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Privman To Receive Special Eclipse Award

Jay Privman, who retired from the Daily Racing Form in late 2022 after a career spanning six decades, will be presented with a Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence at the 52nd Eclipse Award ceremonies to be held at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, Jan. 26.

“This is quite humbling and most appreciated, as it has been bestowed by my peers and those I covered,” Privman said. “I get very emotional seeing whose names have also won a Special Award, like the greatest rider I ever saw, Laffit Pincay, Jr., and the great racing journalist Charles Hatton. The number 30 is used in print journalism to signify the end of a story, so I find it incredibly moving to be the 30th recipient of the Special Award at the close of my career.”

Privman's storied career as a reporter began when working part-time as a college student for the Los Angeles Daily News and he covered his first race in 1980–the GI Malibu S. won by future Hall of Famer Spectacular Bid. He assumed a full-time role with the publication from 1981-1991, then became the West Coast editor for The Racing Times (1991-1992) and a West Coast correspondent for the New York Times from 1992-1998. From 1983-1998, he was also a correspondent for The Thoroughbred Record and Thoroughbred Times.

Privman joined DRF in 1998 as national correspondent and taking over the 'Derby Doings' column launched several years earlier by his mentor, the late Joe Hirsch. Privman joined Hirsch on the National Museum of Racing Roll of Honor in 2021 and retired last September, a short time after covering Flightline's historic victory in the GI TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar, the first track he ever attended. He and his wife, Anne Warner, reside in nearby Carlsbad.

Privman covered each running of the Kentucky Derby from 1982 through 2019 (missing 2020 and 2021 because of covid and surgery for bladder cancer, respectively) before returning for the 2022 Triple Crown. He was also on hand for every Breeders' Cup from the inaugural in 1984 through 2021 (missing 2020 because of the pandemic).

Privman is actively involved in many charitable endeavors, and as a key member of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, has provided invaluable guidance on matters affecting his colleagues and the sport.

In addition to his distinguished career in turf writing, Privman also covered horse racing on television for CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, and NBCSN. Privman also was the longtime co-host of the radio show Thoroughbred Los Angeles on KLAA-AM 830.

“For over three decades, Jay Privman has been the gold standard of professionalism and objectivity in news reporting,” said Steven Crist, former Editor-in-Chief at The Racing Times and former CEO and Publisher of Daily Racing Form. “He is widely respected by both his readers and his fellow journalists throughout the sport, and his exemplary coverage will be missed.”

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Twelve Questions: Bill Nader

Bill Nader was named President and CEO of the Thoroughbred Owners of California this past June. He worked as a senior executive at the Hong Kong Jockey Club from 2007 until then, and was formerly the Senior Vice President and COO of the New York Racing Association. He began his career at Rockingham Park in his native Salem, New Hampshire in 1979.

Most exciting race you watched this year that wasn't Flightline?
Jockey Club Mile on Nov. 20 when Golden Sixty ran down California Spangle with a closing quarter in 21.32. I watched it on tv so not sure if it counts.

One positive change you'd like to see in racing in 2023?
Positive communication from those who enjoy the sport. Words matter. If you love it and you know it, then your words should surely show it.

If you could bring back one racetrack from the past, which would it be?
Rockingham Park, my hometown racetrack. Honorable mentions to Arlington and Hialeah.

Who's the best executive in racing right now?
Me. If I say anyone else, I place myself at unnecessary risk.

If you could have dinner with one historical figure, who would it be?
Martin Luther King

Best advice you've ever gotten?
My Mom – “Just be yourself.”

What does racing look like in 10 years?
Japanese horses will be a big part of the picture in major three-year-old Grade I classics on dirt. Sports betting will be available at most racetracks. The popular racetracks will continue to thrive.

Do we need more tracks or fewer tracks?
Fewer.

Favorite horse of all time (and why)?
Spectacular Bid, for what he accomplished after losing out on the Triple Crown. His four-year-old season was incredible.

Best race you've ever seen?
The 1998 Belmont Stakes when Victory Gallop denied Real Quiet a Triple Crown. That was an absolute thriller.

Hardest working person you've ever worked with?
Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and IFHA Chairman

All I want for Christmas is…?
To spend it with my daughter Martina in Solvang, California.

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Turcotte: Secretariat Was Better

Secretariat vs. Flightline (Tapit): Who was better?

“I think Secretariat would have beat him,” Secretariat's jockey Ron Turcotte said of a hypothetical match up between the two legendary horses. “That's no knock against the other horse. He's a beautiful horse. Well put together. I can't fault him in any way. But he has hasn't done enough for me to say he is better than Secretariat.”

That's not to say that Turcotte isn't a Flightline fan.

“He's a fabulous horse,” he said. “We don't know how fast he could run.”

Turcotte, 81, resides in Drummond, New Brunswick, Canada. He watched the GI Breeders' Cup Classic live on television and took a look back at Flightline's previous races on YouTube. He sees some similarities between Flightline and Secretariat.

“He's very muscular like Secretariat,” Turcotte said. “He's got a real large stride like Secretariat and it looks to me than he's taller than Secretariat was.”

But Turcotte added that he finds it difficult to compare a horse who ran only six times to Secretariat, who made 21 career starts.

“There aren't enough races for me to really judge him,” he said. “It's very hard to judge a horse against Secretariat when he only had six races. Secretariat was a machine The same goes for some of the great horses like Kelso. He won the Gold Cup five times in a row. I rode against him and know what a great horse he was.

“I would have loved to see Flightline run another year because it's very hard to judge him on just six races. it would have been much better for racing if they ran him another year, but I can understand why the people did what they did, with all the money there is now in breeding.”

Turcotte said another factor that makes a comparison difficulty is that Secretariat did not run as a 4-year-old while Flightline did.

“Comparing a 4-year-old and a 3-year-old, that's awful hard to do,” he said. “Secretariat was just maturing when he was retired. His last two races were just unbelievable.”

He also pointed to Secretariat's versatility and the track records Secretariat set in his three Triple Crown wins.

“Secretariat would run in the slop , the mud, on a fast track, the grass. He would run on anything.” he said. “The other horse only ran on fast tracks. And he never broke a track record, like Secretariat did.”

It's been 49 years since Turcotte rode Secretariat and there have been some tremendous horses that have come after him, like Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, Cigar, Zenyatta and, of course Flightline. But will there ever be a horse that compares to Secretariat?

“I've always said we'd never see a horse as good as Secretariat,” Turcotte said. “But you never know.”

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Letter to the Editor: Mike Sekulic

Was Flightline's Pacific Classic the best performance since Secretariat's Belmont (as Bill Finley asked in The Week in Review in Monday's TDN)? Although it was great, the obvious answer is no, because we have witnessed many incredible races over the last nearly 50 years. But comparing and contrasting racehorses (and their best performances), and wondering how they stack up against each other, is part of what makes horse racing exciting and interesting. Secretariat's stupendous effort in the last leg of the Triple Crown was very likely the best performance by a racehorse. Flightline's stunning effort (specifically, the margin of victory) may have looked slightly better due to substandard competition.

Secretariat broke Gallant Man's 16-year-old track record by 2 3/5th seconds while running 2:24 in his historic tour de force in the 1973 Belmont S., at the demanding 12-furlong distance. Flightline missed the track record by less than 1/5th second in his 1:59 2/5 romp at 10-furlongs.

Many other horses over the years have run 1:59 2/5, or better, for 10-furlongs, including Spectacular Bid (world record), Quack, Secretariat, Affirmed, J.O. Tobin, Ghostzapper, Skip Away, Alysheba, In Excess, Candy Ride, Game On Dude, Best Pal, Gentlemen, Crystal Water, Ancient Title, Kennedy Road, Native Diver, and John Henry (via DQ…but he was only a nose behind). The list goes on and on, actually. Oh, and let us not forget Ancient Title's powerhouse victory in the 1977 Del Mar H., when it was contested at “120 feet less than 10-furlongs” and he ran 1:55 2/5, which the Los Angeles Times projected translated to 1:57 3/5 for the distance, which would have been a world record.

Obviously, many excellent horses have equaled or bettered Flightline's 10-furlong time, but Secretariat's 2:24 accomplishment stands alone for the 12-furlong distance, as no one has approached his time record. The closest anyone has come was Prove Out (while defeating Secretariat) in the 1973 Woodward S. in 2:25 4/5. Easy Goer clocked in at 2:26 in his Belmont S. win over Sunday Silence, while Hechizado and Nasty And Bold matched that clocking in respective Brooklyn H. victories.

American horses of the 21st Century do not compete nearly as often as their 20th Century counterparts. Should any of today's hothouse flowers be compared to the greats of the past who raced constantly? The heroes of the 1970's were battle-tested and danced every dance. During a 3-month period in 1972, the great Susan's Girl ran eight times! Also, in 1972 Cougar II won an 11-furlong turf race in 2:11 (New American record) and was wheeled back 3 weeks later to win at 8 1/2 furlongs on dirt in 1:39 1/5 (missing the world record by 1/5th second), which is a phenomenal achievement. At the end of 1973, Secretariat ran Sept. 15, Sept. 29, Oct. 8, and Oct. 28! These horses didn't need three to six months between starts! How would today's best fare with that kind of schedule?

Over the last 10 years or so, California Chrome, Arrogate, American Pharoah, Justify, or Flightline have been crowned “the best of all-time,” or “the best horse since Secretariat.” If you know the history of the sport you understand that many excellent racehorses have come along in the time span between Secretariat, in 1973, and now. However, it seems that all these horses are ignored, and only Secretariat is remembered. Secretariat and whoever the new “greatest horse of all time” is at the moment.

Forego, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Ruffian, and many other all-time greats, stepped into the spotlight in the wake of Secretariat's 1970's reign. However, the most astonishing thing is that when today's flavor-of-the-month bandwagon comes along, it's bad enough that the four champions mentioned above are ignored, but what's worse is that the best horse since Secretariat–Spectacular Bid–is forgotten.

Spectacular Bid was a perfect 24 for 24 in the middle-distance range of 7 to 10 furlongs, and his career total was 30 starts, 26 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third. He set multiple track records and even a world record. How does he get ignored or dismissed as these other horses are crowned heir apparent to Secretariat?

Leapfrogging over a horse like Spectacular Bid is unthinkable.

It's important to remember the great horses and performances of the past to put things in perspective and to consider that what you're witnessing now may or may not be the greatest thing that ever happened. But the discussion about great horses is fun, and Flightline surely is part of that debate.

Although the field that Flightline beat this weekend was not very strong, as evidenced by the fact that it took Country Grammer, who didn't offer his best effort, 2:03 to negotiate 10 furlongs, and the others 2:04 and much worse. Still, that takes nothing away from Flightline, because he certainly is sublime. I share the excitement and enthusiasm about him. From the standpoint of sheer talent and ability, he's as good as a horse can possibly get…maybe better.

Mike Sekulic, Thousand Oaks, CA

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