Will the Breeder’s Cup come back to New York?

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Todd Engel

On Monday, NBC TV and the Breeder’s Cup announced that starting in 2012 the Breeder’s Cup will return to  NBC for the first time in six years.

This ends the relationship between the Breeder’s Cup and ESPN.

One of the more intriguing aspects of this new relationship is the fact that NBC will be airing the Breeder’s Cup Classic during prime time. That exposure is a wonderful thing for racing….it will give the sport the opportunity to reach more viewers and the opportunity to attract a new fan base.

So why am I not thrilled?

The remaining 13 races of the Breeder’s Cup will be relegated to NBC Sports Network. This upstart TV network ( formerly known as Versus) does not have the reach ESPN does, nor the following. As a result, the casual TV watcher would have to really search for the Breeder’s Cup races, which makes drawing new fans problematic. Hopefully there will be some cross promotion from NBC to help draw viewers and fans to NBC Sports Network; they’ve done a good job in the past showing racing from Saratoga and Keenland.

New York racing and Belmont Park will be kept out of the rotation of host tracks for the foreseeable future. As a New York horse owner and fan of New York racing, this is disappointing.

Why am I so sure that this will happen?

The Breeder’s Cup is held in late October or early November; at a time when the sun sets no later than 6:00 PM on the East Coast. As a result, to be able to run the majority of the races on Breeder’s Cup day, lights would need to be installed so that the track could be illuminated. Belmont presently is not lit and to light the track would take a substantial investment.

Additionally, due to the size of Belmont, as the weather gets colder and the track becomes harder it’s much more difficult to maintain. This would create an uneven racing surface which would risk a repeat of the horrors of the 1990 Breeder’s Cup when four horses broke down – the worst being Filly champion Go For Wand.

Finally, from a fan standpoint – it is COLD in November at Belmont even when the sun is out. I can only imagine what it would be like once the sun goes down. Bring blankets and hand warmers!

While I am hopeful that New York will be included in the Breeder’s Cup rotation, clearly my reservations are not being made any time soon.

It’s too bad, because NYRA has the ability to host a fantastic event for Breeder’s Cup.

 

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Would you dress for the races?

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Todd Engel

Royal Ascot, Great Brittan’s premier horse racing meet, has set a heightened dress code for this year’s meeting beginning in June.

Fascinators, the small hats that became the fashion rage after Prince William and Princess Katherine  (ok, Kate) were married last summer are no longer allowed in the Royal Enclosure. Additionally women can only wear dresses that are directly above the knee or lower. Men must still wear morning suits, however they are allowed to have a little flair by letting grey be worn as well as black. A cravat is no longer allowed.

For us mere mortals, no bare midriffs, shorts or miniskirts are allowed. Ascot is claiming that this is to bring “respectability” back to the sport.

I am all for dress codes in certain places. When I go to the box seats at the track, I can understand jacket and tie. I can respect the dress code at certain restaurants that want to convey a certain perception of their clientele. That being said, these restrictions may be  too severe, even for me.

Would you attend Ascot knowing that you had to dress to impress?

 

 

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Breeder’s Cup

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Todd Engel

It is that time of year when the Sport of Kings comes together over the next two days to see who is the best of the best.

It is an exciting time as a racing fan and owner. I enjoy watching those friends of mine with horses in the event

It will be fun to watch and see if the horses from the East Coast that I am familiar with perform well. It will be interesting to see if Goldikova can win yet AGAIN. Will Uncle Mo make it all the way back, or will Havre de Grace show that the girls are still the best?

Lots of questions and excited to see how the races play out.

Todd

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Dutrow License Revoked

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Todd Engel

NY TRAINER HAD HIS LICENSE SUSPENDED FOR 10 YEARS

Rick Dutrow, 52, trainer of 2009 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown had his training license revoked for ten years by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board. In determining that Dutrow was a detriment to racing, the Board went far beyond the initial investigation initially undertaken last November.

The investigation into Dutrow’s behavior began last November when an investigator for the NYS Racing and Wagering Board found hypodermic needles containing zylazine, a painkiller, in Dutrow’s desk drawer. Possession of needles is strictly forbidden by regulation much less ones containing drugs. In addition, later that month, a horse trained by Dutrow, Fastus Cactus, was found to have butorphanol in his system after a post race toxicology screen.

Under ordinary circumstances, a trainer would be suspended for a period of time for these incidents, usually 90 days. Rick Dutrow’s situation is vastly different. According to the report of Clemente J. Parente, hearing examiner, who conducted a hearing over three days regarding this matter, Dutrow has been suspended for more than 10 days on three separate occasions with “numerous other violations in Florida . . . Furthermore, his New York State racing application history report and RCI comprehensive ruling report reveals a consistent inability to abide by regulatory rules including a lack of truthfulness in statements to regulators .” Additionally in the Board’s decision Chairman John Sabini cites an accumulation of 64 violations of racing rules throughout his career in determining that revocation for ten years was appropriate.

Board Member, Daniel Hogan stated, “It seems Mr. Dutrow loved horses, but he loved winning even more, and has broke our rules to win.” Therein lies the rub. Horse racing has maintained a negative reputation for many years as a den of unsavory characters both in and out of the industry. In order to eliminate that perception, action against perpetual violators must be taken to prove to those participating within the industry and outside the industry that integrity exists.

What Dutrow is being punished for is not merely the isolated incidents of two drug findings in November, 2010, but rather for a lifetime of thumbing one’s nose at the rules and integrity of a sport where people’s money is invested, trust is placed and a fair playing field is sought for the owners as well as the bettors. It is time that the racing and wagering boards take a stand against people violating this trust; and New York has done that.

From a legal perspective, there may be issues that are appealable. Did the punishment of a 10 year ban and $50,000 fine exceed the charges before the Board? Does the Board have the power to look beyond the initial charges to the totality of the person being investigated? How many chances does one person get? I would argue 64 over 20 years is more than sufficient. Those and many more will be the issues that the Courts will hear while this matter works it’s way to a final resolution.
From this owner and fan’s perspective; it is great when the legislative arm of the industry takes a stand against someone to protect the interests and integrity of racing. Kudos to Chairman Sabini, and the Board for this determination. As Mr. Sabini states “Let this be a lesson to other people in the business.” While there is reason and rationale for everything; sometimes too many chances is just that.

Todd Engel
engelatty@gmail.com

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Onondaga County Votes Down OTB

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Todd Engel

On June 7, the Onondaga County Legislature rejected Off Track Betting for the second time in a year.

Is Off Track Betting dead for Onondaga County? No, not necessarily. The door is open for the City of Syracuse to seek special legislation to be the beneficiary of the revenue from an off track betting parlor located within the city. This would mean that Onondaga County would gain no benefit from a parlor, should one ever be built.

Brick and mortar parlors came about in the late 1960′s. They offered the ability for people who could not get to the track for live racing to wager and watch the races. The benefits to the communities during the 1970′s,- 1990′s was huge. However as slots and VLT’s have become more prevalent, the new generation has moved away from racing and more towards the immediacy of the reward from slots.

Twenty years ago, I would be cheering this news. I would be excited as a horse owner at the opportunity to watch and wager on my horses in a local parlor. I would be looking forward to the additional monies to the horsemen and available for increased purses as a result of the wagering in Onondaga County.

That was then, now while my desire for the benefits of OTB as a horse owner is still there, my optimism for the increased revenue for the city and the county is not. Capital OTB and the County claim that the revenue from wagering at a facility in Syracuse would raise over $1 million dollars for Onondaga County from the monies wagered here. Unfortunately, with the advent and success of internet wagering and watching of live races, I think those numbers are inflated.

Because those numbers are higher than what I think the actual revenue will be, I am not in favor of OTB locally. I can watch my horses race online, wager online and never have to leave my house or office. Most racing fans are the same way; between TVG, HRTV and the various online venues, wagering can be accomplished easily and without the need to use a brick and mortar facility. That is the most basic of reasons why OTB parlors are failing, not to mention the patronage jobs associated with the parlors. Just look at NYC OTB and Suffolk OTB as examples of once giants in the industry failing as evidence that this is no longer the time for bricks and mortar parlors.

Todd Engel
tengel@engelatty.com

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TRF: Good work being done

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Todd Engel

On Wednesday, Joe Drape wrote an article in the New York Times highlighting the alleged difficulties of the Thoroughbred Retirement Fund. In the article, Drape claims that TRF has not taken care of the horses that are under its care and has run at a financial deficit for the last two years.

I have no direct knowledge of the management of TRF assets or the horses. However, I do know Diana Pikulski, the Executive Director of TRF. In difficult financial times, I have known her to be a diligent fundraiser who has the interests of the horses solely at heart. To see her work marred in the New York Times without truly reporting the TRF side is disturbing and is showing an inherent anti-racing bias by the Times.

According to the TRF, procedures are now in place to work through and manage the finances to make sure money gets to those caring for the horses, contrary to what Drape alleges. In addition, fundraising continues to be sought. in order to maintain the horses presently in care.

The TRF is the gold standard for Thoroughbred Retirement. Without this organization, many horses would come off the track and potentially be sold to meat processing plants in Canada, or overseas. Additionally, the therapeutic programs undertaken by TRF has been extremely beneficial to prisoners in New York, Kentucky and elsewhere as these programs offer the opportunity to allow prisoners to learn horse husbandry which is good for both the prisoner and the retired horse.

I am hopeful that despite the Times article, TRF will be able to right its course and continue the good work it does on behalf of retired thoroughbreds.

Todd Engel
tengel@engelatty.com

The New York Times Article:

The Saratogian Article

TRF website

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Rick Dutrow: Should he be shown the door?

Posted on February 18, 2011 by Todd Engel

On February 16, the New York State Racing and Wagering Board suspended trainer Rick Dutrow for 90 days for various violations. These include  a 30 day suspension for a positive for painkillers and 60 days for finding hypodermic needles in his barn at Aqueduct.

Dutrow has consistently trained with a patent disregard for the rules of any jurisdiction. He has been suspended  numerous times for drug violations. One of the more recent, in 2009,  caused the Kentucky Racing Commission to double the initial suspension. His actions include providing steroids to Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, Big Brown.  It should be noted that steroids  were permissible at the time he gave them to Big Brown.

Association of Racing Commisioners International (RCI)  President, Ed Martin has written the New York State Racing and Wagering Board stating that Dutrow’s actions in concert with his prior history necessitate a suspension for a year. His position is that Dutrow continually ignores the rules and tries to unfairly influence the game without remorse when caught.

In my opinion, Dutrow is a true blight on our sport. He has indicated publicly that he did not regret using steroids on horses. He stated publicly that he would do what is necessary to win.  Winning at any cost is not good for racing. It creates a disproportionate ability to win and slants the competitive edge towards Dutrow. This is exactly what he wants, however not what the sport can handle during this period.

As I have written previously, the sport needs to police itself effectively. In order to do that stiff penalties for multiple offenders needs to be implemented. Racing fans continue to turn away and seek other forms of entertainment.  The industry has to make sure that those people who come to the sport, either as fans or as owners are able to believe the integrity in the sport.

As a result, it would be nice to follow Mr  Martin’s recommendation. The NYS racing and wagering board would show a message that cheating is not permitted and cheaters will be forced to choose: change your ways or change your career. The truth is, that probably won’t happen. The Board handed down their 90 days. and generally won’t increase the penalties in New York.  Too bad, some people need to be benched.

Todd Engel

tengel@engelatty.com

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New York Racing is in Trouble

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Todd Engel

New York Racing is in Real Trouble

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the state budget yesterday. He made some very tough decisions in order to reduce a $10 billion deficit. As a result difficult decisions clearly needed to be made.

One of those decisions Governor Cuomo made was to create an additional surcharge on purse money in NY races of 2.75%. This simply perpetuates a myth that horse racing can withstand any and all cuts, surcharges, and fees because there is a perception that the industry can withstand it

The reason is that purses across the industry have been cut from $125 Million for the year in 2009 to $100 million in 2010 and will be lower in 2011. That is a 20% reduction in purses due to the NYC OTB failure It also is representative of the loss in handle which is the amount being wagered at the track or through simulcasting. The reality is people are not betting on horse racing in the numbers they used to. That creates a situation where the owners of the horses are running for lower purses.

What it doesn’t mean is that horse racing can continue to sustain in New York with these continued cuts. It also doesn’t mean that there is a 25% decrease in expenses. The horses are running for lower purses, however expenses continue to rise. This makes it an economic difficulty to make money on the average race.

As Rick Violette, a New York trainer and President of the New York Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association said in The Saratogian racing is going to take a 22.5% cut and cannot sustain that and remain viable. It is truly a difficult time for our sport and we need to get together and band together.

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Blight on Racing’s Biggest Event

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Todd Engel

The joke used to be said I went to a boxing match and a hockey game broke out. Friday, horse racing became the punchline to this bad joke when jockey Calvin Borel attacked  jockey Javier Castellano after the running of the Breeder’s Cup Marathon.  While I was not there I did see the video, and so will you.

Javier Castellano was riding Prince Will I Am in the Breeder’s Cup Marathon where he impeded the ability for two horses, including the one Borel was riding. When Borel got back to the winner’s circle, dismounted and weighed in, he attacked Castellano.  The two jockeys came to blows and had to be separated by security personnel.

The result of this event was that Castellano was suspended seven days and fined $2,500 for his reckless riding. Borel was not given any days however he was fined $5,000 for the fight.

To be honest, this is not the first time jockeys have ever fought, however it is usually reserved for the privacy of the jockey’s room. Fighting at this level should not be tolerated in this sport. It is good that the Kentucky stewards took such decisive action here.

Unfortunately Borel looked like a fool and made the sport look barbaric. Fortunately the races on Saturday overshadowed this blight.

Todd Engel

Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano fight

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NYC OTB reaches deal on bankruptcy

Posted on October 21, 2010 by Todd Engel

NYC OTB reached a deal with its creditors to emerge from bankruptcy. This is good thing for horse racing and needed to happen. It also is a good thing for New York City.

The agreement provides that NYRA, owed $24 million dollars by NYC OTB and the largest creditor will run the internet and phone wagering systems in lieu of a total of $65 million in debt.  While the agreement provides for a smaller share for NYRA and other tracks on wagering made at the OTB parlors, they will manage the internet and phone wagering which is a larger percentage of the total betting dollars.

Being that NYC OTB is the largest wagering institution in the country, it was important to racing as an industry that this be saved. Racing cannot survive without NYC OTB, it is racing’s version of “too big to fail.”

Should the Legislature and Bankruptcy court approve the plan, it is another sign that racing is on a direction towards recovery in New York. The $2.4 billion dollar a year industry is vital to the New York economy despite being virtually ignored by government on a state level. This will allow NYRA to recoup dollars that NYC OTB had been witholding which will help, along with VLTs, to secure the future of racing in New York.

Todd Engel

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