Breeders’ Cup Classic Timing Snafu Explained (Sort Of), With Time Adjusted

Equibase and Keeneland on Wednesday issued a statement concerning the failure of the timing system to correctly time the fractional and final clockings for Saturday's $6-million, Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic won in what officials say was a track record time by Authentic. The North American Thoroughbred industry's official data base and the host track for the Nov. 6-7 Breeders' Cup, respectively, also issued a new final time and fractional times for the mile and a quarter race.

The statement follows: “Prior to the running of the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (Gr. 1) on November 7, 2020, at Keeneland, a photo eye at the start of the race was  inadvertently tripped, which resulted in an error when attempting to operate the timing system manually causing inaccurate timing for all fractions and the final time of the race. A final time of 1:59.19 was initially provided by Equibase using the available video replay.

“After subsequent and more detailed review and timing of the race from multiple sources and camera angles, Keeneland and Equibase have determined the fractional times for the Classic (:23.20, :46.84, 1:10.32, 1:34.64) and confirmed a final time of 1:59.60. The Classic chart has been updated and the running of Authentic in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic is now the official track record for the 1 1/4-mile distance at Keeneland.”

With traditional timing beam systems, a track's clocker initiates the timing system when the gates open. The timing of the race begins when the leading horse trips the electronic beam at the appropriate pole on the racetrack – in this instance three-sixteenths of a mile from the finish line on the 1 1/16-mile oval. Subsequent fractional times are recorded when the leading horse trips the beams at poles around the track.

The statement from Keeneland and Equibase does not explain why an initial fraction of :17.19 for the opening quarter mile was initially posted on the track television feed. If the teletimer beam after the start of the race was tripped early, as suggested, the initial quarter-mile fraction would have been slower than normal, not faster. In addition, Keeneland and Equibase failed to explain why there was no hand-timing of such an important race in the event of a timing failure, something that is standard operating procedure at some tracks.

The previous record for the seldom-run 1 1/4-mile distance at Keeneland was 2:00.07, established by American Pharoah in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Classic. The fastest Breeders' Cup Classic ever run was by Ghostzapper when he covered the distance at Lone Star Park in Texas in 1:59.02 in 2004.

The Keeneland dirt track played exceedingly fast during the two-day Breeders' Cup meet, with new records established for six furlongs (1:07.89) by Nashville in the Perryville Stakes; 6 1/2 furlongs (1:14.99) by Highly Motivated in the Nyquist Stakes; seven furlongs (1:20.20)  by Gamine in the G1 Filly & Mare Sprint; one mile (1:33.85) by Knicks Go in the G1 Dirt Mile; and 1 1/4 miles (1:59.60) by Authentic in the Classic. One turf course record was broken for 1 3/16 miles (1:52.72) by Aurdarya in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Trakus, a system used by Keeneland and a number of other racetracks in North American to track the location of horses throughout each race, published the following times on the 2020 Classic: :23.20, :47.06, 1:10.84, 1:35.00 and 1:59.82.

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First Breeders’ Cup Classic Victory Propels Velazquez To Jockey Of The Week Honors

For jockey John Velazquez, winning two Breeders' Cup races would be special but when one of them is the Grade I Breeders' Cup Classic, it makes the day exceptional.  The two Breeders' Cup victories, including the Grade I Filly and Mare Sprint, led to Jockey of the Week honors for November 2 through November 8.  The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

The victory aboard the Bob Baffert-trained Authentic was the first Classic win for the 48-year-old Velazquez, who was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2012.

“I've been chasing this race for quite a while,” said Velazquez. “For him to do it for me is incredible. What a feeling. The older I get the more emotional I get. It worked out perfect,” added Velazquez. “Bob said to take him to the lead so he doesn't wander so much and keep his mind on running. It worked out. He did everything I wanted him to do.”

Velazquez sent the reigning Kentucky Derby winner to the front and never looked back en route to a two-length win in the $6-million Grade 1 Classic, setting a track record 10 furlongs.

The Classic victory marked the 18th Breeders' Cup win for Velazquez, who kicked off Saturday's Breeders' Cup program by piloting Gamine to a track record score by 6 1/4 lengths in the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Sprint, covering the seven-furlong distance in 1:20.20, also for Baffert.

“We knew that other horse (Serengeti Empress) would come out running, but I didn't want to give it up too easy,” Velazquez said. “I put a little pressure on because I know that filly is really tough on the lead. I made sure I was close. When I asked my filly, she was there for me.”

Velazquez was also the leading money-earning jockey for the week with $3,756,499 in purses.

Velazquez out-polled fellow riders Kendrick Carmouche who posted the most wins for the week with nine, Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won three stakes races at Keeneland including two Breeders' Cup races, Joel Rosario who also won three stakes races at Keeneland with two Breeders' Cup events and Luis Saez who won two stakes races including one Breeders' Cup race.

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Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: ‘Mother Hen’ Niemetz Keeps International Barn Running Smoothly

The year was 1998, and trainer Bob Baffert was preparing to send his Kentucky Derby winner, Silver Charm, overseas to contest what was then the world's richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup.

There was just one problem: Baffert didn't have a passport or a birth certificate. Born in the small border town of Nogales, Ariz., the future Hall of Fame Thoroughbred trainer had never left the country before that first victorious trip to the UAE.

Enter Cindy Niemetz, the West Coast representative for the International Racing Bureau. The logistical frontwoman secured that first passport for Baffert, including making calls to the hospital at which the trainer was born to prove he was who he said he was.

Twenty-two years later, Niemetz is still making molehills out of logistical mountains for trainers and their staff the world over. For the past two weeks, she's been in charge of the quarantine barn for international shippers at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, held this year at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

Niemetz is up close and personal with the horses and their staff from the moment they step off their international flights to the moment they board again to head home, and does her best to make the Breeders' Cup experience as easy and as memorable as possible for all the individuals involved.

“We're just basically a concierge,” Niemetz said, laughing good-naturedly. “I'm also like a mother hen; I'm very protective of all my people here.”

The job can require a delicate touch, maintaining the occasionally tenuous balance between keeping trainers happy and following the rules of the USDA as well as whichever jurisdiction the Breeders' Cup is being held in.

“A lot of them don't know the rules of going out on a track, because they have their own gallops at home,” explained Niemetz. “We make sure they know, the exercise riders, the rules of the racetrack. They have to gallop 20 feet off the rail, if you're doing fast work you can go by the rail, and backtracking the opposite way. We also tell them about our starting gate, which is very different from any Europeans'. We have to make sure that they have a vet and a farrier, if they need it.”

Every flight is held in a separate barn, and the horses are under strict quarantine for 48 hours after landing. From then on, horses are allowed to leave the quarantine area strictly for training or racing, but cannot otherwise break quarantine or they will be required to undergo a separate 30-day quarantine before returning to their country of origin.

“When we go racing, we have the USDA follow us over,” Niemetz said. “We also escort them over to the receiving barn, the saddling paddock, and the track, in case somebody needs something. It's a very different way of racing here, so we're there in case they have any questions.”

Niemetz speaks English and what she calls “stable Spanish,” and can understand French but doesn't speak it quite as well. An art major in college, she's ridden horses since she was three years old.

“The man who taught me (to ride) was the same man who taught Elizabeth Taylor for National Velvet,” Niemetz said. “I showed a little bit, but mostly fox hunting and steeplechasing. I kind of like the hell-bent-for-leather!”

She worked for California Thoroughbred magazine in the art department after college, then met her first husband and went racing all over the world for several years. For five years after that, Niemetz served as an assistant to the late Hall of Fame trainer Gary Jones before taking up the mantle of the IRB in 1987.

While she has no fear on the back of a horse, the IRB job showcases a totally different side of Niemetz' personality: she's incredibly organized. Posted every morning at the quarantine barn is a training schedule she's coordinated the night before, listing which horse goes to which track at what time, whether or not they require an American pony/pony person, and whether they'll head to the gate or school in the paddock before coming back to quarantine.

Niemetz is also in charge of licensing for every international attendee. That includes the trainers, the stable staff, the owners, and the jockeys.

“They don't have licenses in Europe,” she explained. “Every state we're in, I vouch for them. If I have to go to the stewards for something, that's what I do. But I've been doing this a long time, and people trust me.”

Trainers are required to have workers' compensation in the United States in order to be licensed. While they have a similar program in Europe, some U.S. states don't recognize that insurance as valid, so Niemetz has to help navigate those issues as well.

The COVID-19 restrictions have added to her workload this year, including requiring health certificates and negative COVID tests from all staff before getting on the plane.

“It's a very hard event to put on,” Niemetz said. “My job is trying to keep everybody happy, and to help them all have a good experience.”

Via the IRB, Niemetz is also involved in getting U.S. nominations and securing travel arrangements for Royal Ascot, the Japan Cup, Hong Kong International Races, and both the Saudi and Dubai World Cups. She usually travels to those events as well, but COVID has put a damper on that this year.

In fact, Niemetz drove all the way to Kentucky from her home base in Southern California, along with her husband, a retired regulatory veterinarian. The couple arrived about two weeks before the event to oversee the quarantine area set-up, and won't leave until the last horse is off the grounds.

“I'm very protective of the horse; the horse comes first to me,” Niemetz said.

A couple of her favorite horses from the Breeders' Cup events have been Ouija Board, two-time winner of the Filly & Mare Turf, and “the Queen” Enable, winner of the 2018 Turf.

The 33-year veteran has no plans to retire soon, either. The job keeps Niemetz around the animals she loves, which she's especially thankful for after surviving a bout with cervical cancer 10 years ago.

“I can't ride anymore, so this is a good alternative for me,” she said, smiling. “I just love being around the horses, and while I never imagined this is the job I'd end up in, it's been perfect for me.”

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Over $140,000 Raised Through New Vocations Breeders’ Cup Pledge

 New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program announced today that the early estimate of funds raised during their Breeders' Cup Pledge will be over $140,000. Authentic's win in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic was one of seven winning pledges during the event with the whole partnership group including Spendthrift Farm, Starlight Racing, Madaket and MyRacehorse participating, as well as trainer Bob Baffert.

Additional pledges and final donations are still being received, but the program is thrilled with the overwhelming support of the fundraiser. This marks the Pledge's eleventh year with over $790,000 raised since 2009, and 100 percent of funds going directly to support the program's rehabilitation, retraining and rehoming efforts.

“We are truly thrilled with the increased participation for this year's Pledge,” said Anna Ford, New Vocations Program Director. “All of our other fundraising events had to be cancelled this year, so more than ever, we needed the Pledge to be successful and raise funds. To have seven pledged contenders win was incredible. We are very grateful for the support from all the generous owners and trainers who joined the Pledge. All of the funding raised will go directly to support our program and will allow us to serve the increasing number of horses needing aftercare.”

A total of 50 Championship contenders with prominent connections pledged a percentage of their Breeders' Cup earnings.  Pledge participants included Albaugh Family Stables, Bass Stables, Bethlehem Stables LLC, Bob Baffert, Breeze Easy LLC, China Horse Club Inc, CJ Thoroughbreds, Michael Dubb, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, eFive Racing, John and Diane Fradkin, Gatsas Stables, Tim Hamm, Harrell Ventures LLC, Head of Plains Partners LLC, Heider Family Stables, R.A. Hill Stables, Michael Hui, Klaravich Stables, Robert V. LaPenta, LNJ Foxwoods, Madaket Stables LLC, Richard Mandella, Maximum Security/Coolmore, Michael McCarthy, Peter Miller, Monomoy Stables, H. Graham Motion, MyRacehorse Stable, Todd Pletcher, Repole Stable, River Oak Farm, Kirk and Judy Robison, Sackatoga Stable, Domenic Savides, SF Racing LLC, Siena Farm, Jack Sisterson, Spendthrift Farm, Starlight Racing, Stonestreet Stables, Damon Thayer, The Elkstone Group LLC, Three Diamonds Farm, Wertheimer et Frere and WinStar Farm.

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