ACK!! "attractive female riders" sets my feminist teeth on edge!  What the heck did we work on for so many years if you're going to centre a horse racing campaign on "cute girls"?  Next, "Girls Gone Wild on Horses"???

How about we focus on the horses?

How about we work on trying to get breeders to breed for more than speed and sales?

How about we work on trying to talk whoever we can into not retiring their horses at the end of a 3YO campaign so people can actually follow their favourite over a few years?

How about we try to get the regular media re-involved with horse racing so that I don't need a magnifying glass to read what's left of the race results in my paper?

And even: how about we get some night thoroughbred racing?

I think it's a good idea.  They just started Wednesday night racing at Woodbine this season and I'm trying to get a bunch of non-horse racing friends together to go.

I think night racing will be awesome as temps in the afternoon at CD can get hot. Whether it brings a younger crowd is to be seen. One thing I think racing must address. First race Post at Churchill is 6pm, the last race is 11pm:or 5 hours. How many venues do you attend 5 hours? I think racing needs to shorten the day and evening. So many Saturdays at Churchill, by the feature race, there's a handful of folks in the stands. Anyway, I was in the Infield Club on Derby Day.  IF they can transfer that energy to night racing, I think they're on the right track!

Night racing is very common here on a Fri night you do get a different crowd. I don't get the admission thing we did away with that years ago.

I think night racing like that would be a good idea.  When I was in England on a student exchange I was able to make it to Newmarket several times.  They have night racing over there called Newmarket Nights.  It seemed to be a pretty big deal.  I only attended the day racing there however, not wanting to stay over night.  

The more ways racing can attract fans in a positive manner is great.  It is not just about gambling, but also about watching the horses themselves, and the relationship between jockey and horse that could make or break the race for them.  My two cents.

Cheers,

Heather

Jason,

They did that at Hollywood Park beginning in 1989 and it did pull a lot of people.  It was nice to go on a Friday night after work and sit out in the cool evening after a hot day.  

I don't think the prices are steep considering what they are offering.  Besides, look how expensive it is to go to a movie or a professional ball game.  It's pretty cheap compared to that.

Since there are a lot of horse-crazy females in the world, maybe some of us would respond well to advertising with hunky young male jockeys (LOL)

I was actually excited about the idea when I read the article on RA's workout.  If I lived there - I would buy the $15 pass for all 3 nights.  It is definitely an opportunity to get the more casual or even unexposed newcomer to the track.  And exactly, it isn't all about the gambling.  Many of the people they would get on a Friday night surely have M-F daytime jobs.  It would be a great thing to do after work - have a bite to eat and a couple of drinks, watch the races, listen to some music, maybe lose $50 at the window.  You get enough people buying a few drinks and losing just $50 each - it adds up.  Then just maybe some of them come back on the weekend.  Nighttime does also mean less heat at this time of year - so maybe 5 hours isn't so bad.  Some will treat it as a night out adn not even show up until 8pm or so and if they have a dance floor with the DJ - stay past the last race (and purchase adult beverages.)

And I get your point about the female jockeys.  A pretty face can sell tickets.  Look at the LPGA.  Michelle Wie (sp?) can hardly play the game from what I've gathered, but the fact that she is out there gets that sport more media coverage than it would've had. Personally, not a golf fan - but I know who she is and that the local sports radio talking heads always mention her scores - no matter how bad they are.  The Derby, MTB, RA, Calvin - not a peep around here.  But then again, we have that horse track converted to a dog track here.<g>

I think it will attract a younger crowd, because older people as a rule don't care as much about concerts and DJ's and they tend not to stay up late (I know this because I'm "older.")  If I were younger and lived in the Louisville area, I would go if I found someone to go with.  

Agree generally with everything you said, Jason.  Racing must compete with a lot these days and there is nothing wrong with boosting the youth-and-glamour factor.  It has done wonders for Las Vegas.  Despite the recession, there are still a lot of tourists on the Strip.

mz, ACK!! right with yah! but my mother, always a lady (a female person, not a mare or filly, don't want to confuse my blog pals now that the "gurus" in racing call mares and fillies "ladies", also) taught me not to call people, especially the blog host, bad names.

Geez Jason, exactly what "skill" were you hoping our lady (again, referring to a female person, not a mare or filly) jockeys would use to help the ambience of the evening???

Danica Patrick earned her spot through hard work, they didn't just grab any female and plunk her out there simply for her "looks", so have the tennis professionals earned RESPECT.

I'm trying to get past that really sexist statement to say I think it would make a great date night...boy, if you approached a woman where I work and suggested they be used their "looks & skill"....grrrr.

Rachel A. (for real)

I think the night racing is a great idea. I attend night racing at Lone Star Park on occasion, and I cannot say how thankful I am that it's offered; it is simply too hot here in Texas to spend the afternoon outside with the horses, which is where I like to be. I hope it works out for CD. We'll see!

Hey Jason,

Ever check out Maylon Studart in a bikini? Wow brother............must see! She trumps them all! LOL. That's one hot brazilian chick.

Night racing should be offered at every track.  I work mon-fri, 9 to 5 (longer depending on the day's workload, meetings, etc.). I am employed and have money to burn...if the tracks were open at night I'd burn a lot more of my cash on hand on a few longshots, while sipping on a nice cold one!

As far as the female jockeys (I happen to be a female myself), I say flaunt it!  I personally feel empowered by the control I can gain over men with a mere glance! Come on, ladies (human...), men can only wish they had that kind of power over us!  If it brings money and exposure to the sport, heck, I'll offer to walk across the track in my bathing suit with a sign for the race number, similar to the girls that display the round number in the UFC!

I have to say that I really don't think what Jason said about attractive female jockeys is sexist at all. Most people enjoy seeing attractive men and women.  What's wrong with that?  Why is Julia Roberts so popular or Reese Witherspoon?  Yes, they can act but there are nice to look at.  Brad Pitt is pretty nice to look at as well.  If Brad Pitt showed up at Hollywood Park to boost attendance, I would go!!!  I'd love to see Brad in person.  I used to go to Dodger games and loved seeing the good looking players.  There was nothing lecivious about it.  I've always enjoyed seeing a good looking man.

Am I sexist?  I dont' think so.

Having good looking female jockeys at night racing is a good way to pull people in so they can experience the sport and enjoy it.  I think it's damn courageous for these women to be jockeys because they don't have as much strength as men and can still compete with them.  A woman jockey can control a 1200 pound animal and I find that fascinating and I think a lot of other people would too.  It's a great way to get more people interested in horse racing and let's face it, this sport needs all the help it can get.  I hate to say it, but this is a dying sport unless a concerted effort is made to save it.  A suggestion to have attractive female jockeys help that effort is not sexist, it's smart.  It's not exploiting women but rather showcasing women who are competing with men in a sport that demands strength, intelligence and super fast reflexes.  That to me is just fantastic and only puts women in a good light and the sport as well.

That is not exploitation.

dear mz for your information woodbine has had evening racing for quite sometime.  It started as 3pm post before they got lights and then went later when the lights were installed  enough though about that.  I thnk that evening racing will bring in a more diversified crowd.  It will bring in the business people loooking for a way to unwind and perhaps meet with clients, who may not otherwise ever see a horse race.  Anyhting to get more people to the races is a good thing.  Even if only 1 out of 50 becomes a new owner that is one more owner that wasnt in the business before

Whoops, MAYLAN Studart. Mispelled her first name in case any of you guys/gals google her. lol. Anyway, the night time concept is great. Hollywood Park is a ways away from me but I make it out there when I can. Good crowd. I love Friday's at Del Mar. Things get starter around 4 and after the races they usually have a modern rock band out there playing afterwards, which is awesome. Last year they Gnarls Barkley and Ziggy Marley and that was awesome to see. Huge crowds and tons of brews. That's the only way I can get my friends around my age group (early 20's) out to the racetrack. Something with a little incentive.

Yeah, we'll put them in nice clothes and parade 'em around for the evening! Yeah, that's not sexist at all...especially if you have to come in on your night off!;-0

PS I have ABSOLUTE respect for where these women have come from, Jason, I am a woman, I know what it's like to compete in a man's world for a job.

When I was younger I couldn't even get work in a TB stable even offering to work for FREE because it was a "man's job"! Once I even got patted on the head 'cause i was such a "nice little girl"....It was a SB stable that gave me my first job...so trust me, there's nothing but profound "you rock, ladies!" in my book. (that's female persons, not mares and fillies)

Rachel A. (for real)

Yeah, I'm bustin' your chops, Jason, but I know you can handle it;-,

I'll leave you to your ideas, my poor lil' ol' blonde brain can't handle all this sophisticated men talk!

Rachel A. (for real)

You never know why somebody might go for reasons other than racing and end up loving the sport and becoming a regular.  I had that happened to a few friends who only went opening night at our track for free TVs and now go all the time with me to see the horses and learn about racing.  We have Fabulous Fridays for the younger crowd and Thursdays are for the older crowd.  

I think it is a fantastic idea.

A) Since most people work during the day, night racing actually gives them a chances to make it to the races. Your attendance during the week might be low cause no one CAN come. Not that they don't want to. I think that is why the JRA here in Japan only races on the weekends. 2 tracks here also have night racing which have become exceedingly popular.

B) Summer is hot, it is a good chance to enjoy all the same joys of the track without being being soaked from head to toe. Which can of course make people irritable and maybe if they lose a race or too they could get huffy and leave. haha that is an exaggeration but I can see a few of my friends behaving like that.

C) By making an event, you of course attract all sorts of people. And like was mentioned before, new fans could easily sprout from it. You have to give everything a shot. And night racing is far from a last ditch effort. I think it is a no brainer really. After work we all want a place where we can escape and have fun. Why not make a track that place for people?

Good Luck Churchill. I really hope it works. Sounds like a plan. Though... you might want to rethink the price if this year goes well.

"Attractive female riders"??? Come on! That is so sexist, I can't believe you said that. And aside from that, this comment assumes all racing fans are male! Give it a rest.

As for racing under lights, Woodbine does it on a regular basis. The night lighting is fantastic (when it's raining, the light is better at night than during the day), and during a hot summer, it's a bonus for fans not to be so hot and to not have the sun in their eyes. I'm sure horses, riders and outriders appreciate those same advantages too too.

Jason, have you talked to Terry Finley about Mr. Fantasy, and when he is expected to run again?

I'm just back from a work function and don't want you to think I am backing down from my first comment.  So here goes:

GeeGee: yes, I know there's been night racing at Woodbine for some time but wasn't it Standardbred? (not that there;s anything wrong with that ....)  Didn't they just start doing Thoroughbred racing on Wed (or did I miss all of this in one of my (lost in the) fogs?)

Jason: if you had suggested centering a campaign around RIDERS, great.  As soon as you bring up "attractive women riders", you gave me the willies. If you meant great riders with ability, then you should have said "great riders" regardless of gender.  Otherwise, you mean "GIRLS" and you focus on whether they are beautiful or va-va-voom or whatever and not on their skills. Really, Jason: haven't you had any friend/sister/aunt/mother yell at you before when you tried that "geesh, how come you don't get it" routine?

Next, we're going to start saying that fillies shouldn't run with colts!

I love the idea of night racing and actually think they should do more of it during the Spring and Summer months.  It gets too hot for the fans, jockeys and especially for the horses (i.e. Belmont day had several horses get overheated).  The thing I would like to see the tracks do is bring out some of the stars for the fans to see.  Maybe bring Mine that Bird to the Paddock area for the fans to see, Rachel Alexandra and Summer Bird.  Former Derby and/or Breeder's Cup winners would also be a good draw.  Can you imagine if they brought Big Brown, A.P. Indy or Tiznow?  I believe a lot of people would come just to see them.  It may not be possible because of insurance concerns or other issues but a lot of us are fans of the horses and could care less about the gambling.  The horses are what draws me to the track.  I came to Dawn at the Downs this year and loved it.  Maybe more access to morning workouts would also be a good draw (Keeneland does Breakfast with the Works the Saturdays of its meet).  That might be a consideration for Churchill (if not once a week maybe once a month during the meet).  Just a few ideas from a hard core fan.        

OK.

Can I ask a question about Rachel Alexandra, tho (I don't now if it goes in any blog)?  If she runs in the Mother Goose, does this mean she can't run in the Travers (would it be too soon)?  If, of course, they were ever thinking of running her in the Travers (have you heard anything?)

I live in Southern California, so we have Hollywood Park doing this on Friday nights. These races end close to midnight.

I'd think it would be difficult for the "connections" of the horses racing Friday night, to get up at the crack of dawn the next day and do their training, etc. Got to give them lots of credit!!

Thanks for the info Jay.  My local track, Penn National, operates under the lights and i like it.  I can't wait to watch, i just hope the weather cooperates and we get a nice clear night.

I just had to agree with LilDarlin. Hey if you've got it use it.If your at peace with how you are then what's the big deal? There are some women riders who have been in photo shoots in the last year or two.They are marketing themselves why not market the track too.

The live music and beer garden has been done at Lone Star Park evenings and special race days almost since the track opened. It does tend to draw younger couples. Some of the bands/groups have been fairly well known--the Dixie Chicks performed there in the late '90's, right before they really became big. I do think that concept is a good one.

I think the Animal Planet show about jockeys has turned into a marketing tool of sorts. People are following the Chantal/Mike story, or wanting to know what Joe Talamo is doing, etc.

Oh, rats!  After agreeing with your view, Jason, that night racing is a good thing (I did agree with you about that, did you notice?), guess what: our local nightly news actually opened with a horse racing story about one of the night races.  Unfortunately, the story involved a three-horse accident in one of the races and, as they reported, "one of the horses didn't make it".  

We do need to do something to change the public's perception that this is the only thing that ever happens in racing.

Unfortunately, however, this appears to be the only thing which ever seems to get reported by the regular media and only very rarely do we get something like the story about Larry Jones in the New Yorker (which they printed in an early May edition of the magazine).  Even that story (with a very nice picture of Friesan Fire and Mr Jones, BTW) sprang from the Eight Belles tragedy.

I remember when the New Yorker used to have a regular reporter on horse racing but that ended a long time ago.  So did any kind of regular reporting in our daily newspaper.

While sports reporters report on the bad stuff in any sport -- hockey fights, baseball steroids, soccer bribes, etc -- at least they do this in the context of their regular, usual reporting on the rest of the sport too.  You always get all of the stats and pages of stories on football or hockey or baseball or even NASCAR.  What do we get in horse racing?  Sneers and jeers.  (And in my paper, the printing of the race results is in such a small font that it might as well be the stuff they print on medicine bottles - you know, the stuff about all the bad side effects like "gives you gas", "makes you grow another eye" and "may cause death").

When I was a kid (admittedly, when dinosaurs roamed the earth), I got hooked on racing and cut out pictures and stories and kept them in scrapbooks.  What do today's kids have to follow if they don't have access to the specialized horse racing media?  

I don't have any solutions.  I just wanted to whine some more.

Although,...come to think of it....if there was only some way we could get horse racing into our kindergartens....

Night racing. They do that for the Quarters here at Sam Houston Racetrack. That's in Houston :p

We have a different atmosphere, though. Tacos, hot dogs, nachos and beer at the food court (energy drinks for the younger set), country singers (a few names, but mostly B-list concerts), fireworks on the 4th. Wear tees and shorts or cowboy hats (hey, now Chip set the bar...) gather at the rail. Nondescript, but it's what we've got, and it's fun to see them come in under the lights.

I live in MN and I attend Canterbury Park frequently.  During the summer Canterbury runs "buck night" on one of the weekday nights where admission, and other amenities are only $1.  This is a great way to bring in a younger crowd (which it does) and allow people a cheap night to enjoy some great competition.  It also helps bring in new fans.

I'm for night racing, jockeys (of both sexes) being marketed as the great athletes they are, the cuter the better(that goes for both sexes also). I'm also for concerts, family fun days and I'm very much for special appearances by former equine stars as Michelle suggested.

A few years back, Snow Chief made an appearance at Hollywood Park on the day of the race named in his honor. What a treat!!! He still looked fabulous and full of himself.

Before his departure for Kentucky, Tiznow came to Santa Anita for a farewell appearance. The fans really appreciated it. If this was repeated, I think Santa Anita would shake from the excitement...I know I would!

I've said this before: advertisement brought me to the sport, advertisement is the key but it should be about the beautiful horses and the brave jockeys, not so much about betting.

Bring them in, the betting will come soon enough, after the "newbies" figure out the difference between a win and a show bet. :)

As a human lady I think it's fine to use sex to sell horse racing. I just think that they should promote both sexes. After all racing is one of the few sports with more women fans than men. And both sexes like eye candy, lol. I took a photo of Chris Landeros at Del Mar a few years ago and all the girls comment on how cute he is.

The Animal Planet show is a great way for people to see how good looking jockeys can be and gives an interesting glimpse into their personal lives so new (and old) fans can feel like they "know" them. I am sure that show will be a boost for racing. I am looking forward to the second season.

Amazing.  It only took Racing, what, 100 years to figure out people work during the day & it might be a good idea to hold races at night? This is not rocket science but it demonstrates how far behind we are when it comes to marketing, packaging, promoting & growing our sport.

I'm glad to see it.  It's one small step but a step in the right direction, nonetheless.

I politely disagree with those finely-tuned feminist minds who believe employing (as in hiring, not using!) women involved in racing to promote the sport is somehow "sexist."  That's an archaic & superficial knee-jerk negativity & complete overreaction to another idea that has been used to great effect in other sports & walks of life.  I must assume those who bang the feminist drum here must also forego the purchase of all products and all entertainment that could be similarly perceived when the point is similarly stretched by said feminist drummers?

Yeah, right...

Jason:

I enjoyed your article about Halo Silver very much, and applaud the generosity of the vets. Will there be updates to her heartwarming story?

Jason, my first response to your suggestions of promoting the female jockeys was much like mz, da3hoss and others, taken as a sexist comment.  However, after reading your defenses I understand that was not how you really wanted it to come across, so I guess I'll just kind of agree to disagree or whatever on that point.  Why not do things to promote *all* the jockeys?  They are all fantastic athletes whose courage must never be doubted and unless they are on the winning horse, you don't see or know much about any of them.  Also, put more emphasis on the horses so we can learn more about them rather than their odds.  I love learning the more in depth information about their quirky habits or if they drink a Guinness for breakfast, little tidbits like that.  Give people something to remember so they will look for that horse the next time they come to the track rather than just the program number and the odds.  Churchill's pricing does seem a little steep in my book, but when you look at other night-time entertainment maybe it's not such a stretch.  Like Karen and others have said, we have night racing all the time here in TX at LSP and I don't believe the admission is any higher than on weekends.  Even after the daytime racing on Saturdays, they will often have night-time entertainment for the younger crowd, so I do hope that it will work for CD.  As far as your asking if we lived in Louisville would we attend CD's night racing, I'm going to have to admit I've only gone to my local track during the daytime, but I'm just an old fogey who likes to be home by a reasonable time - haha!

mz,

    Personally, if i were RA's connections, after the Mother Goose, i'd go for the haskel. 1 1/8 is right in her wheelhouse. She'll also get to meet some good colts again too. I think the Travers is later than the Haskel, which if she were to stay east, then i'd run her in that, but i don't think it's too soon.

Would you sexist ppl shut up. I'm a girl, and yes i get offended when ppl say a girl can't do what men do like anyone else but sheesh. You all need to chill. Jason, i'm guessing is our typical male, or i hope you are. This means he's attracted to women, as are other men. This crap goes on everyday, most of the time worse. You watch some of these movies with women charactors and you see them in tight little dresses or a black leather suit. What do you think that is? They market women so more men watch. The difference is those ppl don't say it. Everyday you have men grading women on how they look. In school you can't go anywhere w/o seeing a boy looking at some girl's butt. Jason is not being sexist, he's being a guy, big deal. You ppl need to remember what decade we are in and chill.

Jason and MonicaV:

Think MonicaV's got the right answer about the "attractiveness" flap here. We are drawn to attractive people, and we have attractive jockeys of both genders. Who has to wait for Brad Pitt to show up when we've got Gary Stevens (retirement notwithstanding)?

My first Kentucky Derby was in 2005, and near the top of my list of things to do was "see Gary Stevens". So there I was, fighting my way down to the rail for the post parade, and there he was, Gorgeous Gary on Noble Causeway!

Three years later while I was on a tour of Ashford Stud, our guide happened to mention that he was Gary Stevens' son. That was all the ladies needed to hear. Fu Peg, who's that, who cares? Out came the cameras and the giggles. We all had to kiss him goodbye.  

Does this mean I'm a sexist? No. I was there when Gloria Steinem burned her first bra, and this flap is much ado about nothing.

LOL Jason you opened a can of feminist worms.

mz,

I'm all for girls gone wild on horses. Bring it on.

One of the nice things about going to the track on a thursday or friday night is the young good looking ladies that attend. Let's not get too up in arms because they are there to check out the guys just as much as the guys are there to check them out. If you don't think so you are only fooling yourself. It's not a one way street. I commend Churchill for trying something new, it's a great concept and will serve them well.

Soldier Course,

I know that Gary Stevens is now training horses so one can still get a glimpse of him depending on where he may have a horse running.

Gary was fabulous in "Seabiscuit" amd those blue eyes of his sparkled.  Gary is a very handsome man and also a gentelman.  He's a great spokesperson for the sport.

I'm old...Ive been around racing for a long time.  I saw Johnny Longden's last ride in 1966, I was 15.  I grew up during the feminist

movement and it was a good thing at the time.  The most important thing was the equal pay part of it.

Women were not making the same as men in the same jobs and that has not gone away completely.  The perception of women has changed as well.  I used to date a man who told me men were smarter than women!!!  I laughed at him!  That's just unbelievable to me that anyone could be that ignorant.

These things are important but to sit and complain about someone being sexist because he thinks attractive female jockeys should promote this sport is ludicrous.  How is that demeaning???  I don't get that.  Those female jockeys are proof positive that women can compete with men and they should be held in high regard.

A little off the subject, but ...

PETA is after President Obama for swatting that fly. They're sending him a "humane fly catcher".

On a more serious note, sad news about the shooting of the filly Rich and Mean in her stall at Philadelphia Park by vet Thomas Lurito, who chose that method to euthanize her. Lurito has been ruled off the track as a result of his actions.

MZ-

I live in eastern NC and the reporting here is of NASCAR, basketball, baseball and even ( I can't believe it) ice hockey. The Belmont was reported in the Raleigh News and Observer on the 5th page with no pix! Thank the Lord for BloodHorse and Throughbred Times online. Just remember that all the young folks (I'm a senior) are wired to the max and will find what they need online. Maybe more promomtion online to the younger crowd would be a good idea.

Better late than never!

Hollywood Park Night racing has been going on for a few years now,and has recently implemented the $1 Fridays theme,(entrance,draft beers,sodas,hot dogs & popcorn).And also having a band play "after" the races are all ran.It helps that they have a couple of clubs/bars and a Casino to boot.

The concept seems to be working as the crowds are mostly in their 20's/30's with many,many females putting-down their $2 on their favorite no.# or color of the silks. And me being the Gentleman that I am,readily will buy these Ladettes a drink or two along with some good betting advice...you should see their reaction when I give em' a winner :)  ...it's too easy.lol

It seems that only the feminist Ogres tend to get riled-up at such petty stuff like sexuality....LilDarlin: I hope you're NOT kidding regarding that proposition...and I HOPE you're not draynay's alter-ego either...ugghh!!!

MonicaV:

Please don't say you're "old", because I'm four years older than you are!

The major strides that women have made since the 1960s can be eroded by knit-picking. We should always remain vigilant about the big issues of equal opportunity, equal pay and sexual harassment. But when you start whining about basic human nature, you run the risk of trivializing the whole equality struggle.

I have seen business offices become so dominated by "PC Police" that nobody could get any work done.  

Carlos' Dagger

LOL yeah I'll bet they are trippen when you give them a bet and it hits.  :) How funny.  Hollywood is pretty casual.  Isn't it in trouble though?  

Zookeeper...I saw Snow Chief's appearance on TVG and I remember thinking he looked better than any of the horses running that day. And he was in his 20s! He looked just great.

My local track is Portland Meadows. We used to have night racing but a couple of years ago they stopped, they also switched from racing fri-mon to mon-wed. I figure that is because of internet wagering and simulcasting, Ptld Meadows has less competition for wagering dollars on those days. But it sucks for live attendance.

Jason made his comments.

I made mine.

We agreed to disagree about that one aspect of this blog.

I presume that I can also agree to disagree with others of you making your comments on that one aspect of Jason's blog.

Can we now get back to the more important part of Jason's blog: how are we going to kick start horse racing as a sport again, equal to football and hockey and yes, even NASCAR?  And, what I consider to be an important side note: how can we get kids interested so that we can grow up a new set of people talking to each other on these blogs in the future?

(and LDP: I forgot about the Haskell.  But wouldn't the Travers be more prestigious if they were trying to make RA champion 3YO?)

I didn't realize that there were many new girl riders emerging into the horse racing scene. I don't think it is a bad thing, and it shouldn't offend anyone that it would make guys go watch it more (i think it's only human instinct). I wonder what Laffit Pincay would think of all this? I can't wait to see him at the sports legends challenge!

Night racing is great. I love the later Friday starts. Especially at the Spa. For me the only problem is stuffing myself at Winslow's and then trying to handicap the next day's card.

I believe that the first night racing card admission should be free. It will  get fresh blood in to see the place, eat, drink and maybe play a few races. Money will be spent.

Jason

I don't think that those fees are unreasonable at all.  I mean Churchill Downs?  Twin Spires?  Home of the Kentucky Derby?  BARBARO IN THE PARKING LOT ALL LIT UP WITH PRADO?  Yeah price is right and I believe that it will help the track and the sport a lot.  :)

    I love the idea of night racing as long as it's not overdone.  If this is a success, maybe they can move to 1 night per week, but who knows what they have in mind.  I think Hollywood Park has it right with their Friday night racing and it seems Churchill is somewhat using that pattern with the live music, festivities, etc.  It should go over well.  I know I'll definitely be there.  I won't stay for the whole card, but definitely want to see the 1st race run under the lights.

Los Alamitos.......They've been running quarter horses under the lights there forever.....The fastest horses of all time raced under the lights at Los Alamitos.....horses like Kaweah Bar, Charger Bar, Dash For Cash, Denim And Diamonds, Sgt Pepper Feature, Refrigerator.....goes to show ya---it's the horses that make racing--it's not the time of day they race! They run "The Duece", or Las Alamitos Two Million on the Friday night before the "Champion Of Champions", truly the greatest championship caliber race in ALL of racing! They got that one right, for sure, and the weekend, I believe 2nd weekend in December, is worth looking at for those two races alone.....

I love the idea but let me take it one step fourther have they ever thought about running the Kentucky derby at night that would be something to watch you would not only have contendence but also viewers but i realize having Twenty horses on the track at night could be alittle bit danagours cours i have always thought you could cut the feild down.  Instead you usually have what i call fillers in the race just to feel a spot.  Which usually have to field they have now don't win any way.  I think having it at night would be a first.  I mean they have other forms of racing at night like the datonna fivehundred like the labons 24.  I realize these are horses but you have to do something to bring back the intrest to the sport.  And not just that you also have to make it not just about the triple crown however i think if they had a triple crown winner that would help but it wouldn't nessicaily save the sport like everyone thinks it would  another idea i have is maybe Jes Jackson could put Rachel in a night race and put abunch of others be interested in something like that maybe you would have to creat arace for that.  But it is just an idea because people are not just going to neseccarily come unless you have desent horses on the track but having it on Friday NIght is a good idea.  I have always liked Churchhill and i will continue to like Churchhill.  

I think night racing is a good idea. It's done here in So. Cal and gives a chance for the working people to go "racing" if they wish. Plus the weather is just getting hotter every year, so it would also be good for the horses to run in cooler weather. Promoting female jockeys IMO is not sexist. I'm female, and I see a difference between promotion and exploitation. But both genders are ripe for promotion. After seeing Animal Planet, I'd like to see more of Garrett Gomez, (he was in a few snippets, hawishly handsome), but Mike Smith,... why a show called Mike the Jockey would be cool in my book! Point is, there is someone for everyone. In sports now, people have their favorite player. So why not a favorite jockey? Male or female makes no diff, a favorite is a favorite.

Way back in the old days before Caliente burned down, there was a section of the track that was reserved for birthdays, wedding receptions, anniversaries, etc. which along with horse and dog racing kept the track buzzing every week and week-end. The horses raced every week-end of the year. I think something like that would help to bring people in. Also, if the tracks advertise something "FREE", people will flock in. All they have to see is the word free. For a while my sister worked in a major retail store, in which to boost sales at certain times of the year, would offer a free goodie (little flag, mug, hat, etc.) for every $100 spent. Boy, the line of people to redeem was long, and lo and behold if not enough trinkets were available, 'cause all hell would break loose! So toss in "free" and people will come!

Uh, Jason, Danica Patrick does not compete in NASCAR.  She is a driver in the IndyCar Series (open-wheel racing - Indianapolis 500, et al).  

Ok, now that we've cleared that up, I think night racing at Churchill is an outstanding idea, and still a bargain at $10 admission.  There aren't many other places you can go for that low of a price.

Personally, I love night racing - one of our local tracks, Indiana Downs, still offers it, although our other venue, Hoosier Park, has shifted to matinee racing.  

Anything that can get the attention of existing race fans and, especially, potential fans is a very good thing in my book.

As for a racing card being five hours or so, as someone commented earlier, again, I love the fact that it's a huge day/evening of entertainment for so low a cost. If you want to stay the full five hours, great - there's plenty to keep you entertained - esp watching those magnificent equine athletes compete.  If you want to leave before the card is up, fine, too, no harm done.  

Nearly every other sport has had/is having to reinvent itself and reach out to existing as well as new fans - let's hope horse racing continues to do likewise and gets that next generation of fans in place!

(formerly 'Dagger):

Does anyone care about the Canadian TC?...Eye of the Leopard should be tough in the Queens Plate,which amazingly is the oldest/longest running Stakes in all of N.America. And maybe Our TC should also have 3 weeks between each race,start at a later date and be restricted to U.S. foaled horses only..ay?

A excellent start for promotion of female jockeys and horses... Rosie on Nicanor!! What a team!!

StardustyRose:

Yup,Hollywood Park's future is still up in the air,but at least they've proposed to keep it open for another year.I guess it all depends on how hard-up the current owners are for money,knowing the property is worth more if it's re-developed...sucks!!

How 'bout them LAKERS!!

Carlos from the City of Champs!

Soldier Course,

I'm sorry!  I really am in complete denial of my age but when you spend time with people that are 20 and 30 years younger, you tend to feel old.  It's so hard to realize so many years have passed and when I start talking about things nobody knows about it's a real eye opener.  I mentioned to a kid I worked with who lived in Downey that The Carpenters were from Downey. He said "Who are the Carpenters?"  That made me feel old but for the most part I don't think about it. It's only when you realize that you've seen so much in 58 years that it tends to make one feel old.  We've seen a lot, haven't we?

Carlos' Dagger

OK here is my take.  Only my opinion here.  Look for a lot of long shots to come in there.  The track makes a lot of money when that happens. :)

Alex....

Free is better.  I wonder if Churchill would consider that.  Like you said, money would be spent.  :)

Jason.  Sloooooooooooooooooow down the ticker please......:)

I'd like to know if any East Coasters out there stay-up and bet/watch the races from Hollywood Park on Fri.night's 7pm(pst) post time?

Night Racing should be a hit @ Churchill with the scheduled activities and bringing in new blood to the sport..also,Hollywood Park has a "guaranteed" $150,000 late pick-4(not including wagers)for their Friday Night racing...Jason,do you know if Churchill has anything similar to that incentive wise?

Carlos in Cali: yup, I'm interested in who's going to win the Queen's Plate. I like Eye of the Leopard but I also like Tasty Temptation (another Medaglia d'Oro filly) but the favourite, up to now, is the winner of the Woodbine Oaks, Milwakee Appeal (two fillies in the top three betting choices).  It will be an interesting race, fersure.

Looks like its a fillies/mares year this year all over the world - except for Yeats, of course.

BTW it's spelled "EH" not "AY".

MonicaV:

Yes we have ... but I won't start to worry until I hear someone say, "Who's Frank Sinatra?"

mz,

    You are correct in saying the Travers would be the better race if she wanted top 3yr old. The reason for me choosing the Haskel is because in my perfect imaginiary campaign of hers, if she were to go west for the Cup, the Haskel gives her more time to recover and fly out west. From there i'd run her in the Gold Cup as a synthetic test, and older horse test. If she passes, i'd run her in the Cup. Now if she were to stay east, i would go for the Travers, JCGC, then Clark. Thats just me.

   How about the Female Jockeys race with Bikini's instead of their racing silks? I am only kidding!  I hope the Night Racing draws them in, It is a great idea for Churchill and a long time coming. I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but reminds me of Wrigley Field going to the lights back in 1988(?), Alot of the traditional people thought it was a terrible idea, but it worked out great.  As far as the admission prices,  I can't understand why that would be a problem, seems reasonable to me, nothing is free anymore.  Like alot have said already, This Great Sport is in trouble, any new ideas that are outside of the box are needed to get a new younger fan base, they have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

   Off Subject, I can't wait for "Eye of the Leopard" to race this Weekend in the Queen's Plate, A tough field and should be an exciting race. "Milwaukee Appeal" with Stewart Elliott should be up there, My dark horse is, "Reservoir", It should be great.

    One more thing, Of course, My Favorite, "Nicanor", Was awesome on the turf on Wednesday with "Rosie" Napravnik on board, Kudos to The Jacksons and Mr. Matz for taking their time with "Nicanor"! I won't say any more(Don't want SOME people to tell me to go over to HIS blog, lol), BTW, Jason, Liked your piece on his race.

    Lastly, The Virginia Derby on July 18 at Colonial Downs will be on National TV,  Just watch "Nicanor" in that race, That is all I will say...

Hey guys, you all need to watch this video. It IMO is very good. I love the song, and how it goes with the horses running.

www.youtube.com/watch

Night racing should be good for Churchill, particularly in getting younger(18-35) people out to the track. The main concern, as was the case when Hollywood Park started scheduling Friday night races, is that it does place a burden on the horsepeople. However, speaking as someone outside the game looking at the overall cost/benefit analysis, night racing makes sense(or should I say cents) for Churchill and the sport at large).

I think an analysis of Hollywood Park's Friday night racing could be helpful in anticipating the consequences for Churchill. One of the goals I am sure Churchill is looking to accomplish with Friday night racing is attracting new, preferrably younger, faces. The Friday night crowd at Hollywood Park is very different from the crowd on Saturday; the Friday night crowd is much younger, and there are more females. Combine racing and the gambling with some alt rock/hip hop/ dj music, cheap drinks, side charity poker and/or slots and it can still deliver that "swingers" vibe which existed in the 50s and 60s. There are a number of younger guys very much interested in reviving Sinatra-esque culture, dressing stylishly, going out late, playing poker, and going to the track. In my opinion, there are more young people today, particularly male, with an interest in the racetrack experience than there were when I was in my late teens and early twenties(early 90s).  

The main problem I see for Churchill in drawing new, and younger faces, is the $10 admission. Far too high. If you are trying to get young people to do something they have never done, make it as cheap as possible, particularly given the recession. The key thing is to get these younger people to the track in the first place, and then have confidence the product is good enough to keep them coming back.

On July 6th of 2007, I was able to convince a number of my 20-something friends to go to Hollywood Park for the Friday night races. The first question they asked is what the admission price was. A few were discouraged by the $7(?) price, at which point I promised to help pay their way. Although $7 does not seem like alot, for people that have little idea about horse racing, who are questioning whether they will have a good time, and who have other enternainment alternatives, it was an expensive enough price that a couple wouldn't have gone out had I not promised to help pay(I really wanted to show them how fun going to the track could be). As a side story, the key selling point for me in convincing a few of my friends here in Michigan to go to the local harness track was the fact that both parking and admission was (and still is) free. People have alot easier time trying something new if it is free, or at least cheap.

The 2nd thing my California friends asked concerning Hollywood Park was the price of alcohol. At the time, and I'm not sure if this is still the case, Hollywood Park had a special deal in which between 5 and 7, with 1st post at 7 or 7:30, pints were $1. Bingo! To get there in time for the beer specials, and avoid traffic, lets just say my friends were eager to make it to Hollywood Park early. The great thing is that even after 7, pints were only $2 or 3. At Los Al, pints used to be(and maybe still are) $1 ALL night Friday, and here in Michigan, Hazel Park has Friday night specials with $1 hot dogs, $1 programs, and $2 pints.

The 3rd thing my Cali friends wanted to know is whether there were other things to do at the track, besides betting and drinking. On that particular night, Hollywood Park had scheduled a concert by an alt-rock band, and while none of my friends were especially excited to see this band, it did help inspire them to go because they felt more confident there would be a larger number of other young people to socialize with. Additionally, Hollywood Park had an adjoining casino which allowed poker games like Texas Hold'em, something many of my friends, along with millions of other younger males, had become very interested in.  

While for myself, the main attraction that night was the Cash Call Mile, for my friends the main concerns were  betting, drinking, socializing, and playing poker. However, once I taught them about the quality of the horses, jockeys, trainers, and owners they would be seeing, they did become genuinely interested in the Cash Call Mile and the other stakes races(Flawlessly, A Gleam), and everyone made sure to meet down in the paddock/saddling area to see the horses for the Cash Call Mile. A couple of my friends got really caught up in the pomp, circumstance and "royalty" they witnessed, so much so that in later trips to Santa Anita we would dress in our very finest, get seats for the Turf Club, and try to mingle with as many racing personalities as possible.  Since that trip, all of my friends are much more aware of the big races and events which take place at the SoCal tracks.

There was one other thing my friends were interested to know. Being that all of them were male, they, naturally, were concerned with how many younger ladies would be at Hollywood Park that night. Now, if they were asking about a Thursday afternoon, when it's basically 90% male, it would have been a tough sell for me. However, with the drink specials, gambling, and music, a sizable number of younger women were attending the Friday night races, possibly in hopes of meeting the many younger men(chicken and egg question). In certain areas, particularly around the bars, Hollywood Park really did have a little nightclub flavor. As I said, the crowd  was very different from the typically male and aging crowd Hollywood Park drew on other days.

Have promotions like Friday night racing had any actual impact in drawing new fans to the sport? Well, although Hollywood Park itself is struggling, particularly on days other than Friday, I now see more younger people at Del Mar and Santa Anita then I did 15 years ago.  And if one looks at the attendance at Del Mar and Santa Anita for the "big" racing days, particularly the Big Cap and Santa Anita Derby, the crowds are much larger than in the mid 90s. Often, these days also offer beer festivals or music festivals, which have helped to increase the proportion of younger people. Obviously, specific survey data is needed to determine changes in attendance, and the percentage of younger people. From the antecdotal evidence I have personally witnessed, I believe Santa Anita and Del Mar are, indeed, attracting more young people than 15 years ago, a trend most evident on "big" days with cross-promotions.  

Just read article about tonight at CD. As Donna B. Brothers says, "Go celebrate!" Over 28,000 in attendance. Fans judged it "a resounding success". Article very positive. Whew.

MonicaV:

Did you see that from GunBow? Sinatra-esque is back and all the rage! Gosh I miss him.

Jason:

What you needed to say is that racetracks/The Industry needs to promote attractive faces in the industry, whether female or male. All one has to do is look at the wives/girlfriends of Jose Santos, Aaron Gryder, Calvin Borel, Laffit Pincay and many others to know that there are alot of women, including some very beautiful women, who are physically attracted to male jockeys.

"Sex", or at least sex appeal, does sell. Looking at how Animal Planet chose the cast of "Jockeys", and how it promoted the show, this is apparent.  There's Joe Talamo for the teeny-girl set, Aaron Gryder and Mike Smith with cameos from Garret Gomez and Alex Solis for the more mature women, and then Chantal Sutherland, Kayla Stra, and Gryder's wife for us men. And do people really think it's a coincidence that Talamo happened to be dating Ron Ellis' daughter? I bet Animal Pet couldnt wait to get Ron on camera; it's no secret that Ellis has a quite large female following.

And Animal Planet's choice of cast worked. In addition to showcasing the drama of the sport itself, AP wanted to lure viewers in by physical attraction and/or story lines. I have to be honest, even though I had seen her ride a number of times at Woodbine before, I never knew how fine Chantal Sutherland is. Her physical appearance certainly made it easier for me to become interested in her career, relationship with Mike Smith, and the other aspects of her "storyline"/life. For other viewers, it might have been an attraction to Talamo, Smith, or even Ron Ellis that drew you further into the series. There is certainly nothing wrong with acting in such a way as a viewer; that's why all doctors on TV are McDreamy or McSteamy and all ADAs are models(think Alana de la Garza on Law and Order).

For most here on this blog, as true fans, were are going to go to the track, or watch a racing series even if there isn't a "pretty" face. However, for others, a "pretty" face could be their introduction to the sport. And even for us fans, looking at a "pretty" face doesnt hurt. I would have watched "Jockeys" anyways, but Chantal's presence was a nice bonus. And, as is clear from the many female posters,  Gary Stevens' physical appearance has had a "positive" impact on his own career and the sport in general over the last few decades.

If there happen to be some within the industry "blessed" in such a manner, why not advertise this fact?  And doing so need not be crude or sexist.

LDP:

Rachel wouldnt run in both the Haskell and Gold Cup(if you are referring to the Hollywood Gold Cup, the only Gold Cup out West). The Hollywood Gold Cup, on July 11th, would actually be 3 weeks BEFORE the Haskell, on August 3rd. With only a 3 week gap, it would be asking too much of her to run in both, whatever the order.

The Pacific Classic, a month after the Haskell on Sept.6th, would give Rachel the synthetic test you speak of. Then, it would be about 2 months  to the Breeders Cup. Would there be the gr.1 Goodwood at 9 furlongs at Santa Anita vs. older males in between the Pacific Classic and BC? Would you have her run in the BC Classic or Distaff?  Running a 3 year old filly in both the Haskell and then the 10 furlong Pacific Classic vs. older males seems very ambitious. Throwing  the BC Classic into such a schedule, or even the Distaff vs. Zenyatta, just seems like biting off a little too much. I know you believe Rachel is special, but that schedule would demand her to face a campaign no 3 year old filly has faced in about 50 years.

Your Eastern schedule for Rachel seems equally unrealistic. In running her in both the Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup, she would be asked to run two races at 10 furlongs against males. It seems you want all her races the rest of the year to be against males. I could maybe see one of those races, but not both. The only female I can think of who was asked to run repeatedly and almost exclusively against gr.1 level males(in the last 70 years) was Gallorette, but she didnt have success doing so until age 4.

To be crowned Horse of the Year, Rachel doesnt actually have to prove she is faster/better than every older male or even every 3 year old male. Few 3 year old fillies are held up to such a standard. In 1944, when 3 year old filly Twilight Tear was Horse of the Year, she did defeat older male champion Devil Diver in the Pimlico Special, but she never faced 3 year old male champion By Jimminy.  In 1945, when 3 year old filly Busher was voted Horse of the Year, she defeated neither the 3 year old male champion, Fighting Step, nor older male champ Stymie. The older male Busher did beat, Armed, in the Washington Park Cap, was still a year away from being a championship-level competitor.

In 1986, although Lady's Secret was voted Horse of the Year, voters did not believe she was actually superior to an older male like Precisionist. In fact, although Lady's Secret received the 5 lbs. weight concession for being a female, she was beaten both times by Precisionist, including a nearly 5 length thrashing in the Woodward. However, Lady's Secret's overall accomplishments and race record, as a female racehorse, were deemed superior relative to Precisionist's accomplishments as an older male. No one seriously claimed after the Breeders Cup that Lady's Secret could have won the Classic that year; in fact, her 110 Beyer for the Distaff would have been good for only 4th behind Skywalker, Turkoman, and Precisionist in the Classic.

A similar rationale was behind Azeri's Horse of the Year in 2002.  No one claimed Azeri was better than the top older males to run that year, like Left Bank, Street Cry, or Lido Palace, or even the 3 year old War Emblem. Nor would her impressive Distaff victory, with a 111 Beyer, have been good enough to defeat Volponi in the BC Classic. What made Azeri Horse of the Year is that although she never ran against males, her accomplishments and seasonal race record, for an older female racehorse, were far superior to the accomplishments and race records of male champions Left Bank and War Emblem. Though most voters believed Left Bank and War Emblem would have handily defeated Azeri had they actually raced against each other, Azeri's nearly perfect race record made her a CLEAR Horse of the Year.

Even last year, when some voted for Zenyatta over Curlin for Horse of the Year, most of those that voted for Zenyatta did not claim she would have been able to defeat Curlin had they faced each other. That really wasnt the point. It was fairly clear to supporters of both horses that had Zenyatta run in the Woodward or Curlin in the Apple Blossom or even Ladies Classic on synth, Curlin would have won. Curlin was the faster horse. However, as a male, he was supposed to be faster. What made the Horse of the Year balloting close was that Zenyatta's perfect race record   and her accomplishments, as an older female, were on par with Curlin's accomplishments, as an older male.  Most did not directly compare which horse would have won a mythical race, but tried to weigh the relative accomplishments of the two, given one was an older female and the other was an older male.  

Ultimately, Rachel is only going to be up for 2 Eclipse Awards. The first, which she virtually has clinched, is the 3 year old filly championship. The other Eclipse she is a candidate for is Horse of the Year. There is no 3 year old championship honor open for both males and females. There are 2 separate Eclipse Awards, one for 3 year old male(which Rachel, by definition, cant win), and the other for 3 year old filly.  Rachel also cannot win the title for older filly/mare or older male. Back in the day, a 3 year old could win the Handicap award in addition to the 3 year old championship. Now, however, Rachel is not eligible to be older female champ. So, it is ONLY for Horse of the Year, that Rachel is in Eclipse Award contention vs. Mine That Bird, Zenyatta, and Einstein.

OMG, Finally starting racing when a majority of people can actually attend,because they are not at work. What a novel idea. Maybe this industry can get into the 21st century if we stop people that live in the 18th century run it

Freaky freaked under the lights again at Los Al--third track record in last four starts--Freaky is the fastest quarter miler on the planet.....

GunBow---The $10 admission seems a little high even now (2009). At Lone Star Park it's still $5 for general admission--I think that's for live music nights as well.

Jason, going a little off track here, but I read your article on Halo Silver. Is there a update on her?

Jason:

What has Danica done for NASCAR?

MZ

Woodbine has had Wednesday night racing for years, in fact it actually started at Greenwood (now defunct).

The atmosphere for night racing was always different from daytime racing (depth perception, etc,) and I for one liked daytime racing a little better.

The only reason Woodbine only races one night a week is because of their harness racing program.

Jason, I get exactly what you are saying about women as magnets for the sport. I am a professional woman (RN) who has worked all her life and the last thing anyone would accuse me  of is sexism. God knows, RN's have had their own struggles to be viewed as professionals. But Jason is right, showing the softer/feminine side of the sport is a win-win situation. No one is talking about a GIRLS GONE WILD kind of scenario (that made me LOL). It is a subtle marketing idea when done correctly. Some women view racing as a man's sport. When they see the women of horse racing highlighted, it may make a connection for them they wouldn't otherwise see. So look at it from that context. No one wants to see them parading around like Playboy bunnies. That isn't the goal. It also showcases a women vs. men twist if that is a competition you are interested in. The fact that these women are attractive is not a negative and shouldn't be viewed as a sexist issue. But if a woman happened to look like Susan Boyle's twin sister, I would be rooting for her even more.

I think night racing is a fantastic idea. A good place for a date or just a fun night out with the family. Smart move Churchill Downs.

GunBow,

    Yes, i meant the Pacific Classic. I would not enter her in the Goodwood, i believe three race between the now and the Classic is plenty. I have also said before, it is a dream schedule, meaning it would only happen in a perfect world. It is also my belief that in order to be the best you must beat the best. To beat the best in the Handicapp division ups RA's accomplishements over Zenyatta's. If you don't agree, whatever, it's my thoughts, and to be honest, since it's basicly my imagination, i don't care. I'm allowed to imagine things if i want. I honestly don't see how you can say it's too much as of now, it's an unknow. Thats why i said test. If she didn't do well i'd bring her back and wait for the Clark, which would give her plenty of rest. I don't see how i'm being overly ambitious, since what she can do is unknow. If this were a colt then nobody would say a thing about the schedule. She's as big, or bigger than any of the 3yr old colts in training right now, and if trained to run with them, she could do just what they do. What i mean by trained to run with them is to trainer harder. All season she had been trained for the level of competion that was presented in the fillies. If you take her now and prepare her correctly for this level of competition, she'll be fine. Nobody said people were being over ambitious with Curlin by racing him in the TC, or with BB either. As i said if RA was not a filly this discussion wouldn't even be taking place.

I had to write a note to let you know that I felt last night at Churchill Downs was a huge success.  My family and I enjoyed every minute of our time there

Unfortunately, I am going to miss the next two night races but look forward to many more in the fall.

Congratulations on this historic event which I am so proud to say I was a part of.

Sincerely,

Lewis Thacker

What exactly have I done for NASCAR considering I drive in Formula One?

   I am very glad for the success that Churchill Downs had last night. When I first heard of the idea, I did think of those on the backside and how they would be affected. I used to work at the track and remember night racing days as long indeed. I do love that it is cooler for the horses.

The points made earlier were good, that night racing allows those who work that day to attend. I'm a baseball fan as well(go Phills:) and can't get to the afternoon games, glad there are night games to go to. I do prefer to see sporting events during the day, especially horseracing, getting much more out of it. As for the sport using jockeys for promotion, it's a great idea. They are of course athletes and it would be good if fans could follow their careers as well. There are people who aren't aware there are female jockeys, so more promotion would be beneficial. I think it would be good for tracks to have days when a trainer or jockey, or both, explain to the public about the sport, like a Q & A. I think more people would be interested if they understood more. Each year during football season there is a session at the stadium for fans who want to learn the rules and more about the game.

Lazmannick, what has Danica Patrick done for Nascar?  Well for starters, she has raised its profile among women. No mean feat when you are talking about women and car racing in the same sentence. As for the men, she is not hard on the eyes and when she jumps out of that car in her figure hugging suit, well it's obvious what she does for men. At least that's what my husband would say.

Monica, I am 56 and many of the RN's and MD's I work with are young enough to be my kids. Creates an interesting work dynamic. However, here is the way I look at it: Growing old is better than the alternative.

LDP:

I understand you were just stating your opinion, and agree that it would be AMAZING if she were to actually win the races you have hypothetically scheduled. In my opinion, wins in those races would make her the best 3 year old filly of all time(sorry Ruffian fans). Afterall, such a campaign for a 3 year old filly would be unprecedented in modern history.

However, my opinion is that your fantasy schedule is a little too ambitious, and that it would probably be asking her to do too much. The second aspect of my earlier post is that Rachel does NOT have to run in and win all of those races to deserve Horse of the Year. Such a campaign as you have suggested is not necessary for Rachel to win Horse of the Year. This, however, is just an opinion.

Of course, it is all speculation. I am with you in the hope that Jess Jackson does take a few more shots against the boys, because Rachel does appear to have the talent to accomplish some truly great, and historic things.  

Well, we're doing our part. We're going to brave the 100+ degree Texas heat to go to Lone Star next weekend. The only problem with night racing for us is that our nearest track is 100 miles away!

I was thinking when we were at CD in May that the crowd was so sparse and wondering why they didn't race at night.

Matthew W,

Thanks for the mention of Denim N Diamonds. She was our horse's paternal granddam. I'd love to find any additional pictures of her that I can. Our horse is named Money n Jewels.

The Greek

I would rather be in the 18th century LOL.  Much cleaner and nicer back then. :)

Paula Higgins:

Lazmannick, what has Danica Patrick done for Nascar?  Well for starters, she has raised its profile among women. No mean feat when you are talking about women and car racing in the same sentence. As for the men, she is not hard on the eyes and when she jumps out of that car in her figure hugging suit, well it's obvious what she does for men. At least that's what my husband would say.

I don't disagree with what you are saying except that Danica doesn't drive Nascar.  She drives the Indy cars.  So if you're trying to peg me as sexist, guess what.....I'm not.

Jason:

Was that really Danica Patrick at 6:26 on June 20th?

I'm like you - know little or nothing about car racing. I thought Paul Newman raced for NASCAR, until I came across a clarification about his open-wheel racing.

Paul Newman's participation in car racing elevated my opinion of the sport, not because he was beautiful (and boy was he!), but because he was so accomplished in his acting career and devoted to his marriage.

I also was moved is by his generous charitable contributions and endeavors. Paul Newman was a true ambassador for the sport of car racing. Horse racing would be lucky to have someone like him to represent our sport.

To emphasize whay Sally in Indiana has already stated, Danica Patrick does race for NASCAR. She is an Indy-car driver. No big deal, but facts are facts.

Gun Bow,

    I get where you come from, but if RA were a colt nobody would say that the schedule i planned is too ambitious. I feel if she is trained for the level of competion she will get when racing the colts she'll excell. Before the Preakness she was trained for the level the fillies offered, so when she went into the Preakness she could've not been at her best.

    This year i hope JJ stays east. I do not think synthetics were the cause of Curlin's loss last year, i think the very early move and lack of real preperation left him somewhat short. Saying this i still don't think the Cup should be run on a surface that the jury is still out on. Churchill is a great track, why not hold it there? I'm not saying to never hold it on synthetics, but a race that is traditionally over dirt should not be run over a completely different surface. If you want a race in the Cup for synthetics make a race that is designated for those synthetic specialists, just like turf horses have the turf. Also staying east, and mainly in NY would benifit RA with not having to move around too much. I strongly feel she may be just as good as ruffian was, meaning she could take on these races. I really hope she proves me right.

Soldier Course,

There will never be anyone like Sinatra.  I miss him too.  Such a great voice.  Remember when he and Nancy Jr made a recording in the mid sixties?

Paula,

You're absolutely right?

Night racing in the summer is the way to go. For one it allows more patrons the chance to come to the track after work. It also can be better on the horses on a hot day as it's much cooler at night.

I was at my "home" track last Thursday night (Canterbury Park) and they do a nice job trying to attract patrons by offering $1.00 hot dogs, sodas, nachos,and 2.50 beer or wines. They attract a young crowd on nights like this. Canterbury has a card club that supplements purse structure and they would not survive without. Just this past week they added two blackjack tables located right at the finish line so card players could view the races and play cards at the same time. The table was full the entire card. I give the owners credit for trying new ideas all the time.

I have an interesting story from Thursday night to add. Track owner Curtis Sampson invited a special guest to attend the races with him that night. Bert Blyleven who pitched for the Minnesota Twins at the beginning of his career then made stops with the Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates (where he was part of a World Series Championship), Cleveland Indians, and finished his career with the Twins (where he was part of another World series Championahip) was his guest. Blyleven has inexplicibly not been voted into Baseballs Hall Of Fame (he had 284 career wins, over 3500 strikeouts, 60 complete game shutouts, and 240 complete games) and is rather outspoken about it. Thursday Sampson raced one of his own horses named Bertsquestforfame. Now I always pay extra attention to any horse run by Sampson as they are almost always well meant and competitive. In this case by putting two and two together for me it was a no brainer that this horse was going to run big (why would he invite Bert to see the horse falter). Also entered in the same race was a horse named Bizet who went off as the prohibitive favorite. Bizet had raced earlier in the year at Gulfstream Park which alone would attract money at a smaller track like Canterbury. To add to his resume Bizet had faced Dunkirk and run with him for most of the race until losing by a very respectable 6 lengths in Dunkirks 7f win. After facing Dunkirk he went on to face Santana Six twice running repectfully both times. In this sprint race he looked like a "sure" winner to most. Bertsquestforfame went off at a mouth watering (to me) 10.8/1 and won wire to wire giving me a very profitable night indeed. I still can't believe they let him go off at those odds. Bizet on the other hand could only manage third. Needless to say my night racing experience and the one of the nice looking group of young ladies who I advised to put some money on this horse turned out pretty good.

First of all, the night racing was a success as far as attendance, but the rest of the night was terrible, and CD even admitted droppnig the ball. The lines were WAY to long, to bet, to drink, to get food... You were waiting 2-30 minutes for a beer, and people were passing out from the heat and humidity. I saw at least 8 people get put on a stretcher. The COO says they are going to double the beer trucks and triple the wait staff next friday, as well as have beer vendors walk thru the crowd like on Derby. So we will see. Second, please do not talk about topics that you know nothing about, and that goes for Jason and whoever decided to sign on as Danica. Danica races in the Indy Car Series, not NASCAR, and not Formula 1.  They are all three very different race series. As for the hot women jockeys, I have seen my fair share of smoking hot exercise riders, but not as many jockeys. I do think though that could be a nice angle to get a different crowd to the track, just like the advertising did for R/A in the preakness. The ladies would not be exploited, and trust me on this, if they were not good riders, they would have no mounts and no credibility to ride in big races, but they have paid their dues and maybe deserve a shot in the limelight to help the sport. Danica is a good driver, and finished in the top 5 in all but one or two races this year, and she is not too bad on the eyes I must say..... Anyway, Churchill better get their act together this weekend.

Monica V and Paula Higgins: same situation here! Funny thing though, when they start mentioning things that they think are new, I tell them not so, they get all starry eyed wishing they were born in my time frame!! One example (of many), one of the boys was in a rock band modeled after the Doors, wore the t-shirt and the whole bit. Asked me to listen to a demo cd, but he wasn't sure if "I would get it, because it was along the lines of classic rock, you know, like the Doors". (For some reason they seem to think I am only five to ten yrs their senior). Blew the poor boy away when I smiled and informed not only did I go to their concerts in person, but also possess every vinyl LP they released in original condition, plus posters, and t-shirts. Original ones. He was my "slave" till he left for LA! I find they are fun to be around, although they help keep me "young", I am glad I was born when I was. Simply groovy.

Jason,

129lbs. for Zenyatta. Any chance Shireffs will change his mind and run her in the Gold Cup and let Life is Sweet run in the Vanity at 122lbs? Seems the way to go IMO.

Actually Jason, you are pretty close to right about Nascar and Danica Patrick. The NYT's and SI both had articles about her jumping to NASCAR within a year and how that would raise the visibility of NASCAR even more and provide her with endorsements out the whazoo. So you were pretty much right.

Oh God help us.  16 days till Draynay comes back LOL!  Boy time flies.  Geeeeeeeeeesh!

Monica V and Sweet Terchi, we belong to a wonderful generation when  music was transformational and Secretariat was King of the World. As for Frank Sinatra, absolutely the greatest (and yes I remember the Nancy and Frank song)along with Patsy Cline, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis, Nat King Cole, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Jethro Tull, Eric Clapton, and The Birds.

Lazmannick, not to worry. I don't think you're a sexist at all. I never label people. It's always a mistake. People have many more sides than a single label has the ability to define them.

Don't hate me everyone, but I miss Draynay. Mrs. Draynay and their schnauzers.

On another note, I wish there was a bigger field for Rachel to show her stuff.  

Jason, I think car racing is boring too. It's a bunch of people driving around in circles a la Ricky Bobby. Mindless to me.

Jason--you just can't make everyone happy!!!  I think horse racing needs a major marketing overhaul in general--there are many great people they could use to draw people in to all the opportunities that are available in the sport AND gain new fans.  And I agree--the "girl jocks" would be nice to see in a campaign--I still remember growing up when Julie Krone was pretty much the ONLY female you heard about and it has been great in recent years to see some of the female trainers really making a name for themselves as well.  Horse racing really has an opportunity right now to capitalize on some interesting horses and stories to lure in new fans AND hopefully keep them around!!  

BTW--I just love the Dray counter--I get a good laugh every time I see it!!!

MonicaV, sweet terchi, and Paula Higgins:

Was the Frank-Nancy duet "Something Stupid"?

The world will NEVER hear another Frank Sinatra. The Voice went straight to your emotional center.

My favorite Sinatra song: "Violets For Your Furs", from the 1950s Capitol album "Songs for Young Lovers"

I'm pretty sure Danica knows her gig with Formula One fell through last year.

Wow, amazing what gets past you guys, was Turcotte real?

Racing under the lights? After the failure of the VLT bills it may be turn out the lights the party's over.

AS far as the Danica Patrick post being legit.....from my limited knowledge of auto racing Danica drives on the Indy Circuit, not Formula One.....maybe Danica's just having a bad day and can't remember what kind of car she drives.

Soldier Course, Paula and Sweet Terchi,

Our time was a great time!  So much going on during those years, good and bad.  Great music, great movies and great horses but we also had Viet Nam and the Manson murders that ended the Hippie movement.  It was an interesting time to say the least.  I saw the Beatles in concert in 1966 at Dodger Stadium.  It was great!  I also saw Elvis in Vegas.  I watched Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed win their TC's on Television.  Those were the days!

In the 80's I went to Kentucky twice and visited all 3 of the TC winners and went to the Horse Park and saw John Henry and Forego.  I'm so happy I did that as all of those great horses are gone now.

Jason you are so funny LOL.  I hate car racing.  

Audra. Isn't that ticker funny?  Love that thing.  Very creative I must say.  Be ware folks Dray Nay is coming back sooner than later.  

You of all people should know that knowledge is king, so just research. yeah, Zenyatta at 129 is asking a lot, but she will still win regardless. Azeri did it in 03. Chip Wooley has been hangin out at Kern's Korner in the Ville, stop by and have a drink with him...

Monica, Paula and Soldier,

Keep on Truckin' girls!! Peace.

MonicaV, sweet terchi, Paula:

If GunBow is right and a Sinatra rage is surging among the younger set, then Churchill Downs could have a Sinatra Night theme in the fall for one of its nights under the lights.

Everyone, young and old, could come out to the track spiffed up like Frank, Ava Gardner, Dean, Sammy, Shirley MacLaine, Lauren Bacall, etc. No problem about music selections in the Paddock. "Swanky" comes back to Louisville! How long has it been since we've heard that word?  

Soldier, you hit on a great idea. I bet it would be a smash because folks always love to dress as stars! If Harry Connick Jr. was recruited to sing Frank's songs, the track would be in the $$$. Plus a lot of new people exposed to the sport,... win win situation!

sweet terchi:

Your idea about Harry Connick Jr. is great! Remember, Harry is from New Orleans and probably has at least a fondness for horsse racing because of Fair Grounds being there. And Fair Grounds is still owned by Churchill Downs Inc., isn't it? Shouldn't take much of a leap to make this happen.

You know, we should be running things!!