It was with great sadness that I read today of the death of Leo Waldman, who founded the advertising departments of Daily Racing Form and its sister publication The Morning Telegraph in the 1950's. Waldman died at his home in Hewlett, N. Y., at the age of 99.
The Brooklyn-born Waldman first worked as a sports writer for the now-defunct New York Herald Tribune, where he developed an interest in horse racing. That led to a job with The Morning Telegraph, which was based in New York. Later, he created its advertising department, as well as that at Daily Racing Form.
Back in the early 1990's, I worked at the Form's office in Hightstown, N. J., and was lucky enough to gain experience in several departments, including advertising. It was while in advertising that I "met" Leo Waldman. Leo, you see, was retired by then, but still wrote the New York breeding column, and he would call once a week to dictate that column to either myself or another employee. Why he chose to dictate was always puzzling to me, since he very well could have typed it and faxed it in (this was way before the Internet was invented!). But it was always a pleasant part of the week to listen to Leo on the telephone; he'd talk, and I'd type. He was very articulate: "Distinctive Pro, comma, who sired three winners last week, comma, including the stakes-placed filly ..." Period. New paragraph.
We never called him "Leo" - it was always "Mr. Waldman." It was months before I met him in person, at a Christmas party one year, but I remember he liked the gift I bought him, a tie clip that had a horse racing theme (I can't remember exactly what it was, it's been so long now). A World War II veteran, Waldman wasn't a big man, but well-spoken and congenial.
After leaving the Form in 1993, I often thought about Leo Waldman, but regretfully did not keep in touch. Since then, technology has dramatically changed the newspaper business, and the Form is largely an electronic creation, rather than one that is hand-made by writers, editors, typesetters and pressmen. I will always look back fondly at those days in Hightstown, and its "greatest generation," which included Leo Waldman.
The good 'ole days at Liberty Bell Park in northeast Philadelphia
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
A step in the right direction
If there's one thing the sport of horse racing desperately needs, it's positive publicity. Yet Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pa. has probably generated more negative press than any other track within the last year, at a time when business and the racing product is on the upswing at the Grantville oval.
Things have dramatically improved at Penn National in the last three seasons. Purses have gone from about $65,000 per night to over $170,000 thanks to slots revenue, field sizes are among the highest in the country (averaging about 9.15 horses per race, according to the track), and the quality of horses competing in those races is also markedly better.
But Penn National has been caught in a firestorm of bad press due to a hot-button issue in the sport right now - the health and welfare of horses.
Because of the proximity of the New Holland livestock auction, located only 40 miles away, Penn National horsemen (and horsemen from other nearby tracks, Philadelphia Park included) often sent horses there that could no longer compete or were too slow. Most of the time, these horses were acquired by "kill buyers," who then shipped them to slaughter. There has been a sustained and vigorous effort, however, by several rescue groups in Pennsylvania and the surrounding region to prevent these horses from meeting such a horrendous fate, though many still do find themselves there. Last year, for instance, the horse Hagyard Branch (previously trained by Penn National-based Brandon Jenkins) and three horses formerly owned by Michael Gill and having last raced at Penn National - Sentimental Lisa, Flying Fortress, and Spiritual Call -were rescued.
Gill, as most of the country is now aware, was barred from racing at Penn National in early February, a controversy sparked by jockeys refusing to ride his horses due to safety concerns and questions about the ethical treatment of his animals. Press coverage was mind-boggling: At one point, doing a Google search for "Michael Gill" brought up nearly 1,000 articles that ran nationwide.
While other racetracks, including Philadelphia Park, adopted strict "no slaughter" policies and instituted their own rescue/retirement programs, Penn National did not have such measures in place ... until now. On March 29, Penn National Gaming, Inc. announced its own "no slaughter" policy, and intends to revoke the stalls of any horsemen who "knowingly, or without conducting proper due diligence, sells a horse for slaughter, directly or indirectly." This policy is now in effect for all of PNG properties - Zia Park, Charles Town, Bangor Raceway, Penn National and Toledo Raceway.
In the announcement, PNG vice president of racing Chris McErlean said that "We plan to assist our respective horsemen’s organizations in promoting and advertising available options.”
Given the success of Philadelphia Park's retirement program, Turning For Home, which recently placed its 350th horse, we asked Todd Mostoller, the executive director of the Pennsylvania HBPA, which represents Penn National horsemen, whether any plans were in the works for a similar program at the Grantville oval.
"We are looking at a number of possibilities regarding retirement programs," said Mostoller. "We will be visiting a number of programs in the next few months to see what will be the best fit for Penn National. These visits include Turning for Home, New Vocations, and the Finger Lakes program."
When it finally comes to fruition, such a retirement program will be a most welcome addition at Penn National, giving its owners and trainers a safe and humane outlet for horses who can no longer race. But just as importantly, it will generate some positive publicity for the track, and in the long run for the sport of horse racing itself.
Things have dramatically improved at Penn National in the last three seasons. Purses have gone from about $65,000 per night to over $170,000 thanks to slots revenue, field sizes are among the highest in the country (averaging about 9.15 horses per race, according to the track), and the quality of horses competing in those races is also markedly better.
But Penn National has been caught in a firestorm of bad press due to a hot-button issue in the sport right now - the health and welfare of horses.
Because of the proximity of the New Holland livestock auction, located only 40 miles away, Penn National horsemen (and horsemen from other nearby tracks, Philadelphia Park included) often sent horses there that could no longer compete or were too slow. Most of the time, these horses were acquired by "kill buyers," who then shipped them to slaughter. There has been a sustained and vigorous effort, however, by several rescue groups in Pennsylvania and the surrounding region to prevent these horses from meeting such a horrendous fate, though many still do find themselves there. Last year, for instance, the horse Hagyard Branch (previously trained by Penn National-based Brandon Jenkins) and three horses formerly owned by Michael Gill and having last raced at Penn National - Sentimental Lisa, Flying Fortress, and Spiritual Call -were rescued.
Gill, as most of the country is now aware, was barred from racing at Penn National in early February, a controversy sparked by jockeys refusing to ride his horses due to safety concerns and questions about the ethical treatment of his animals. Press coverage was mind-boggling: At one point, doing a Google search for "Michael Gill" brought up nearly 1,000 articles that ran nationwide.
While other racetracks, including Philadelphia Park, adopted strict "no slaughter" policies and instituted their own rescue/retirement programs, Penn National did not have such measures in place ... until now. On March 29, Penn National Gaming, Inc. announced its own "no slaughter" policy, and intends to revoke the stalls of any horsemen who "knowingly, or without conducting proper due diligence, sells a horse for slaughter, directly or indirectly." This policy is now in effect for all of PNG properties - Zia Park, Charles Town, Bangor Raceway, Penn National and Toledo Raceway.
In the announcement, PNG vice president of racing Chris McErlean said that "We plan to assist our respective horsemen’s organizations in promoting and advertising available options.”
Given the success of Philadelphia Park's retirement program, Turning For Home, which recently placed its 350th horse, we asked Todd Mostoller, the executive director of the Pennsylvania HBPA, which represents Penn National horsemen, whether any plans were in the works for a similar program at the Grantville oval.
"We are looking at a number of possibilities regarding retirement programs," said Mostoller. "We will be visiting a number of programs in the next few months to see what will be the best fit for Penn National. These visits include Turning for Home, New Vocations, and the Finger Lakes program."
When it finally comes to fruition, such a retirement program will be a most welcome addition at Penn National, giving its owners and trainers a safe and humane outlet for horses who can no longer race. But just as importantly, it will generate some positive publicity for the track, and in the long run for the sport of horse racing itself.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Blackout
One of racing's biggest mistakes was that, as a dominant sport in the 1950's, it did not take advantage of a new medium called television to help promote the sport and nurture a new crop of fans.
Times have changed, of course, and now fans can get the all-racing channels TVG and HRTV through satellite systems, but major network programming of the sport still leaves a lot to be desired.
That's why it was always so terrific to be living in the suburban Philadelphia region, where Philadelphia Park has maintained a dedicated channel the last 20 years just for horse racing ("PhoneBet TV"), which features the live action from both Philadelphia Park and Penn National.
Since 2005, Philadelphia Park has had its PhoneBet channel on Comcast Philadelphia's lineup, but in the last two years changes began to be noticable. From high atop the grandstand at Philadelphia Park, television hosts would be on-air for several hours each, reading the entries, scratches, payoffs, and whatever else tickled their fancies. Some of the hosts were memorable - Hugh Gannon springs to mind. Gannon, now deceased, was a well-known TV broadcaster in Philadelphia before taking the PhoneBet job, and he often added handicapping insights into each race. As a quick aside, I remember being shocked when I saw Gannon in the pressbox one day - he was wearing a sportcoat, shirt and tie, but below the belt was wearing a pair of shorts! I guess he figured no one could tell from his sitting position on camera that he wasn't wearing a full suit!
And then there was the hilarious Larry Ledermen, racecaller extraordinaire from Freehold Raceway and Atlantic City, who would make you laugh as you placed your bets. Other notable hosts that manned the PhoneBet mike include Jenny Ornsteen, a very knowledgable horsewoman, Vince Reed, and Barbara Luna, who now heads Philadelphia Park's rescue organization "Turning For Home."
But perhaps a year or so ago, the PhoneBet host position was eliminated, and all that was shown when you tuned into Channel 716 was the live feed from the tracks, graphics, and music. A few weeks ago, it was announced by Comcast that Channel 716 was going to be removed from its lineup as of March 31.
PhoneBet has been airing a statement the last few days basically stating that Greenwood Racing, Inc., owner of Philadelphia Park, had tried unsuccessfully to reach an agreement with Comcast to keep live racing on the air. "We are very disappointed in this decision and will continue to explore other possibilities," the statement read in part.
A Comcast spokesperson, however, was quoted in a Blood-Horse article that, “We’ve had ongoing, good-faith discussions with Philadelphia Park about channel carriage, yet haven’t reached an amenable agreement. Since the (track) elected to discontinue its business arrangement with Comcast, the channel must be removed from our lineup at the end of the month.”
Who do you believe? Since Greenwood refuses to speak to the media, except for one local writer, it is impossible to tell what happened. In the meantime, PhoneBet has been informing viewers that live video streams from different tracks will be available on its web site, http://www.phonebet.com/.
It's too bad that the plug will be pulled on the PhoneBet channel, but I suppose watching racing on the computer is better than nothing. It's hard to understand, however, why an agreement between Comcast and Greenwood couldn't be reached, considering that Greenwood is making money hand-over-fist from slots revenue at its new PARX Casino (I still would like to know who thought of that name!).
Times have changed, of course, and now fans can get the all-racing channels TVG and HRTV through satellite systems, but major network programming of the sport still leaves a lot to be desired.
That's why it was always so terrific to be living in the suburban Philadelphia region, where Philadelphia Park has maintained a dedicated channel the last 20 years just for horse racing ("PhoneBet TV"), which features the live action from both Philadelphia Park and Penn National.
Since 2005, Philadelphia Park has had its PhoneBet channel on Comcast Philadelphia's lineup, but in the last two years changes began to be noticable. From high atop the grandstand at Philadelphia Park, television hosts would be on-air for several hours each, reading the entries, scratches, payoffs, and whatever else tickled their fancies. Some of the hosts were memorable - Hugh Gannon springs to mind. Gannon, now deceased, was a well-known TV broadcaster in Philadelphia before taking the PhoneBet job, and he often added handicapping insights into each race. As a quick aside, I remember being shocked when I saw Gannon in the pressbox one day - he was wearing a sportcoat, shirt and tie, but below the belt was wearing a pair of shorts! I guess he figured no one could tell from his sitting position on camera that he wasn't wearing a full suit!
And then there was the hilarious Larry Ledermen, racecaller extraordinaire from Freehold Raceway and Atlantic City, who would make you laugh as you placed your bets. Other notable hosts that manned the PhoneBet mike include Jenny Ornsteen, a very knowledgable horsewoman, Vince Reed, and Barbara Luna, who now heads Philadelphia Park's rescue organization "Turning For Home."
But perhaps a year or so ago, the PhoneBet host position was eliminated, and all that was shown when you tuned into Channel 716 was the live feed from the tracks, graphics, and music. A few weeks ago, it was announced by Comcast that Channel 716 was going to be removed from its lineup as of March 31.
PhoneBet has been airing a statement the last few days basically stating that Greenwood Racing, Inc., owner of Philadelphia Park, had tried unsuccessfully to reach an agreement with Comcast to keep live racing on the air. "We are very disappointed in this decision and will continue to explore other possibilities," the statement read in part.
A Comcast spokesperson, however, was quoted in a Blood-Horse article that, “We’ve had ongoing, good-faith discussions with Philadelphia Park about channel carriage, yet haven’t reached an amenable agreement. Since the (track) elected to discontinue its business arrangement with Comcast, the channel must be removed from our lineup at the end of the month.”
Who do you believe? Since Greenwood refuses to speak to the media, except for one local writer, it is impossible to tell what happened. In the meantime, PhoneBet has been informing viewers that live video streams from different tracks will be available on its web site, http://www.phonebet.com/.
It's too bad that the plug will be pulled on the PhoneBet channel, but I suppose watching racing on the computer is better than nothing. It's hard to understand, however, why an agreement between Comcast and Greenwood couldn't be reached, considering that Greenwood is making money hand-over-fist from slots revenue at its new PARX Casino (I still would like to know who thought of that name!).
Saturday, March 27, 2010
A new filly, and a promising colt
Ever since I was young girl, I've wanted to own a horse. Not just a horse, but a thoroughbred. So a few years ago, I decided if I waited too long to get in the breeding business, I might not live to see them run! In 2008, I acquired my Malibu Moon broodmare, and thus far have gotten two nice foals from her - both very different individuals.
The first, St. Patrick's Gold, is a yearling and was discussed on this blog in the first post. The second, a filly by Partner's Hero, was foaled on Friday, March 19. She had a rough beginning, primarily due to the length of her legs. Slowly but surely she's gotten stronger and now, thanks to some mild weather and a good dose of sunshine, she's looking much better. While we haven't decided for certain on a name, we've christened her "Baby Hero" for the time being, and went out to see her today at the farm she was foaled at, in Perkasie, Pa. Here's a photo:
My mare will be visiting the court of Sir Shackleton at Dana Point Farm when she's ready (but not on the foal heat!). A track record-setting millionaire, Sir Shackleton stood his first few seasons at Castleton Lyons in Kentucky, and is standing his first season in Pennsylvania for $2,500. His first 2-year-olds race this year, and they are in good hands. West Point Thoroughbreds has a very nice Sir Shack colt currently in training in Ocala, Fla. Named Enduring Star, he is out of Lady Lyra, a half-sister to Aldebaran Light, dam of Group 1-winning English two-year-old Balmont. More importantly, Aldebaran Light is also dam of the highly promising Eskendereya, winner of the Gr. 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes and a top Kentucky Derby contender.
Here is the YouTube video link for Enduring Star training this past Wednesday in Ocala:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7TgmygaOU8
He's a Canadian-bred, and will be going to the barn of Mark Casse.
The first, St. Patrick's Gold, is a yearling and was discussed on this blog in the first post. The second, a filly by Partner's Hero, was foaled on Friday, March 19. She had a rough beginning, primarily due to the length of her legs. Slowly but surely she's gotten stronger and now, thanks to some mild weather and a good dose of sunshine, she's looking much better. While we haven't decided for certain on a name, we've christened her "Baby Hero" for the time being, and went out to see her today at the farm she was foaled at, in Perkasie, Pa. Here's a photo:
Here is the YouTube video link for Enduring Star training this past Wednesday in Ocala:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7TgmygaOU8
He's a Canadian-bred, and will be going to the barn of Mark Casse.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Hammer Time in Shartlesville
Shartlesville is a little speck on the Pennsylvania map, tucked away off I-78 in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, midway between Harrisburg and Allentown. Shartlesville hasn't grown much since being founded in 1765 by the Shartle family; its population in 1885 was 225, while in 2004 it was 410.
Shartleville's main attraction in town is the Haag's Hotel, which was built in the early 1800's. It features a $8.00 all-you-can-eat Hearth Country Style Breakfast. Here's a recent picture of it:
Just outside of town, on Mountain Road, is the Mountain Springs Arena, where on Sunday, April 18, the Pennsylvania Racing Bred Spring Mixed Sale will be held.
Sale manager Rich Miller began his Mixed Sales in 2007 because he anticipated a demand for Pennsylvania-breds with the increased purses at state racetracks and the ever-increasing Breeding Fund, which topped out at $21 million in 2008. Last year, the sales results were weak, as they were across the country. Miller is hoping that things rebound for the April 18 sale.
The catalog for the Spring Mixed Sale is now online (do a search for Mountain Springs Arena, the link does not work here) and it is comprised primarily of 2-year-olds and horses in training. There are several broodmares entered, including a Carson City mare in foal to Jump Start, bred on the same cross as Gr. 1 winner Rail Trip. Some of the consignors include Dana Point Farm, Ghost Ridge Farm, Xanthus Farm and Pin Oak Lane Farm.
While the venue for the Pennsylvania Mixed Sales isn't fancy, Miller and his employees work to make things comfortable and hospitable for buyers and sellers. A country kitchen sells home-cooked food, and inside the sales arena complimentary soda and spirits are provided. The arena itself is nestled at the foot of the Blue Mountains, providing some spectacular views in both the spring and fall.
Several good horses have been purchased fairly cheaply at previous Mixed Sales, including Coastal Solace, who sold for $2,000 out of the consignment of Dr. William Solomon's Pin Oak Lane Farm and is now a multiple stakes winner and earner of more than $376,000. She was voted last year's champion older filly or mare by the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association at Philadelphia Park.
So the next time you're looking for somewhere off the beaten path to visit, check out Shartlesville, Pa. on April 18. And don't forget to get there early for breakfast at the Haag's Hotel before the horse sale. The dining room closes at 11 a.m.
Shartleville's main attraction in town is the Haag's Hotel, which was built in the early 1800's. It features a $8.00 all-you-can-eat Hearth Country Style Breakfast. Here's a recent picture of it:
Sale manager Rich Miller began his Mixed Sales in 2007 because he anticipated a demand for Pennsylvania-breds with the increased purses at state racetracks and the ever-increasing Breeding Fund, which topped out at $21 million in 2008. Last year, the sales results were weak, as they were across the country. Miller is hoping that things rebound for the April 18 sale.
The catalog for the Spring Mixed Sale is now online (do a search for Mountain Springs Arena, the link does not work here) and it is comprised primarily of 2-year-olds and horses in training. There are several broodmares entered, including a Carson City mare in foal to Jump Start, bred on the same cross as Gr. 1 winner Rail Trip. Some of the consignors include Dana Point Farm, Ghost Ridge Farm, Xanthus Farm and Pin Oak Lane Farm.
While the venue for the Pennsylvania Mixed Sales isn't fancy, Miller and his employees work to make things comfortable and hospitable for buyers and sellers. A country kitchen sells home-cooked food, and inside the sales arena complimentary soda and spirits are provided. The arena itself is nestled at the foot of the Blue Mountains, providing some spectacular views in both the spring and fall.
Several good horses have been purchased fairly cheaply at previous Mixed Sales, including Coastal Solace, who sold for $2,000 out of the consignment of Dr. William Solomon's Pin Oak Lane Farm and is now a multiple stakes winner and earner of more than $376,000. She was voted last year's champion older filly or mare by the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association at Philadelphia Park.
So the next time you're looking for somewhere off the beaten path to visit, check out Shartlesville, Pa. on April 18. And don't forget to get there early for breakfast at the Haag's Hotel before the horse sale. The dining room closes at 11 a.m.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
And we're off!
Welcome to Pennsylvania Thoroughbred, designed to bring you news and views about Pennsylvania's breeding and racing industry. I'm also going to be chronicling the lives of the horses in my life - a broodmare, her new filly-foal, a yearling and a 3-year-old filly currently in training.
Today's first post will bring you some foaling news. Jim McGreevy, owner of Hope Hill Farm in Oxford, Pa., reports that a full sister to millionaire Smooth Air (Smooth Jazz-Air France, by French Deputy), has been foaled at his farm. Smooth Air captured the Gr. 2 Ohio Derby and Hutcheson Stakes and was Gr. 1-placed, and has earned more than $1.1 million. His sire, Smooth Jazz, moved to Pennsylvania for the 2010 breeding season, now standing at Ghost Ridge Farm in Felton, Pa., for $3,500.
My broodmare, Malibu Miss (by Malibu Moon), foaled a filly by Partner's Hero on Friday, March 19. She was an exceptionally big foal that had trouble standing the first day. She was bottle-fed the mare's first milk because she could not stand to nurse. But now she has learned to manuever on her stilt-like legs, and is healthy and nursing vigorously.
My yearling colt, St. Patrick's Gold, celebrated his official first birthday on March 17. We gelded him on March 11, and he seemed to handle it fine. "Baby Chips," as we nicknamed him, is out of Malibu Miss and is by Chips Are Down, a stakes-winning son of Distorted Humor who campaigned for the Lewis family in California and was trained by Bob Baffert.
Here's a picture of "Baby Chips" at about 3 weeks old:
Oddly enough, Chips Are Down stood one season (2008) at Godstone Farm in Pine Grove, Pa., where he covered 17 mares (mine included). But due to his owner's financial situation, he was put back into training last year, and competed at Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands for trainer Linda Simon and co-owners Casino Royale Farm Inc. and Simon. Of course, "Chips" seemed to prefer the farm life to the racetrack, and was competing in $5,000 races ... not successfully, I might add. He did not cover any mares in 2009, nor will he this year. I think it is pretty rare when a stakes-winning stallion is actually able to revert back to his previous good form after getting a taste of the breeding life. If anyone knows of notable exceptions, please let me know!
Today's first post will bring you some foaling news. Jim McGreevy, owner of Hope Hill Farm in Oxford, Pa., reports that a full sister to millionaire Smooth Air (Smooth Jazz-Air France, by French Deputy), has been foaled at his farm. Smooth Air captured the Gr. 2 Ohio Derby and Hutcheson Stakes and was Gr. 1-placed, and has earned more than $1.1 million. His sire, Smooth Jazz, moved to Pennsylvania for the 2010 breeding season, now standing at Ghost Ridge Farm in Felton, Pa., for $3,500.
My broodmare, Malibu Miss (by Malibu Moon), foaled a filly by Partner's Hero on Friday, March 19. She was an exceptionally big foal that had trouble standing the first day. She was bottle-fed the mare's first milk because she could not stand to nurse. But now she has learned to manuever on her stilt-like legs, and is healthy and nursing vigorously.
My yearling colt, St. Patrick's Gold, celebrated his official first birthday on March 17. We gelded him on March 11, and he seemed to handle it fine. "Baby Chips," as we nicknamed him, is out of Malibu Miss and is by Chips Are Down, a stakes-winning son of Distorted Humor who campaigned for the Lewis family in California and was trained by Bob Baffert.
Here's a picture of "Baby Chips" at about 3 weeks old:
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