In Zen - by Bruce Greene

Blood-Horse Staff — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:34:00 GMT

The Thoroughbred community, like the country, is enduring a string of bad years. I often wonder what it will take for our sport to survive. Recently, in my meditative state (that translates to a second cup of coffee), I recalled the Zen parable of the man who was walking in the jungle and chanced to stumble upon a hungry tiger. He took off running until he came to the edge of a dangerous precipice. The tiger lunged. The man leapt and grabbed a dangling vine 10 feet down the cliff. Just then two mice came out of a small hole in the side of the mountain and started gnawing on the vine. Looking around, the man saw a beautiful blackberry growing on a bush nearby. Just as his lifeline snapped, he picked the berry, popped it in his mouth, and exclaimed, “What a deliciously sweet blackberry this is!”

Some people, with their world crumbling about them, are able to remain in the moment. When our leaders are faced with overcoming a malaise of epic proportions as we have now, they would do well to remain in the moment. The historian in me, like the handicapper, knows the value of never ignoring the past. I also know that when there is a well-bred first timer in the post parade, coat gleaming, walking confidently, head up, ears pricked, it’s best to be in the moment and act accordingly. Forget the odds. No past performances exist. It’s a good old-fashioned leap of faith that our industry needs to make. That maiden, like any other Thoroughbred, is that sweet blackberry, ripe for the picking.

It doesn’t take a Nobel laureate to figure out how more folks could become interested in Thoroughbred racing. We’ve already got the most important part of the equation: the horse. So how do we get people involved? In education circles it’s called engagement. Find out what they know (prior knowledge), what they care about, and what constitutes their comfort zone.

Success is the best motivator. It’s an investment in people. Up here in my little corner of the Northwest, Portland Meadows involved the uninitiated by creating “the people’s horse.” The brainchild of Will Alempijevic, the track’s general manager, Mystacallie, a 4-year-old filly, began her racing career in the barn of trainer Ben Root, but was co-owned by the people.

The lightly-raced filly became part of a promotion to bring more young people to the track. In concert with local radio station 95.5-FM (The Game Sportsradio), Portland Meadows promised to match the filly’s seasonal earnings as a donation to the emergency relief fund of the Oregon National Guard.

It was as if the ghost of Seabiscuit, responding to the return of hard times, took over. Nobody could have predicted that Mystacallie would win 7 of 14 starts. Her earnings totaled just more than $30,000. Not a great deal of money by most tracks’ standards, but definitely put to good use by the Guard.

The bigger picture shows that people felt connected to something much bigger than themselves. That this drama played out at Portland Meadows, a Magna Entertainment-owned facility facing extinction, is even more remarkable. Sometimes the little guy has something to show the rest of the world.

People who make up Portland Meadows, that is, those who attend the races; those who own, train, and ride the horses; and those who work there just might be having a little more fun than those at larger venues.

I loved Silverbulletday in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), but I have no silver bullet now. No magic words, no “easy button” for the ills of Thoroughbred racing. Still, I know what I know. Make the sport user-friendly. Don’t underestimate the sensibilities or intelligence of the audience. Learn from the past, but usher in a future that’s inclusive. Have one national racing channel. Stop the glut of racing that only underscores an inferior product. Races with five-horse fields and a scratch or two cannot continually be offered to the public. Embrace the aesthetic and the natural drama. They are the hook.

Finally, and just for fun, think of the two 2008 Eclipse winners for older male and older female. Take the last two letters of his name and then the first three letters of her name. Form two words. (While eating a blackberry) you’ll find the answer.

Bruce Greene is a former correspondent for The Blood-Horse who now lives and writes in Portland, Ore

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.

Final Turn : zenyatta

In Zen - by Bruce Greene

Breeders' Cup Implications - by Peter Land