Night Fever - By Dan Liebman

cdawahare — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:25:00 GMT

(Originally published in the July 11, 2009 issue of The Blood-Horse magazine. Feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions at the bottom of the column.)

In the midst of a stinging defeat for expanded gaming in Kentucky, it was discovered that people will still attend a racetrack - without slots - and have fun doing so. But not for the same old stale product.

Churchill Downs installed a temporary lighting system, and more patrons than anyone predicted turned out to watch three racing cards at night under the Twin Spires.
True, the Louisville, Ky., racetrack stumbled out of the gate, when the 28,011 that attended Friday, June 19, were met by long lines that left many disgruntled. But racetrack officials apologized, promised it would not happen again, and a week later 27,623 poured through the turnstiles to be greeted by improved customer service. Better yet, on Thursday, July 2, a crowd of 33,481 showed up to begin their holiday weekend with Thoroughbred racing.

True, some never opened their wallets to wager, but that is OK. On-track handle was up considerably, but it was also important to attract young people who preferred to listen to music, drink dollar beers, and visit a racetrack rather than a bar or nightclub.

A patron who had a good time not only will return but will encourage friends and family to join him the next time. And, while handle helps purses, a racetrack keeps more from admissions, programs, and beer than from a wager (which has to be shared with other groups), which helps cover expenses and encourages track officials to try other creative ideas.

Some wonder if the success of night racing might lead to a discussion of the Derby being run at night. This would not be done to attract more fans—the physical plant is already bulging on Derby day—but to attract a larger television audience.

While it might not make sense to alter the entrenched Derby, it could make sense to consider night racing for the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. The 2009 Derby registered a 7.3 national television rating overall, but a 9.8 rating during the 6-7 p.m. race portion of the broadcast. The Breeders’ Cup has a more difficult situation, with racing spread over two days and multiple networks. Still, the 2008 overall rating of .7 is anemic by anyone’s measure.

It is hard not to think more viewers would see the Breeders’ Cup races if they were run during prime time. Just imagine the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) being aired at halftime of Monday Night Football.

Churchill Downs knows where the lights can be rented.

Get a handle
We were reminded again of the fervor with which Hong Kong racing fans wager when the largest handle there in six years occurred July 1 at Sha Tin. The crowd of 63,369, and more importantly, at 116 off-track facilities and through in-home wagering, bet HK$1.22 billion on the 11-race card, about $157.3 million.
That amount is similar to what was wagered internationally last year on the two Breeders’ Cup cards, when $155,740,327 was bet on 21 races.

The difference is the Hong Kong Jockey Club only staged 78 days of racing during its 2008-09 season, and residents there can only wager legally on horse racing and soccer, as well as play the country’s lottery. For the 78 cards, wagering in Hong Kong was down only 1.3% from a year ago.

In contrast, statistics released July 5 by Equibase showed wagering on racing in the United States fell 16.9% in June, continuing a trend that also saw purses drop 10.3% from the same month last year. For the first six months of the year, all-sources handle on U.S. races is down 10.5%, and purses have dropped 6%.

With high unemployment, and Americans clearly spending less, the fact handle is down only 10.5% may actually be interpreted as a good sign. Like commercial breeders anticipating the yearling sale season, it may be a time in which a negative has to be perceived as a positive.

Thumbs Down, Down Under - by Dan Liebman

Blood-Horse Staff — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:14:00 GMT

Air travel has made the breeding, racing, buying, and selling of Thoroughbreds an international endeavor.

Decades ago, it allowed stallions to be imported and exported, forever changing pedigrees across continents. A few brave horsemen began shipping to the first international races, and as such paved the way for events like the Breeders’ Cup, Arlington Million, Dubai World Cup, and Hong Kong International Races.

There are trainers with stables in multiple countries, jockeys who ride in numerous jurisdictions, and stallions that stand both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere breeding seasons.

As racing and breeding have become more global enterprises, authorities have collaborated on many issues to protect the integrity of all jurisdictions. Which makes two recent actions in Australia all the more curious.

First, officials with Racing New South Wales thumbed their collective noses at the Hong Kong Jockey Club by not upholding the length of a suspension handed to jockey Chris Munce. The Hong Kong stewards suspended Munce, found to have breached the rules there in a “tips for bets” scandal, for 30 months, his penalty to end Sept. 1, 2009.

The 39-year-old jockey, who was born in New South Wales, was arrested in July 2006 and found to have HK$250,000 and pieces of paper allegedly filled with notations about wagering in his pockets. Charged with providing tips to a local businessman between December 2005 and May 2006, Munce was found guilty and served 20 months in jail in Hong Kong and Australia, and was released Oct. 30.

Following his release, the Hong Kong Jockey Club leveled 36 charges against Munce, to which he pled guilty. The rub came when Racing New South Wales reciprocated on 35 charges, its belief being the 36th charge was related to a breach of Hong Kong’s criminal code that it claims does not exist under Australian law.

In a strongly worded release, Hong Kong Jockey Club chief executive officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, noting Munce did not appeal the ruling by the Hong Kong stewards, called the decision by the New South Wales officials “disrespectful to the core value of due process.”

Engelbrecht-Bresges pointed out that both Hong Kong and the Australian Racing Board are signatories to the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering, which is article 10 of the rules agreed to by members of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

Incredibly, New South Wales officials argue they are not a party to the agreement.

Even if the two authorities do not agree on whether or not the criminal code applies in New South Wales, racing authorities, be they in countries, provinces, or states, should honor suspensions through the principle of reciprocity.

Engelbrecht-Bresges stated in the release the decision by the New South Wales officials “threatens the relationship between Australia and Hong Kong.” Considering Australian jockeys and trainers work in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Jockey Club buys horses in Australia, that statement cannot be welcome news Down Under.

The same week in Australia, it was announced Melbourne Cup (Aust-I) runner-up Bauer would not be disqualified despite proof the horse received shockwave therapy within seven days of the race, which violates the country’s rules of racing.

British trainer Luca Cumani was unaware of the rule, and the horse was treated by a veterinarian employed by the Racing Victoria club. In the ruling, the chief steward stated that because the actions were taken by a veterinarian assigned by Racing Victoria, who should have been aware of the rules, the rule could not be applied.

The correct action should have been to fine and/or suspend the veterinarian, disqualify the horse, and redistribute the purse.

In 2006, Brass Hat finished second in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I), but was disqualified for a medication positive, despite the fact the trainer administered the drug according to withdrawal guidelines provided him by the Emirates Racing Association.

Brass Hat was properly disqualified; Bauer should have been as well.

What's Going On Here : hong kong jockey club

Night Fever - By Dan Liebman

Thumbs Down, Down Under - by Dan Liebman