JC / Railbird

Owners

Sturm und Derby

Is there anyone who isn’t upset with Churchill Downs this Kentucky Derby week? Well, Steve Asmussen was smiling while paddock schooling Kentucky Oaks morning-line favorite Untapable and Derby contender Tapiture this afternoon, despite the PETA allegations. And trainer Art Sherman seems happy to be in Louisville, although who knows what he really thought on seeing California Chrome’s name misspelled on his Derby contender saddlecloth.

But nine out of 10 Horseplayers Association members polled reportedly plan to bet Churchill less or not at all, due to the recent takeout hike. Rick Porter of Fox Hill Farm is fed up with Churchill’s gracelessness towards horse owners on stakes days (fellow owner Bobby Flay tweeted his support). And Little Mike’s owner-trainer Carl Vaccarezza is furious that the track took a blood sample for out-of-competition testing from his stable star in advance of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic. (Little Mike now won’t be running on Saturday.)

Call it the Angry Derby.

If there’s good news, it’s that the horses don’t care. Twenty will go to post at about 6:24 PM on Saturday, and one will be the Kentucky Derby winner at approximately 6:30 PM. Post positions won’t be drawn until late Wednesday afternoon, but it’s not too early to start geeking out on Derby handicapping. If you’re looking for the 2014 historical criteria spreadsheet, it’s here, and it’ll be fully updated after Derby past performances are available.

4/30/14 Addendum: Re: the above in the context of the rumor that the Breeders’ Cup will be at Keeneland in 2015 (and Del Mar in 2016): “Lately, however, Churchill Downs’ ability to generate cash has been running neck-and-neck with its knack for making enemies.” Ow. And Frank Vespe explains why we should care about Porter’s rage: “He’s mad as hell … and a lot of people around racing are feeling the same way.”

Posted in Racing on April 29, 2014 / Tagged Churchill Downs, Derby Handicapping, HANA, Horseplayers, Kentucky Derby, Owners, Rick Porter

Lasix, An Expensive Habit

Arthur Hancock in the May 18 issue of TDN:

As owners, we are paying a minimum of $100 million a year just for the use of Lasix alone, not counting the money we spend for “jugs” to revive the horses after they have had this powerful diuretic. If you add butazolidin and all of the other veterinary charges to the list, I calculate that we are shelling out at least $150 million a year.

That works out to an average of $359.55 in veterinary charges per start in 2010. Considering the expense, owners should be clamoring to eliminate raceday drugs; even cutting Hancock’s estimate in half would be a boon.

Posted in Racing on May 18, 2011 / Tagged Drugs in Racing, Owners, Raceday Medications

Jess Jackson, RIP

At the Eclipse Awards, January 2010.

It was announced today that owner Jess Jackson, 81, has died.

Since last summer, it had been apparent that Jackson was not well. He missed seeing Rachel Alexandra win at Monmouth in the Lady’s Secret Stakes in July, he wasn’t at Saratoga to watch her work in August. His wife, Barbara Banke, began to take a more prominent role in the stable. And deep in a Jay Hovdey column, published in DRF in January, was a discreet mention of the cancer he had previously beat into remission (via).

None of which dulled the shock on hearing of his passing.

Jackson liked to see his horses run, and he enjoyed seeing his horses tested. Bringing Curlin back as a 4-year-old in 2008 and campaigning Rachel Alexandra as he did in 2009 was sporting (even if it could be frustrating, waiting on him to say where and when one of his stars might start next). I’ll always remember the Woodward, the grandstand shaking from the force of the crowd rising and cheering for Rachel as she streaked down the stretch. Her 3-year-old HOTY campaign was bold and historic, a remarkable achievement.

“They broke the mold with this guy,” eulogizes partner George Bolton.

More remembrances from friends and industry leaders …

4/24/11 Addendum: Joe Drape is out with an appraisal of Jackson’s racing career, which concludes:

Jackson, too, set some standards, one in particular that any horseplayer or horse lover can appreciate. He let his horses run instead of retiring them to the breeding shed and life as a pampered A.T.M. He ran them in the biggest races on the brightest stages. He didn’t worry if they got beat.

That quality was appreciated.

Posted in Racing on April 21, 2011 / Tagged Curlin, Horse of the Year, Jess Jackson, Owners, Rachel Alexandra, RIP

Entitlement

Huffs TOBA president Dan Metzger of a sponsorship deal between Derby jockeys and NetJets in an odd Blood-Horse article partially sourced by “They”:

“You can’t exclude owners — they own the horses, and should be at the center of discussions. The individual owner should be empowered to make the decision on how sponsorship revenue is divided.”

Unless an owner is donning a pair of thin white pants emblazoned with a sponsor’s logo and swinging their leg up over a horse, then, no, there’s really no reason for them to get a cut of the fee be involved in the deal-making. Owners may own the horses, but they don’t own the jockeys, or their pants.

Posted in Racing on May 7, 2009 / Tagged Jockeys, Owners, sponsorships, Triple Crown