Triple Crown is big business for horse racing
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- Created on Wednesday, 16 May 2012 08:48
I just returned from an extended stay in Kentucky, where I spent most days feverishly researching material at the Keeneland Library. I highly recommend the facility – the staff is most helpful and the resources are incredible.
Of course, I also managed to spend a few days at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby wearing my other hat as a photographer. Aside from a brief storm on Kentucky Oaks day that actually had officials temporarily evacuating the infield and postponing the races for about 40 minutes, the days were picture-perfect, if a bit warm for early May. And the numbers were impressive – record attendance and all-sources handle on Derby day of 165,307 and $187 million, respectively. Total attendance for the two-day Oaks and Derby weekend was another record, 277,859.
These results have Churchill Downs officials smiling, but they are also sobering in context with the rest of the year – the track is considering shortening its spring and fall racing seasons even further than it already has, creating “boutique” meets to reduce the number of unprofitable days and perhaps create more of an emphasis on the big events. But that’s a topic for another day.
This Saturday, we’ll see if Pimlico can duplicate Churchill Down’s Derby success with the Preakness. The weather forecast looks delightful, and the top finishers from the Derby are back for another round, so there’s no reason there shouldn’t be a large and enthusiastic crowd.
On the race front, remember that last year’s Derby front-runner, Shackleford, just failed to last at Churchill Downs but went on to win the shorter Preakness. We could have the same scenario this year – the spectacular front-runner Bodemeister might take it all on the front end if he didn’t lose any of his energy in Kentucky. Derby winner I’ll Have Another will have his work cut out for him.
Then it’s on to Belmont Park, where the crowd size for the Belmont Stakes is almost solely dependent on whether there is a Triple Crown on the line. This year, there’s added intrigue with all the recent controversy swirling around the New York Racing Association – which might not even exist before too long. Again, a topic for another day.
For the meantime, let’s embrace good racing, wish the competitors a safe and happy journey around the ovals, and enjoy the events. Happy Preakness week!
On the road to Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby
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- Created on Saturday, 28 April 2012 09:43
Forget about sugar plums. This time of year, visions of roses are dancing in the heads of just about anyone who follows Thoroughbred racing. For a few glorious days, you forget about the industry’s troubles and focus on the Kentucky Derby. The equine competitors are stretching their legs at Churchill Downs, every one of them a possible Derby winner. But come the first Saturday in May, only one will wear the fabled blanket of roses. Only one will be the subject of adoration across America. After all, the Kentucky Derby is the only race in this country that truly captures the imagination of both racing fans and the general public.
I’ll be joining the media crowd at Churchill Downs soon enough, after a short stopover in Lexington, where I’ll be doing some research at the Keeneland Library. The library is renowned for its collection of racing archives, and I look forward to immersing myself in history, where the cheers reside in the imagination, before heading to the craziness of Louisville.
So I’ll take a brief time out from blog writing. If I get a chance toward the end of the week, I’ll post some observations about the Derby horses and the buzz at the track. Last year, I was impressed with Shackleford during the week. He lost the Derby in a brave performance after leading from the gate to mid-stretch, but ended up winning the Preakness.
Happy Derby week, and don’t forget those mint juleps!
After 20 years, the racing industry still faces the same questions
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- Created on Thursday, 26 April 2012 09:01
Over the past few weeks I’ve been working on a book project that has me reviewing horse racing trade publications from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. It’s amazing how much today we rely on digital information – news and data available at the touch of a keystroke. But so much of our history remains confined to the printed page. And some of it is absolutely brilliant.
Most of my research is about the careers of certain race horses, but as an industry observer and analyst, I can’t help but read through the commentary of the day about the status and future of the horse racing business. In the latter half of the 1980s, it was all about simulcasting – what it would mean to the industry. And while the worries that racing would quickly evolve into just a few super centers with live racing haven’t been realized, simulcasting certainly has changed the industry forever.
There were also numerous conversations about such diverse topics as the impact of medication on race horses and the need for racing to expand its television presence. Sound familiar?
But more ominous were concerns about the rise of Indian gaming and the coming expansion of casinos. Competition was at racing’s doorstep. I remember when Foxwoods expanded beyond bingo in 1993, the old Greyhound track in Plainfield actually benefitted – the road to the new casino was so jammed and the place was so crowded, that people simply gave up and went to nearby Plainfield to bet the dogs or the ponies. But of course that didn’t last long. Plainfield struggled to survive in the giant shadow, and somehow lasted until 2005 before closing its doors forever.
