a carrot or peppermint before it goes to sleep on it's pile of hay.








I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Queezy Reezy won the Amsterdeezy

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

Quality Road won the Amsterdam Stakes on Monday at Saratoga. TR Slyder scholars will doubtlessly remember that he was my pick for the Ky Derby before a recurring hoof injury sidelined from then until this race on Monday. Most people felt that Quality Road would need a race or two under his belt before he could be expected to be at his best. It appears that he was at his best today because he set a track record- not too bad considering that horses have been running at that track for 141 years.





Did the jockey's silks on the #5 horse look familiar? They are the same ones as Rachel Alexandra's jockey wears (as seen below with Calvin Borel up). They're the silks of Stonestreet Stables, who own the #5 and Rachel.






I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Some Context for Rachel Alexandra's 116 Beyer Speed Figure

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter




I'll try to put the 116 in context a little. First, it's the fastest Beyer Speed Figure of the year so far. Second, Big Brown's highest career Beyer was 109. I pulled out the lifetime past performances for every Kentucky Derby winner since 1992 (Lil E. Tee) and checked out their Beyers- so every race by every Derby winner in the last 17 years. Of all of those races, only three horses have earned BSF's of 116 or higher (the 1992 winner, Lil E. Tee ran a 116 Beyer in the 1993 Razorback Handicap, 1997 Derby winner Silver Charm ran a 118 in the '97 Preakness, a 123 in the '98 Kentucky Cup Classic and a 118 in the '99 Santa Anita Handicap, Monarchos won the 2001 Derby with a Beyer of 116, and 2004 Derby winner Smarty Jones won the Preakness that year with a 118 BSF. That's the entire list- 4 horses, 6 times total.

I was looking over some other Past Performances I had laying around and came across the PP's of the 2006 Breeder's Cup Classic. That race featured notables such as, Bernardini, Brother Derek, Flower Alley, George Washington, Discreet Cat (he scratched from the race, but his PPs are still here), Lawyer Ron, Perfect Drift, Suave, Sun King, Perfect Drift and eventual winner, Invasor. That's a nice group. Here is how they fared in a similar evaluation (based on their career PP's up until the Classic)

Bernardini- 117 in the 2006 Jockey Club Gold Cup, and a 116 in the Travers that year.
Brother Derek- Career high of 108
Discreet Cat- Career high of 115 (at that point)
Flower Alley- Career high 112
Lawyer Ron- Career high 105
George Washington- raced in Europe where they don't use BSFs. But received a timeform rating of a 132 and one of a 129, which translate to right around the 116s BSF mark. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Perfect Drift- 117 in the 2003 Stephen Foster
Invasor- career high 113
Lava Man- 120 2005 Hollywood Gold Cup

The 2008 Whitney Handicap featured exactly one horse who has ran a 116+. Commentator had topped that figure 3 times up to that point. The career Beyer high for the field in the Travers of that year was 106 (Harlem Rocker). None of the horses in the 2008 Arlington Million have come close to a 116.

Oh these are all male horses by the way. None of the horses listed has been female. To mix in some gender-based perspective: the high BSF for the (female) horses in the 2006 Breeder's Cup Distaff was Fleet Indian's 112. No other filly or mare had topped 105, and the highest BSF for a horse in the 2008 Beverly D. (also a race for fillies and mares) was 108.

Female horses just do not run 116's.






I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Rachel Alexandra got a 116 Beyer Speed Figure for her Haskeel Effort

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


That is HUUUUUUGE. My first instinct was to call that figure "outlandish", or, "ridiculous" but I didn't want to convey that I don't believe in those figures' credibility. I believe in them. And I was expecting a a big figure, but closer to low 110's. I guess therein lies why I feel that Rachel Alexandra really demands me celebrating her, I've never said thought this about another horse before- Rachel Alexandra shocks me every single time I have seen her run.

I don't get called stupid very often, I'm rarely shocked, and I am very familar with the adage, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.". But I am happy to be shocked and shamed by her (does that make me a masochist?).

The list of other horse that have almost kinda nearly shocked me more than twice? Ummm. Off the top of my head? Ummm. Ghostzapper and Smarty Jones shocked me about twice each,but then retired. Other horses have shocked me twice, but for the sake of brevity their names were excluded. But Goddamn, my hat, shirt, pants and underwear is off to Rachel Alexandra. She is the best.












I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Rachel Alexandra Humiliates the Boys in the Haskell Invitational on Sunday

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

She is unbelievable. ESPN was derelict in not showing this race, but that is beside the point. I digreezy. The point is Rachel Alexandra is ludicrously awesome. You can watch the race (via YouTube) below. Over a sloppy Monmouth Park surface, she beat Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird and Multiple Stakes winner Munnings in a time that was 2/5ths of a second off the course record. Not too shabby for a filly over a sloppy track.




Her connections still have no plans to run her in the Breeder's Cup, and I am still not blaming them.

Rachel is better at being a successful female racehorse than I am. And I have to live with that. Every day of my life.





I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Daily Racing Form EIC Steven Crist

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

He makes some excellent points here. Glad to see someone else is disappointed that no one is broadcasting this awesome weekend of horse racing. This article at DRF.com can be found here.

TV networks conspicuous by their absence
By Steven Crist

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - What a first weekend of August for racing: The gelding, filly, and colt who won this year's Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes are all in action, heading for a possible showdown in the Travers; the 15-length winner of the world's richest race, the Dubai World Cup, makes his return to American soil; it's opening weekend at Saratoga, and the second weekend at Del Mar, the two biggest race meetings of the summer.

It's an extraordinary collection of talent, a showcase for the closest thing racing has to household names, and a fabulous opportunity to capitalize on the strong television ratings for this year's Triple Crown and the emergence of Rachel Alexandra as a national heroine. Instead, not a single one of these races is being broadcast by ABC, CBS, NBC, or ESPN.

Existing racing fans will probably figure out a way to see most of the racing, on simulcasts at the track or teletheatres or if they have access to TVG, which is unavailable in some major markets, including New York City. But for casual fans, who might have been attracted to the game by major national network coverage of this year's unusually compelling Triple Crown stories, it amounts to a blackout.

The most disappointing absentee from any coverage is ESPN, which promised a major new commitment to racing when it gained the rights to the Breeders' Cup more than two years ago. Since then, ESPN has has done little except slash its racing coverage to less than half of what it used to be before that new commitment.

This weekend may well represent an all-time low in racing's national visibility. Even as coverage has waned over the last two decades, there was a good chance that someone would find a way to get national exposure for a winner of a Triple Crown race, much less for a clash between two of them such as the meeting of Rachel Alexandra and Summer Bird in Sunday's Haskell. The appearance by Mine That Bird in Saturday's West Virginia Derby would, just a few years ago, have been a virtually automatic broadcast for ESPN.

Beyond ESPN's virtual abandonment of racing, it's unclear where the blame lies or what could be done differently. The invisibility of this weekend's racing reflects the vacuum of authority or coordinated power at the top of the sport. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association has much less money to work with than when it was founded a decade ago. The Breeders' Cup, running an operating deficit this year, is using its scarce marketing and television funds on fall races closer to its own events that it needs to promote.

In addition, individual tracks are playing off the various account-wagering companies such as TVG and HRTV against one another, taking whatever money they can get for exclusive rights to their top races in the absence of national coverage. Even if some organization in racing had the authority or willpower to seek wider coverage of this weekend's racing, it's unclear whether they could get the rights to these events away from simulcasting networks that the average sports fan has never heard of.

Bigger races at smaller tracks a growing trend

Mine That Bird is the first Kentucky Derby winner to race in a West Virginia Derby, which speaks to both his individual circumstances and to looming changes on the national racing landscape.

Since Mine That Bird is a gelding, his connections can have more fun with him than a group trying to establish his value as a stallion might. They can barnstorm with him instead of running in the races with the most prestige and tradition or highest grades.

But we also could be seeing the start of a shift in where those richest and most prestigious races are being run, and it's directly tied to the widening gaps between the haves and have-nots on the "alternative gaming" (slot machine) front. Tracks with slots, such as Mountaineer - which is running races worth $770,000 Saturday in addition to the $750,000 West Virginia Derby - are putting on stakes races with soaring purses that are going to attract better horses and higher grades in the years to come. Mine That Bird's emergence from the $800,000 Sunland Park Derby in New Mexico will probably make that race a Grade 3 next year. Philadelphia Park frequently puts on rich races that will climb the graded-stakes ladder once eligible.

With Hollywood Park's future uncertain, and tracks in California, Kentucky, and Florida cutting back on racing dates and stakes purses without slots, we could be looking at a very different set of "premier" tracks and races a decade from now.

Synthetic Horse Racing Surfaces Not Working Out So Well

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


I shouldn't have to preface my article with this but I will anyway- I take no pleasure from any harm done to race horses. I'd rather be wrong than see any get hurt.

That being said, as you know by now, several *coughCalifornia* horse racing tracks have recently dug up their dirt tracks to replace them with a dirt-like synthetic surface that is much more unlike dirt than anyone initially though. Their intentions for doing this were altruistic though- they felt that this new surface would make for a safer running surface for the horses.

After several horses broke down (the industry word for breaking a leg while racing), pressure from both outside and from within horse racing mounted to make the sport safer for its horses. Everyone agreed that was necessary. Horse racing insiders knew it was time to take a long look in the mirror and drastically tighten up lax drug policies. Drug laws were becoming increasingly loose as the years went on, and eventually enough was enough for the horses- they started breaking down. Too much muscle on too small of a frame (have you seen how small their ankles are?), and too many injured horses running full bore having no idea they were injured- thanks to drugs.

Many tracks took the more shameful, but more PR-friendly way out this PR mess- to prove their commitment to equine safety they voluntarily tore up their dirt tracks and installed, a newer, therefore safer track surface. Nevermind that Japan tracks have 90% less breakdowns despite a dirt surface, because they allow virtually 0 drug usage.

Tracks putting in these new surfaces began a PR movement that I think would be similar to a politician proposing tighter laws on drunk driving- you're really not free to speak out against the changes because you'll be branded as cold-hearted. If you're against stiffer drunk driving penalties you're obviously in favor of drunk driving, and if you oppose new, synthetic surfaces (thereby making them superior, clearly), you obviously care more about upholding tradition and profit than you do equine safety.

So with the current state equine safety going through a PR nightmare, no one stood up to loudly protest their implementation (with the only exception I am aware of, of Andy Beyer).

The new surfaces being built in absence of the cooperation of tightened drug rules, has resulted in little change. May I present Exhibit A-Z.

It's a shame. 6 horses died in 10 days at Del Mar racetrack, one of the jewels of American horse racing and the most prominent track to feature a synthetic surface. One of the horses broke down on the grass course, mind you, and that can happen anywhere, but a horse is more likely to breakdown as a result of drug use than as a result of what its running on.

The story doesn't end there, however. A rationale (but uninformed) person could then ask, "Ok, so they tried to save the horses and it didn't work out. That's too bad, but at least they tried. Did an honest attempt to help horse safety really put you out?"

In a word, yes.

Firstly, and much more importantly, it was a sham in the first place, and I'd be willing to bet the "equine-atarians" who were behind this were aware of it the whole time. Secondly, the new surfaces have hurt the sport (I wrote about it here, among other occasions). California's leading trainer, Bob Bafffert, moved his stable out of California, home of a few synthetic tracks, to New York because he didn't like how the surfaces impacted his horses performances on the track. No one in California could argue that a Hall of Fame trainer in his prime leaving their state has helped California horse racing.

Furthermore, its just an alien surface. We now have grass, dirt and synthetic surfaces. Regular readers of this column are well aware of my frustration over Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra possibly never racing head-to-head. This are the two best mares since Ruffian, AND they're at their peaks at the same time! This should be outstanding for the sport, but instead it has almost the opposite effect- it just frustrates people. Zenyatta is a synthetic specialist, and Rachel a dirt horse. If synthetic tracks weren't around, Zenyatta would be a dirt horse and they'd run against each other. Now, both are afraid to try a new surface and lose to their other horse on her "home" surface and the worst part is- I really can't blame either horse's connections. I'd do the same if I owned them. Sure I want to see them race one another, but I can't blame the owners.

Another problem its causing is a decrease in betting on horses who are "crossing over". The Kentucky Derby is run on dirt. Many Derby entrants are California horses trying dirt for the first time in the Derby. Since bettors don't know what to make of them- they don't bet them. That's bad for the tracks. It's also bad for the horse players both ways- if a solid California horse, raised on synthetics loses in the Derby, they say, "I knew a horse can't win the Derby on his fist try over dirt." and if a synthetic horse were to win, the bettors who didn't bet on it because its a "synthetic" horse would angrily say, "How the hell can you expect me to bet on a synthetic runner? Finally one of them wins, and I was supposed to bet on it after I just saw 20 of them shit the bed in previous years? I'm never betting on the Derby again" And that hurts the tracks and the bettors. That saga gets far uglier when the Breeder's Cup is run on a synthetic surface- which stupidly was last year, and unforgivably will be again this year. Suddenly the specialists on the new surface, which does no good for horse safety, shouldn't even exist, and is on only a handful of tracks, have the advantage over every other horse. The result? Apathetic or angry bettors at best, apathy at worst. Running the Breeder's Cup over synthetic surface has miraculously, made horse racing less popular.

I am sorry that the horse at Del Mar died. Lets not make their deaths be in vain- tighten drug laws, and put dirt tracks back. Do what was right for the horses all along, and also what was right for the bettors and the fans all along.











I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

First Day of Racing at Saratoga

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

Let's get some links out of the way:

NYRA.com

Starting at 11:45am ET the above link will be home to a daily handicapping seminar for that day's card, hosted by the always informative and entertaining Andy Serling. I would recommend it. update: get it here

DRF.com's Saratoga Page

Andy Serling's Twitter

Steven Crist's Blog- he's the editor of the Daily Racing Form and probably the most influential bettor in America. He is also the first guest on Andy Serling's show on Wednesday.


It's gonna be an awesome season.









I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Rachel Alexandra to Skip the Breeder's Cup

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

The news is disappointing but I applaud her connections for skipping it. The Breeder's Cup shouldn't be held over a synthetic track in the first place, and this just reinforces that. It would be a shame for Rachel to run over a foreign surface and underachieve- it would tarnish her record (justifiably or not), and would alienate fans who dislike betting on races run over synthetic surfaces.

Of course it is possible that she would run over the surface and win. Sadly though, Rachel has too much to lose in a possible showdown with Zenyatta, and cannot risk it over a surface she has never tried. That would be like asking Usain Bolt to run an olympic race over a gravel surface- he would maybe consider it if he were less successful or if the stakes were not quite as high- but why should such an accomplished runner be forced to alter their style to conform to anyone else's?

In a related story- you'll be shocked to know that the Breeder's Cup has been stricken by financial trouble. Huh. Who could have predicted that?

It's almost like if the Super Bowl were played on sand instead of a football field. Imagine the shock you'd feel when you read reports that less people were interested in watching the game, and far less were interested in betting on the game. It would just be a huge shock because it's such an outstanding idea- messing with tradition.








I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Rachel Alexandra's Next Race Will Be The Haskell

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

Rachel's is pointed to the August 2nd Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, where she will again race against the boys. The race is run at a 1 mile and an 1/8th.

The other horses that are being pointed toward the Haskell include Papa Clem, Summer Bird, Atomic Rain and Munnings. We know what Summer Bird can do at a 1.5 miles, but I'm sure that 1 mile and 1/8th will flatter his talents. Munnings is the same, but the opposite, so to speak. His success has come via sprint races, where the Daily Racing Form's Mike Watchmaker currently has him listed on his Watchmaker Watch as the 2nd best sprinter in the country. His best distance appears to be 7 furlongs (where he has posted Beyer Speed Figures of 108, 110 and 111 in consecutive races since May 1st, which are similar to Rachel's Beyers at 1 mile and 1/8th.) , and the Haskell will be at 9f. So he has the talent to stay with Rachel, it's just a question of if his talent can be stretched out over 9 furlongs.

Should be a doozie.

Blind Stupidity Yields Undesirable Results: The Breeder's Cup Story

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com


The below headline and accompanying article (taken from here). Actually made me glad. As much as I love horse racing, I cannot imagine a sport, or any commodity for that reason, managed more poorly than the sport of horse racing. Last year's Breeders' Cup as well as this years, were/will be held at Santa Anita, a track with a synthetic racing surface, as opposed to traditional dirt. This befuddling decision left many (many of the few remaining, that is) to either drastically decrease their wagers, or abandon betting on the Breeders' Cup altogether. Just as you would feel less comfortable betting on a football game played on gravel, the betting contingent felt equally as hesitant to part with their hard-earned cash over a surface where many horses had never ran.

Worse yet, can the horse racing decision makers even be surprised by that? So what did they do remedy that problem? Ran it at Santa Anita again. You deserve these problems, Horse Racing.

Breeders' Cup Faces, 'substantial deficit'

By Matt Hegarty

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Breeders' Cup is operating at a "substantial deficit," according to its top official, and it is becoming increasingly likely that purses for its top events and supplemental stakes program will need to be cut to return the organization to financial stability, according to several of its directors.

The question of how to address the deficit is the backdrop to an election Thursday to fill six of the board's 13 seats. Ten candidates are vying for the seats, including four members whose terms expire that day.

The Breeders' Cup weathered a near revolt among its nominators late last year when it attempted to suspend a $6 million supplemental purse program, but the sustained recession leaves purse cuts as one of the few options to control expenses without further dipping into its depressed reserves, board members said. The Breeders' Cup expects to distribute $30.5 million in purses this year. In 2005, purse distribution was $21.8 million.

"There's no way we can continue operating our company with the deficits we've had," said Terry Finley, the owner of West Point Thoroughbreds and a director of the company. "There's obviously going to be some changes to the business and tweaks to the model. We're all of the same opinion that everything is on the table. We wouldn't be doing our jobs if that wasn't the case."

According to the organization's financial statements for 2008, the Breeders' Cup had negative cash flow last year of $7.5 million, reducing its cash balance to $1.2 million by year end. In large part, that reduction was caused by a fall-off in the value of its investments, a change that reduced net assets to $28.2 million, down from $40.9 million at the end of 2007. In response, the Breeders' Cup tapped a $10 million line of credit for $5.9 million to operate this year.

Greg Avioli, the chief executive officer of the Breeders' Cup, declined to answer direct questions last week but said in a statement that the group was operating at a "substantial deficit." Previously, in a letter to nominators that accompanied the group's annual financial documents, Avioli projected a $5.6 million budget deficit this year. In the statement last week, Avioli said that Breeders' Cup officials "expect that our 2009 results will be consistent with the budget."

"We will be in a better position to comment on long-term financial matters after we have completed 2009 foal nominations, which we believe will be the most direct indicator of the effect the recession will have on finances in future years," Avioli said in the statement.

Approximately 40 percent of Breeders' Cup revenues are derived from fees paid by owners of foals and stallions. According to officials, revenues from those sources are expected to drop by at least 20 percent, largely because stallion nominations are tied to stud fees and book size, which have fallen significantly.

Satish Sanan, a board member whose term expires next year, said that the $6 million line of credit was not an indication that the Breeders' Cup position had become precarious. Instead, Sanan said, tapping the line of credit is a prudent strategy to cover expenses at a time of little revenue - between the year-end championship event and the collection of nomination fees in late summer.

Sanan, the owner of Padua Stables, has been an outspoken critic of the way the group has managed its investment funds. He said he was preparing a strategic plan that would allow the Breeders' Cup to realize additional revenues from sponsorships and the year-end event. He also said that purses appear to be destined for cuts.

"The logical place to start is the purses," Sanan said. "You don't have to have a $5 or $6 million Classic; horses will still come if it's worth $3 million or $4 million. But that is only short-term."

Sanan would not comment further on his strategic plan, which is to be presented to the board on Thursday.

The recession has had a crippling effect on sponsorship revenue in other sports, and some Breeders' Cup directors said that revenues from the year-end event will likely be less than last year, partly because of a compensation requirement to Santa Anita Park. The requirement is part of a two-year agreement to hold the year-end event at the track, which guarantees Santa Anita specific returns. The Breeders' Cup did not hit those returns last year and will need to compensate the track this year accordingly, one director said. In 2008, revenue from the year-end event was $21.2 million, down 9 percent compared with 2007. Since then, wagering on domestic horse races has declined just over 10 percent, including a 17 percent drop in June. The bulk of the event revenues are collected from wagering.

E. Duncan Taylor, a co-owner of Taylor Made Farms who is a candidate for one of the open seats, said that it was possible to increase revenues from the year-end event and possibly avoid purse cuts. He said it would take "foresight and brainstorming," and he also said that it would be nearly impossible to extract more revenue from nominators. The nominators provided $21.5 million in fees in 2008 compared with $29.5 million in purse expenses and awards. Fees are expected to be only approximately $16 million in 2009 compared with the $30.5 million purse distribution.

"You can't ask the nominators to put up more money," Taylor said. "They've already primed the pump. And they are going through tough times."

Robert T. Manfuso, a director who is up for re-election, said that he does not anticipate that the bloodstock market will rebound anytime soon, citing the persistence of the economic doldrums affecting markets worldwide. As a result, he said, the Breeders' Cup has little to no chance to grow its revenue, and purse cuts have to be considered, no matter how much resistance nominators may offer.

"There are constituents out there whose concerns we will have to address," Manfuso said. "How we address those, and how we maintain our focus on our mission, is the big question. But sometimes people forget that the mission of the Breeders' Cup is to raise awareness of Thoroughbred racing. It's not just purses. That's our job, and when we do our job right, everyone benefits."

Two Brassy Boys. Very Brassy.

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

I read this article on TheBloodhorse.com about the highly-touted 2-year old, Brassy Boy, returning to the races on Saturday.

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UPDATE: I'm dumb. The race is Tonight, July 3rd. NOT on Saturday. Post time is 6:24pm. Up until post time, you can get the Past Performances here.

TheBloodhorse article was the first I'd heard of Brassy(, Very Brassy) Boy. After checking out the PP's he underwhelmed me. For being 5-1 on the morning line, he's a little light in the Beyer Speed Figure department, and may just be a mud lover. But he does love the Churchill surface. Here's hoping he wins.
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I know what you're wondering- Does that remind me of any famous lines from a TV show on the Disney Channel from a few years go staring Shia LaBoeuf? Funny you should ask. Yes it does.

It's as 6:52 of Part 2. If you have the time, you should check out Part 1 though as well, the show, and this episode in particular, are pretty awesome.

Part 1


Part 2

YouTube Results

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

Here is Rachel Alexandra kicking rear in today's 2009 Mother Goose Stakes. I went with "kicking rear" I could have went with any or all of the following: obliterating the competition, romping, blowing away the field, humiliating the other two horses, looking like a missle with a jockey on its back, giving anyone with a pulse goosebumps, inspiring ME to be a better female racehorse despite me being neither female nor a racehorse, etc.



Zenyatta's race isn't available yet. Here it is. This is what I like to call, "a strong late kick". She coulda won by more but chose not to. Kinda like in "Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangster", when they say, "real gangsta ass 'n-words' don't flex much, cuz real gangsta ass 'n-words' know they got 'em." Also keep in mind that Zenyatta was spotting the field betwixt 13 and18 lb.s, which is darn-near unheard of.

Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta Both Won

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

I'll post the YouTube replays of both when they are available.

This article from DRF.com was encouraging.

(This article is also worth reading. It asserts that Rachel is ducking Zenyatta)

I copied and pasted the article below.



Headlines | Posted 6/27/2009, 5:47 pm

Moss wants Zenyatta to face Rachel

By David Grening

ELMONT, N.Y. - Don't rule out a Zenyatta-Rachel Alexandra showdown this year just yet.

Saturday morning, in an interview on the "Down the Stretch" radio show on Sirius XM radio, Jerry Moss, the owner of Zenyatta, said "there's a good chance" Zenyatta would leave Southern California to race this year and that he "would very much like" to see his mare face Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra.

Moss said no decision on Zenyatta's schedule would be made until after trainer John Shirreffs assesses how the mare comes out of Saturday's Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Zenyatta scored her 11th victory in as many career starts in the Vanity. Rachel Alexandra posted her seventh straight victory with a romp in Saturday's Grade 1 Mother Goose at Belmont Park.

"Obviously, we take it race to race," Moss said. "[Shirreffs] is going to need a week to see how she's come through this . . . then maybe we'll say something about where our next start will be, and it could be out of the state for certain."

Last Wednesday, in a conference call to preview the Mother Goose, Jess Jackson, the owner of Rachel Alexandra, said his filly would not race in this November's Breeders' Cup because it was being run over Santa Anita's synthetic surface. With the belief that Zenyatta would not leave Southern California to race this year, that appeared to put an end to any possible meeting this year.

But Moss's comments opened the door.

"If the two horses are ready and at the top of their form, I would very much like to see a race between the two of them," Moss said.

There are a number of potential places for them to meet. There is the $1 million Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park on July 19; the $300,000 Go for Wand at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga on Aug. 2; or the $400,000 Personal Ensign at 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga on Aug. 29.

Moss added that he shares Jackson's negative view of synthetic racetracks.

"It's just that I'm a Californian, I moved out here from New York a long, long time ago," he said. "I like the people. This is where I live. This is where I race mostly."

Moss suggested that one reason he would consider shipping Zenyatta out of the state is to help make her Horse of the Year. She finished second to Curlin for that award last year.

"We want to win that this year if it's possible," Moss said. "The horses have got to perform, every step has got to be the right one.

"We hope both horses do well throughout the year and we can meet somewhere."

Update: This is really an update by I didn't want to make a new posting for something so small. I just noticed ESPN.com's horse racing page. I've been more of a drf.com and thebloodhorse.com kinda guy. I'm going to add ESPN's page to my list of links in the margin.

Urine Luck: I'm Writing About Horse Racing Again

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

Saturday will feature some great horses, namely two I love talking about: Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra. They will, however, be racing in separate races, much like they will be doing on Breeders Cup Day. Under different circumstances I would accuse Rachel Alexandra of dodging Zenyatta, but because the Breeders Cup will be run at Santa Anita over a synthetic race surface- which is Zenyatta's preferred surface, I don't blame Rachel's connections. With Rachel being a dirt horse, racing Zenyatta on her home track on her favorite surface wouldn't constitute a fair fight. Such a clash of the mare titans deserves a fair fight- and the unfortunate location of the 2009 Breeders Cup will be unable to deliver such a fight. It's unfortunate, but understandable.

Speaking of understandable, the 11 people who didn't understand why jockey Calvin Borel chose to ride Rachel in the Preakness, over Derby winner Mine That Bird, should understand today. Rachel is racing in a $300k race, while Mine That Bird will not be racing. She is installed as the 1-5 favorite in Belmont Park's Grade 1 Mother Goose (1 mile and an eighth) against 4 other, lesser foes.

13 minutes after the Mother Goose's post time, the undefeated Zenyatta will take on seven other horses in the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park (1 mile and an eighth). She is also the 1-5 morning-line favorite. I usually don't pay much attention to the weights that a horse will carry, but this race wouldn't allow me to ignore it.

You noticed how Zenyatta's race is called the Vanity Handicap. Not the Vanity Derby, or Vanity Stakes. The "Handicap" part is similar to a handicap golf tournament, but instead of using strokes to even the playing field, they use weight. The theory being that, they can even the field by making the better horses heavier and the less-seasoned horses lighter. Usually what that means is the big favorite carries 3 or 4 more pounds more than the rest, and the rest of the field varies by like 2 or 3 pounds.

Saturday's Vanity, however, is unlike any handicap I can recall. Zenyatta will be carrying 129 pounds (that's the weight of the jockey, saddle and added weight in the form of lead bars for the sake of adding weight). The next highest horse will carry 116, with the others carrying betwixt 111 and 114. I've never seen that much disparity before. I also cannot recall another horse carrying 129 pounds before- male or female, and Zenyatta is a female.

You can expect to see the races on this blog tomorrow once they're on YouTube. Prepare to be impressed again. I just hope these horses can somehow find a way to race one another over a neutral surface. For me that would be a dream match up. Much like some people dream of seeing a Cubs vs. White Sox world series, or a Kobe vs. Lebron/Shaq NBA Finals or Duke vs. North Carolina NCAA men's basketball finals, Zenyatta and Rachel head-to-head is my single biggest, currently possible sports fantasy.

UPDATE: Two horses in the Mother Goose scratched this morning. Rachel Alexandra will now be racing against only two other horses. Finally a trifecta I can hit! The most surprising thing about the 3-horse field is that its in New York and not California.

Update #2: This is a great, brief write up about Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra and how it's unfortunate that they won't be facing eachother anytime soon.

ESPN Again Proves That They Suck

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

Today at the bottom of ESPN.com where they have all sorts of random links, I noticed they had one about horse racing.

I was momentarily heartened to see horse racing getting coverage on their website until I saw what it was about. Yesterday at Belmont Park a jockey was thrown off of his horse at the start of the race and the horse went on to "win" the race. Hilarious.

The video was borrowed from MSG Plus which is a NYC-based channel that televises the Mets games. Last I knew they didn't cover horse racing, but maybe they threw this clip in as a "bizarre sports news" entry. The only problem is that it isn't bizarre at all. When a jockey is thrown from a horse that horse goes on to "win" about half the time. Is it any surprise that jettisoning 112 pounds off its back may give a horse an advantage over others? Sure jockeys help some, but not enough counteract their 110-pounds of dead weight on the animal's back.

Worsening this moronic story is that MSG mispronounced the jockey's name. Twice. His name is French- Jean-Luc Samyn, pronounced "sa-meen", but the MSG commentator, unfamiliar with this 30-year veteran of racing, pronounced it "salmon". Twice.

However, MSG Plus did have the decency to add that "salmon" was not hurt in the fall- a courtesy that ESPN.com did not extend. All ESPN.com offered other than the video was this synopsis,

"After throwing off jockey Jean-Luc Samyn at the start, Phone Jazz went on to unofficially win the race at Belmont Park by seven lengths"

Classy. ESPN is the same network that went berserk after the death of Eight Belles at the 2008 KY Derby- criticizing her owner, trainer, breeder and anyone else they could find. It's the same network that reported incessantly about the well being of the late Derby winner Barbaro during his final weeks of his struggle with laminitis. Yet when a human falls from a horse and "bizarre" result ensues, ESPN.com can't find the time or page space to mention whether the jockey was injured or not.

Great 6 Furlong Race for Fabulous Strike on the Belmont Undercard

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com

I just felt like showing this race. It happened Saturday in the True North Handicap, 5 races before the Belmont. It was fractions of a second off of the Belmont track record for 6 Furlongs (which is 6 8ths of a mile and is considered a sprint). From a visual standpoint, I think sprint races are the most exciting horse races to watch. This was a world-class effort by the winner, Fabulous Strike.