“Horse racing-Home still best for Asia's top jockeys” plus 2 more |
- Horse racing-Home still best for Asia's top jockeys
- Horse-racing supporters on enemy ground at Atlantic City gaming summit
- HORSE RACING: Mechanicville trainer Chad Brown at the top of his game
| Horse racing-Home still best for Asia's top jockeys Posted: 06 Aug 2010 02:30 AM PDT Racing's desire to become a truly global sport is being hampered by the more mundane domestic matters of its biggest Asian names -- a family and a regular pay day. Yasunari Iwata and Luke Nolen, champion jockeys in Japan and Australia respectively, ride at Ascot on Saturday in the Shergar Cup, an international jockeys' challenge. Although the thrill of competing with the best jockeys from around the world is important to the pair of acclaimed riders, they would both rather be at home with their families and riding out regular work. "If wasn't married, I would love be an ambassador for Japanese racing," Iwata told Reuters. "I have a wife and family now and I earn a decent living at home. It would be difficult for me to stay abroad for a long time." Iwata and Nolen join forces with leading South African jockey Anton Marcus in the Rest of the World team and the international trio will ride against teams from Britain, Europe and Ireland in six races. 'GREAT JOCKEYS' Points are awarded for the first five finishers in each race, with the leading rider of the day given the 'Silver Saddle' trophy. "Going abroad improves your skills as a jockey," continued Iwata, who was the first Japanese rider to win the Melbourne Cup in 2006, his first ride outside his homeland. "It is difficult to say how good a jockey I am. So competing against riders like Christophe Soumillon and Olivier Peslier allows me to compare myself to these great jockeys. "Soumillon often rides in Japan, and I've seen him. I'd love to be as stylish and as powerful as him." Nolen follows in the footsteps of compatriot Hugh Bowman, who won the Silver Saddle in 2007. Nolen is a ferocious competitor in his native Victoria. He has seven plates in his face from a horrific fall in 2008. Fresh from being crowned champion state jockey, he is in the form of his life but is not about to make this short sojourn a regular habit. "I'm not really interested in riding abroad," said Nolan, who has never crossed the equator before. "I've got a really good job at home. I ride for
Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Horse-racing supporters on enemy ground at Atlantic City gaming summit Posted: 06 Aug 2010 08:40 AM PDT A gaming summit at the Atlantic City Convention Center on Friday was supposed to focus on that city's struggling casino industry. But a red-jacketed, black-hatted bugler playing the traditional "call to the post" to kick off the meeting was the first clue that the struggling horse-racing industry was determined to have its say as well. White and green "Save the Meadowlands" T-shirts, supplied by the state's standardbred horse industry, dotted the crowd of almost 500. Applause broke out on several occasions when speakers talked about saving horse racing in the state or suggested that the casinos get subsidies from the state equivalent to those given to the horse industry. State Sens. Paul Sarlo, D-Wood-Ridge, and James Whelan, D-Atlantic, clashed after the crowd applauded Sarlo's call for a "high-class Meadowlands casino." "I guarantee I can bring in 300 construction workers, and they can hoot and holler, too," Whelan said sharply, referring to the building projects a revitalized Atlantic City would bring. Still, Whelan was conciliatory after the marathon six-hour meeting — perhaps because more than 150 supporters of the equine industry had departed by midway through the summit. "It's a public meeting, so the public will show up," Whelan said, adding that he signaled for the bugler to start the music in the spirit of cooperation. Asked if he was tempted to invite a large contingent of construction workers to a second summit, this one focusing on horse racing, in the Meadowlands next month, Whelan replied, "It's a temptation I'll resist." Many panel members — all 10 of them Democrats — and speakers applauded a June report by Jon F. Hanson, an adviser to Governor Christie, on how the state should handle the casino industry, horse racing and the Meadowlands Sports Complex. But the details — and in some cases, a lack of them — drew a variety of objections. Christie's insistence that the "North vs. South" state rivalry must be set aside did not prevent some sparks from flying on questions about how to save the casinos and the horse tracks. Mark Juliano, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey, insisted that bringing video lottery terminals to the Meadowlands Racetrack would be devastating to South Jersey's economy. "It would be like putting a bullet into one of the state's largest industries," Juliano said in his testimony. "Would New Jersey do this to its pharmaceutical industry?" Sarlo criticized Harrah's for opening new casinos in eastern Pennsylvania while being part of an Atlantic City casino coalition that opposes a Meadowlands casino. "Are you afraid of competition or not?" Sarlo asked rhetorically. But Juliano and state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, insisted that ending Atlantic City's statewide monopoly on gaming would greatly discourage new development in the city. The panel described the summits — a third will take place in Trenton — as a method to allow the state Democratic Party to come up with alternatives to the Hanson report. "We need reform where needed and revolution where required," said Assemblyman John Burzichelli, D-Gloucester. Sarlo, like many of the panel members, said he considered the report to be far more favorable for the casino industry than for the equine industry or the sports complex. He said it was like asking state officials to "choose among its children." Mike Capelli, executive secretary for the New Jersey Regional Council of Carpenters, said his union — which in good times has enjoyed "close to full employment" in the Atlantic City area — is experiencing roughly 30 percent unemployment. Kevin DeSanctis, the chief executive of the long-delayed Revel casino in Atlantic City, said that "people think that construction has stopped, when in reality it is slowed." The unemployment rate among members of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 322 is about 50 percent, said union representative Jim Kehoe. He said that a revival of the stalled Revel project would immediately employ at least 300 members of his union. DeSanctis said he expected to find funding to complete the $2 billion casino — abandoned several months ago by developer Morgan Stanley — by the end of the year. That could allow for a mid-2012 opening. He said that a $60 million roadway improvement project near the site would begin this month. Suggestions for reviving the Atlantic City casinos included greatly expanding the local airport, making the casinos completely smoke-free and increasing the police presence in the Boardwalk area. E-mail: brennan@northjersey.com A gaming summit at the Atlantic City Convention Center on Friday was supposed to focus on that city's struggling casino industry.  AMY NEWMAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The summit focused on a report issued last month by an adviser to Governor Christie that aims to overhaul the city's casino district as well as its image. But a red-jacketed, black-hatted bugler playing the traditional "call to the post" to kick off the meeting was the first clue that the struggling horse-racing industry was determined to have its say as well. White and green "Save the Meadowlands" T-shirts, supplied by the state's standardbred horse industry, dotted the crowd of almost 500. Applause broke out on several occasions when speakers talked about saving horse racing in the state or suggested that the casinos get subsidies from the state equivalent to those given to the horse industry. State Sens. Paul Sarlo, D-Wood-Ridge, and James Whelan, D-Atlantic, clashed after the crowd applauded Sarlo's call for a "high-class Meadowlands casino." "I guarantee I can bring in 300 construction workers, and they can hoot and holler, too," Whelan said sharply, referring to the building projects a revitalized Atlantic City would bring. Still, Whelan was conciliatory after the marathon six-hour meeting — perhaps because more than 150 supporters of the equine industry had departed by midway through the summit. "It's a public meeting, so the public will show up," Whelan said, adding that he signaled for the bugler to start the music in the spirit of cooperation. Asked if he was tempted to invite a large contingent of construction workers to a second summit, this one focusing on horse racing, in the Meadowlands next month, Whelan replied, "It's a temptation I'll resist." Many panel members — all 10 of them Democrats — and speakers applauded a June report by Jon F. Hanson, an adviser to Governor Christie, on how the state should handle the casino industry, horse racing and the Meadowlands Sports Complex. But the details — and in some cases, a lack of them — drew a variety of objections. Christie's insistence that the "North vs. South" state rivalry must be set aside did not prevent some sparks from flying on questions about how to save the casinos and the horse tracks. Mark Juliano, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey, insisted that bringing video lottery terminals to the Meadowlands Racetrack would be devastating to South Jersey's economy. "It would be like putting a bullet into one of the state's largest industries," Juliano said in his testimony. "Would New Jersey do this to its pharmaceutical industry?" Sarlo criticized Harrah's for opening new casinos in eastern Pennsylvania while being part of an Atlantic City casino coalition that opposes a Meadowlands casino. "Are you afraid of competition or not?" Sarlo asked rhetorically. But Juliano and state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, insisted that ending Atlantic City's statewide monopoly on gaming would greatly discourage new development in the city. The panel described the summits — a third will take place in Trenton — as a method to allow the state Democratic Party to come up with alternatives to the Hanson report. "We need reform where needed and revolution where required," said Assemblyman John Burzichelli, D-Gloucester. Sarlo, like many of the panel members, said he considered the report to be far more favorable for the casino industry than for the equine industry or the sports complex. He said it was like asking state officials to "choose among its children." Mike Capelli, executive secretary for the New Jersey Regional Council of Carpenters, said his union — which in good times has enjoyed "close to full employment" in the Atlantic City area — is experiencing roughly 30 percent unemployment. Kevin DeSanctis, the chief executive of the long-delayed Revel casino in Atlantic City, said that "people think that construction has stopped, when in reality it is slowed." Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| HORSE RACING: Mechanicville trainer Chad Brown at the top of his game Posted: 06 Aug 2010 02:12 AM PDT SARATOGA SPRINGS —With a couple of years as his own boss already under his belt, Chad Brown is beyond just trying to establish himself on the thoroughbred-racing scene. The trainer and Saratoga Springs resident (when he's not traveling for work) is one of the many enticing stories already unfolding at this year's young version of the historic racing meet at Saratoga Race Course. Brown, who grew up in Mechanicville, has come a long way since he was a boy spending time at the track with his family and friends, dreaming of one day taking part in the legendary races with a stable of his own. He's now living that dream. Through Friday, July 30, Brown was holding a slim lead over the powerful Todd Pletcher stable in the Saratoga trainer standings, Brown has built up his resume pretty quickly over the past few years, including a Breeders' Cup win in his rookie season when Maram edged out Heart Shaped in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at Oaklawn at Santa Anita in October 2008. Already with six victories through the first week of the Saratoga meet, Brown will be in the spotlight today when his flagship filly Maram starts in the Grade I Diana Handicap to take on a talented field of older females. "We're looking forward to it," Brown said of Maram's opportunity in the Diana. "It's a really tough field but she's 2-for-2 at the track — 2-for-2 at Saratoga — and everything's going good at the barn. It's time to give her a shot at a Grade I." Maram broke her maiden at Saratoga on Aug. 25, 2008 as a 2-year-old, then went on to win the Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont before winning her Breeders' Cup race. She came back to Saratoga last year and won the one-mile John Hettinger overnight stakes on the turf, on Aug. 8, too. "She's a good horse," Brown said of the 4-year-old. Maram's most recent success came on the Fourth of July of this year, taking the Miss Liberty Stakes at Monmouth Park and giving her the proper preparation to face a strong field like today's — a field that includes multiple stakes winners, including champion Forever Together, going for an unprecedented third straight win in the Diana. Forever Together handled Brown's Quiet Meadow in last year's Diana for her second straight win. Brown, who worked as an understudy for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey before transferring his duties to the late Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel, first made a splash in the Spa City when he won with his first entry at Saratoga Race Course in 2008 — the first race of the meet that year — with Star Player. He went on to post a solid winning percentage, going 6-for-18 with his charges throughout that Saratoga meet. His consitstent success has allowed his business to grow, with Brown improving each year and generating more horses and more opportunities for his stable. "The important thing is that the horses stay healthy and sound," he said. "If the horses stay healthy and sound, and the right races (are available) for the right horses, and the weather cooperates … that's what we need (to be successful)." So far, all the factors have aligned quite nicely and Brown's sitting pretty with six wins after seven days of the meet. "We're just going to focus on the spots that I've picked out, regardless if we're in front (of the standings), if we're behind, or whatever," Brown said. "We're just going to stay focused, entry-day to entry-day, on what I have planned on doing." Brown, who currently has horses stabled at Belmont Park and Saratoga — 50 of them spread among barns on the Oklahoma Training Track and select barns at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway — has not only been winning enough to be tops for trainers, but he's been winning at an incredible percentage rate. He's won with six of his 10 starters at the meet and has been in the money with eight. But it certainly doesn't come easy. "A lot of traveling and a lot of hours of work," Brown said of the demands of his chosen career." There are a lot of hours of work — thousands and thousands of hours." It has its payoffs, too, though. To be able to return to his favorite racetrack, for the meet he waited for every year until it made its annual return, and be able to compete against some of the best trainers in the game, all while working with some of the best jockeys, owners and horsemen in the sport, makes him realize just how lucky he is, though. "That's a big part of it," he said. "It makes it all worth while." And as much as Brown would love to win the Saratoga training title for himself, it would also be a proper tribute to Frankel, one of the trainers who helped Brown get where he is today, to keep doing what he has been doing throughout the first week of the meet. Frankel passed away in November 2009 following a long battle with illness. "It'll probably never really be the same," Brown said of working in the horse racing business without Frankel around. "We just kind of have to go on and do the best I can to make him proud." Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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