“Horse Racing Capsules: Racing board denies license to run at Santa Anita” plus 3 more |
- Horse Racing Capsules: Racing board denies license to run at Santa Anita
- Racing board denies license to run at Santa Anita
- Horse Racing Board denies Oak Tree license to run fall meet at Santa Anita Park
- Horse racing needs time to adapt to changes
| Horse Racing Capsules: Racing board denies license to run at Santa Anita Posted: 20 Aug 2010 08:11 PM PDT DEL MAR, Calif. — The California Horse Racing Board denied a license to Oak Tree Racing Association to run its fall meet at Santa Anita because of concerns about the track surface. The race has been held there for 41 years. Horse owners, trainers and an expert on synthetic racing surfaces told the board at its meeting Thursday at Del Mar that they oppose having the fall meet at the Arcadia, Calif., track because of safety concerns about the synthetic surface. The owners and trainers say they prefer running at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, which has a different brand of synthetic surface. CHRB chairman Keith Brackpool told Oak Tree officials that he couldn't vote to approve the meet, which was set to open Sept. 29. He said that may change if Oak Tree reaches an agreement with owners and trainers. Sherwood Chillingworth, executive vice president of Oak Tree, says he's moving forward with arrangements to run at Hollywood Park, but he's not ruling out the possibility that the board could change its mind. Hollywood Park president Jack Liebau says his track is ready to accommodate Oak Tree. The Thoroughbred Owners of California's approval is needed since the group must enter into an agreement with Oak Tree before the meet can take place. TOC president Arnold Zetcher says he's concerned that there's not enough time to reach such an agreement. Michael Peterson, an engineering professor and expert on synthetic racing surfaces, presented his findings of a track inspection he conducted last week after being hired by the racing board. Peterson said the Santa Anita surface had a lack of consistency and evenness of the track's base, plush a number of rocks in the surface. Gio Ponti tries for 2nd win in Arlington Million ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — Gio Ponti will attempt to join John Henry as the only horses to win the Arlington Million twice when he heads to the gate on Saturday. The 5-year-old is the 7-5 favorite for the 1½-mile race on turf at Arlington Park, just outside of Chicago. Gio Ponti stumbled out of the gate a year ago but roared into the lead on the final turn to win by just over a length. John Henry won the inaugural race in 1981, then came back three years later to win again. Named for the Italian architect of the same name, Gio Ponti can also make French-born Christophe Clement the first trainer to win the race in consecutive years. In four starts this year, Gio Ponti has finished first once and second twice. His biggest threat will be Just as Well, the 7-year-old who battled with Gio Ponti down the stretch a year ago and finished second. Just as Well has finished second on two occasions in four starts this year, but still goes off as the 5-1 second choice. The Arlington Million was scheduled for a 10-horse field, but Marsh Side was scratched on Thursday and only nine will start the race. Tazeez is the third choice at 6-1, despite going winless in four starts this year. Two other Grade 1 turf races will be run Saturday at Arlington Park. The favorite for the $750,000 Beverly D, a race for fillies and mares run over 1 1/6 miles, is Treat Gently, which has won four times in six starts this year. She took over as the top choice after 4-1 favorite Rainbow View was scratched Thursday with a tendon injury. Paddy O'Prado, winner of two straight, is the even-money favorite in the Secretariat Stakes, which will be contested over 1¼ miles for 3-year-olds. Meriwether Jessica wins Saratoga feature SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Meriwether Jessica stalked the pace from the start, moved to take control leaving the quarter pole and won the $100,000 Yaddo Stakes for fillies and mares bred in New York by a neck at Saratoga Race Course on Friday. Alan Garcia rode the 5-year-old, Rick Violette-trained Meriwether Jessica, who survived a late bid by favored You Go West Girl. She ran 1 1-8 miles over the inner turf course in 1:46.98 to extend her winning streak to three races. Meriwether Jessica earned $60,000 for her owner, Patsy C. Symons, and paid $11, $5.40 and $4. You Go West Girl returned $4.30 and $2.90 and Chestoria, third in a field of 10, paid $3 to show. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Racing board denies license to run at Santa Anita Posted: 20 Aug 2010 10:08 AM PDT DEL MAR, Calif. (AP)—The California Horse Racing Board denied a license to Oak Tree Racing Association to run its fall meet at Santa Anita because of concerns about the track surface. The race has been held there for 41 years. Horse owners, trainers and an expert on synthetic racing surfaces told the board at its meeting Thursday at Del Mar that they oppose having the fall meet at the Arcadia, Calif., track because of safety concerns about the synthetic surface. The owners and trainers say they prefer running at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, which has a different brand of synthetic surface. CHRB chairman Keith Brackpool told Oak Tree officials that he couldn't vote to approve the meet, which was set to open Sept. 29. He said that may change if Oak Tree reaches an agreement with owners and trainers. Sherwood Chillingworth, executive vice president of Oak Tree, says he's moving forward with arrangements to run at Hollywood Park, but he's not ruling out the possibility that the board could change its mind. Hollywood Park president Jack Liebau says his track is ready to accommodate Oak Tree. The Thoroughbred Owners of California's approval is needed since the group must enter into an agreement with Oak Tree before the meet can take place. TOC president Arnold Zetcher says he's concerned that there's not enough time to reach such an agreement. Michael Peterson, an engineering professor and expert on synthetic racing surfaces, presented his findings of a track inspection he conducted last week after being hired by the racing board. Peterson said the Santa Anita surface had a lack of consistency and evenness of the track's base, plush a number of rocks in the surface. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Horse Racing Board denies Oak Tree license to run fall meet at Santa Anita Park Posted: 19 Aug 2010 09:58 PM PDT  Frank Stronach, a billionaire businessman, is the chairman of the company that owns Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Walt Mancini) Oak Tree's 41-year run at Santa Anita Park may have ended Thursday. After horse owners, trainers and a racetrack expert expressed concerns about the Arcadia track, the California Horse Racing Board denied a license to Oak Tree Racing Association to run its fall meet there. At the CHRB meeting in Del Mar, representatives from the Thoroughbred Owners of California and the California Thoroughbred Trainers said they opposed having the traditional fall meet at Santa Anita due to safety concerns. Representatives of both organizations said they prefer Hollywood Park. "I cannot vote to approve this meet today given that the TOC and the CTT are standing here saying I won't race there," CHRB chairman Keith Brackpool told Oak Tree officials. "If you reach an agreement with them, that would be a different issue for me." Sherwood Chillingworth, executive vice president of Oak Tree, said late Thursday that he was moving forward to make arrangements to run the fall race at Hollywood Park. However, he didn't rule out the possibility that the board could change its mind. "I'm disappointed," Chillingworth said. "Not that we don't want to go to Hollywood. We've been at Santa Anita for 41 years ... When you've been at one place that long, all we were hoping for is to run the meet and finish up our time there." The TOC's agreement on the issue is needed since the group must enter into a horsemen's agreement with the racing association before the meet can take place."It appears just too chancy for us to say that over the next three or four weeks, we are going to try to go in, correct the situation and be ready to run in five weeks," said TOC Chairman Arnold Zetcher. "That troubles us." Zetcher's statements came after Michael Peterson, an expert on racetracks hired by the board, presented his preliminary findings of a track inspection he conducted last week. Peterson, who stopped short of directly addressing the issue of safety, did say he had issues with the Santa Anita track, particularly about a lack of consistency and unevenness of the racetrack's base. "Given the inconsistency of the false base out there, I have significant concerns about the track," he told the board, noting consistency was important as horses travel around the route to avoid sudden transitions. Peterson said he also had concerns about the number of rocks in the racetrack's surface. Oak Tree and Santa Anita officials tried at the meeting to persuade board members that they could address any problems with the track before the meet begins on Sept. 29. "The safety issue is nonsense," Dr. Rick Arthur, the CHRB's equine medical director and also a member of the Oak Tree board, told the CHRB commissioners. "This is the safest track in the U.S. based on facts, Mr. Chairman." Chillingworth said he has been contacted by at least one trainer that is trying to organize a petition drive to change the board members' mind. But the charitable association, he said, has done all that it could to retain this year's meet at Santa Anita. "I think we have to take the decision that whatever the board did is done and it will have to be someone else to change their mind," he said. Canadian mogul Frank Stronach, chairman of Santa Anita Park owner MI Developments Inc., agreed at a June CHRB meeting that Oak Tree could hold its fall meet one final year at the Arcadia racetrack. Jack Liebau, president of Hollywood Park, said the Inglewood track has always been ready to accommodate Oak Tree. "At this point in time, I don't think there is any other alternative available, either they proceed at Hollywood or they don't conduct the meet at all," Liebau said. "We will do our best to make sure that meet is as successful as possible under the circumstances." 626-578-6300, ext. 4496 This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Horse racing needs time to adapt to changes Posted: 20 Aug 2010 03:16 PM PDT Horse racing needs time to adapt to changes GUEST COLUMN THOMAS LUCHENTO Iam Thomas Luchento, president of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey. In that capacity, I represent the thousands of drivers, trainers, breeders and caretakers who, because of their passion and skill, are engaged in the sport of harness racing.
When racing fans and horsemen from around the world visit the Meadowlands for the first time, they are a little bit like a kid walking into Yankee Stadium or Citizens Bank Park. This is the major leagues. Much like those ballparks, those edifices, the game or the races are the show — the end product. Behind the scenes there are all these hardworking people to lend their support to our industry, who have spent years preparing their horses for competition. It literally takes at least three years — from the time the breeders match a stallion and a mare to the time that foal competes for the first time. Not all of these foals will make it to the races; not many will earn enough to cover the cost it took to breed them and prepare them until they were old enough — age 2 — to race. This is a major investment in time, money and hopes. And it is the reason that thousands of acres — more than 174,000 acres — of the Garden State are still green. For those of you who stray off the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway and travel our county highways in central and southern New Jersey, you know and love that sight of mares and the foals grazing in whitefenced pastures. All of this is in jeopardy. The financial engine that makes this possible is racing at the Meadowlands. If the home to harness racing's most prestigious race, the Hambletonian, is gone, so, too, will the farms. Even now, our breeders are considering offers from developers. Those who entered farmland preservation with the intention of being in agri-business for generations to come are exploring their options to buy back their rights and sell the land for houses, malls and parking lots. Allowing this to happen flies in the face of nearly every indicator of public preference to preserve open space in this state. Consider this when you weigh the future of horse racing in this state. Those few minutes of entertainment and excitement on the track are only a small fraction of what we mean to the state economy. If our industry is diminished or destroyed, all of this will move to the surrounding states, which have the resources to support them. I know some of you think, "Well, here is another industry that wants welfare, that if it cannot sustain itself, it should fade away." But to apply free-market rhetoric to horse racing is to ignore the fact that we have always been a highly regulated and restricted industry. When we thrived, we were the only legal form of gambling in the state. We had nothing to say about decisions that were made to add lotteries and casinos. Both of those competing forms of gambling were allowed to expand well beyond anyone's expectations. Even with the decline in revenues, we were still able to thrive and offer the highest purses in our industry. You may ask why that is important. Horsemen are businessmen. They go where the best money is, and the best horses as well as large fields of horses draw the gamblers whose wagering supports the purses as well as the operation of the track. What has inflicted the greatest damage on us in this decade was the arrival of racinos in surrounding states. The presence of slots or video lottery terminals at competing racetracks in our region has fueled a battle for the best horses and all that it means to the quality of the product. Who built these racinos? Well, in some instances, the very same casino companies that protest when we ask for slots at the Meadowlands, which is twice the distance from their holdings in Pennsylvania. We are still waiting for someone to explain to us why slots in the Meadowlands would be more impactful on the Atlantic City casinos than the slots in Chester, Pa. We are thinking of New Jersey's benefit as well. Why should New Jersey's leadership let these gambling dollars leave the state? Rutgers University researchers counted license plates at Yonkers Raceway, Harrah's at Chester, Philadelphia Park and the Sands in Bethlehem. You have seen that report, and you know that these "convenience" gamblers are not going back to Atlantic City when they can travel shorter distances. Let's bring those bettors back to the Meadowlands, where it will benefit New Jersey. The other day, one of my members asked me, "Why don't you offer the Atlantic City casinos the right to operate the slots at the Meadowlands? How could that not be a winner for them, a winner for racing, which would get a small share, and a winner for the state's treasury?" We ask you the same question. We have made that offer over and over again. We see the casinos are struggling and we are offering them a way to "grow" their business. We do not want to see the parties involved draw a line in the sand and make this a battle between southern New Jersey interests and legislators against the rest of the state. That is not necessary or productive. We know that we need to adapt to the changes in the gaming marketplace and the demands of the 21st century. Our product is still quite wonderful, and horse racing fans are still out there. They may not be filling our grandstands as they once did because they are betting by phone or online. And we need to take steps to make our presentation more appealing to the iPad generation. But that takes funding, and we pledge that if we have a reliable source of income, that we will dedicate a significant amount of dollars to technological upgrades as well as advertising and marketing. These have all suffered in recent years. The horsemen of New Jersey were never the decision makers at the racetracks. All we did was work hard, show up and put on the show — the races. Now we are being asked to take on the responsibility of saving our industry. We need time. All we are asking is that officials not act quickly to close the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. We need time to explore various plans, engage in the due diligence that anyone would do, and come up with a proper business plan. We would very much like to thank state Sens. Stephen Sweeney and Jim Whelan for understanding our situation and coming out in favor of keeping the racetracks open. We look forward to working with all the members of this commission to secure the future of a healthy racing industry. Thomas Luchento is the president of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Yahoo! News Search Results for horse racing To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment