July, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Blue Grass Farms Charities’ Monster Bash Postponed

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Directors for Blue Grass Farms Charities (BGFC) have postponed the upcoming “Monster Bash” Masquerade Ball, an annual fundraising event which was scheduled to be held at Limestone Hall in Lexington Oct. 30. Also, a date for the charities’ annual online auction has yet to be determined but will be conducted this season.
“Creativity is the key word in fundraising this year,” states Julie Berry, Executive Director. “We began our ‘Gallop and Graze’ campaign for the next six months to raise funds to offset benevolent costs the charity is incurring due to the pandemic. Plans are being made for the online auction to take place sometime this Fall. Our auction committee members are working diligently to find unique objects to bid on that will not only be exciting but hard-to-find items, as well.”
For more information on the online auction or to make a contribution to the ‘Gallop and Graze’ Campaign, visit www.bgfcky.org.

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It’s Official: Art Collector To Use Ellis Park Derby As ‘Steppingstone’ To First Saturday In September

Bruce Lunsford's 3-year-old colt Art Collector, winner of Keeneland's Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes in his last start, is coming to the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby on Aug. 9, trainer Tommy Drury told the track this week.

The Ellis Park Derby, with its purse doubled and distance extended from a mile to 1 1/8 miles, this year is part of the official Kentucky Derby Championship Series. The Ellis Park Derby winner receives 50 points toward qualifying for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, a number that virtually assures a spot in the 20-horse field at Churchill Downs. The runner-up receives 20 points, with 10 for third and five for fourth.

While COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the world, the pandemic did deliver the first-ever Kentucky Derby prep to Ellis Park's summer meet because of the delay to America's greatest horse race.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to even have the race to begin with,” said Jeff Hall, Ellis Park's director of racing operations who has lived in Henderson most of his life and has worked for the track for around 30 years. “To have one of the top horses in the country coming here to run, right now is our time to shine with this. We couldn't be more thrilled.”

Art Collector already has secured a spot in the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby, thanks to earning 100 points with his July 11 Blue Grass victory under regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr.

Since that race, Drury and Lunsford have said that the options were to train the eight weeks up to the Derby or to run at Ellis Park. Shipping to upstate New York for Saratoga's Grade 1 Travers on Aug. 8 was never under consideration for Art Collector, who resumed training last Wednesday at Drury's major base at the Skylight Training Center in Oldham County.

“Bruce kind of left the decision up to me,” Drury said. “I felt we needed to go somewhere, and that was our only option. Before I said too much, I just wanted to make sure my horse came out of the Keeneland race OK and everything was in good order. Now that we're back on the track and seeing him train, gosh, if anything it seems like he's better. The timing of it is going to be good leading up to the Derby. That's the ultimate goal, and we're going to try to take our best shot.”

Drury is using the Ellis Park Derby for conditioning purposes, with hot weather expected to impact how he trains Art Collector in the mornings. The goal is to win the Ellis Park Derby but not to “gut” the horse in the process.

“The good news is that it's not a have-to-win situation,” he said. “If at any point Brian feels like we're not getting the trip or things aren't going the way we need it to go, we don't have to abuse him to win the race. We just want to get the race under our belt. This isn't the long-term goal. This is just a steppingstone to get us there.

“If this was the fall of the year and we were having nice cool days, that puts a whole different spin on it. But being the time of year it is, taking the weather into consideration, I think we're better off to go down and run the race one day. On the day-to-day type stuff, that's going to allow us to keep him in the same routine he's been in thus far.”

Lunsford and Drury are lifelong Louisvillians, while Hernandez has lived in the area since he began riding full-time in 2004. Lunsford also has a lot of close friends in western Kentucky.

“Bruce is thrilled,” Drury said of running in the Ellis Park Derby. “He's a Kentucky guy and he wants to support Kentucky racing. He thought it was a great idea. Ellis Park has gone above and beyond to help the horsemen and to have their meet. Hopefully having a horse like Art Collector in their big race helps them a little bit. Hopefully it's good for all of us.

“The ultimate goal is to run this horse the first Saturday in September, and this is a perfect steppingstone to get us there. The fact that we're able to do it without leaving the state, that's icing on the cake. Shipping around this time of year, it's a little harder on horses. It's hot, the humidity is up. It takes a little more out of them. To be able to zip right down the road, run your horse and have him sleep in his own stall that night, that plays as big a part in it as anything.”

Said Lunsford: “You could try to train him up to the Kentucky Derby. That's a long eight weeks. You don't want to start working horses quick; you might as well just have a race. We've got four weeks to get ready. There are a lot of things I love about Ellis anyway, and it gives me a chance to give back. They've always been good to me. Every time I've been in politics, I've won every time in Henderson. I know a lot of people down there. And I think Brian and Tommy are excited about doing this.

“You know what? My goal is, if this horse is as good I hope he is, that we can kind of call this Louisville's hope, all Louisville guys,” he said, jokingly adding, “It's like a basketball game — I'd ask for a 'white out' for all the people for us. It could be fun.”

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Kentucky Downs To Open New Historical Horse Racing Hall In September

Kentucky Downs is betting big with the opening of a new 30,000 square-foot historical horse racing (HHR) gaming hall in early September—just in time for its famous live horse racing meet.

The Mint Gaming Hall at Kentucky Downs will add more than 600 all-new historical horse racing terminals and other amenities that will include a new multi-media Center Bar with an adjacent entertainment stage and a new high-limit betting area. Guests can also join the brand-new Mint Rewards loyalty program that will offer players more benefits, bonuses and recognition, including complimentary food and beverage and tickets to partner events.

The addition of The Mint Gaming Hall is the first of a multi-phase expansion and growth plan that began last year under Kentucky Downs' new ownership. Kentucky Downs was sold in March 2019 to a new partnership headed by prominent horseman and entrepreneur Ron Winchell and well-known gaming and investment-banking executive Marc Falcone. Upon completion of the entire project in early 2021, Kentucky Downs will offer a total of approximately 1,100 HHR games in the 110,000 square-foot facility that will include several new restaurant and dining options and other additional amenities.

“We are looking forward to being bigger and better than ever in September, while remaining focused on current safety protocols for the safety and health of our guests and team,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs' senior vice president and general manager. “We are always seeking ways to enhance the guest experience and can't wait to provide more food and beverage offerings, more live music and more entertainment.”

The multi-phase expansion is expected to add more than 75 new jobs with positions in food and beverage, housekeeping, security, gaming technology and marketing. In 2019, Kentucky Downs provided more than $20 million in state/local taxes, wages and benefits and charitable contributions to local Kentucky and Tennessee communities.

“Our growth continues to solidify Kentucky Downs' role as an economic engine for the Franklin-Simpson area and beyond as both an attraction and an employer,” Nicholson said.

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The Next Generation with Sam Bussanich

The TDN has partnered with Amplify Horse Racing to present “The Next Generation,” an ongoing video series featuring young people who were not born into the Thoroughbred business, but are now excelling within the industry.

The only thing six-year-old Samantha Bussanich needed was a trip to Calder Race Course with her grandfather to know that racing was the sport for her. Flash forward less than twenty years later, and she’s now an alumna of the University of Kentucky, and has made a name for herself in many sectors of Lexington’s Thoroughbred industry from racing, to breeding, to marketing. ‘Sam’ just wrapped up a three-year stint working for top trainer Mark Casse, and is now preparing to board a plane for Ireland in a few weeks to begin her journey with the Godolphin Flying Start program.

One of Sam’s favorite moments in racing was when she joined Casse trainee War of Will (War Front) in the winner’s circle for the Preakness S. in 2019. She wanted other young people to experience that same thrill in racing, so she and two friends founded Nexus Racing Club, an organization dedicated to promoting youth participation in racing through partnerships with established owners.

KR: How did you get involved in horse racing?

SB: I got involved in racing when my grandfather took me to Calder racetrack when I was about six years old. Ever since then, I have loved horse racing. And then I got into riding horses, and I went to the University of Kentucky.

What I love about the horse racing industry is the competitive nature of it. I’m a very competitive person. I played basketball growing up in high school, so when that ended, I needed something to replace that in my life, and horse racing is definitely a good replacement.

KR: What is your favorite part about the business?

SB: I have two different favorite parts I would say. One is watching the 2-year-olds develop and seeing them hopefully become great racehorses. And then the second part is the team aspect. I enjoy working with everyone and it makes waking up at four in the morning a lot easier when you have a good barn to go to every morning.

KR: What was it like being a total newcomer in the industry?

SB: I do think there are a lot of challenges to not being born in the sport. I moved from New Jersey to Lexington to go to the University of Kentucky, which not everyone can do. So I do think there needs to be more ways to get involved in the industry. A few friends of mine and I created Nexus Racing Club, and there’s also Amplify Horse Racing.

Right now, just trying to get new ways of getting people involved in the sport is a little bit challenging because you do have to work. You have to be outgoing. You have to talk to people and kind of really make your own path for yourself.

KR: Tell us more about Nexus Racing Club.

SB: So two friends and I co-founded Nexus Racing Club in 2017. We thought there needed to be a better way to get new people involved in the industry because the barrier of entry was so high to get into the sport. So Nexus Racing Club partners with owners, and we have leases on racehorses. We also do a lot of networking opportunities to just try and reach out to young people ages 18 to 30, to get them involved in the sport. We think it’s really important because it is hard to get into this sport , and [so we want to] teach them the sport in an easy way because sometimes it does get a little complicated.

KR: Can you tell us about your career path and where you are today?

SB: I was a double major in Marketing and Equine Science and Management at the University of Kentucky. I started working for Mark Casse my sophomore year of college. Now I’ve graduated and I’m still working for him. I also interned for Godolphin and for Keeneland’s marketing department. I think it’s been really good to have all those different experiences in the office and with the horses working hands on with them.

I got into the Godolphin Flying Start program, which starts in August. After that, I’m not really sure what I’m going to do. I’m going to take it day by day. Luckily, this industry offers so much with so many different aspects of what you can do with your career, so I’m going to learn and see what I want to do.

KR: If there was one thing you could change about the industry, what would it be?

SB: I think something that I would change in the sport is make the start time a little bit later at the track every morning. It is hard to get new people, especially people my age involved when you say, “Oh, you have to get up at four every morning to get to the barn by 4:30.” So even if we pushed it back an hour, I think that would help and get more people out to the track in the mornings to work.

KR: Who is your all-time favorite horse?

SB: My all-time favorite Thoroughbred is War of Will. That’s always changing for me, but right now it is War of Will. He’s taken me on some of the best experiences of my life. He gave me the best day of my life when he won the Preakness. He’s just such a cool horse. He’s so smart and easygoing, and we all love him so much.

It’s been so rewarding to just watch him develop with all different strings. He’s been in Canada, New York, Florida and Kentucky. He’s also been at the farm for a while. So everyone that’s a part of Team Casse got to be around him. He really is a team Casse kind of horse because everyone has gotten their hands on him. So, he’s rewarded everyone in the program.

KR: What are some of your career goals?

SB: My career goal is not only to better the industry, but to make it easier for younger people to get involved. I want to be someone that hopefully a young girl will reach out to and say, “Hey, how do I get another step forward in this industry?” Hopefully I’ll be easy to reach, provide them with some good advice and make them want to stay and work in the industry.

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