David O'Rourke | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Toxic Words And Divisive Behavior’: Guillot Banned Over Horse Name, Social Media Posts

Respect for All.

That's the new name given to an Uncle Mo gelding owner Lawrence Roman claimed for $25,000 out of Friday's first race at Aqueduct racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Bred by Southern Equine Stables LLC, the 3-year-old won the race, his debut, under the name Grape Soda, for owner Cypress Creek Equine and trainer Eric Guillot.

Following the race, an outcry ensued on social media that referenced an earlier Tweet from Guillot showing he gave the horse its original name – which can be interpreted as an offensive racial stereotype – in “honor” of a TVG analyst he has since admitted to be Ken Rudulph, who is Black. The Tweet included a emoji of a Black fist.

Guillot falsely claimed on Twitter after the race he named the horse “after my favorite drink when I was a little boy.”

By then, Rudulph had already called Guillot out on Twitter, saying: “The winner in race #1 from Aqueduct is the perfect example of my issue with horse racing. The winning trainer is a disgusting and racist man. But, if you want to make money in this game you have to be able to ignore that stuff. I can't do it. But y'all carry on with your $11.”

Guillot has posted bigoted or racially tinged comments in the past, including a Tweet in August 2020 saying he had given another horse the name “Uncle Ken's Cabin,” an obvious reference to the Harriet Beecher Stowe novel about slavery. When asked, Guillot said he didn't recall the Tweet.

On Saturday morning, The Jockey Club issued the following statement: “The Jockey Club was notified yesterday that the name Grape Soda, which was approved for a 2018 gelding, was potentially offensive. Upon review we have confirmed that the name is ineligible under Rule 6.F.11. of the Principal Rules and Requirements of The American Stud Book, and we have begun the name change process in consultation with the current owner, which must be completed as soon as possible.”

By early afternoon, the horse's new owner, Roman, told Daily Racing Form's David Grening that the name Respect for All had been approved by The Jockey Club and that he will donate 10% of the gelding's future earnings to the Backstretch Employee Service Team at New York Racing Association tracks. Within hours, the name change was reflected at Equibase, the industry's official database.

But the ripple effects had just begun.

David O'Rourke, president and CEO of the New York Racing Association, issued the following statement: “Racism is completely unacceptable in all forms. NYRA rejects Eric Guillot's toxic words and divisive behavior in the strongest terms. At this time, he will no longer be permitted to enter horses at any NYRA track nor will he be allocated stalls on NYRA grounds. In addition, we will review what further steps may be available to us. Our racing community is diverse, and we stand for inclusion.”

Rudulph's employer, TVG, took its Guillot ban one step further, saying it would not televise any races in which Guillot is participating.

“TVG commends NYRA for taking swift action on the matter involving Eric Guillot,” a company statement said. “There is simply no place in society for racism and we condemn his behavior, a deliberate attempt to slur one of our employees, in the strongest terms. Our network will no longer air races in which he has an entry. We also commend the action by new owner Larry Roman to change the horse's name. We will continue to work toward making racing more inclusive and to attracting a new generation of fans to the sport.”

The Stronach Group and 1/ST Racing chief operating officer Aidan Butler also said Guillot would not be welcome at the company's tracks in California, Maryland or Florida.

“1/ST Racing stands firmly against the inexcusable actions of trainer Eric Guillot,” Butler said. “There is no place in the sport of Thoroughbred racing for racism in any form. Our company will not tolerate the use of hateful and divisive language or behavior.

“1/ST Racing agrees fully with the New York Racing Association's move to ban Mr. Guillot from racing and will take the same action,” added Butler. “Mr. Guillot is no longer welcomed at any 1/ST RACING track.”

Guillot, who only started nine runners in 2020 and 19 the year before that, posted a video on Twitter on Saturday saying that he has now retired from training. Licensed since, 1991, Guillot has won 259 races from 2,348 starts. He's won 19 graded stakes, the most recent coming in 2016 with Laoban in the G2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga.

When reached by the Paulick Report, Guillot said the entire matter has been overblown, stating nothing would have happened if the horse had finished second in Friday's race.

“I didn't do anything wrong,” said Guillot, who insisted that he is not racist.

When asked why he gave the horse that specific name and said it was “in honor” of TVG's Rudulph, Guillot said, “I was just teasing him. It wasn't meant in a harmful way.

“I did nothing wrong but be a common comedian, and my skin's a little too light to be joking about grape sodas, that's all,” Guillot said. “If Chris Rock or David Chappelle had said it, it would be OK.”

Guillot went on to blame Rudulph for starting a feud with him, calling him “pompous” and the “most privileged Black person I know. … He plays the 180-degree Black Lives Matter racist card and is as condescending as you get. It has nothing to do with me being racist. This is what he wanted; I just fueled the fire is what I did.”

Rudulph declined to comment.

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NYRA, TVG To Contribute $410,000 To COVID Relief Via Backstretch, Aftercare Programs

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and TVG today announced a series of COVID-19 relief donations for a broad spectrum of non-profit organizations working to support the thoroughbred racing community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $410,000 in charitable contributions will be distributed to seven non-profit organizations including the New York Chapter of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America (NYRTCA), the Belmont Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T), the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA), the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium (RMTC), the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP), the Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund (PDJF) and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA).

“The racing industry has rallied in incredible ways in response to the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Kip Levin, CEO of TVG. “The entire TVG team is grateful that our partnership with NYRA will benefit these great organizations who do so much every day to help those in need.”

NYRA and TVG created the relief fund in the spring of 2020 to proactively respond to the myriad challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the 54-day suspension of live racing in New York, the closure of casinos across the state and the continued lack of on-track attendance at all racetracks in New York.

“These organizations are all longtime partners of NYRA who have performed outstanding and oftentimes heroic work throughout the pandemic,” said NYRA President and CEO David O'Rourke. “Our thanks to TVG for recognizing the importance of the services they provide to the men and women who sustain the sport here in New York.”

As a result of the success of the joint effort between NYRA and TVG, the NYRTCA, B.E.S.T and the BCCA, whose work is devoted to the overall health and well-being of New York's backstretch community, will each receive donations of $100,000.

In addition, $30,000 each will be donated to the RMTC and the RTIP with $25,000 going to both the PDJF and the TAA.

In early March, NYRA established the COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan Committee, comprised of key NYRA staff members as well as representatives from the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), B.E.S.T, and the NYRTCA. Working together, the committee developed and implemented health and safety protocols aligning with the most updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and the New York State Department of Health.

Representatives of B.E.S.T, NYRTCA and BCCA set up food banks, distributed masks, provided up-to-date communications on health care, worked as translators and collected and even distributed gift cards for groceries for the hundreds of Belmont-based backstretch workers and their families. They also created more virtual learning opportunities and at-home instruction for the children of backstretch workers enrolled in Anna House, the childcare and early education facility at Belmont Park, along with performing hundreds of other tasks that will never be recorded.

TVG has been able to remain on air since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and has prioritized keeping its employees safe through strict social distancing, health protocols and remote broadcasting. The network has maintained a strong commitment to the horse racing industry and has continued sponsorships of the TVG Pacific Classic, TVG.com Haskell Invitational and the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile while also expanding to sponsor additional races at Keeneland in both July and October as well as a Breeders' Crown race. Additionally, TVG has partnered with charitable organizations throughout the industry, including the TAA, California Retirement Management Account (CARMA) and the PDJF to raise funding and awareness.

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NYRA and TVG to Donate $410,000 to Support COVID-19 Relief

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and TVG have announced a series of COVID-19 relief donations for a broad spectrum of non-profit organizations working to support the Thoroughbred racing community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $410,000 in charitable contributions will be distributed to seven non-profit organizations including the New York Chapter of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America (NYRTCA), the Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T), the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA), the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium (RMTC), the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP), the Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund (PDJF) and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA).

“These organizations are all longtime partners of NYRA who have performed outstanding and oftentimes heroic work throughout the pandemic,” said NYRA President and CEO David O’Rourke. “Our thanks to TVG for recognizing the importance of the services they provide to the men and women who sustain the sport here in New York.”

As a result of the success of the joint effort between NYRA and TVG, the NYRTCA, B.E.S.T and the BCCA, whose work is devoted to the overall health and well-being of New York’s backstretch community, will each receive donations of $100,000.

In addition, $30,000 each will be donated to the RMTC and the RTIP with $25,000 going to both the PDJF and the TAA.

In early March, NYRA established the COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan Committee, comprised of key NYRA staff members as well as representatives from the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA), B.E.S.T, and the NYRTCA. Working together, the committee developed and implemented health and safety protocols aligning with the most updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and the New York State Department of Health.

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In an Unusual Year, Some Things Stay the Same at Saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Even without spectators on the grounds, the 152nd summer of racing in Saratoga produced a total betting handle of $702.5 million that was remarkably close to last year’s record figure of $705.3 million.

The daily average handle for the 40-day meet in 2020 was $17.6 million and the daily average handle for the weather-shortened 39-day meet in 2019 was $18.1 million.

The season concluded Monday as quietly as it began July 16, with a program conducted without fans, in compliance with New York State’s COVID-19 protocols for sporting events. Though the atmosphere was unlike any previous year, some things did not change: there was enthusiastic wagering support for the Saratoga product, Todd Pletcher extended his record with a 14th training title, and Irad Ortiz, Jr. nipped his brother Jose for the riding crown, 59-58. Irad Ortiz missed three days of the meet with an arm injury from a gate mishap. It was the sixth-straight year that an Ortiz was the Saratoga champ.

By the time New York permitted racing to resume at Belmont Park June 3, New York Racing Association officials had decided that it made more business sense to run at Saratoga, quite possibly without fans, than to stay in metropolitan New York for the summer. NYRA CEO and president David O’Rourke said the 2020 meet at Saratoga was a success on two levels: operating safely with no Covid-19 positives and the strong handle.

“In terms of the numbers, everyone has been very focused on the handle and the numbers have come in higher than we forecasted,” he said. “Slightly. Maybe about 5%. That’s good because it allows us to maintain the continuity of the racing. There was absolutely no clarity on when or if casinos would open and on what time line. Now that they have announced that they will be open in September, hopefully that can relieve a little bit of pressure as you get through the winter. For us, handle generation, obviously, is seasonal. We’re at the high point right now and with those extra funds, it will help us keep that continuity through next winter. That’s a relief.”

Despite the tote success, O’Rourke said having to operate without spectators cost NYRA approximately $15 million in the profit it makes at Saratoga selling seating, food and beverages.

O’Rourke offered “surreal” as the first way to describe the season without fans at America’s most popular racetrack.

“It was actually a beautiful summer up here,” he said. “It was like operating a racetrack in some sort of Twilight Zone science fiction movie where there is nobody around, but if you looked at it on television, you really sort of can’t tell until you get to the winner’s circle.”

O’Rourke said that running without fans felt like it was some sort of practice session.

“Now that it’s over, it’s kind of just a bizarre year,” he said. “Luckily, we’ve had the television platform, so it was us being inside the bubble in a lot of ways. At times we would sit upstairs and just focus on the TV aspect of it and say, ‘How is everyone else really seeing what’s going on?’ The media coverage has been great and it’s important. It’s really the only way that people are being able to connect with us. But when you watch it and experience it on television, it’s still Saratoga. When you look at in the Form, it’s still Saratoga. The racing has been really good.”

Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law (Constitution) romped to victory in Saratoga’s marquee race, the GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 8. He was second to Authentic (Into Mischief) as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby Saturday at Churchill Downs. Peter Callahan’s Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) was an easy winner of the GI Alabama S. Aug. 15 and she ended second in the GI Kentucky Oaks Sept. 4. For the second year in a row, Bob Baffert won the GI Whitney S., this time with Improbable (City Zip).

O’Rourke said NYRA’s decision a few years ago to invest in its advance deposit wagering app, NYRA Bets, and the move to daily national television coverage on Fox paid off in a big way when all betting had to be done off track. He said being on a sports channel when racing was the only live sport in America helped expand the customer base in June and carried into Saratoga.

“Maybe there is a slight silver lining in that the pandemic kind of forced a leap-frog effect in terms of people betting on their phones and watching us on television,” he said. “We saw [the growth in interest in ADW apps] coming and that’s why we invested pretty heavily with Fox and pushed toward that platform with NYRA Bets. Because nobody could come to the live track, I think it has accelerated that channel shift. It will be interesting next year when we are here and there are 25,000 people, are people still engaging, at least on the wagering side, on their phone?”

Both the training and jockey titles were decided on the final day of the season. Pletcher, 53, carried a five-win advantage over two-time defending champ Chad Brown into the 14-race card on Labor Day. Brown cut the lead with a victory, but Pletcher, who won his first Saratoga title in 1998, prevailed, earning the H. Allen Jerkens Award with 31 wins.

“It feels great. It’s very rewarding for the whole team,” Pletcher said. “A lot of people put a lot of hard work into it. It’s very satisfying.”

Pletcher said the emergence of his younger horses–he won with four 2-year-olds–helped him secure the title. The Pletcher stable won four stakes: the GI Fourstardave H. with Halladay (War Front); the Alydar S. with Spinoff (Hard Spun); the Summer Colony S. with Nonna Madeline (Candy Ride {Arg}); and the Birdstone S. with Moretti (Medaglia d’Oro).

Though he has won titles at other tracks, Pletcher said that finishing on top at the end of the competitive Saratoga season is very gratifying.

“I think it’s always more special here,” Pletcher said. “I’ve always said that Angel Cordero is the one that made it mean something. He always fought really hard. He’s been texting me the last couple of days. He won 14 and so it was kind of cool to tie him.”

Cordero, 77, presented the award that honors his dominance at Saratoga to Irad Ortiz in the winner’s circle after the final race. Moments later he embraced the Ortiz brothers, who had entered the day tied at 57 wins.

During the Covid-19 lockdown, NYRA officials considered staying downstate this summer. However, O’Rourke said that the turf courses at Belmont Park could not have handled two more months of competition and NYRA likely would have had to go to Aqueduct for a while. A better option, he said, was to commit to open the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga Springs June 4 and follow up about six weeks later with the racing season. Just before the season started, NYRA reacted to Covid-19 positives with jockeys at other tracks by locking down the riding colony. It proved to be a good move.

“The thing about this year, and everyone that has gone through a business, is that you don’t really have a playbook,” O’Rourke said. “I don’t want to say you are making it up, you’re just using the facts you have in front of you and trying to make educated guesses and trying to stay on the conservative side. Sometimes there is a little bit of luck involved if you get it right or not. So, all be told, it worked out.”

O’Rourke said that when the decision was made in late May to race at Saratoga, he thought there was an 80% probability that some spectators would be allowed into the track during the season. At that point, New York was making progress controlling the pandemic.

“We thought, ‘We’ll get through this and by the end of June everything will start to calm down,'” he said. “Then it seemed to turn pretty quick. We asked for fans–we didn’t have high expectations–and the state made the right call, obviously, given where New York is at now.”

As for 2021, O’Rourke said it’s too early to deal with what-ifs questions about protocols and limits on attendance.

“It’s something you don’t even want to think about,” he said. “We want to think about opening up next year with a record crowd on opening day, but if we have to adapt, we will.”

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