In this week's edition of the Friday Show, Paulick Report publisher Ray Paulick and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills discuss that relatively new and somewhat nebulous license, one known as a “social license to operate.” In brief, an SLO amounts to a business or industry's ability to exist through the approval by the general public of its standards and practices.

The term came up most recently in the ongoing hearing called by the New York Racing Association against Bob Baffert for his recent medication violations. An expert witness called by NYRA said an industry's social license to operate may be impacted when someone as high-profile as Baffert is associated with what the general public believes is the drugging or deaths of horses.

Racing is far from being the only sport or industry whose social license to operate is being scrutinized by both animal rights extremists but also by many in the general public. Greyhound racing lost its social license to operate in numerous states and is now virtually out of business in the U.S. Football's social license to operate has been called into question in recent years because of head injuries to players, but the sport evolved in response to social pressure and is thriving.

Can horse racing do the same thing?

Watch this week's Friday Show presented by the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park.

The post Friday Show Presented By Pegasus World Cup At Gulfstream Park: Racing’s Social License To Operate appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In this week's look-back at the year in horse racing, we show you our most-liked Instagram posts of 2021.

The year's top images range from Flavien Prat's mid-race tack malfunction at Santa Anita to founder Ray Paulick saying goodbye to Arlington Park. Superstar filly Swiss Skydiver features twice, the Headless Horseman gallops in for an appearance, and Firenze Fire's savagery in the Grade 1 Forego also made the list.

Which one is your favorite?

 

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The post 2021 In Pictures: The Paulick Report’s Top Instagram Posts Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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They seldom missed a day at Santa Anita – weekdays or weekends. Bill was employed as a trader at Merrill Lynch in downtown Los Angeles and was free to head to the track in Arcadia when the markets closed at 1:00 p.m. Pacific. Helen's job, it seems, was going to the races. She drove 15 miles from their home in Covina to Santa  Anita and was always there well in advance of the daily double. She'd give Bill a report on the first couple races when he arrived from work (though, in those days, you could keep up with the results on KNX News Radio, which played the stretch calls and gave the payouts of every race).

They were delighted to learn their daughter was dating someone she met at the Los Angeles office of Daily Racing Form, where Carol and I both worked in the 1980s. It may have had something to do with the fact we could grab a couple of extra copies of the Form when it was hot off the presses and not yet in distribution, saving them each $1.50.

A couple years later, when we decided to marry, Carol and I were told in no uncertain terms that the wedding would not take place during the Santa Anita winter-spring meet, the Del Mar summer meet, or the Santa Anita fall meeting then run by the Oak Tree Racing Association. That left late April-June and November-December during Hollywood Park, or September during the Los Angeles County Fair race meeting at Pomona. We set Sept. 25, 1983, for our wedding date.

Bill and Helen's lives were organized around the sport. Vacations – sometimes group tours to visit racetracks, breeding farms and training centers overseas – had to fit into those same time slots as our wedding. Social events with friends or business associates on race days were highly discouraged and avoided as much as possible.

One of their favorite days of the year was Christmas, not so much because of the religious aspects or good cheer of the holiday. It was due to the anticipation and excitement of what came next: opening day at Santa Anita. (One of their other favorite days each year was the mid-July opening day at Del Mar, which they also never missed.)

I have to laugh when I hear someone complain about awkward Christmas dinner conversations with in-laws. Questions like, “When are you going to have kids?” or, “Have you thought about a career change?” never came up in our dinner table discussions.

It was more like, “Who do you like in the double?” “Do you want to put in a Pick 6 ticket with us?” or, “How big do you think the opening day crowd is going to be tomorrow?” (Note: this was back when opening day attendance of 50,000-60,000 was common and leaving the track could be a traffic nightmare.)

The Watts family Christmas Day tradition began with gin fizzes and the opening of a few presents, and then on to a feast of turkey with all the trimmings. Once the dinner  table was cleared, the Daily Racing Forms came out and the serious business began. We'd go through every race, each of us giving our picks, and why.

There may have been a better time for Southern California horse racing than the early to mid-1980s, but I never experienced anything more exciting. The jockey colony – Hall of Famers Bill Shoemaker, Laffit Pincay Jr., Chris McCarron, Eddie Delahoussaye, Sandy Hawley, Darrel McHargue and a newcomer named Gary Stevens – was the best I will ever see. Hall of Fame trainers like Charlie Whittingham, Laz Barrera, Gary Jones, Richard Mandella, Robert Frankel and an upstart from the Quarter Horse world named D. Wayne Lukas seemed to dominate the big races. It was the Golden Era for me.

Bill and Helen have both passed in recent years, but I know if there's a heaven above with a newsstand selling the Daily Racing Form, they'll start handicapping the daily double as soon as Christmas dinner is over. And some how, some way, they'll find a place to make a wager. They never met a race they didn't like, especially on opening day at Santa Anita.

The post A Christmas Tradition: Gin Fizzes, Turkey Dinner And Daily Racing Forms For Santa Anita’s Opening Day appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The contest, which takes place each racing day of the Bing Crosby Season, awards the player with the highest mythical bankroll at the end of the meet with two VIP tickets, hotel and a travel stipend to visit the Del Mar summer season. (More information here.)

While Paulick is drowning in bad picks, Cadman comes on strong with her selection of Irish-bred Cathkin Peak in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby, citing trouble at the start of his last race in the G2 Twilight Derby and a jockey switch to Flavien Prat.

Paulick goes with Beyond Brilliant, a horse that was outrun down the stretch by Cathkin Peak last out. Yu, whose insights have been on target for much of the meet, cautions both players not to overlook Camp Hope, the Kenny McPeek-trained Midwest invader coming off two successive wins at Keeneland.

Watch the season finale of Beach Boss below.

The post Beat Ray At Del Mar: Will New Challenger ‘Peak’ At Right Time? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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With the Thanksgiving Day holiday upon, it's time to reflect on the many blessings we have in our lives. Family and friends. The roof over our heads. The food on our table. The dollars in our advance deposit wagering account.

At the Paulick Report, it's also when we recognize achievements by the horses, people and events that make our industry so interesting, engaging and, sometimes, infuriating. It's time for the occasionally annual Paulick Report Turkey Awards.

We had an abundance of candidates this year, all of which went through a careful screening process by a blue-ribbon committee that, in keeping with the spirit of the horse industry's lack of transparency, will go nameless. We won't divulge the process by which the Turkey Award winners were selected, either. After all, it's horse racing.

So without further ado, publisher Ray Paulick and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills bring you this year's Turkey Awards and offer our apologies in advance to both the winners and runners-up.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Watch this week's Friday Show, presented by Woodbine, below:

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O'Neill joins Michelle Yu and me to make picks and analyze Saturday's Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar, one of two Beach Boss contest races in a free-to-play competition that takes place every day during the Bing Crosby season at the seaside track. While he doesn't have a starter in this year's Native Diver – a race he's won twice – O'Neill has some insights on one of the participants who shipped into his barn from the East Coast.

O'Neill also provides an update on how Grade 1 winner Hot Rod Charlie came out of his fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic and when we might next see this son of Oxbow.

Watch the video below to find out who O'Neill, Yu and I like in the Native Diver.

The post Beat Ray At Del Mar: Doug O’Neill Dives Into Beach Boss Waters appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The player with the largest bankroll at the end of the Bing Crosby meet on Nov. 28 will win two VIP Tickets to the 2022 Del Mar Racing Season, including hotel and travel stipend. A slew of Del Mar prizes will be paid out to other top finishers.

The contest, which began with the Nov. 3 opening day card, is free to play and it's not too late to join. Register here.

As part of the Beach Boss contest, each week a guest handicapper will join Michelle Yu and me to handicap Saturday's biggest race or races and try to “Beat Ray” with their mythical $100 wagers.

On this opening Saturday of the meet, which happens to be Breeders' Cup championship day, Michelle and I are joined by Larry Collmus, who is calling the Breeders' Cup races for NBC Sports and live on-track for the Bing Crosby meeting at Del Mar.

Watch our analysis of the Breeders' Cup Mile and Classic below.

The post Beach Boss – Free Online Handicapping Contest – Returns For Del Mar’s Bing Crosby Season appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Klaravich Stable's Domestic Spending, trained by Chad Brown, is a three-time G1 winner coming off a narrow defeat in the G1 Mr. D. Stakes (formerly the Arlington Million) at Arlington Park. LNJ Foxwoods' United, trained by Richard Mandella, scored a nose victory last out in the G2 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita.

Inflammation was detected on a leg in both horses on Thursday morning.

The scratches permit Aidan O'Brien-trained Bolshoi Ballet and front-running Bill Mott trainee Channel Maker into the field.

Watch the Breeders' Cup News Minute below:

The post Breeders’ Cup Presents The News Minute: Scratches Change Complexion Of Turf appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The draw will be conducted in the Del Mar paddock beginning at 2:30 p.m. PT/5:30 p.m. ET and is open to the public. It can also be viewed on TVG or at breederscup.com, the Breeders' Cup mobile app or the Breeders' Cup YouTube, Facebook or Twitter pages.

In this edition of the News Minute, Ray Paulick reviews some of the key defections from Breeders' Cup races, including G1 Santa Anita Handicap winner Idol from the Classic, leaving the 1 1/4-mile test with nine expected starters led by trainer Brad Cox's two Horse of the Year candidates, Knicks Go and Essential Quality.

Paulick also has a tip for those out-of-towners coming to San Diego County for the Breeders' Cup and it has to do with what many of our mothers told us is the most important meal of the day.

For those not coming to Breeders' Cup (and limited tickets are still available), NBCSN and TVG will carry all the action on Future Stars Friday from 5-9 p.m. ET. On Saturday, NBCSN and TVG will televise the championships from 2:30-8 p.m. ET. The NBC network takes over from 8-9 p.m. ET for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Watch the Breeders' Cup News Minute below:

The post Breeders’ Cup Presents The News Minute: Ins And Outs Before Post Position Draw appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In this week's edition of the Friday Show, Kate Hunter – Breeders' Cup field representative in Japan – joins Ray Paulick and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills to talk about the seven Japanese horses expected to participate this year – the largest group ever. (An eighth Japanese runner, Jasper Krone, has been withdrawn.)

Hunter points out that Hideyuki Mori, arguably the most internationally minded Japanese trainer, is leading by example, having sent over the most horses and demonstrating – while yet to win a Breeders' Cup race – that it is well worth trying. Mori has been testing the international waters all the way back to 1995, when he sent Ski Captain from Japan for a run in the Kentucky Derby. Mori will have four entered this year.

Is the year for a Japanese victory? “If you consider that horse racing is a numbers game, we've got the numbers this year,” Hunter said. “I hope it goes in our favor.”

Watch this week's Friday Show, presented by Woodbine, below:

The post The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Japan’s Strength In Numbers appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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