Highs and Lows of 2011 at Parx Racing

As we reflect back upon the past 12 months at Parx Racing, there were many memorable moments, both good and bad. Here are a few of our favorites:

High – The Cotillion Stakes for 3-year-old fillies was bestowed Grade 1 status by the American Graded Stakes Committee. From DRF: http://www.drf.com/news/two-bc-races-cotillion-among-four-new-grade-1-stakes-2012

Low – The track publicized that this is the “first” Grade 1 race in Pennsylvania, but in reality it is not.  The Cotillion enjoyed Grade 1 status in 1973, when Lilac Hill won, and was downgraded thereafter. Here's one of the articles with the wrong information: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/07/2535632/purse-upgrade-for-cotillion-stakes.html

Here’s the video of this year’s Cotillion, won by Pennsylvania-bred Plum Pretty:

 * * * *

High – Juan Carlos Guerrero dominated racing for the 2^nd year in a row, maintaining a 40 percent win clip and completing 2011 nearly 40 winners ahead of runnerup Ramon Preciado.

Low – Guerrero gets booted off track for 10 years the week of December 19^th after being charged with sexual assault.  Read more here: http://www.drf.com/news/parx-racing-bans-leading-trainer-guerrero-10-years

* * * *

High – Apprentices Rosario Montanez and Kyle Frey end 2011 as the top 2 bug-boys in the country while based at Parx.

Low – Veteran Eriluis Vaz, the infamous participant in the jockey fight versus Ademar Santos during a race at Parx in 2010, gets the hook by track security after a mysterious shower incident in the women jockey’s room the week of December 5. It’s rumored he’s been barred for seven years.
You can see Vaz’s saddle slugfest here:

* * * *

High – Parx Casino launches a multi-million dollar expansion of the main building in order to create more elbow room for table games customers.  Read more: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/10/24/parx-casino-is-expanding-again/

Low – Attendance and handle at the racetrack shrink, while the new casino expansion encroaches upon the lone parking lot for racetrack patrons.

According to the most recent approved minutes of the Pennsylvania State Racing Commission: “Joe Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, reported the Pari-mutuel handle from all sources for the month of October, 2011 was $34.9M.  Year to date handle was $390.5M compared to $454.6M from 2010; reflecting a decrease of 14.1%.  Purses paid an average of $317K per day compared to $367K per day in 2010.  Mr. Wilson explained the underpayment was $1.8M.  The underpayment continues to be monitored with the PTHA. Total attendance on track for October, 2011 was 18,926 compared to 21,109 in October, 2010.”

Perhaps the most disturbing fact contained in that Commission report was this: “The Thoroughbred handle at the Pennsylvania locations are down nearly $42M.”

* * * *

High – Aggressive ad campaign for Parx Casino blankets tri-state area with TV, print and Internet ads. Check this one out:

Low – Parx Racing gets little, if any, marketing support from Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment.

* * * *

High – Parx Racing creates a “Hall of  Fame,” whose purpose should have been to honor important people and horses of its past. Scroll down in this link to see the pics: http://www.patha.org/pdfs/Press%20release%20H%20of%20F.pdf

Low – The track’s longtime first announcer, Jack Lamar, is snubbed by the “nominating committee,” while a member of that nominating committee is voted into the Hall of Fame, bringing into question its legitimacy.

You can read all about Lamar’s legacy in the Bensalem announcer’s booth here: http://www.pathoroughbred.blogspot.com/2011/09/giving-jack-his-due.html

* * * *

All in all, another year of very interesting news emanating from the “Big Box on Street Road,” the former Philadelphia Park.  Happy New Year from Pennsylvania Thoroughbred!

Before we sign off, here's a chuckle courtesy of the suits at Parx Casino:

Our Christmas Wish List

On this Christmas Eve, we’ve created a list for Santa that we’re going to leave under the tree tonight, hoping he can grant these wishes for the wonderful sport of thoroughbred racing, which we have loved since the days when we were just a foal:

* For Monmouth Park to find a new owner that cares about carrying on its proud tradition, mindful of its historic past while promising to keep her sparkling as the true “Jewel of the Jersey Shore.”

* For Atlantic City Racecourse to get cleaned up, fixed up, and run more than just a handful of days not only in 2012, but in the future.  It’s obvious that fans in South Jersey want it to happen, judging from the outstanding attendance figures the last few years.

* For Parx Racing to make a concerted effort to market and promote horse racing and not just the casino.

* For there to be less reliance on slot revenues to sustain thoroughbred racing, and more revenue from pari-mutuel wagering. We realize we’re asking a lot here, Santa, but see what you can do.

* For there to be sunny skies and warm breezes every day of the 2012 Saratoga season.

* For the sport to continue the trend of making available to the public not only statistics and data about horses and races, but rulings and disciplinary actions taken against owners, trainers and jockeys. Transparency is vital in attracting new fans and keeping the old ones.

* For the sport to develop a foolproof way to detect and punish those horsemen who rely on blood-doping agents (such as Micera®) to win races. Not only are they ruining the health of their horses, but their blatant cheating is destroying whatever confidence the public may have had in the honest outcome of races.

* And as part and parcel to the above, let’s phase out the use of Lasix, as it is used to hide and mask a multitude of illegal substances and treatments.

* Finally, let’s hope that there are far fewer unwanted, abandoned and forgotten thoroughbreds in 2012, as their numbers have swelled disturbingly high as owners and breeders leave the game due to disinterest or financial distress.  May Santa reward all those who have worked tirelessly and unselfishly throughout the past year to help them.

Happy holidays from Pennsylvania Thoroughbred!

The many faces of Philadelphia Park

As quickly as a slot machine picks your pocket, management of Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment Inc. have thrown up an addition to the stand-alone casino that lies adjacent to the Parx Racing grandstand on the Street Road property.

An additional 195,000 square feet of space for table games has been tacked onto the existing building, which totals about 165,000 square feet, and a four-story parking garage with 2,000 spaces is on the drawing board. Here's what the scene looked like last weekend:

And here's another view ... this addition is now encroaching on the small parking area for racetrack fans:

The same schizophrenic color scheme used for this casino has now been applied to the track grandstand. Here's how the building looked in early 2010, when it housed all the slot machines, and before the new construction began in the front parking lot:

And here's how it looked earlier this year, when the patchwork quilt began to be applied:

A view of the newly-painted grandstand from the backstretch:

All photos in this blogpost were taken by me.

The Bensalem Blues

What if you threw a party and nobody came?

That was almost the feeling I had this weekend at Parx Racing when I ventured over to watch some live racing. 

On Saturday, attendance was decent, with a few thousand people milling around on the track apron, standing near the paddock, congregating inside watching the simulcast screens, and sitting up in the horsemen's boxes. The size of the crowd was most likely boosted by the card, which was spiced by the $75,000 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes for 2-year-olds. Attendance has to be estimated because they are no longer released by the track, but they are still reported to the Pennsylvania Racing Commission.

But today, there were few people watching and wagering on the horses, with the largest group gathered at the sports bar watching the Eagles play the Miami Dolphins. An eight-race card was presented, with the highlight being two starter allowances with purses in excess of $32,000 each.

Unfortunately, the program was marred by a breakdown, several loose horses due to incidents at the break and during the running of races, and a few injured jockeys. Kristina McManigell was transported to local Aria Health hospital in northeast Philadelphia after her mount, Eleanor's Fuse, fell right after the wire in the 4th race, in which she finished third. After lying on the track for a few minutes, the 5-year-old mare got up and was led onto the horse ambulance, with the extent of her injuries unknown. The finale saw jockeys Tara Hemmings and Francisco Maysonett hit the ground when their mounts stumbled and swerved.

The day's on-track handle was anemic, as expected. Only $49,410 was bet on-track, an average of $6,176 per race. That hardly compared with last Wednesday, however, when on-track handle was $21,335 for the nine-race program, only $2,370 per race.

Would better marketing and advertising of horse racing by Parx result in higher attendance and healthier handle? Yes, but it's not likely to happen anytime soon, if at all, although advertising for the casino seems to be rampant in the Philadelphia region. Would running fewer days create more interesting cards with more horses per race? Yes, but such a move would be met with resistance by horsemen and jockeys, both of whom rely on a year-round racing schedule for their livelihoods.

Parx isn't alone, of course, and that's what should be of concern to anyone who loves this sport. All in all, it was a very depressing weekend of racing at the Bensalem oval.

No Shore Thing?

Will there be a Monmouth Park meet in 2012? Apparently the folks at the Jersey Shore racetrack think there will be, for today there appeared in my email in-box the announcement that the 2012 Monmouth Park season pass is now available for just $85.00, which gives the lucky recipient free grandstand or clubhouse admission as well as preferred parking. With all the turmoil in the last week concerning the transfer of the track from the State of New Jersey to Morris Bailey, kudos to the Monmouth publicity department for the optimism.

We covered Monmouth and New Jersey racing for more than a decade for a Trenton newspaper and, if history is any indication, we’ll make an educated guess that an “11^th-hour deal” will likely be brokered, just in time for the opening of the stable area this spring. Until then, get ready for more posturing from all four camps – the thoroughbred and standardbred factions, the Christie administration, and Morris Bailey’s attorney. Coming into play in this whole charade are the off-track wagering licenses and revenue, which are quite lucrative.

The Monmouth situation had us doing a little digging into the archives to refresh our memory as to when off-track wagering was legalized in New Jersey. The answer was August of 2001, more than 10 years ago. Since then, only three OTW sites have been built: in Vineland, Woodbridge and Toms River. Greenwood/Pennwood (or whatever it calls itself) has the rights to build one on the old Garden State Park property in Cherry Hill, but has made no attempt (for whatever reason) to do so, although Greenwood certainly erected its Turf Clubs in suburban Philadelphia and environs in record time. Another N. J. site is earmarked for Bayonne (my hometown) and recent eyewitness reports have stated that preliminary foundation work is going on, with workers there every day for the last 2 weeks or more. This OTW, in our opinion, would be a goldmine, as there are plenty of horseplayers in Hudson County (my grandfather and I used to have to cross the Bayonne Bridge into Staten Island to get some action at a New York City OTB). Here’s what the site looked like in March:

Speaking of the New Jersey racing crisis, what will become of the $1 million Haskell Invitational if the Monmouth meet gets deep-sixed? Would it be transferred to another racetrack? Or would it most likely be discontinued?  Across the river at Parx Racing there will be a Grade 1 event for 3-year-old fillies in 2012, the Cotillion Stakes, which was the beneficiary of the goodwill of the Graded Stakes Committee, who upgraded the 1-1/16 mile race from Grade 2 status, snubbing the prestigious Delaware Handicap once again for that lofty status.  

Speaking of Parx, some misinformation was recently disseminated concerning the Cotillion, which is going to get a purse boost to $1 million in 2012.  KYW-1060 AM in Philadelphia had an on-air item that heralded the Cotillion as the “first Grade 1 race in Pennsylvania” upon the news of its upgrading. The KYW story stated that “…this may be the shot in the arm that horse racing needs in Pennsylvania.” But a quick check of the history books tells us the Cotillion was a Grade 1 race once before, in 1973. Oops!

Giving Jack his due

In yesterday's post, we mentioned that Parx Racing had created a Hall of Fame, with the first flush of inductees honored in the winner's circle on September 24, Pennsylvania Derby Day, which included current track announcer Keith Jones.

It was unfortunate that the voice of perhaps the greatest Pennsylvania Derby of all was not among those receiving recognition - the late, great Jack Lamar, who was behind the mike for Broad Brush's thrilling victory in 1986.

Here's a link to that historic racecall: https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2021784423765&oid=118356888221220&comments

Lamar was the race announcer when the track opened as Keystone Racetrack in 1974 and he continued through 1987.  His call could also be heard on the feature race of the day that was broadcast on radio stations in Philadelphia and South Jersey.  During his career, he also was the track announcer at Dover Downs in  Delaware, Marlboro Downs in Maryland, Hialeah Park in Florida, Garden State Park in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Atlantic City Racetrack in McKee City, N.J.

Here's a link to Lamar's life and career, courtesy of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia: http://www.broadcastpioneers.com/bp10/jacklamar.html

In February, 1987, Lamar - who was 61 at the time - was fired by Philadelphia Park track owner International Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. and replaced by Keith Jones, who was 29. According to a story in the Philadelphia Daily News of July 12, 1988:

"Jack Lamar, former track announcer at Philadelphia Park and Garden State Park, filed a claim against ITB last year with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in which he alleged age and religious discrimination. Lamar, who is Jewish, recently withdrew his claim with the EEOC and has filed suit against ITB in U.S. District Court in Camden. Lamar was fired, with minimal explanation, in February 1987."

Lamar's many accomplishments were ignored by the Parx Racing Hall of Fame committee, and here's hoping they give him his rightful due next year. Those of us who were patrons of old Keystone and the tracks in the South Jersey region remember him fondly as a straightforward, accurate announcer.  Lamar, who died in 2006, does not get even a mention in the track's current media guide.

As an aside, when yours truly researched and wrote the 1997 media guide for the track, Mr. Lamar's contributions to the early days of racing in Bensalem were included, but sadly his name has been edited out of the current online version.

Fact-checking, and K-Mart

Last Saturday was the 32nd running of the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing, and it was a treat to see Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott win the nine furlong test with a talented 3-year-old named To Honor and Serve.

But as I gazed out at the people ringing the winner's circle, all hoping to catch a T-shirt tossed by the track's costumed mascot, Parx the Horse, I was struck by how the race has been changed from a Labor Day extravaganza with huge crowds that would jam the grandstand, Picnic Grove, and track apron to a condensed group of diehards content to see some good 3-year-olds on a Saturday afternoon in late September.  Although I never liked navigating through and around those large throngs - which often numbered more than 25,000 in the race's late 1980's heyday - I actually feel saddened at how the sport has dropped out of the public's consciousness, except at select venues like Saratoga, Del Mar, and other seasonal meets.

This year, to spice up the Pennsylvania Derby card, someone came up with the idea of creating a Parx Racing Hall of Fame, and the first class of inductees were honored in the winner's circle between races. "Special Achievement" honoree Robert W. Green, who bought the track in 1990 under the Greenwood Racing banner from Robert Brennan's International Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., was credited with "creating telephone (and internet) wagering applications," which got me thinking how factually correct this statement was.

Sure enough, my memory served me correctly. I pulled out an old Philadelphia Park media guide from 1990 and it stated that, "... in 1985, ITB received national recognition with the advent of its Phonebet system of wagering. Phonebet is a program in which patrons unable to make it to the track can still participate by wagering legally by telephone on the races."

Greenwood may have expanded the Phonebet system after the track's purchase, but it did not create it. Guess it was just a little factual embellishment for the Hall of Fame inductions.

Speaking of Parx Racing, did you know it actually had three previous names? Originally the track was to be christened Neshaminy Race Track, but prior to its official opening on November 4, 1974 it was changed to Keystone.  In the summer of 1985, it was changed again, to Philadelphia Park, and then was slapped with the Parx moniker last year.

Here's a couple of old photos from the media guide - the first shows that there actually were fountains in the infield lake at one time, while the second shows the Keystone grandstand's distinctive "K" on its back wall.  Many oldtimers, in fact, nicknamed the track "K-Mart."

Yes, there really were infield fountains, folks. Check out the crowd in the background.

A long line of cars in the parking lot of "K-Mart." Circa 1976.

Season's greetings

            ‘Tis the season for stallion announcements … a season I look forward to every year.  I love finding out which stallions are moving where, and usually I am surprised by more than a few.

            The announcement earlier this week that Silver Train was relocating from Vinery in Kentucky to Northview-Pa was probably the worst-kept secret in the business, with the only surprise being his $7,500 stud fee for 2012, which is the same as this past breeding season.

            Although I look forward to this season of stallion “musical chairs,” I must admit I am getting a little cynical.  Nine times out of 10, horses that relocate from Kentucky to Pennsylvania are doing so because of declining popularity among mare owners, or runners not performing to expectations, or disappointing sales results, or all three.

            With the Pennsylvania breeding program offering such rich incentives to owners and breeders, one would think it would be an attractive region for graded stakes-winning, well-bred freshmen sires, much like Spendthrift Farm’s Dublin, a Grade 1-winner who will be standing his first season in New York, or stallions whose progeny have proven themselves on the racetrack, like Ghost Ridge Farm’s Jump Start.

            Northview-Pa had the right idea a few years back when it decided to stand freshman sire Fairbanks, a graded-stakes winning son of Giant’s Causeway. Not only did Fairbanks get supported by the better mares domiciled in the Keystone State, but also by Kentucky mares through his part-owner Margaux Farm in Midway. His first foals race next year.

            Speaking of Margaux Farm, we took a peek at its web site today and noticed that Petionville was suddenly missing from its stallion roster. 

Hmmm … let the musical chairs begin. And just remember, you read it here first (hint, hint).

* * * *

I recently discovered an excellent online magazine, Australian Breeding & Racing, which covers a wide variety of topics not just limited to racing “down under.” In this current issue (see link), there is an article entitled “The Great Stud Fee Debate,” as well as “Colour Blind,” in which pedigree analyst Jane Henning assesses the impact of coat color on performance.

            The e-edition contains many beautiful photographs, as well as advertisements for American stallions who shuttle. Those ads contain many new conformation photos; the one I saw for Lookin at Lucky was especially nice.

            Here’s an interesting piece about whether a thoroughbred’s conformation can predict its wet-track ability: http://www.breedingracing.com/pdfs/99/Editorial/wetTrack.pdf

            All in all, I highly recommend Australian Breeding & Racing to anyone interested in the global thoroughbred world.  The link to the current edition is: http://epublishbyus.com/ebook/ebook?id=10020910#/0

Horse Heaven

            I just returned from a wonderful four-day trip to Saratoga Springs, and I must admit it was one of the best vacations I’ve ever had. 

            Many moons ago, I was paid to cover racing at the Spa, and quite frankly had a much different opinion of the historic racecourse on Union Avenue.  My former employer only allowed a pittance per night for the hotel room, and I was forced far out of town, to musty motels where dark paneling and televisions with rabbit ears were the norm.  The days spent at the track were hot and tiring, and I didn’t partake in much Saratoga night life, nor did much sightseeing around town.

            This time around, however, I did a little bit of everything. I finally tasted the spring waters (ugh!); shopped on Broadway and beyond; spent afternoons at the Fasig-Tipton salesgrounds eyeballing fancy yearlings, and then lingered all night at the sales, my head spinning from the astronomical pricetags; toured the Oklahoma backstretch with a guide from the National Museum of Racing; inspected new stallion Dublin at D. Wayne Lukas’s barn thanks to a Spendthrift Farm representative; explored the Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and marveled at the trophies, artwork, and artifacts, and finally got to touch, photograph and watch Preakness Stakes winner Shackleford train from Dale Romans’s barn on the Saratoga main backstretch.

Spendthrift Farm's new stallion Dublin, who retires to Keane Stud in NY for the 2012 season (photo courtesy of me).

            In short, it was truly “horse heaven” for this thoroughbred lover, and I can’t wait to go back next year.

            I left Saratoga with a new appreciation for its place in horse racing history, but I also left with a growing interest and intrigue in the New York breeding program, which is projected to grow by leaps and bounds now that the Aqueduct VLT parlor is ready to open by year’s end.

            There are two things which truly make the New York breeding program appealing – the plethora of restricted races that are carded on a daily basis at Belmont Park, Aqueduct and Saratoga, and the New York-bred sale of preferred yearlings that is held annually by Fasig-Tipton at its Saratoga salesgrounds.

            A robust restricted program is necessary to encourage breeders to drop foals in a particular state, and New York has one of the best, unlike Pennsylvania, where many are of the opinion that there should be a reduced number of restricted races, and that bettors have little or no interest in them.  A restricted program like one currently in place in New York also encourages buyers to purchase New York-bred yearlings at public auction, as was demonstrated at the recent Fasig-Tipton sale on August 13-14.

            The final figures of the New York-bred venue saw a gross of $6,725,500 for the 124 yearlings that were sold, with an average price of $54,238 and median of $35,000. Compared to last year, the number sold and gross rose 31.9 percent and 83 percent, respectively, while the average price increased 38.7 percent and the median advanced 16.7 percent.

            In response to the expected purse and breeders’ bonus boost from the Aqueduct VLTs, many Kentucky farms are sending decent stallions to the Empire State, as evidenced by Spendthrift’s decision to test the waters with freshman sire and Grade 1-winner Dublin.

            While Pennsylvania may currently give out more money, percentage-wise, to its owners and breeders, the lack of a restricted program, coupled with the lack of a first-class sale like the one Fasig-Tipton conducts, may hurt it in years to come.

            Owners and breeders from Pennsylvania and beyond may take a renewed interest in the New York program, and - much like I took a second look at Saratoga this year – may decide that they like it very much.

           

The dog days of summer!

            After a long break, it’s time to shake the cobwebs off this blog and note some interesting happenings on the Pennsylvania scene and beyond.
            In no particular order, here we go:

            Owners and trainers at Parx Racing in Bensalem will be happy to learn that the track is increasing the payouts from 5^th-place through last on unrestricted races.  Those payouts will be $500 for races with purses in the 20K range; $750 for races with purses in the 30K range, and $1,000 for races with purses in the 40K range. 

            The mandatory $120 deduction for jockey’s fees and the Turning For Home ($10) and political action committee/promote-our-sport ($10) fees will stay the same.
            All restricted Pennsylvania-bred races listed as such in the condition book will not be affected and the old system of $200 for 6th through last place will remain. 
            For those who may squabble with payouts to horses that finish out of the money, let us just gently remind them that it costs owners to put horses into the starting gate, and the small stipend received does not leave much, if anything, for profit.

* * * *

            A friend of mine is bullish on the New Jersey racing and breeding industries.  Yes, you read that right.  He believes, now that they’re under private ownership, Monmouth Park and Meadowlands will thrive, and both the standardbred and thoroughbred breeding industries will be revived.

            And he’s putting his money where his mouth is. He is moving horses from Pennsylvania to New Jersey so that he will be in a position to take advantage of the future financial benefits.
            Some may call him crazy, but it’s refreshing to see someone have a positive view of New Jersey’s future, rather than the typical doom-and-gloom scenarios spouted by so many “experts.”

* * * * 

            Buddy the Yellow Lab has been moping around the house the last two days.  When the temperature hit 100, we decided it was in his best interest to scrap his evening walk.  Hopefully the weather will break soon so he can resume his erratic behavior while on leash, which includes barking at every canine he encounters and lunging at motorcycles and scooters.  He’s a crazy, crazy Lab!

Market correction

          After a long hiatus, we’re back with another installment of Pennsylvania Thoroughbred.  The reason for the hiatus is fairly simple – I’ve been busy juggling several jobs, which now includes spending each weekend morning at Parx Racing with my husband, doing stalls and barn chores.
          This morning, we sat in the Parx backstretch kitchen and had breakfast while talking with the track’s all-time leading rider, Tony Black.  Black, who still gets on some horses in the morning but has geared down his afternoon riding assignments, was discussing the oversaturation of racing in the mid-Atlantic region, particularly at this time of year, when Monmouth Park, Delaware Park and Parx Racing are all running against one another.
          “Just like the stock market is going through a correction, you’re going to see a correction in the number of live racing dates,” predicted Black.  He cited the declining foal crop as a catalyst for tracks to reduce the number of days they run, and even forecast an end to the year-round racing calendar in Pennsylvania.
          While the Report of Mares Bred won’t be published by The Jockey Club until late October, it’s almost certain to reflect a decrease in the amount of mares bred to Pennsylvania stallions.  From just a rough estimate garnered from talking with stallion owners and managers, this breeding season has been even more difficult than last year, when by all accounts we were still in the teeth of the economic recession.
          That recession has driven many owners to sell – or is many instances, give away – their mares, with many more deciding not to breed this year.  When the ROM is issued, it most likely will reflect that less than 10 stallions in Pennsylvania got books of 40 or more mares.
          Fast forwarding to 2014, when the foals from this year’s breeding season are 2-year-olds, the shrinking horse population will force racetrack owners and horsemen’s groups to come to an agreement about scheduling fewer race dates in order to keep offering a product that horseplayers want to bet on.  It’s no secret that a nine-race card filled with short fields is the most unappetizing of handicapping fare. 
           Back in the mid-1990’s, when Garden State Park in Cherry Hill, N. J. was still open, its management chose to run head-to-head against Philadelphia Park, which was located about 16 miles away.  Granted, Garden State ran during the night, while Philly ran during the day, but they both cannibalized each other’s fan base and horse population to the point where Garden State succumbed to staggering decreases in both attendance and handle. 

The beautiful - and now demolished - Garden State Park

         
Only time will tell whether Black’s prediction will come true, but it does seem the mid-Atlantic region is due for a dates correction, else have one or more tracks suffer the same fate as now-defunct Garden State Park.  

Some Pennsylvania-breds on the Derby trail

On the eve of a plethora of important Kentucky Derby prep races, we thought we'd point out a couple of Pennsylvania-breds who are trying to earn enough graded stakes money to compete at Churchill Downs the first Saturday in May.

At Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., A D K Racing's Anthony's Cross will try and make it two in a row in the Gr. 1, $1 million Santa Anita Derby.  The son of Indian Charlie-Screening, by Unbridled, bred by George Strawbridge, Jr., captured the Gr. 2 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita on February 12.

A Santa Anita Derby victory would have an even bigger impact for Anthony's Cross beyond gaining entry to the Kentucky Derby field.  Should he win tomorrow, and then go on to capture the Preakness Stakes on May 21, he would earn a $5.5 million bonus.  Dubbed the Preakness 5.5, and created last year by MI Developments (then-owners of the Maryland Jockey Club) the bonus will be awarded to any horse who can sweep a series of races and the Preakness, of which the Robert B. Lewis and Santa Anita Derby are part of.

Anthony's Cross (right), winning the Robert B. Lewis. Photo: EquiSport Photos/Alex Evers

Anthony's Cross was foaled at Bettina Jenney's Derry Meeting Farm in Cochranville, Pa., and was one of relatively few horses ever offered at auction by Strawbridge, who by and large keeps all his homebreds to race under his Augustin Stable banner.  Consigned by Derry Meeting Farm, agent, to the 2009 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August select yearling sale, the colt was purchased for $300,000 by Arianne DeKwiatkowski, the daughter of the late Henryk DeKwiatkowski, who owned the famed Calumet Farm in Lexington, Ky.

Screening, the dam of Anthony's Cross, was unraced, but hails from one of Strawbridge's blacktype-rich female families.  Her dam, Recording (by Danzig), won the Sands Point Stakes (Gr. 3); she has produced graded stakes winner Smart Bid (by Smart Strike) for Strawbridge, and he recently captured the Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial H. (Gr. 2) at Fair Grounds under the guidance of trainer H. Graham Motion.  Recording is also the dam of French stakes winner Representing (by Rahy) and the stakes winner Deal Making (by Empire Maker), who won the Stanton Stakes at Delaware Park and was third in the Gr. 2 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes.

The third dam of Anthony's Cross, Ratings, was also a graded stakes winner for Strawbridge, winning the Gr. 2 Diana Handicap and the Gr. 3 Sheepshead Bay Handicap, and placing in the Gr. 1 Flower Bowl Invitational.  Strawbridge also bred his fourth dam, the T.V. Commercial mare T. V. Ad.

Screening's first foal, Fugitive Angel (by Alphabet Soup), has turned out to be quite a nice racehorse for Strawbridge and trainer Jonathan Sheppard.  Last season, she won three times, all stakes: the Pin Oak Valley View Stakes at Keeneland (Gr. 3), and the restricted Malvern Rose and Russian Rhythm Stakes.  Screening has a 2-year-old filly by Harlan's Holiday named Holiday Fashion, and a yearling filly by Posse.

Anthony's Cross has won twice from six starts, and earned $195,020. He's trained by Eoin Harty and will be ridden tomorrow by Joel Rosario, and is rated at 4-1 in the morning line.

Across the country, the $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York features Norman Asbjornson, a son of Real Quiet-Merryland Missy, by Citidancer, bred in the Keystone State by Thomas McClay, Harry Nye and Horseshoe Valley Equine.  "Norman" broke his maiden at Penn National on December 8, and in his most recent start on March 5 was second in the Gr. 3 Gotham Stakes behind highly regarded Stay Thirsty.

Norman Asbjornson will face a stiff test in the Wood, however, as he faces the mighty Uncle Mo, last year's 2-year-old champion and considered the Derby favorite.  "Norman" is trained by Chris Grove and will be ridden by Julian Pimentel, and is tabbed a 15-1 chance.  Lifetime, from six starts, he's won twice and earned $117,200.

A "Fabulous" Spring

The last time Fabulous Strike was seen, he was finishing second in the Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park behind Kodiak Kowboy, on October 3, 2009.  Since then, the millionaire son of Smart Strike has been on the shelf, recuperating from what many thought was a career-ending injury to a ligament in his left front pastern, at trainer Todd Beattie's base at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pa.


Fabulous Strike, an 8-year-old Pennsylvania-bred gelding, was foaled at Barbara and Ron Rickline's Xanthus Farms in Gettysburg, and was bred by the Tea Party Stable of Walter Downey.  In five seasons of racing, he has proven to be one of the best sprinters in the country, capturing 12 stakes and more than $1.4 million in earnings, including the Gr. 1 Vosburgh Handicap in 2007, the Gr. 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga and the Gr. 2 True North Handicap at Belmont Park.

Fabulous Strike winning the 2009 True North Handicap at Belmont Park. Photo credit: NYRA.

Beattie said that Fabulous Strike had been undergoing stem-cell therapy at the New Bolton Center of the University of Pennsylvania the last year, and his return to the races, once thought to be a longshot, is now looming boldly on the horizon.


Since March, the gelding has worked at Penn National three times, including a five furlong move in :58.60, handily from the gate, on March 26 (the best move of 54 at the distance) and another five furlong work on April 2, achieved in 1:01, breezing, second-fastest of 20 that morning. 


And at long last, Fabulous Strike will make his return to the racing wars. Beattie entered him in a six furlong, $38,000 allowance at Penn National on April 9, in which he'll face five rivals. Dana Whitney has been named to ride.

A sad summer wind

I live in Philadelphia, race and breed Pennsylvania-breds, and write about the Pennsylvania thoroughbred industry, but deep down inside I’m a Jersey girl at heart.

I was born in the Garden State, and the first racetrack I ever attended was Monmouth Park in Oceanport, so it pains me to see this grand old matron of the seashore up for grabs to a variety of bidders, one of which will take over as lessee before the 2011 meet gets underway, reportedly on May 14, one week later than last year.

Although by law the track must run 141 dates in 2011, it is believed the lucky bidder will try and reduce that number to 80 dates, but it must be approved by the state’s horsemen.

This scenario has come about because N. J. Gov. Chris Christie has vowed to “get the state out of the horse racing business.” Currently, Monmouth and the Meadowlands in East Rutherford are owned and operated by the N. J. Sports & Exposition Authority.

Having covered Monmouth since 1994, I have no complaints as to how the NJSEA handled the racetrack. The plant was always clean and well-maintained; the employees who worked in media relations were always friendly, efficient and professional (John Heims, George Bernet and the late Steve Schwartz spring to mind), as were track management. Some of the best track managers I have ever dealt with were at Monmouth – Hal Handel, Bruce Garland and Bob Kulina, to name but a few.

Many young members of NJSEA’s management team have gone on to bigger and better things within the sport of racing, too – Jim Gagliano now heads The Jockey Club, while Chris McErlean is a vice president at Penn National Gaming, Inc., overseeing its stable of properties.

Call me pessimistic, but I have a sinking feeling that Monmouth Park’s best days are behind her. No matter who (or what) takes over the circa-1946 oval, brought to life by such familiar names as Amory L. Haskell, Philip H. Iselin, Reeve Schley, Joseph M. Roebling, Townsend B. Martin, John MacDonald and James Cox Brady, it may never again be the same.

The most cherished memories I have from my youth are from hot summer afternoons spent with my late grandfather, father and mother in the open, airy Monmouth grandstand, hearing the voice of the late announcer Bob Weems call the action and the roar of the crowd as the horses rounded the turn and headed into the homestretch. As a girl, my favorite horses weren’t always the stars – I loved Razzle Dazzle Rey, Owens Troupe, and Al Hattab – and liked jockeys Buck Thornburg, Rick Wilson and Chuck Baltazar. My father worshipped Julie Krone and John Forbes, who together made a formidable jockey-trainer duo back in the 1980’s. My mother picked horses on the basis of their pretty names, and was always horrified at the cost of the Daily Racing Form. My brother Greg, who lives in Toms River, once got a “hot tip” from an old man in the men’s room, and collected nearly $75 for his deuce wager, a memorable day, indeed!

Photo courtesy Equiphoto.com

As a turf writer, it was a dream come true to cover the Monmouth beat and make daily handicapping selections to boot, getting access to nooks and crannies in the grandstand and clubhouse that few $2 bettors ever see. Imagine, a horse-crazy girl like me from Bayonne, N. J. sharing the champagne toast with the winning connections of the Haskell Invitational on the Parterre level, or taking the elevator to the press box, where the greatest characters in the world worked, gambled, and kibitzed. The strains of Frank Sinatra singing “Summer Wind” after the last race always put a perfect exclamation point on the day.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, or so I’ve been told, but the imminent demise of the “golden age” of Monmouth Park – the new lessee is sure to want to cut services, employees, purses and overall quality - has filled me with a profound sadness, for it marks not only the end of an era, but also a wonderful part of my life.

An Elephant Never Forgets

We learned today of the death of David Monaci, 53, a former trainer at Philadelphia Park.  Monaci's obituary can be found here:  http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/app/obituary.aspx?n=david-monaci&pid=149399853

Monaci made a name for himself at the Bensalem oval, but not for all the right reasons.  Instead, the native of Plainfield, N.J. was tossed off the grounds in 1996 after it was found his horse, Accession, was drugged with Etorphine, also known as "elephant juice."  In very low doses, Etorphine acts as a central nervous stimulant.

If this wasn't bad enough, Monaci became embroiled in the case of the "missing split sample," which made headlines throughout the racing industry.  A package sent via FedEx to the Louisiana State University arrived empty; it was later determined that another trainer, Frank Geraci, apparently working with Monaci, was involved in a bribe to "switch a urine sample."

As a result, Monaci lost his trainer's license for many years, while Geraci pleaded no contest to the charges.

You can read all the details here: http://law.justia.com/cases/pennsylvania/commonwealth-court/1998/monaci.html

And the winners are ...

The annual awards were handed out at Philadelphia Park (now Parx Racing) yesterday, and here are the divisional winners:

2YO Colt or Gelding – RJG Racing Management’s Der Meister (trained by Murray Rojas)


2YO Filly – Edward Evans’ Dixie City (Anthony Dutrow)

3YO Colt or Gelding – Ellendale Racing’s Roadhog (Edward Allard)

3YO Filly – Tommy Ligon’s Come Sunday (John Servis)

Older Male – Richard Malouf’s Wink at the Girls (Scott Lake)

Older Female – William Hartwell’s Jemilyn (Ramon Preciado)

Claiming Horse of the Year – Jamie Guerrero’s Wild Geese (Carlos Guerrero)

Outstanding Claim of the Year – Richard Malouf’s Wink at the Girls (Scott Lake)

Winningest Horse – Richard Malouf’s Wink at the Girls (Scott Lake)

Apprentice Jockey – Rosario Montanez

Leading Jockey – Kendrick Carmouche (3rd consecutive title)

Leading Owner – Jack Armstrong (Phil Aristone & Robert Mosco)

Leading Trainer – Phil Aristone

“B” Division Trainer (top percentage with less than 150 starts) – Robert Reid Jr.

“B” Division Owner – Jamie Guerrero

Pennsylvania-bred champions for 2010 named

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, located in Kennett Square, Pa., has named its champions and leaders for 2010, based upon the unanimous recommendations of its Award Committee. They are:


2-YEAR-OLD MALE—RUSTLER HUSTLER

Ch.c., 2008, Ecton Park—Cozzy Temper, by Cozzene.

Bred by Mark Stanley

Winner of three of six starts in 2010, including a victory in the Continental Mile Stakes at Monmouth Park. He then came back to a one and three-quarter-length score in the Gnome’s Gold Stakes at Belmont Park. Rustler Hustler earned $174,470 in 2010, finishing off the board only once.

2-YEAR-OLD FILLY—TWELVE PACK SHELLY

B.f., 2008, Deputy Storm—So Smashing, by Two Punch. Bred by Sycamore Hall Farm LLC

Twelve Pack Shelly began her season in early April with a track record-setting maiden score at Laurel Park. Three weeks later, facing boys for the second time, she finished a close third to Lou Brissie and Boys At Tosconova in the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes-G3 at Churchill Downs. She counted stakes victories in the Colleen Stakes (over R Heat Lightning) at Monmouth and Miss Shenandoah Stakes at Charles Town, and was second in the Maryland Million Lassie. Twelve Pack Shelly won four of seven starts and earned $191,600.

3-YEAR-OLD MALE—ROADHOG

Ch.g., 2007, Bowman’s Band—Little Wing, by Allen’s Prospect. Bred by Ellendale Racing LLC

Roadhog won three of eight starts in 2010, all on the turf. He broke his maiden at Monmouth Park and went on to capture a Philadelphia Park allowance race, before capping the year off with a score in Philadelphia Park’s Alphabet Soup Handicap against older horses. He earned $160,894 in 2010.

3-YEAR-OLD FILLY—FUGITIVE ANGEL

B.f., 2007, Alphabet Soup—Screening, by Unbridled. Bred by Augustin Stable

Fugitive Angel won four of her five starts in 2010. She swept her first four starts of the season, including the Russian Rhythm (at Penn National), Malvern Rose (Presque Isle) and Pin Oak Valley View Stakes-G3 (Keeneland), bankrolling $211,382.

OLDER MALE—MOON ROYAL

Ch.g., 2006, Mojave Moon—Elusive Crown, by Royal Academy. Bred by Max Pearson Stables LLC

Moon Royal had a very productive year, winning five of his 12 starts. Along with several allowance events, he took the Lyman Handicap at Philadelphia Park by four and a quarter lengths. Moon Royal earned $204,498 and brought his lifetime earnings to $264,198.

OLDER FEMALE and SPRINTER—

SWEET AUGUST MOON

Br.m., 2005, Malibu Moon—Silent Academy, by Royal Academy. Bred by Maple Leaf Farm

Sweet August Moon had a spectacular season in 2010, winning two graded stakes races in California and clinching two Pennsylvania-bred championships. She won the seven-furlong A Gleam Handicap-G2 at Hollywood Park and followed up with a hard-fought victory in the six and a half-furlong Rancho Bernardo Handicap-G3 at Del Mar. Sweet August Moon finished fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint-G1 and earned $224,294 during the season.

TURF HORSE—SAHPRESA

B.m., 2005, Sahm—Sorpresa, by Pleasant Tap. Bred by Douglas McIntyre

Sahpresa defended her 2009 title in this category with another noteworthy season. She started only five times during the year, but landed the Prix du Pin Stakes-G3 in France and repeated her 2009 victory in the Sun Chariot Stakes-G1 at Newmarket in England. She then shipped to Hong Kong, where she faced males in the Hong Kong Mile-G1 and finished third. Sahpresa earned $629,711 and became Pennsylvania’s latest millionaire, with a career total of $1,268,097.

STEEPLECHASE HORSE—NATIONBUILDER

Br.g., 2004, Came Home—Seattle Bay, by Opening Verse. Bred by Augustin Stable

Nationbuilder won two of five starts in 2010 – the $50,000 Queens Cup MPC Chase Hurdle Stakes in April at Charlotte and $100,000 Foxbrook Champion Hurdle Stakes in October at Far Hills – and was second in the AFLAC Supreme Hurdle at Pine Mountain. He earned $107,000, bringing his lifetime earnings to $276,066.

LEADING STALLION—BANKER’S GOLD

Banker’s Gold led all Pennsylvania stallions with $39,216 in stallion awards.

LEADING BREEDER AWARD RECIPIENT—SYLMAR FARM (MR. and MRS. RONALD HOUGHTON)

Sylmar Farm defended its 2009 title as the 2010 leading breeder award recipient. The Houghtons earned $153,852 from the Breeding Fund.

LEADING OVERALL BREEDER OF PENNSYLVANIA-BREDS—GEORGE STRAWBRIDGE JR. (AUGUSTIN STABLE)

George Strawbridge Jr.’s Augustin Stable again claimed this award, with $1,921,465 in earnings in North America and Europe. Augustin Stable was the breeder of 2010 Pennsylvania-bred champions Fugitive Angel and Nationbuilder.

An ominous sign?

Yesterday marked my final trip to a farm Open House in the mid-Atlantic region. With my daughter Katie in tow, we made the 129-mile drive to New Freedom, Pa., to Dr. William J. Solomon’s Pin Oak Lane Farm.

In years past, the local calendar was chock-full of Open Houses. Just two years ago, three Open Houses were scheduled on the same Sunday afternoon, creating quite a Mapquest nightmare for me.

This year, there were only four on the schedule – three in Pennsylvania, and one in Maryland. Five farms that stand stallions in Pennsylvania, which previously had hosted a day for breeders to inspect their facilities and their horses, did not have one this year.

Not only was the lack of Open Houses a sign that farms are cutting back on spending (a typical Open House has to cost the farm thousands of dollars, considering the amount of food and beverages needed, plus all the printed materials and the hiring of additional help that day) but the lack of attendance at all four was an ominous sign that mare owners are either not going to breed their mares this year, or have gotten out of the business completely.

The low attendance at the four Open Houses – Ghost Ridge, Northview Stallion Station, Diamond B and Pin Oak Lane – was truly shocking. Imagine if you threw a party, but less than half the guests showed up. That was the feeling at these farms, all of which stand solid breed-to-race sires, stallions with commercial appeal, and interesting new freshman sires.

It was like the curtain had dropped on the 2011 breeding season before it even began.

There have been many reasons tossed out for the lack of attendance at these venues. So far, I’ve heard that

1.) the weather has been so bad, people don’t want to travel

2.) people still are going to breed their mares, but just did not attend the Open Houses

3.) the farms scheduled their Open Houses on inconvenient days for breeders

4.) breeders who were interested in the Ghost Ridge stallions attended its Open House in November, which was basically a chance for fans to see Smarty Jones

5.) breeders were going to scour on-line auctions of stallions seasons for the best possible price and

6.) people in the mid-Atlantic region don’t make up their minds who they are going to breed to until their mare(s) actually foal, which could mean May and June.

Perhaps attendance at Open Houses should not be used as a barometer for the upcoming breeding season. Perhaps there are mare owners who are planning on “business as usual,” without having the need to inspect stallions and exchange pleasantries with the farm manager, his staff, and fellow horsemen. Maybe there are a lot of out-of-state breeders who could not attend, because of the distance involved.

In Pennsylvania, the breeding industry has seen a substantial increase in the number of mares bred since expanded gaming revenue began flowing into the Breeding Fund coffers. According to statistics published by The Jockey Club, in 2004 (the year slots legislation was passed in Harrisburg) there were 1,027 mares bred in the state, a number that soon swelled to 1,603 in 2009. The total number bred dipped almost four percent in 2010, to 1,542, and some have opined it could fall to below the 1,200 level – or approach pre-slots levels – for 2011.

What’s interesting is that, despite the amount of money available to owners at state racetracks (purses at Parx Racing are approaching the $300,000 per day level, while Penn National is approaching $200,000) and breeders through the PHBA’s Breeding Fund (more than $16 million in 2010), some mare owners may be raising the white flag. The costs of maintaining a broodmare through conception through foaling and beyond may have proven too prohibitive for owners to absorb throughout this economic downturn.

Maybe the breeding industry has now hit rock-bottom, and things will begin to rebound next year and beyond. The one bright spot for those that choose to breed their mares this season is that the resulting foals will have far less competition at the racetrack when they finally begin training.

Let’s hope that the lack of attendance at the area’s few Open Houses thus far is not a portend of things to come.

Winter wonderland?

Horsemen in Pennsylvania are understandably upset that both Philadelphia Park and Penn National Race Course have cancelled a slew of cards the last few weeks due to the snowy and icy weather conditions, but this is not a new phenomenon, by any means.

Because both racetracks have dirt surfaces, it is a rare winter, indeed, when live racing isn’t shut down at some point during January, February and March.

While digging through the archives the other day, I ran across an article I wrote in Daily Racing Form from 17 years ago that could have just as easily been written today.

Entitled “Horsemen Struggle to Cope with Freeze,” and dated January 27, 1994, the story describes the angst of Philadelphia Park horsemen over the poor track condition and the loss of racing days, which in turn meant a loss of their income.

“Winter racing is brutal for both man and beast, but the deep freeze that gripped the Delaware Valley this month and forced the cancellation of 10 live cards at Philadelphia Park since January 11 has tested the endurance of the hardiest horsemen,” it began.

The article goes on to say that sub-zero temperatures froze the main track solid the second week of January, and track superintendent Roy Smith said he was “forced to jackhammer holes in the surface so that standing water could be swept into them.”

“I feel very good about the condition of the track now,” Smith was quoted as saying. “It’s got its color back, and I’ve got about a two-inch cushion for training.” But, he added, he was unsure when live action would resume.

Trainer Pam Shavelson, a longtime resident of the Philadelphia Park backstretch, said in the article that the suspension of both racing and training placed a “horrible financial burden” on horsemen.

“There’s no income from purses, yet horses still eat everyday and you still have to meet payroll,” she said.

The bitter cold snap also wreaked havoc with the plumbing in Philadelphia Park’s barns.

“Two pipes burst in my barn – one at both ends,” she went on to say. “One blew at 7 o’clock at night, and maintenance didn’t arrive until 4 a.m. It was a real mess.”

Bursting pipes from the extreme temperatures also created chaos in the barns of J. Michael Rogers, Uriah St. Lewis, Bob Dodds and Bob Camac, the story reported.

Jockey agents were also interviewed, with Jack Servis, agent for Tony Black and Jeff Lloyd, stating that although he was going skiing, he plans on cutting his vacation short to maintain his contacts both at Philadelphia Park and Garden State Park.

“You’ve still got to maintain your contacts and keep the goodwill,” said Servis.

While the name of the racetrack has changed to Parx, and both Servis and Camac are sadly now deceased, one thing has stayed the same – winter racing in the mid-Atlantic region continues to be a problem for track maintenance workers, horsemen, and horses.

Check back in 17 more years, and you’ll likely be reading more of the same.

And they're off at snowy Philadelphia Park.  Photo credit: USA Today.

Mid-winter musings

What better time to pound out some news and thoughts about the sport of horse racing - both nationally and in the state of Pennsylvania - then while a nasty January snowstorm is blowing outside my window?  Here they are, in no particular order:

* If you're planning on breeding your mare (s) this spring, then you'll want to check out the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association's Stallion Season Auction, being hosted on the web site http://www.thoroughlybred.com/.  There is a top-notch selection of stallions being offered, including Bellamy Road, Bull Market, Cactus Ridge, E Dubai, Eurosilver, Grand Reward, Jump Start, Perfect Soul, Sir Shackleton, Smarty Jones, Toccet, Wiseman's Ferry, Zanjero ... to name but a few.  Check out the Thoroughlybred web site and perhaps you can get a bargain.  The auction runs on January 27, 28, and 29.  All proceeds are going to the PHBA's PAC Fund.

* The Open House season is in full swing, and we enjoyed seeing Pennsylvania's "big guns" at Ghost Ridge Farms last Saturday - E Dubai, Jump Start, Smarty Jones, Grand Reward and Greatness.  This Sunday, January 30, Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City, Md. holds its annual Open House, and we're eager to see its new young stallions Bullsbay (by Tiznow) and Street Magician (by Street Cry).  On February 6, Glenn and Becky Brok's Diamond B Farm in Mohrsville, Pa. will host an Open House to showcase its stallions Talent Search, Ecclesiatic and Senor Swinger.  And weather permitting, Dr. William Solomon's Pin Oak Lane Farm in New Freedom, Pa. will be having its annual Open House on Sunday, Feb. 20, showcasing stallions Albert the Great, Lite the Fuse, Alex's Pal, Invisible Ink and Coastal Storm.

* When did you become a racing fan?  Was it when you were very young, or did you become interested later in life?  Did a family member introduce you to the wonderful world of the racetrack, or did you discover racing's charms on your own?  Was it the beauty and majesty of the horse that intrigued you, or were you mesmerized and challenged by handicapping?  Can the sport of horse racing survive if there are merely fans of a particular horse, without their active participation at the pari-mutuel windows or as owners or breeders?

We'd like to hear your thoughts on this matter, as recently there has been a raging debate among turf writers as to what value Zenyatta's rabid fans, or any other recent famous horse, for that matter, have for racing.  Feel free to drop us a line.

My involvement started as a young girl, when my father and grandfather took me to Monmouth Park.  I am not joking when I say that I could not sleep the night before one of those trips; the excitement level was sky-high.  While I loved the horses, I also loved the challenge of getting the Daily Racing Form, handicapping the card, and trying to pick some winners, and my father or grandfather would make bets for me until I reached legal age.  Even excursions with my grandfather on Saturday mornings to a grimy New York City OTB on Liberty Boulevard in Staten Island was a treat. I remember the little pencils, the dirty floors, and the suspect clientele, but the thrill of making a bet on a race at the Big A, and then watching the results later that evening on the WOR-TV (Channel 9) show hosted by Frank Wright and Charlsie Cantey, was enormous. 

A scene inside a Staten Island OTB

For me, horses and gambling will always go hand-in-hand.  I have a hard time understanding those folks that just hero-worship a horse without plunking down a few bucks through the windows.  Thoroughbred racing needs a new generation of horseplayers, not slots or poker players.  If there's a young person in your life, why not take him or her to the track one day and let them experience its charms?  I feel I have done my part in raising the next generation of racing fans, as both of my daughters love horses and the racetrack.  Without young people, the sport is doomed.