Jessica Harrington: Horses have been my ‘therapy’ during breast cancer treatment
Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Jessica Harrington says her horses have been a "massive help" as she continues her treatment for breast cancer.
Month: May 2023
Harrington: Horses Have Been “The Best Therapy” During Breast Cancer Battle
Jessica Harrington, who will bid to win her first Betfred Derby with Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), has described working with horses as “the best therapy” in her breast cancer battle.
Sprewell was an impressive winner of a Group 3 Derby trial at Leopardstown earlier this month and the 76-year-old trainer believes the colt has what it takes to provide her with a breakthrough victory in the Epsom Classic.
Speaking on a Zoom call organised by The Jockey Club, Harrington said, “I've been delighted with him. We knew he'd come on over the winter and he's run two good, solid races.
“He's come out of the Leopardstown run very well and we were delighted with him. He definitely stepped forward from there again and we're looking forward to Saturday week.”
Harrington added on the general 12-1 chance for the Derby, “I think the step up to a-mile-and-a-half will suit him–he ran through the line very strong (at Leopardstown) and he's a very strong and relaxed horse, which is the main thing.
“Nothing seems to faze him and I think going the mile-and-a-half will suit him because I think he'll settle well, which he had done in both of his races this year.”
Harrington was diagnosed with breast cancer late last year. The dual Classic-winning trainer has spoken about how working in a busy yard has been a therapy during her recuperation and described her daughters Emma [Galway] and Kate as a massive help in ensuring the smooth running of the yard during that time.
She explained, “Things are great and I'm lucky enough to have finished the worst part of it now that the chemo is done. We're moving on to the next stage now and it'll take a bit longer, but I hope that I'll be out and about again very shortly.
“The horses really have been a massive help to me and I'm really lucky to have a massive support team here.”
She added, “My daughters Kate and Emma and my son-in-law [Richie Galway] have been around all winter keeping things going and I did my best to get out every single day that I could to look at the horses, because that was the best therapy that I reckoned I had.
“I went racing last Friday to Leopardstown. I didn't actually go on Sunday, but I go when it's nice and near and when I can. I'd be most likely to watch the Derby from home, but I'll see how I get on.”
The post Harrington: Horses Have Been “The Best Therapy” During Breast Cancer Battle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
National Thoroughbred League Unveiled; Six Cities To Have ‘Teams’
The National Thoroughbred League (NTL) announced on Tuesday a new, first-of-its-kind racing league, reimagining America's oldest spectator sport by creating a team-based professional sports league.
In creating city-based teams, the NTL encourages the same kind of civic pride and natural rivalries that occur in most major sports. Each NTL race weekend will take place in one team's city, creating an opportunity for fans to root for their home squad – and their favorite horses. In returning its best horses to compete month after month, year after year, the NTL creates long-term stars, like every other sport, rather than immediately retiring top performers to breed.
With a weekend-long festival-like atmosphere, akin to Formula I, featuring food and fashion, concerts, and parties, the NTL makes race weekends a lifestyle. The race days themselves will be reimagined, with pageantry and action between races, creating an experience unlike anything in the 300-year history of this great sport. The league debuts over Labor Day weekend 2023 in Nashville and will include a major concert and a whiskey and bourbon lawn party, featuring Pappy Van Winkle. Other highlights include a trackside celebrity chef competition at the New York Cup, in partnership with the New York City Wine and Food Festival, and a blowout New Year's Eve championship weekend at Tampa Bay Downs.
The NTL will debut as one of the first truly co-ed sports leagues, featuring both fillies and colts (as well as male and female jockeys), competing on the same teams at these multirace competitions. The NTL places the health and safety of its equine athletes as its top priority – a league structure allows for centralized oversight over all safety protocols, led by an independent chief safety officer, who can mandate which horses can run, adding an extra safety layer on top of adherence to the new standards set by the federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA). The competitions, or Cups, will generally consist of a three-race series, run consecutively, with horses from each of the six teams entered in every race, accruing points to determine the overall winner, and offering simpler ways to bet. The championship at the end of the season takes home a $1 million grand prize.
The six original teams will represent New York, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Seattle, Nashville, and Philadelphia, with names, logos, and uniforms to be unveiled next month. The inaugural 2023 NTL Season One Schedule will be:
September 2-3: Nashville (Kentucky Downs)
September 15-16: Seattle (Emerald Downs)
October 13-14: New York and New Jersey (Meadowlands Racetrack)
November 10-11: Los Angeles (Los Alamitos Race Course)
December 30-31: Tampa – Championship Weekend (Tampa Bay Downs)
Tickets will go on sale starting Tuesday, May 23, and can be found at the NTL official site here.
Co-Founded by Randall Lane, the chief content officer for Forbes and a long-time events creator, and Robert Daugherty, a leading American investor, and educator, the NTL is reimagining the sport for a new audience. Sitting beside Lane and Daugherty are other high-profile owners who will bring the NTL to life, among them Nelly, Rick Ross, and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
“My grandfather spent his entire life at the track and taught me so much respect for this sport and the horses within it,” said Lane, who lives in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. “It's so exciting to reimagine it all for new fans and a new generation.”
“Thoroughbred racing is a great American tradition and one that taught me more about math than any class,” said Daugherty, who lives in Del Mar, Calif. “I can't wait to share that, in a way that prioritizes the safety of our athletes.”
Lane and Daugherty are also owner-operators for the New York and California teams, respectively. Managing partners in the other markets feature top financiers and entrepreneurs, including Joe Besecker and Michael M. Carter (Philadelphia), Bruno and Victor Costa (New Jersey), Terry McCrary (Seattle), and Gene Rice (Nashville). The NTL already has a partnership in place with Wazuzu Racing, a leader in thoroughbred tokenization and blockchain applications, cofounded by Besecker, who has won more than 1,000 races as a horse owner.
The NTL has recruited some of the top talent in thoroughbred horse racing, led by the President of Horse Operations, Tom Ludt, the former chairman of the Breeders' Cup. Team trainers include legends Chad Brown and Steve Asmussen, while the equally legendary jockeys include Mike Smith and Chantal Sutherland. “The idea of introducing a team-based competition structure, akin to other sports, with a focus on engaging a new wave of fans, resonated with me instantly,” said Sutherland, who will be the jockey for Los Angeles. “I am all in!” Added Brown, the trainer for New York: “This is a groundbreaking initiative and I am thrilled to be part of it.”
Besides Ludt, the NTL has secured the service of COO Leonard Armato and General Manager Lexie King, through their company, Management Plus Enterprises (MPE), which has a rich history of creating iconic sports franchises, including the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, and the Shaq and Golden Boy brands. The NTL's chief revenue officer is media veteran Rob Gregory, and the advisory board is chaired by Lisa Baird, the former Commissioner of the National Women's Soccer League and the CMO of the U.S. Olympic Committee.
The post National Thoroughbred League Unveiled; Six Cities To Have ‘Teams’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
New Venture to Bring Team Concept to Horse Racing, Launch Labor Day Weekend
Some two years ago, Randall Lane, the chief content officer for Forbes, and Bob Daugherty, an investor and educator, met for dinner and the conversation turned to horse racing. Both are fans of racing and they started to talk about why the sport isn't nearly as popular as the four major sports. The answer, they concluded, is that in baseball, basketball, football and hockey, the sports center around teams, leagues and standings. People fall in love with their teams, they root for them, they pay to see them play, they live and die with every victory and defeat.
That doesn't exist in horse racing, a sport where your rooting interest changes from race to race with each bet you make.
So what if racing could adopt the team concept? Will that help grow the sport?
Lane and Daugherty believe that it will, and that's why they have created the National Thoroughbred League (NTL). Ready to launch on Sept. 2, the league will consist of six teams representing six cities. League races will take place on five weekends, points will be accrued in the races and the team that has the most points when the season ends on Dec. 31 at Tampa Bay Downs will win $1 million.
“The idea is to take what works in pretty much every other sport,” Lane said. “Why not take that and bring it to this great sport, horse racing? It is America's original spectator sport. We're going to create team affinities. There are Yankees fans, Cowboys fans. You love your team and you love the players, the new ones and the returning players. People love those teams because they represent their cities. We want to do the same for horse racing.”
Rick Ross and Nelly will be team owners | Getty Images
The NTL has already attracted an impressive list of investors. Team owners will include rappers Nelly and Rick Ross, NFL star Kayvan Thibodeux, the NBA's Danny Green and retired basketball player Baron Davis. Steve Asmussen, Chad Brown, Mike Smith and Chantal Sutherland have also signed on to be part of the project. Tom Ludt, the former chairman of the Breeders' Cup, has been hired as the league's President of Horse Operations.
The six teams will represent New York, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Seattle, Nashville and Philadelphia. Each team will have a name, a logo and specific silks that will be their uniform. The teams will each consist of six horses. All horses will be owned by the league. They will be assigned to their teams based on a draft, not unlike the ones that take place in other sports.
It will be up to Ludt to find the horses. He said that he will soon start the process of buying 36 horses and will be talking to bloodstock agents to see what is available. Each team will consist of six horses. He said he will use various avenues to find the horses and will aim to make sure they are relatively evenly matched so that the races are competitive.
“I'm going to try to buy 36 horses that would be in that high allowance, small stakes level,” he said. “We're using tools and parameters, like Ragozin and Beyer numbers, to make sure the horses are evenly matched. We want to create competitive fields. We'll try our best to make sure the horses are at the same level.”
The NTL horses will not be allowed to run in non-NTL races.
If more horses are needed due to attrition, they can be acquired through a supplemental draft. The horses will remain members of their team as long as they stay sound and are able to be competitive in the NTL races. Ludt said that for the first year, most of the races will be sprints.
The series will start on Sept. 2 at Kentucky Downs, which will represent the Nashville market. It will then travel to Emerald Downs (Seattle), the Meadowlands (New York and New Jersey) and Los Angeles (Los Alamitos) with the final races held at Tampa Bay Downs. There will be three NTL races held at each venue and they will be spread out over two days. Each race will consist of six horses, one from each team. Points will be awarded to the teams based on where their horses finish.
Randall believes that one of the most appealing aspects of the league concept is that no horse will be retired prematurely to cash in on their value as a sire or broodmare prospect.
“We want to create stars,” he said. “In every other sport, when you become a star, you don't retire. You go on to have an even-higher profile. In racing, when horses become famous, they are generally retired because it is in owner's economic interest to do that. Because our horses are going to be owned by the league, you won't be able to do that. If we are ever fortunate enough to have a Flightline or an American Pharoah, those horses will race year after year and that will go a long way toward creating a fan base.”
Ludt said the plan is to expand and he expects more teams to come on board for 2024. He envisions having two divisions, eastern and western conferences.
The NTL is also looking to expand and simplify the wagering menu, where bettors can wager on their team, whether that means in a head-to-head competition with another team, or winning the overall championship.
The NTL team also hopes to bring the type of atmosphere found at racing's biggest events, like the Breeders' Cup and the Kentucky Derby, to their racing weekends. They see each racing day as part of a larger festival that will feature food, fashion, parties and concerts. The New York/New Jersey races will include a trackside celebrity chef competition and will partner with the New York City Wine and Food Festival.
“We want to have the same type of atmosphere they have with Formula 1,” Lane said. “The Preakness, the Kentucky Derby, those are incredible weekends. In the case of the Derby, more than 150,000 people enjoyed it. That's because it's not just a race, it is weekend-long celebration. Once a month, somewhere in America, we want to have an incredible lifestyle weekend centered around the great sport of thoroughbred racing.”
It will be a large undertaking and might need time to get established and grow, but Ludt said he believed the NTL will achieve the goals first set forth when Lane and Daugherty met for dinner.
“We're going to create competitive racing fields, wrapped around a great weekend of entertainment in the city and at the facility,” he said. “This is a concept that is really exciting for an industry that needs that bolt of energy.”
The post New Venture to Bring Team Concept to Horse Racing, Launch Labor Day Weekend appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
