Tag: People

Breeders' Cup President and Chief Executive Officer Drew Fleming was yesterday named to Sports Business Journal's 2022 Forty Under 40 Class. The Forty Under 40 list is a prestigious annual recognition of the best young talent in sports business from across the United States. The award is considered among the highest honors in the sports industry, recognizing league commissioners and officers, team presidents and senior executives, top media executives, brand-side marketers, and the heads of the industry's top agencies who are making a significant impact on their organizations and the industry more broadly.

Sports Business Journal created their coveted Forty Under 40 Awards in 1999 to highlight the sports industry's most exciting and game-changing young leaders. Fleming's inclusion on this year's list marks the first time an executive working in the sport of horse racing has ever been named a Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 honoree. The 2022 awardees will be honored Tuesday, Nov. 15, at a celebration in New York City.

“Drew's strong and steady leadership at the Breeders' Cup and his work across the racing industry over the last several years have been incredibly impactful and beneficial to our sport,” said Barbara Banke, Chairman of the Breeders' Cup Limited Board of Directors. “I'm so proud that he is being recognized and honored for his contributions not only to racing, but to the entire sports industry. Drew is a wonderful ambassador for our sport, and I look forward to the Breeders' Cup's bright future under his leadership.”

During his tenure as President and CEO of the Breeders' Cup, Fleming has significantly increased international participation in the World Championships, and has expanded the global presence of the Breeders' Cup to additional broadcast outlets. He also led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic and navigated the Breeders' Cup through regulatory changes that seek to ensure that the industry prioritizes safety and integrity as it continues to thrive and modernize.

“I am extremely grateful for this honor from Sports Business Journal and am so lucky to live my dream every day as the CEO of the Breeders' Cup,” said Fleming. “The racing industry has a bright future ahead of it, and I am proud to be among the many young leaders in this sport who are prioritizing safety and integrity, bringing in new generations of racing fans and bringing the unparalleled excitement of Thoroughbred racing to guests and viewers around the world.”

Fleming's leadership in the racing industry extends far beyond the Breeders' Cup. He serves on the Board and Executive Council of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, on the Board of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and as Chair of its Governance Committee, and is a Member of The Jockey Club.

Fleming came to the Breeders' Cup nearly seven years ago, joining the organization first as Senior Vice President of Business and Development, and later serving as Chief Operating Officer. As the current Chief Executive Officer and President of Breeders' Cup, Fleming is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company, including host track relations, long-term planning and business growth, finance, sponsorships, marketing and legal.

Prior to joining the Breeders' Cup, Fleming practiced law at a national law firm focusing on corporate transactions. Fleming represented both domestic and foreign equine clients including horse farms, sales companies, racetracks, Thoroughbred owners, and trainers on a variety of legal issues such as the purchase, sale and syndication of Thoroughbreds, the acquisition of Thoroughbred farms, equine lending, and the corporate structuring of racing syndicates and private placements. Additionally, Fleming has represented domestic and foreign clients in mergers and acquisitions ranging in size from several million dollars to several billion dollars in a variety of industries including energy, manufacturing, sports marketing, and banking. He has also represented clients in both venture capital and private equity transactions.

Fleming holds a Bachelor of Science in biology from Washington and Lee University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky. He resides in Lexington, Ky., with his wife and son.

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Noble Yeats won Saturday's 2022 Randox Grand National at odds of 50-1, defeating 15-2 favorite Any Second Now by 2 1/4 lengths with Delta Work (10-1) third and Santini (33-1) fourth.

His jockey, amateur Sam Waley-Cohen, had announced earlier that week that Noble Yeats would be his final ride before he retires.

Waley-Cohen becomes the first amateur to succeed since Marcus Armytage won on Mr Frisk in 1990. He is also the first amateur jockey to ride the winner of the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Long Run in 2011.

A seven year old, Noble Yeats becomes the first horse from that age group to prevail since Bogskar in 1940. Seven is currently the minimum age for a horse to run in the Grand National.

The winner was trained by Emmet Mullins and was his first Grand National runner. Mullins is the nephew of leading Irish Jump trainer Willie Mullins and began training in 2016. He is based in Bagenalstown, County Carlow.

Waley-Cohen responded to the victory: “It's a dream! It won't sink in for weeks – it feels like a fantasy, and I just don't know what to say.

“I'm beyond words. He ran for me. He couldn't go the early pace, and I was trying to find pockets to give him a bit of space to run into, and I found myself up the inner and I was going more forward than I wanted to.

“He loved seeing his fences, so I kept trying to find a spot where he could see them. If I asked him, he came, but if I just half-asked him, he wasn't confident, so I was really trying to sit against him.

“He likes the bit in his mouth and your legs on him, so I was just trying to get him in that nice rhythm, and he just ran. As soon as I asked him, he went.

“Jumping the last, I thought, 'I've gone too early!' I really didn't want to get there then, but at Cheltenham I was struggling to stay with them all the time, but when I pulled him out and asked him, he gave me way more than I expected, so half when I went for him, I thought he's got plenty – I know he's got plenty of toe, so as soon as he picked up, I thought, 'he's gone – he's got this'.

“It's ridiculous. I have to say thanks to Dad – he's supported me unwaveringly, lovingly, when others said put someone else on. We've had a partnership, we haven't had one cross word – it's only been for fun.

“We came here thinking, well, you know, the sun's out, it's my last ride, go and have a nice day with no instructions, no expectations, just enjoy. Today Liverpool comes out, Liverpool shows its love, and honestly, you feel like you travel on goodwill at this place.

“You just feel a wave of support and goodwill. These days are big family days, and obviously Thomas isn't with us, so you always think about him on these days. I still always ride with his initials on my saddle, and these are family days.

“I was travelling too well – I just kept trying to fill him up and take my time, and in a way he got there too early, but when he got there he came alive, so I thought, well, you'd better go now. It's amazing.

“When I rode Oscar Time I was on fumes all the way, there was nothing, whereas with him he kept finding and kept going. When the other horse came to me, I was, like, come on! And he picked him.

“I always wanted to go out on a high, and I thought Thursday was going to be that high. It doesn't get better than this, and that's it now – out!

“You need a lot of luck (over these fences), and you need to be on the right horses, and I think, relatively, I've ridden these fences a lot more than some of the other jockeys, and experience does help.

“Honestly, I think it's luck. If you are on the right horse, and things go right for you, or don't go wrong for you…

“This could literally be a moment that I wake up from. It really couldn't be better.

“One of my earliest memories is of trying to ride the Grand National on the rocking horse we have at home, just knowing a few of the horses' names and remembering them.

“We used to come here as kids and there was an ice cream stall where you could get free tasters, and we'd be up and down every race getting free tasters, so it's been part of my childhood, and what's probably kept me trying to ride year after year after year is trying to come back and have a feeling like that.

“I turn 40 next Friday. I've always wanted to ride for the love of it, and one of the reasons I wanted to stop now is because I've always felt when you don't want to go every day and you don't enjoy every race, wherever you come, you should stop, and the days when you don't want to go travel three hours for a small race, no matter where you come, it's time to stop – that's it. Busy family, busy work – enough. That's it.

“Thinking about doing this again is fool's gold – I've made up my mind, I've had the dream ride, and what a way to go out.

“I've always believed… but I could barely hope. I never really bought the seven-year-old story – I thought a seven-year-old could win, because not many seven-year-olds run in it, so there aren't many stats, but you can talk yourself into anything when you're sitting on a seven-year-old.

“I've only really sat on him three times – once at Emmett's, once at Cheltenham and once today. I learnt a lot about him at Cheltenham, and I think without that ride at Cheltenham I wouldn't have had that ride today.

“We were looking for a horse – we were going to run Jett, but he wasn't going to stay the trip. We'd gone up to Wetherby for a hunter chase and we saw Noble Yeats run, and thought, 'that's an interesting one, and he's qualified for the National now – I wonder if they might be interested in doing something'.

“We went and spoke to Emmett, and really liked him – he's a great trainer – and we thought, 'why not? Let's have a crack at it', and one thing led to another.

“I've been so lucky with all the horses I've ridden, and in a way, all those rides build up to today; you keep learning, experience, background – if I hadn't had those days where things haven't gone right, I wouldn't have had today.”

In a separate interview just after crossing the line he told ITV Racing: “It's a dream. I can't believe it. I've got to say thank yous, because it's my last ever ride. To Dad, for unwavering belief and love over 23 years – never a cross word, nothing but a dream. It has been a love affair. To my wife, long-suffering! They aren't all good days. There are bad days in this sport. She's always there to support me….

“This is beyond words. It's a fairytale, it's a fantasy, and I'm just full of love, and happiness and gratefulness.”

Waley-Cohen reflected on his success at Aintree over the years, and also paid tribute to his late brother, Thomas.

Summing up his success he said: “Being on the right horses, getting the luck, having the sun out. I do think Thomas is sitting on my back, I ride with his name on my saddle. These days are family days. Honestly, you couldn't make it up could you?”

Robert Waley-Cohen, who owns Noble Yeats and is Sam's father, told ITV Racing: “It's absolutely a dream come true – I can't speak, I've shouted too much! Just fabulous. You can't go without the horse, but the horse can't go without the jockey, so it's a team and thank God it's really worked. My cup runneth over.”

Asked to sum up his son's talent, he said: “Dedication, hard work. He only rides about 30 races, apart from point-to-points, in the year, and his record is unspeakably good. I'm really emotional.

“It's fantastic, that is what we dreamed about for years. Sam used to ride a rocking horse, pretending he was riding Auntie Dot. That's how far back it goes.”

He added: “It is what dreams are made of. This is it, and you sort of think, 'last ride ever, 40 years old next Friday, and won so many great races' – we've had such fun.”

Asked to sum up his own feelings about it being his son's final ever ride, he added: “Joy and sadness that it's all coming to an end. And the horse is only seven and a novice, so he could be here for a good many years yet, but not with Sam on board.

“I had horses between my retiring and his starting, and I shall have them again.

“It's an amazing story and Sam has been dreaming of winning this ever since he used to ride Auntie Dot on his rocking horse, trained by John Webber, when he was a little kid. So this really is the fulfilment of a life-long dream.”

The post ‘It’s A Fairytale’: In His Final Ride, Sam Waley-Cohen Guides Noble Yeats To 50-1 Upset In Grand National appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Following a meeting of the Executive Council of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) on March 29, 2022, it was announced that Dominic Gardiner-Hill, Head of Handicapping for the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), has succeeded Phil Smith as Co-Chairman of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee.

The IFHA Executive Council unanimously endorsed Gardiner-Hill's nomination by the European Pattern Committee (EPC), and he joins Nigel Gray as Co-Chairman of the Committee. Smith had served as Co-Chairman of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee since 2014.

“The horse racing industry has an ever-expanding global reach, and that is reflected in the output and composition of the Federation's Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee, with those at the helm of the Committee requiring a broad portfolio set of leadership traits and technical ability,” said IFHA Chair Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. “The IFHA has been extremely privileged to have had Phil Smith co-chair the Committee, and we are equally fortunate that he has been succeeded by Dominic Gardiner-Hill. I wish Dominic a great deal of success, and I am confident that he and Nigel Gray will skillfully lead this Committee going forward.”

Gardiner-Hill joined the BHA in 1993.  After a spell as Deputy Head of Handicapping, Dominic took over as the BHA's Head of Handicapping in June 2018.  He has been part of the International Classification and World Rankings Committees since 1996 as well as a member of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Executive Committee since 2018.

The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings are horse racing's equivalent to World Rankings by other major sporting organizations such as ATP Tennis Rankings, World Golf Rankings, FIFA World Rankings for soccer and IRB Rugby World Rankings. The Longines Rankings are based on the ratings earned by horses running worldwide from North and South America, Europe, Middle East, South Africa, Asia through to Australia and New Zealand. The ratings are compiled under the auspices of the IFHA by racing officials and handicappers representing the five continents who compile the ranking order by agreeing on the rating for each horse. The ratings are based on the performance of horses in elite races held during the designated period which takes in account the quality of opposition and achievements of each horse. Throughout the year the Longines Rankings are published at regular intervals and the consolidated annual rankings are released in January.

Further information on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings is available on the IFHA website, ifhaonline.org.

The next edition of the 2022 Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings will be published on Thursday, April 14, 2022.

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It was back to business as usual Sunday at Gulfstream Park for jockey Junior Alvarado, who rode three winners on the day after guiding Speaker's Corner to a breathtaking victory in the Carter Handicap (G1) Saturday at Belmont Park.

The 35-year-old journeyman, who is now based at Gulfstream year-round, scored back-to-back victories aboard Shea On a Mission ($4) in Race 2 and Bye Bye David ($5) in Race 3 before winning on Rhymes Like Dimes ($5) in Race 8.

“You win a Grade 1 and get to come back to what is home for me now, almost riding the whole card with a lot of very live horses,” Alvarado said. “It keeps you going. It gets you motivated to do even better. I'm just happy to be in this position right now.”

Alvarado ventured to Belmont Park Saturday to ride Speaker's Corner to a commanding 4 ¼-length victory in the Carter, in which the Bill Mott-trained son of Street Sense ran seven furlongs in 1:21.34.

“That was just me being a passenger. I was lucky to be on that kind of horse. Billy Mott is one of the greatest trainers ever. He got the horse in good horse, and I was just a passenger,” Alvarado said.

Prior to the Carter, Alvarado had ridden Speaker's Corner in victories in the Fred W. Hooper (G3) and Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) during the Championship Meet. Todd Pletcher-trained Fearless, who finished a well-beaten second in both races, came back to capture the April 2 Ghostzapper (G3) at Gulfstream by six lengths.

Alvarado also has the mount aboard Mott-trained Olympiad, who is 3-for-3 this year, following up a sensational optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream with back-to-back graded stakes wins at Fair Grounds. The $500,000 Alysheba (G2) May 6 at Churchill Downs is a possible next start for the son of Speightstown.

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