Price Horse Central

By Warren Eves

Hope springs eternal in Kentucky.

At least that’s how we see it from afar.

Keeneland is hep!  It’s one of only two racetracks who are addressing an industry which has grown old.

This entire scenario came about after our March 8th column “Good Racetrack Execs Like Dunnigan No Longer Exist.“ 

It all began when my longtime friend Eddie Burgart, the voice of Los Alamitos Race Course, pointed out Remington Park’s opening night promo this Friday involving young people.  If you have been out of the country, horse racing has forgotten the last two generations and are paying for it dearly.  Eddie knows how horse racing’s fall from grace is hurting this writer. 

One thing led to another and the name of former quarter horse trainer Scott Wells was brought up by Burgart.  Wells is the general manager of that Oklahoma racetrack.  We tossed Wells’ name into the Google search engine and presto!  Scott was seen in a video talking about the very areas we hold so much concern.  It was as if someone had led me to something I had no knowledge of.  Here was Scott Wells, whom I had not seen in eons, doing more than 4 minutes on U Tube talking for four minutes about Race Track Organizational Structure.  The Univeristy Of Arizona banner was in the background.  Wells was talking about “new blood,”, the beauty of the business, saying it has been never boaring during his nearly 40 years on the racetrack.  He even mentioned that he has been working with the Indian tribes, something California racetrack CEO’s failed to do way back when.  

We e-mailed Remington Park.  We’ll hook up with Wells Thursday.  It should be interesting.  

Call it a whim, call it what ever you wish, luckily my focus shifted to Keeneland Racetrack in Lexington, Kentucky.  We had heard some rattlings about young people being encouraged to come on out to the track.  Jude Feld, who went from the Santa Anita pressbox to trainer, landed in Kentucky some time ago.  He’s had a hand in promotions targeting  young people at Keeneland.  That meet opens Friday, April 2 with the Transylvania and on April 10 they’ll card the $750.000 Blue Grass Stakes.

Keeneland’s promotions make common sense.  The Univeersity of Kentucky, Transylvania University and Midway College are all about 10 minutes from Keeneland racetrack. 

On Wednesdays April 7, 14 and 21 this year Keeneland will conduct live meet handicapping contests and the entry fee is only $10.  That’s good for starters.  There’s much more.  The wise thinking folks at that track have a “College Scholarship Day” promo once each meeting.  Remington Park will do something similar but on a smaller scale opening night, March 12.  But like I said we’ll have more on that, their manager Scott Wells and maybe, just maybe some of these floundering racetracks can go to school.  

“Since Lexington is a college town we have a lot of young kids hanging out at the track during the meet,” says Feld.  “We give a $1,000 scholarship away after each race(9 in all) and then have one for industry-related kids after the last race.  It has become a huge day for us.”  Now we’re talking. 

Those of you who have followed our columns over the years in California know how we’ve consistently harped about the way the game has slipped away from racetrack execs who continue their brain-dead ways.  When I left California for Nevada over 10 years ago the average age of the horseplayer was in the high sixties.  You don’t even want to know what that number is now.  For many years high paid racetrack CEOs have had no answers as racing lost two generations of horsepalyers.

When I grew up on the Santa Anita backstretch I walked hots for some famous names, like M.E. “Buster” Millerick, R.D. “Dick Moon,” Allen Drumheller, Jr., Ray Priddy, and many more.  It was electric to be on the backside every morning at daybreak.  It gets in your blood.  And there-in is the secret lure nobody is using to turn the tables.

The problem is horse racing has the horse on one side of a white fence and the kids and their families on the other side of the fence.  Anyone who has ever been close enough to touch a horse, pat one on the neck, or to ride one knows what the feeling is like.  It’s infectious.  It’s something every living human being should have the opportunity to experience.  The problem is we have too many barriers around where the on track horses are stabled, and for good reason.  I’m sure many of you have seen the wonderful work some have done using horses as therapy for those who have suffered trauma.  The response is something only a higher source can explain.

Innovation is simply lacking these days at major racetrack venues unless you look at places like Keeneland and Remington. 

Here’s the good news.  Feld says it is not difficult to get licensed to work on a Kentucky racetrack.   I can tell you this much.  When I tried to get licensed as a jockey agent in California they did not make it easy for me.  I wound up going down to Los Alamitos to get my license. 

Where would Jude Feld send someone visiting Lexington?  ”Calumet adjoins Keeneland and is obviously quite historic,” says Feld, “although their trophy collection is at the Kentucky Horse Park.  Three Chimney’s probably gives the best tour, but I am partial to WinStar Farm.  It is a showplace.”  We never had to time tell Jude but years ago when promoting Horse Racing Fans, Inc., Bob Dooley and I attempted to buy famed Calumet Farm.  Our business plan included refurbishing areas of the famed Calumet Farm, selling mementos, and promoting limited partnerships in thoroughbreds.  We had the vision, we had the money, but we were unable to close the deal.    

Where would Feld suggest one should take young person who would like to get a job on the track at Keeneland?   “Kellyn Gorder is an excellent horseman who will help people along.”  says Feld.  “Jeff Thornbury is another good horseman who really cares about the sport.”  Wow!  My promotional mind runs the gamut wild when I think of the wide ranging potentialities.  How about bringing Ms. Gorder & Mr. Thornbury front and center so those on the outside can get involved?  We know how busy those who work on the racetrack are, but if they are willing, it would be lot’s of fun. 

Looking back when I walked horses for “Buster” Millerick of Native Diver fame, I can tell you when I had to return to the barn in the afternoons to walk my four legged friends I had no idea what a marvelous memory it would become.  While grooms mucked their stalls we walked our expensive equines around and around a tow ring.  I walked many a stakes horse and never really thought about the consequences should one of them get loose.  We never gave it much thought when we were cooling out famed Fleet Nasrullah.   All I was thinking about those afternoons was getting back to the grandstand to make another bet.  I would stop walking my horse when Joe Hernandez would call a race.  His call would fade in and out shadowed by the grandstand.  A lot depended on what direction the breeze was blowing as to how much we could hear of Joe’s call.  It was agonizing when the roar of the crowd drowned out Joe’s deep voice.  Those were the days when 25,000 was a fair crowd.  Many times I had to wait until someone returned from the front side to find out who had won a particular race.   Those are treasures some people will never, ever experience.

More on Keeneland. 

“Our Friday Night Contests have become ‘date nights’,” says Feld.  “Our chef puts out a nice spread and soft drinks are free.  We offer $1 beers too, so a guy can bring his girl and for $50 have an evenings’ entertainment, a decent meal and a shot at making some money.”  Jude mentioned lots of the girls have actually become hooked and some have even won.

We asked Feld where we might find a lot of horse racing pictures in the famed area of Lexington.  “Keeneland’s track kitchen has a photo of every Eclipse Award winner who raced here,” he said.  “There are lots of joints with horse photos and memorabilia but I would say McCarthy’s Irish Pub would be the most happening place.”

Who would be a person to follow at the upcoming Keeneland meeting that might be a new face?  ”Marie Biancone is kinda sexy and could be a star,” Feld said.  

We asked Feld if we were to visit Keeneland on a regulat day where would find the bulk of the younger set?  “First floor paddock area and sports bar,” he answered.

Thanks Jude.  May all your promotions for the young set continue. 

The greatest sport in the world can’t afford to lose another generation of players. 

      Notes scribbled across my program–Got a nice note from jockey agent Vince DeGregory.  Seems a longtime friend of his e-mailed us after seeing the piece Jay Richards submitted for this site.  We were able to reunite two longtime friends via the horse racing channels…………Yes that was a big run for a maiden no less to win the Palm Beach.  Paddy O’Prado make it look easy and certainly has to have an up side.  Dale Romans has always had a good opinion of this colt.  “We’re seriously thinking about running him on the Polytrack at Keeneland,” he was quoted by writer Jason Shandler.  “Maybe even the Boue Grass(which happens to be April 1)……………..For the doubters, we would like to point out some of the criteria used for accomplishing the difficult task of rating three-year-olds trying to make the Kentucky Derby gate on May1.  Let’s use Saturday’s one-mile Pasadena last Saturday as an example.  Make Music for Me was visually impressive to be sure.  He was wide early gaining postion.  Mike Smith had him well in hand racing kindly down the bacstraight.  Make Music For Me made a good run four-wide midway on the far turn.  Third to the top he still had to reel in Macias.  Smith spanked him briskly, he responded, and then the son of Bernstein who was in blinkers for the first time earned additional criteria points.  He galloped out nicely into the clubhouse turn.  Why is this significant.  Because when he would up third to Lookin at Lucky in his previous start Dec., 19, we noted he galloped out strongly after that race also.  Twice this colt has indicated more is better, meaning a mile and a quarter should be no issue.  He’s got the money to make the gate May 1.  The only question he has yet to answer is will he duplicate these two races on the natural dirt of Churchill Downs…………….In case you missed it last week. Alexis Barba spent a lot of time under the shedrow of our late friend Eddie Gregson, a consumate horseman.  She obviously learned her lessons well.  She’s also got Alphie’s Bet in tow, and he could continue to blossom…………You knew it was coming and so it is not really a surprise.  Hollywood Park, one of my all-time favorite racetrack venues, has cut stakes purses by 27.5% for the meet which begins April 21.  The next sentence is hard to swallow.  The following familiar stakes will not have renewal editions: The Khaled, Ack Ack Handicap, the Round Table Handicap, The Flawlessly, the Gallant Man and the Cinema.  Ouch!  The Hollywood Gold Cup has been slashed from $700,000 to $500,000.  The good part of this, if there is one, Hollypark is making an effort to keep the overnight purses as high as possible.  The fear from this view is we’re going to see an exodus from California by a number of horsemen as they seek venues where there are more options.

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This entry was posted by Warren Eves on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 8:15 pm and is filed under Price Horse Central. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.