March, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Jason Wilson Named Chief Operating Officer Of 1/ST Content

1/ST Content, the innovative operating group for all of 1/ST's media and content companies, has announced the appointment of respected industry executive Jason Wilson as chief operating officer.

Wilson will work directly with Aidan Butler, president, 1/ST Content, to further develop and align the company's North American and international content businesses. He will focus on innovating Thoroughbred racing content programs and building competitive platforms to service customers in dynamic new ways.

“I am thrilled to have Jason, a well-known and knowledgeable industry executive who shares our vision for the future of our sport, as part of the 1/ST team,” said Butler. “Jason's appointment as chief operating officer is an important next step for 1/ST Content as we continue to harness new technologies and modernize the way racing content is produced and distributed.”

“I look forward to working with Belinda Stronach, Craig Fravel, Aidan and the entire 1/ST team to establish the 1/ST Content division as the future of content platforms for Thoroughbred racing,” said Wilson. “My own vision for the future of modern racing directly aligns with the 1/ST vision to reimagine racing as a competitive sports product for a new generation of customers and fans alike.”

Wilson previously served as president and chief operating officer for Equibase Company, the Thoroughbred industry's official database of racing information and statistics and as the vice president of business development for The Jockey Club and president of TJC Media Ventures.

“The Jockey Club and especially Equibase have been honored to have Jason represent us over the past decade,” said Ian Highet, secretary-treasurer of The Jockey Club and chairman of Equibase Company. “Jason's passion for the sport, his insights into how to improve it, and his quality of work will be missed, and they will serve him well in his new position with 1/ST Content.”

Prior to joining The Jockey Club, he spent three years as the assistant general counsel for SoftNet Systems, Inc./Aerzone Corporation in San Francisco and later served as an associate in the Healthcare Investment Banking group of Deutsche Bank Securities and as vice president in the real estate, gaming and lodging group of Banc of America Securities.

For more information on 1/ST Content please visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_Racing on social.

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Golden Gate Fields Files Suit Against Activists

In response to an animal rights-driven disruption to live racing earlier this month at Golden Gate Fields, the company which owns the facility has filed suit against the party responsible, Direct Action Everywhere, a self-described global grassroots animal rights network.

On Mar. 4, four animal rights protestors ran on to the track before the first race, lighting flairs and chaining themselves together with inter-locking pipes over their arms. The organization also flew a drone over the action, which was used to broadcast a live feed of events via Facebook.

Once police removed the protestors, Golden Gate Fields conducted the delayed card later that day.

The suit, first reported by the San Jose Mercury-News, was filed Mar. 9 in Alameda County Superior Court, and seeks, among other requests, a temporary restraining order against the defendants, and damages of an amount “to be proven at trial.”

Also documented in the suit is the resulting disruption that day to a vaccination drive being conducted on the racetrack grounds.

“The Berkeley Public Health Division was forced to cancel approximately 200 vaccination appointments scheduled for that day,” the filing states. “Defendants' misconduct therefore not only damaged the GGF business but also risked public health and safety.”

The suit specifically lists four members of the animal rights organization–Omar Aicardi, Rachel Ziegler, Rocky Chau and James Crom–believed to be the ones responsible for the disruption.

The suit adds, however, that these are believed to be “fictitiously-named defendants,” and that plaintiffs will seek to amend this complaint “to set forth their true names and capacities when ascertained.”

In a statement, Direct Action Everywhere quotes Chau, who is named in the suit.

“The billionaires pulling the strings here have no regard for horses or workers, and they want to crush anyone who stands in their way. But money can't stop the changing tide of public sentiment. Threats and lawsuits will not stop us from working to end animal racing in the Bay Area and beyond,” Chau is stated as saying.

The Bay Area racetrack has been under a fierce local spotlight lately, due largely to a significant COVID-19 outbreak within the facility at the end of last year that saw hundreds of workers contract the virus.

The prior October, Berkeley City officials wrote the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) requesting an investigation into equine fatalities at the track.

The CHRB responded with a letter explaining how catastrophic injury rates at the track had remained flat compared to the year prior, before listing a series of increased medication and safety measures the board had recently undertaken state-wide, and intended modifications for the future, including those specifically geared towards Golden Gate.

The suit appears to try to pre-empt expected further actions from Direct Action Everywhere, which is calling for Golden Gate Fields to be shut down.

“Defendants are planning, and will continue, to engage in similar unlawful actions in the future until Defendants achieve their stated goal of shutting down the horse racing business,” the suit states.

On their website, Direct Action Everywhere advertises a meetup scheduled for this weekend to discuss “disruption strategies and tools.”

TDN reached out to a representative for Golden Gate Fields but has not yet received a response.

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Promising Sophomore Cazadero Headlines Saturday’s Gazebo Stakes At Oaklawn

Grade 3 winner Cazadero is the 9-5 program favorite for the $150,000 Gazebo Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters Saturday at Oaklawn.

The Gazebo headlines an 11-race card, with probable post time 5:52 p.m. (Central). The 6-furlong Gazebo is the 10th race. Racing begins Saturday at 1 p.m., and the infield will be open, weather permitting.

Cazadero, who races for his breeder, Stonestreet Farm, and Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, will be making his first start since finishing fifth as the favorite in the $150,000 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) Aug. 7 at Saratoga. Stablemate Jackie's Warrior won the Saratoga Special and was runner-up in voting for an Eclipse Award as the country's champion 2-year-old male.

In his first two starts, Cazadero was a front-running 8 ¾-length winner of his May 29 debut at Churchill Downs, then captured the $100,000 Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) by 4 ¾ lengths June 27 at Churchill Downs.

A son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, Cazadero has been ridden in his three races by seven-time Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr.

“Cazadero showed a lot of promise,” Santana said. “So glad to be back on him.”

Cazadero has been based this winter at Fair Grounds. Asmussen will also send out unbeaten Jaxon Traveler (3 for 3), who hasn't started since winning the restricted $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Futurity Dec. 5 at Laurel.

Both Cazadero and Jaxon Traveler will be racing on Lasix for the first time Saturday.

The projected six-horse Gazebo field from the rail out: Sir Wellington, Alex Canchari to ride, 119 pounds, 7-2 on the morning line; Dusty Hill, Terry Thompson, 117, 8-1; Lock Up, David Cabrera, 117, 10-1; Jaxon Traveler, Francisco Arrieta, 119, 5-2; Game Day Play, Ramon Vazquez, 119, 3-1; and Cazadero, Ricardo Santana Jr., 119, 9-5.

Sir Wellington won the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes Dec. 12 at Fair Grounds and exits a runner-up finish behind unbeaten Swiftsure – another Asmussen trainee – in a Jan. 23 allowance race at Oaklawn. Sir Wellington finished second to Jaxon Traveler, beaten four lengths, in a first-level allowance race Oct. 23 at Laurel.

“He runs good all the time,” said Mac Robertson, who trains Sir Wellington for Extreme Racing Stables LLC (Vickie McGowan). “I thought he ran a good race last time. A couple of Asmussen's look a little better on paper, but we'll see how we do.”

Asmussen is seeking his second Gazebo victory and 93rd career Oaklawn stakes triumph.

Game Day Play, who is trained by Bret Calhoun, won the $60,000 Clever Trevor Stakes Oct. 30 at Remington Park.

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Letters to the Editor: Benard Chatters

Benard Chatters, Louisiana Owner-Breeder-Trainer, President, Louisiana HBPA

Bill Finley, in his Mar. 17th TDN opinion piece–“Horsemen's Groups Turn Their Backs on Honest Trainers, Owners”–criticizes the National HBPA for challenging the legality of a private non-governmental regulatory scheme for the horse industry, established by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (“HISA”). He wrote, “It's hard to imagine that there is one horseman anywhere who cares one bit whether or not HISA is unconstitutional or not.” Well, it doesn't require any imagination to understand why horsemen believe rules governing their livelihood and the well-being of their horses should be lawfully written and enforced by a responsible government agency.

Mr. Finley makes claims that are completely false. The statement that the “only reason to have HISA overturned would be that they prefer the status quo…that rewards cheats at the expense of the very people who make up the majority of their membership” is absolutely absurd. That particular claim is not true and it does a disservice to the thousands of honest trainers and owners represented by the National HBPA and its affiliates who are not among the 150 or so members of The Jockey Club, the principal lobbyist for HISA.

Mr. Finley, of course, is free to voice his opinion, but as someone once said, “you are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.”

Is there cheating in our industry? Yes. Is it widespread? No. Unfortunately, Finley's fact-free opinion urging support for HISA ignores the objective evidence.

In the past five years, hundreds of thousands of pre-race and post-race drug tests throughout the country by professional accredited testing laboratories found that less than 0.06% were positive for drugs having no business being in a horse other than cheating. That is a far cry from the rampant corruption asserted by Mr. Finley in his support of HISA.

Let me end by saying the National HBPA has always condemned cheaters and believes they should be kicked out of the industry. And we support uniform medication and safety rules along with their strict enforcement. No doubt improvements can be made to the status quo, but an unconstitutional HISA is not the answer.

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