Final Turn : santa anita

A Dig At Dirt - By Mark Popham

Blood-Horse Staff — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:05:00 GMT

The best European result, six wins at the 2009 Breeders’ Cup, means euphoria? Not necessarily so.

Santa Anita, with its Pro-Ride synthetic surface, may have evened things up between the Europeans and North Americans—five wins to the transatlantic invaders in 2008 and a record six out of 14 this year, and that was without Coolmore and Godolphin being at their most effective.

But reverting to dirt in 2010 at Churchill Downs and the likelihood of the same at Belmont Park in 2011 is a distinct turn-off.

While turf has always been no problem—except in cases of excessive heat and humidity—dirt is now the big no-no of world racing.

Even Dubai in 2010 will have switched to Tapeta over dirt at the new Meydan, yet many of the major racetracks in the United States have failed to change their traditional surface to an artificial one, which is both safer and more widely accepted worldwide.

The refusal to face up to global trends threatens to leave American racing, still uniquely also heavily dependent on medication, even more isolated than it has been previously.

Despite the Breeders’ Cup’s inability to provide free entry and hospitality to overseas contenders—unlike Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore—European raiders have flocked to the Breeders’ Cup, with 31 last year and 30 in 2009.

This is because American horses were seen as providing the best opposition, and the Breeders’ Cup therefore lived up to its title of World Championships.

But a World Championships on dirt is a non sequitur. Artificial surfaces, which have provided training for some 30 years in Europe, recently celebrated their 20th anniversary of racing in Britain and have spread to France, Ireland, and beyond.

There are no dirt surfaces in countries with quality racing outside of America and the adherents of such tracks—be they breeders, owners, trainers or racetracks—may have to suffer temporary economic upset if a change is made, but they would be much better off in the long term.

While California has changed to artificial surfaces through mandate, other jurisdictions, most notably Keeneland, have also chosen to do so.

It is time that such iconic venues as Churchill Downs and Belmont Park faced up to their responsibilities to the racing public and the sport in general and take the only possible way forward.

No matter how many diehards there are, those in charge have a duty that transcends narrow mindsets and temporary economic hardship to provide racing surfaces that will both
satisfy public opinion and give horses safer racing.

High levels of fatalities are grist to the mill of increasing vocal animal activists, and artificial surfaces are much safer in this regard.

For this reason alone they should be adopted, but the other big argument in their favor is worldwide acceptance.

Santa Anita hosted the Breeders’ Cup three years prior to 2008 on dirt—in 1986, 1993, and 2003—and the European winning tallies respectively were one, one, and three. The 2003 victories of Six Perfections, High Chaparral, and Islington were all achieved on turf.

This year two of the six wins—Man of Iron (Marathon) and Vale of York (grade I Juvenile)—came on the Pro-Ride surface, with strong contenders from Europe in virtually all the other races on the artificial surface.

The Classic (gr. I) would not have been such a good race without Rip Van Winkle and Twice Over, while the same applied to the Dirt Mile (gr. I) in which European runner Mastercraftsman was sent off as the favorite.

I fear we will see a depleted challenge from Europe in the next two years if the main surface is dirt, with the principal challenges being restricted to the turf races, which have provided the great majority of European victories at the Breeders’ Cup.

Both American and European racing will be poorer for that.

Hopefully, Breeders’ Cup officials will insist the World Championships beyond 2012 are run on an artificial surface or else the title will become meaningless.

European horses have been as good as American horses for years, if not better, but dirt is not a level playing field, whereas Pro-Ride, Polytrack, and Tapeta nearly are.

Mark Popham is the European correspondent for The Blood-Horse.

Lost Treasure - by Jeff Morris

Blood-Horse Staff — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:12:00 GMT

Early on the morning of Jan. 31, our sport suffered the loss of one of its greatest living treasures. Eddie Logan, Santa Anita Park’s shoeshine attendant since the track’s opening day Dec. 25, 1934, died at his home at the age of 98.

Known to all simply as the “footman,” Eddie was truly one of a kind. As anyone familiar with Eddie will attest, a visit to his shoeshine stand resulted in much more than revitalized leather footwear. It meant the opportunity to step back in time and hear tales told by a man who’d spent a lifetime at the edge of racing history.

Eddie’s life is worthy of our marvel for many reasons. First, how many people do you know who spent nearly 75 years with the same employer?

To realize that Eddie spent more years at Santa Anita Park than encompass the entire lifespan of the average man is truly astounding. Eddie was no average man. When Eddie’s racetrack career began, consider that FDR was in the second year of his presidency, the country was only about halfway through the Great Depression, and the start of World War II was still five years away. Eddie’s earliest customers enjoyed a day at the races not solely because they loved racing, but also because it was an era in which horses were still much more familiar to them than automobiles.

Eddie was born in Arkansas, May 20, 1910, and grew up in Kansas City, Mo. A one-time Negro League baseball player for the Kansas City Monarchs, Eddie regaled his customers with stories of barnstorming tours with none other than Satchel Paige and Babe Ruth. Eddie also spent time as a professional boxer. The promise of richer prize money ultimately drew him to California in 1930, incidentally the same motivation that brings horsemen West. In 1932, while Santa Anita Park was under construction, Eddie was hired to, among other things, herd the area’s ubiquitous peacocks back to their proper lodgings on the western side of Baldwin Avenue. This conjures up a humorous yet familiar image to a native Arcadian like myself. The problem of wayward peacocks in the city of Arcadia is as prevalent today as it was in 1932.

I had the privilege of training at Santa Anita Park for a brief period in the late 1990s. During that time I rubbed elbows with some of the circuit’s iconic figures, but none made a more lasting impression on me than Eddie. Walking the Santa Anita Park grounds, I was always struck by the architecture, the beauty of the gardens, and, of course, the incomparable San Gabriel Mountains backdrop. The sense of racing history was all around. But it was truly brought to life by Eddie’s presence. His warmth and sense of humor made everyone who entered his orbit adjacent to the grandstand executive offices feel welcome. His ability to relate to people, regardless of age or worldly stature, was something to behold.

I remember several years ago taking my young daughter to her first Saturday at the races. There were many things at Santa Anita that I wanted her to see. On my list was the park’s famous bronze statue of Seabiscuit, a name she knew quite well from my numerous in-home screenings of the movie. As we progressed toward Eddie’s station, I told her that the man she was about to meet was actually around to see the real Seabiscuit run; an amazing concept to her as Seabiscuit was a figure from the “old days.” Eddie, grandfatherly and warm as ever, addressed her as “little darling” and proceeded to sit her on his stand and give her a demonstration of the miracles he could perform with leather. He told her that his job was to take care of the people’s feet. She asked him if he also took care of the horses’ feet. He laughed and said, “the horses wouldn’t fit on my stand.” She got a kick out of that.

From 1934 to 2009, Eddie was as much a part of Santa Anita as the grandstand itself. He loved racing and his work ethic and dedication made him a kindred spirit to the greatest of horsemen. If a man’s wealth can most essentially be measured by the love and respect he’s earned from his fellow human beings, Eddie Logan, humble and human to the last, was a wealthy man indeed.

Former trainer Jeff Morris resides in Cary, N.C., with his wife and three children.

Watch the HRTV Inside Information feature on Eddie Logan.

Breeders' Cup Implications - by Peter Land

Blood-Horse Staff — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:13:00 GMT

I have had the pleasure to witness two Breeders’ Cup World Championships live, as an observer at Monmouth Park last year and as an active participant this year at Santa Anita. Leaving the breathtaking vista of the San Gabriel Mountains, I contemplated the decisions we made in the last 12 months and the short- and long-term implications for the Breeders’ Cup. Let me share some of those thoughts.

Creating Two Championship Days

There is zero doubt in my mind that we made the right decision by moving all the female races to Friday. While I respect the arguments from the traditionalists who preferred the original Breeders’ Cup races to remain on Saturday, consider this:

• In a scan of 10 of the top major media markets in the U.S., Zenyatta’s victory received nearly four times as much coverage as Ginger Punch’s win in 2007.

• In those same markets, Friday’s complete race card received about 10 times as much coverage as it did during the inaugural 2007 event.

• ESPN2’s rating for the last hour of the Friday races was 27% higher than it was for the same time period in 2007 and “SportsCenter” ran a 2-minute, 30-second spot feature that honored Zenyatta and set the stage for Saturday.

We drew more attention to the world’s best fillies and mares, attracted more fans to the sport, and helped create a rising star in Stardom Bound and a megastar in Zenyatta. Had Zenyatta run on Saturday, she surely would have shared the spotlight with Raven’s Pass and Curlin.

Tickets

We didn’t get this one right. When we first looked at ticket pricing and locations with our partners at Oak Tree and Santa Anita, we focused on two core ideas:

• Offer fans a wide range of options.

• Develop pricing that was in line with other global championship events and other sports and entertainment events in the Los Angeles marketplace.

Our market analysis showed our pricing this year was clearly in line and in many cases lower than local teams like the Dodgers and Lakers and at parity with events like the Ryder Cup. And of course, when we finalized our ticket plans and pricing in March, the economy was much stronger.

That being said, in retrospect, I wish we had provided more lower-priced options for fans and for horsemen, and we also should have allowed more people to choose to come on one day rather than requiring the two-day purchase. We have made the commitment to address both issues in 2009.

Santa Anita, Round 2

We believe the Breeders’ Cup must reach more young people and grow exposure for the sport. This was part of our strategy, albeit unprecedented and controversial, to stay in Los Angeles two years in a row.

Based on the results in terms of attendance and media coverage, it seems like this strategy has been sound. The Los Angeles entertainment community embraced our event. The celebrity connection with this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships was featured for the first time in magazines like GQ, Marie Claire, People, US Magazine, Vanity Fair, and LA Confidential and on national television programs like “Access Hollywood” and “Extra.”

We had a wonderful blend of old and new Hollywood at the track, including stars from Emmy Award-winning programs like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Sopranos,” and “Entourage” to legends like Mel Brooks and a host of other “A List” celebrities including Pierce Brosnan, Dennis Hopper, Amy Adams, Mary-Kate Olsen, Allison Janney, and Kurt Russell. We were also fortunate to have representation from the sports world in Joe Torre (both days), Al Michaels, Avery Johnson, and several Olympic gold medalists. We were warmly embraced by California, as evidenced by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s attendance on Saturday.

In the world of brand development, one year does not a success make; however, I feel confident if we stay the course, we can expand the Breeders’ Cup brand and racing’s fan base here and abroad while preserving the traditions inherent in presenting championship racing at its best.

Peter Land is the chief marketing officer for Breeders’ Cup Ltd.

...And Then Some By Evan I. Hammonds

Blood-Horse Staff — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:40:00 GMT

Michael Tabor strolled down the apron at Santa Anita Park, shielding the bright California sunlight with a baseball cap and a dark pair of shades. Peering out at the Pro-Ride surface the morning before the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships would begin, the Coolmore principal answered a simple question with a repsonse that was as clear as the day’s view of the San Gabriel Mountains.

“The more the merrier,” he said when asked of the new 14-race format for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships weekend. “It’s more opportunity for the owners to recoup some money. And at the end of the day, we’re the ones footing the bill…and then some.”

While the nation’s economy, and now the global economy, is retracting by the hour, the Breeders’ Cup great expansion of 2008 should be great news for the industry. In 2005, the yearly payout by Breeders’ Cup was $22.5 million. This year, the two-day program alone offered $25 million in purses and the entire stakes program’s payout was $31 million. What segment of any market can boast those kind of figures over the past three years?

With three new races added to the traditional eight grade I events last year, and three more tacked on this year, the theme for the 25th running of the Breeders’ Cup was one of expansion and experimentation. With that certainly came some growing pains, and those were clearly on display.

The draw for post positions on the Tuesday before the event was a case in point. Selecting the posts for 14 championship-caliber races with hundreds of horses requires some order and organization, which was lacking as owners, those who could fit in, were shoehorned into the racing office to draw 10 of the races. Left out in the hallway, many owners and trainers were unable to decipher the proceedings.

If an owner and a trainer have a horse running for $1 million or more in a grade I race, they ought to at least be able to hear where they’ve drawn. Four of the “big” races were drawn later in a made-for-TV event in Santa Anita’s Frontrunners restaurant, with hardly a mention of the other events. It was like relegating the others to the “kiddie’s table.”

The “more the merrier” theme didn’t play out that well for Tabor and associates, as they wound up on the short end of the stick on the track with no wins and three placings. But the European contingent has to be feeling quite merry following their domination of the U.S. horses throughout Day Two. Want more European participation? Wait till next year.

However, some don’t share Tabor’s view of the Breeders’ Cup’s expansion.

A lot of fans were overwhelmed by the volume and overlapping names—Juvenile Turf, Juvenile Fillies Turf, Filly & Mare Turf, Filly & Mare Sprint, Turf Sprint—you get the idea. If horseplayers are confused, it’s going to be a tough sell to the public. But what you can sell to the general sports fan is a great day, or two, of racing, and the athletes on the field over the two days more than delivered. From top to bottom, Breeders’ Cup ’08 was perhaps the best racing ever; dazzling and dizzying all at the same time.

Too much?

One owner/breeder looked away from a replay monitor late in the day Oct. 25 and said, “I’m about ready to pass out.” It wasn’t from excitement; it was from exhaustion. He suggested one less Breeders’ Cup race a day.

But if you took away one on day one, which would it be? From Ventura’s sparkling win in the Filly & Mare Sprint Friday morning through Zenyatta’s spectacular performance in the Ladies’ Classic (gr. I), the new Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Day format was top drawer.

A race from Saturday? There were bang-bang performances all day, from Desert Code’s strong close in the Turf Sprint to Goldikova’s reincarnation of Miesque in the Mile (gr. IT) to Midnight Lute’s spectacular repeat in the Sprint (gr. I). All of this was capped off by Raven’s Pass’ electric upset in the Classic (gr. I). With Henrythenavigator second, the pair turned Santa Anita into Ascot with a mountain view.

Time will tell if the Breeders’ Cup’s growth spurt is a move in the right direction. From what we saw over the weekend, we can’t wait until next year to find out.

Evan I. Hammonds is executive editor of The Blood-Horse.