For most of the last half century, one of horse racing's unsung "heroes" has been the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program....
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I am writing this as I head to the Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan. I was here these last few days for the 30th annual Japan Cup as a guest of the Japan Racing Association (JRA). It was the first time I ever had sushi for Thanksgiving dinner. ...
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It is time again for my annual Thanksgiving holiday blog. Knowing that I tend to get caught up in the fun – family, friends and food – I like to take a few minutes before it all begins to express my gratitude too....
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The Life At Ten situation raises questions about two primary concerns consistently expressed by our fans and critics alike--the safety of our horses and the integrity of our game....
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The 27th edition of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships was one for the record books. It was not only fourth all time in single-day attendance (72,739 on Saturday) and highest ever in amount bet (some $180 million over the two days), but it produced a number of champions who distinguished themselves in ways only imagined some 30 years ago when the late visionary John Gaines unveiled an idea to stage a season-ending championship for Thoroughbred racing. ...
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At last, it's here. After months of anticipation, it all comes down to one day. The ads are about to run their course. The pundits and prognosticators have all had their say. The people have engaged in ways that no one could have imagined just a few short years ago. The polls have been all over the place. The arguments and rhetoric have been heated and at times very personal. The media has given the events of the day unprecedented coverage. Finally, our collective date with destiny has arrived. ...
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Zenyatta's quest for racing immortality in the Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday, November 6, will be followed closely by millions around the world, and horse racing has promotional feet planted in both media worlds....
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When we formed the NTRA Safety & Integrity Alliance almost two years ago, we knew that it needed to be as much as about education and best practice sharing as it was about accreditation....
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This is an exciting weekend for horse racing—not just because of the back-to-back-to-back days of live ESPN coverage from Keeneland starting Friday. Not just because of the slew of Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” races at Keeneland, Belmont and Oak Tree at Hollywood Park this weekend. But because the eagerly anticipated Disney movie “Secretariat” opens nationwide on Friday....
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As of Monday morning, my most recent blog post, entitled "Zenyatta Wins Again -- This Time With Oprah", has received more than 6,200 page views and elicited more than 350 comments. Let’s see if we can do for Zenyatta what friends on Facebook did to secure Betty White an appearance on Saturday Night Live last spring....
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Oprah's short list of the 20 most influential females in the World includes the Champion racemare and leading contender for the Breeders' Cup Classic and Horse of the Year, Zenyatta....
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While state and local governments were busy investing billions of public funds to support professional sports franchises, those same governments were taxing horse racing heavily....
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The basic popularity of horse racing remains strong. I like to think this is reflected in a current ESPN SportsNation poll ranking readers' favorite sports....
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Last week, it was my pleasure to participate in The Jockey Club’s annual Round Table Conference in Saratoga Springs, New York. They asked me to present to the conference concerning the role that the NTRA is playing through our Safety & Integrity Alliance to help bring about the considerable progress that the Thoroughbred racing industry is making on the welfare, safety and integrity fronts....
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The latest addition to the NTRA Website was unveiled this week with the launch of a memorabilia and collectibles micro-site....
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Yet another challenge for racing and other forms of gaming in the U.S. - international expansion of gambling via the Internet....
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There are two highly significant opening days this week, with Del Mar near San Diego getting underway on Wednesday, the 21st, and Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York kicking off on Friday, the 23rd. ...
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Last week, the NTRA's lobbying team secured introduction of important federal legislation to protect our $1.3 billion market for advance deposit wagering....
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If international racing is the future of our sport - and we at the NTRA think that it is - then NTRA Live! represents a terrific way to digitally access that future. ...
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NTRA Live! will broadcast the Vanity Handicap featuring Zenyatta on Sunday, June 13....
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I have been blogging about the NTRA Safety & Integrity Alliance for almost two years now. What happened this week was some of the best Alliance news yet. Pimlico has now been fully accredited....
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Kentucky Derby weekend was special this year for lots of reasons. With apologies to David Letterman, here is my list-in no particular order, I must admit-of 10 reasons why the Kentucky Derby is one of the most exceptional events in all of sports. ...
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If you read my blogs, you know that I spent more than 12 years as part of the management team at Churchill Downs....
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Continuing with the theme of "What is the role of the NTRA?" with an emphasis on "the horse side" of the business," this week's topic is safety and integrity. ...
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The release by Equibase of Thoroughbred Racing's Economic Indicators for the first Quarter of 2010 was no cause for celebration. We continue to see declines in handle - about 10% so far this year when measured against 2008....
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