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Trainer Dale Romans To Appear On Breeders’ Cup Cocktails & Conversation Broadcast This Thursday

The Breeders' Cup, one of Thoroughbred horse racing's most prestigious international events, today announces special guest Dale Romans for this week's installment of Cocktails & Conversation, the recurring virtual happy hour series designed to rally the horse racing industry's most prominent figures to raise funds for communities that have been profoundly impacted by COVID-19.

The next Cocktails & Conversation broadcast, airing Thursday, July 2 at 6 p.m. ET via Breeders' Cup's Twitter, YouTube and Facebook pages, will mark the 12th installment of the series. The episode will be hosted by Nick Luck and Britney Eurton of NBC Sports and 21 Club mixologist and creator of Breeders' Cup's official cocktails Mark Tubridy.

Thursday's virtual happy hour will feature Romans, who has entered Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's Mr Freeze in Saturday's (July 4) 1-mile, $500,000 Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park. A Louisville native, Romans has steadily risen up the ranks of great American trainers since receiving his training license at age 18. Romans won the first of his three Breeders' Cup World Championships races in 2009, when Tapitsfly captured the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

In 2011, Romans won the Preakness Stakes (G1) with Shackleford, and later that year captured the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) with 64-1 Court Vision. Romans had a banner season in 2012, amassing more than $11.8 million in total earnings and winning 125 races. He captured the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) with Little Mike, the Metropolitan Handicap with Shackleford and the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) and TVG Pacific Classic (G1) with Dullahan. As a result of these achievements, Romans was voted the Champion Trainer Eclipse Award.

In 2015, the Romans-trained Keen Ice upset Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.

Romans will have one of the favorites with Mr Freeze in Saturday's Met Mile, which will be broadcast live on NBC (5-6 p.m. ET) as a part of the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing.” The winner of Saturday's race will earn an automatic starting position into this year's $2 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

Thursday's live stream will commence with Tubridy leading a virtual mixology class for viewers, creating two refreshing cocktails to enjoy at home during the broadcast. Mark will be mixing up a “Watermelon Martini,” consisting of Tito's Handmade Vodka, watermelon juice, lime juice, and simple syrup; and a “Bourbon Peach Colada,” with Maker's Mark ® Bourbon, frozen peaches, cream of coconut and lemon juice.

Following the cocktail mixing segment, the broadcast will feature a conversational interview with Romans, who will offer his insightful perspectives and thoughts on Mr Freeze, the latest developments in horse racing and other everyday topics. Fans will be able to submit questions via social media for the hosts and for Romans to answer during the broadcast for a truly interactive experience. Throughout the cocktail hour, viewers will be encouraged to donate to industry workers and communities in need through the official Breeders' Cup website.

Tapping all-star talents such as world-renowned jockeys Frankie Dettori and Mike Smith; leading Breeders' Cup-winning trainers Bob Baffert, Chad Brown, Graham Motion and Todd Pletcher; NHL All-Star Erik Johnson; restauranteur and celebrity Chef Bobby Flay; film and television actress and equestrian rider Bo Derek; owner Jeff Bloom; trainer Tom Amoss; television personality and fashion designer Carson Kressley; and the NBC Sports' horse racing broadcasting team, Breeders' Cup has raised thousands of dollars through previous broadcasts.

All proceeds generated from Cocktails & Conversation are wholly donated to the following organizations benefitting the horse racing and hospitality industries:

Race Track Chaplaincy of America, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of the horse racing community through social services, food and clothing banks and educational workshops.
USBG National Charity Foundation, which supports bartenders, barbacks and bar servers throughout the nation who have been financially impacted by restaurant and bar shutdowns as a result of the health crisis.
Restaurant Workers Relief Program, a project jointly formed by Maker's Mark and the Lee Initiative that has transformed restaurants in major cities into relief centers that offer food and supplies to affected hospitality workers.

To learn more about the virtual happy hour series and to support those in need, please visit https://www.breederscup.com/convos.

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‘Our Only Chance To Bring A Level Playing Field To Racing’: Hall Of Famer Mark Casse Joins WHOA

Mark E. Casse, one of the newest members of the National Museum of Racings Hall of Fame has joined the Water Hay Oats Alliance (WHOA). Successful in both the United States and Canada, Casse has won the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Trainer in Canada a record 12 times and was inducted into the Canadian Racing Hall of Fame in 2016.

Mr. Casse remarked in his statement to WHOA, “After much thought, I have decided to join the WHOA. I continue to be frustrated by the lack of uniformity in our industry, and I know that WHOA is a big supporter of the Horseracing Integrity Act, as am I. It is my belief that it is our only chance to bring a level playing field to racing.”

Even in these uncertain times, WHOA continues to lobby for the Horseracing Integrity Act (HR1754/S1820). Support is growing with 253 cosponsors in the House of Representatives and 25 cosponsors in the Senate. The racing industry needs to band together and get behind passage of the bill in the 116th Congress. Support from racing leaders like Mark Casse is imperative to the effort.

Casse has trained Eclipse Award winners Classic Empire, Shamrock Rose, Tepin, and World Approval, as well as Canadian Horse of the Year honorees Catch a Glimpse, Lexie Lou, Sealy Hill, Uncaptured, and Wonder Gadot. He has won a total of seven races in the Canadian Triple Crown series, five Breeders' Cup races, and the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot with Tepin. Casse has trained 18 horses that have won $1 million or more and has been the leading trainer at Woodbine (11 times), Turfway (four times), Keeneland (three times), and Churchill Downs (twice).

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Announcer, Analyst McNerney Hoping To Bring ‘More Educated Angles’ To Dual Role At Ellis Park

Jimmy McNerney, Ellis Park's announcer who also does the morning line and race selections for the program, is resuming his role as pre-race analyst from his booth. Rocco O'Connor, the paddock analyst the past two years, has left horse racing.

McNerney also is the race-caller at Turfway Park during the winter and a top jockey agent at Indiana Grand. He believes having a bird's-eye view of so many races helps him in his handicapping.

“I think I have unique insight just from my other duty as announcer,” said McNerney, who had been the Ellis broadcast analyst several years ago and also holds that position at Turfway Park. “Not that other people can't see it on replays, but I do catch stuff. I watch the horses on the gallop-out, whereas the normal replay stops and goes back to odds or slow-mo finish. I can see them galloping out. I watch all that stuff, really critique a race. When I prepare, I watch the last couple of replays of most horses, not only for handicapping purposes but I do it also because sometimes you need the pronunciation of a name. Probably being an announcer gives me a little more insight.

“And I'm so close to all those people down there that I have a lot of insight with the local horsemen. I know how horses are training. I hope I can bring a little more educated angles.”

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‘Nothing Has Been Typical This Year,’ But Asmussen Ready To Chase Training Title At Ellis Park

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen shoots for his fourth training title in five years at the RUNHAPPY Summer Meet at Ellis Park, which opens Thursday and concludes Aug. 30.

Ellis Park runs Thursday through Sunday, then takes next week off in order to let Keeneland Race Course make up five days and many of the Lexington track's biggest stakes races from its canceled April meet. Ellis then resumes July 17 with its Friday through Sunday format, closing a week earlier than normal in order to let Churchill Downs conduct a delayed Kentucky Derby Week.

Asmussen comes into Ellis Park off a record-setting Churchill Downs session. While collecting a record 23rd training title at Churchill Downs, Asmussen also replaced Dale Romans as the all-time win leader under the Twin Spires, now by a 747-744 margin.

Asmussen hadn't raced regularly at Ellis Park in years when he created a large division at Kentucky's second-oldest racetrack in 2016, lured by increasing purses and a good racing surface. He promptly won the Ellis training title in that year, followed by 2017 and 2019, with Brad Cox winning in 2018. When Asmussen regained the crown last year by a 24-18 victory margin over Cox, he also came away with the distinction of being the meet's leading owner with five wins.

“Everything is different this year,” Asmussen said last week, referencing life in the COVID-19 era while adjusting the protective mask on his face as he stood outside of Churchill Downs. “It's going to take us a while to get the right horses there to run. I'm anxious to see what races go, who you'll be able to run. Nothing has been typical this year with anywhere we are running now.

“Purses have taken a hit everywhere, pretty much, very few exceptions to that. We are running the same horse for a little less money, but the pandemic caused that financial situation in a lot of things. We should be represented in most categories there. It is a bit different with Keeneland running five days in there, (with) their traditional stakes. We run a couple of days at Ellis, then five days at Keeneland then we resume. I think once we get through the Keeneland meet and you get horses moved back around, we'll have the right horses to run there.”

Each win at Ellis this summer will bring Asmussen a step closer to a goal he has long coveted: being the winningest thoroughbred trainer in history. He currently has 8,889 wins in a career dating to 1986, trailing only the late Dale Baird by 556, which puts Asmussen on pace to take over the lead next year.

Asked about not being shy in wanting to be No. 1 all-time, Asmussen laughed and said, “As opposed to not be? You do. We're blessed with opportunity. I feel we should win a lot more than we do already, and hopefully we'll correct that soon.”

Asmussen can get off to a fast start this meet in his defense of both his trainer and owner's titles, with a horse in three of the first four races Thursday, two of whom he owns. In the fourth race, Asmussen will send out Three Chimneys' first-time starter Fuego Caliente, the 7-5 favorite in the field of eight 2-year-olds. Fuego Caliente is a son of champion Will Take Charge, who stands in stud at Three Chimneys Farm in Woodford County. His mom is the Hook and Ladder mare Noble Fire, whose four winners from her first four foals to race include female sprint champion and $1.5 million-earner La Verdad and Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks winner Hot City Girl.

Asmussen has high praise for Ellis' track surface, which always has been known as a very good, safe surface, with former Keeneland track superintendent Javier Barajas taking over its care this year.

“We've been stabled at Ellis Park for a couple of weeks now, and I'm extremely pleased with the surface,” Asmussen said. “I think it's better than it's ever been.”

The trainer said he expects to be in the Aug. 9 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Derby, whose purse was doubled to $200,000 and distance extended to 1 1/8 miles. The winner will receive 50 points toward qualifying for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, almost assuredly guaranteeing a spot in the 20-horse starting gate for America's most famous race.

“I have horses I do plan running there,” Asmussen said. “I'm not positive who I plan on running, but we will run at least one. I think unprecedented is the situation we're in right now: Who you will run that may need points to secure your spot (in the Derby), or the fact that it is simply a good financial spot for who you have has yet to be determined. With having already run the Belmont Stakes, it's just a very different time for horse racing.”

Asmussen's Ellis Park operation is overseen by assistant trainer Mitch Dennison.

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