Tag: The Biz

The 2022 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course generated a total estimated economic impact of $81,846,897 in Lexington, Ky. and the surrounding areas. Determined by a recent study led by University of Louisville Economics Professor Thomas E. Lambert, Ph.D., the results represent the second-highest economic impact recorded in Breeders' Cup history, following the record set in 2017 at Del Mar. The study's results serve as a testament to the continued growth of the Breeders' Cup, Breeders' Cup Festival, and Thoroughbred racing, as well as the undeniable value all three provide to their host communities.

On top of these glowing economic indicators, the 2022 Breeders' Cup World Championships, held last Nov. 4-5, generated record global wagering of $189.1 million, the highest in Breeders' Cup history, 3.4 percent higher than the prior record of $182.9 million set in 2021. Records were also set for individual day wagering totals with Future Stars Friday registering $66.1 million and the Championship Saturday program amassing $122.9 million.

The economic benefits of the Breeders' Cup quantified in this study include:

• $30.5 million in on-track spending including wagering, concessions, parking, merchandise, and more
• $33.6 million in spending on hotels, retailers, food and drink, transportation, and off-track entertainment
• $10 million in track improvement investments for Keeneland Race Course, with $7.5 million in labor and material costs generated by the projects boosting the Lexington economy by an estimated $17.5 million overall
• $900,000 secured in state and local tax revenues and $5.3 million secured in federal tax revenues

“When the Breeders' Cup comes to town, Lexington has the opportunity to step into the international spotlight and demonstrate why we are known as the Horse Capital of the World–clearly, we're home to the best track in the world, Keeneland, and to the best Thoroughbreds,” Mayor Linda Gorton said. “However, the Breeders' Cup is about much more than bragging rights. The event has a significant economic impact that helps our hotels, our restaurants, and our entire community.”

“We are proud of the positive economic impact the 2022 World Championships had on the Lexington community, our hometown,” said Drew Fleming, President and CEO of the Breeders' Cup. “After enduring a global pandemic, we held true to our word and returned to Keeneland just two years after the 2020 edition with an understanding of the needed boost the World Championships would give local businesses. Keeneland and Lexington are intimately connected to the history of our great sport, and it was wonderful to work with our highly engaged community to host an event that benefited everyone involved. I also enjoyed once again having the opportunity to work with Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin, Festival Chairman Kip Cornett, the VisitLEX Tourism Board, and Mayor Linda Gorton to execute a successful weeklong event, welcome guests from around the world to the Horse Capital of the World, and collaborate with local businesses to foster economic growth opportunities for the region and community members.”

In tandem with the economic successes and community impact of the 2022 Breeders' Cup, the World Championships featured two days of best-in-class racing under the safest possible conditions to benefit horses, riders, participants, fans, and bettors. Ticket purchasers traveled to Lexington from all 50 states and from 18 different countries, contributing to a significant increase in traffic at Blue Grass Airport. Breeders' Cup also successfully promoted several charitable initiatives throughout the week.

“The results of this study show with certainty that Lexington fully embraces the Breeders' Cup,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Breeders' Cup and Keeneland share a mission to conduct racing at the highest levels of quality, safety, and integrity, and to contribute to our community. It was a pleasure to work again with Drew Fleming and the team at Breeders' Cup, and we thank them, our industry partners, and Central Kentucky business and civic leaders who teamed with us to provide a warm welcome and outstanding hospitality to fans and racing connections from around the world.”

“Breeders' Cup 2022 was an outstanding weekend of racing, hospitality, and economic impact,” said Mary Quinn Ramer, president of VisitLEX. “We know there is no better place around the globe for championship racing than here in Lexington, the Horse Capital of the World, and we applaud Breeders' Cup's decision to bring the 2022 event to our city.”

The 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

ABOUT BREEDERS' CUP

Breeders' Cup Limited administers the Breeders' Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing's year-end Championships, as well as the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races, and also administers the U.S.-based Dirt Dozen Bonus Series. The Breeders' Cup supports and operates under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), which, for the first time, establishes a national, uniform set of rules applicable to every Thoroughbred racing participant and racetrack. HISA seeks to enhance the safety of both horse and rider and to protect the integrity of the sport to the benefit of all racing participants, fans, and bettors.

The 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 Grade 1 Championship races, and $31 million in purses and awards, is scheduled to be held on November 3-4 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Championships will be televised live by NBC Sports. Breeders' Cup press releases appear on the Breeders' Cup website, breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders' Cup on social media.

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The anticipated implementation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program by the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) on March 27 will strengthen equine welfare and enhance confidence in the fairness of the sport.

Here are the top 10 ways HISA's ADMC Program will change racing for the better:

1. For the first time, rules will be uniform and standardized across all states.

The ADMC Program will bring all testing and results management under one central authority, ensuring greater transparency, accountability and consistent application across the country.

2. A paperless chain of custody and collection system will be deployed nationwide.

Sample collection personnel, who will all be trained and certified by HIWU on ADMC Program-compliant protocols, will utilize a paperless system via HIWU's new app, greatly reducing the current inefficient and time-consuming paperwork requirements. The app electronically records the entire sample collection process, and horsemen can receive an electronic receipt of their horses' test sessions via email.

3. Laboratories will be accredited, and their processes harmonized, enabling test results to come back faster in many jurisdictions.

All laboratories that will conduct testing under the ADMC Program must be accredited by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) and meet the performance specifications to enter into a contract with HIWU. This ensures all labs will be held to the same performance standards regardless of the state they operate in. The harmonization of laboratory processes will ensure consistency in every aspect – from the list of substances tested to the levels at which they are tested. As a result, horsemen can have greater confidence in testing results and assurance that any local, lab-specific factors are not affecting testing outcomes.

Laboratory result turnaround times will enable test results to be delivered promptly so that any procedural issues can be dealt with swiftly. The standard turnaround time will be no more than 10 business days after receipt of the samples for Post-Race test results and no more than 5 business days for Vets' List clearance test results – a significant improvement for many jurisdictions.

4. ADMC violations will be clearly divided into two categories with differing degrees of penalties.

HISA's ADMC Program explicitly divides substances on its Prohibited List into two categories: (1) Controlled Medications (therapeutic substances that are permitted outside of race day and other specific periods); and (2) Banned Substances (substances that should never be present in a horse).

The substances are categorized differently because HISA recognizes that they can have different effects on a horse and should result in different consequences. Violations involving Controlled Medications and Methods are categorized as Controlled Medication Rule Violations (CMRV), while violations involving Banned Substances and Methods are categorized as Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV). Harsher penalties will be associated with ADRVs because Banned Substances are detrimental to equine welfare, often enhance performance and should never be present in a horse's body.

5. The national results management system will be managed by one central authority rather than a patchwork of local entities.

The results management and adjudication processes under the ADMC Program are organized specifically to avoid potential local biases and ensure swift and consistent outcomes for all racing participants. Under this system, all laboratory test results will be sent directly to HIWU, which will notify individuals of Adverse Analytical Findings (positive tests) and be responsible for the investigation and prosecution process.

Adjudication decisions will be made by the Internal Adjudication Panel (IAP) for CMRVs and the independent Arbitral Body for ADRVs – replacing the previous inconsistent adjudication processes run by state courts, state racing commissions, and stewards. Final decisions by the IAP and Arbitral Body can be appealed to a federal Administrative Law Judge.

6. Anti-Doping Rule Violations involving the presence, use, administration, or attempted administration of a Banned Substances will automatically trigger a Provisional Suspension of the relevant Covered Person, pending full adjudication.

This measure is critical to ensuring integrity in our sport and is a departure from the processes which previously allowed cheaters to evade accountability by exploiting the rule discrepancies in various jurisdictions, continuing to race as they filed appeals and avoided sanctions – including disqualifications – through lengthy litigation.

7. Testing will be intelligence-based so HIWU is able to effectively catch cheaters while using resources efficiently.

The ADMC Program will introduce an intelligence-driven strategic testing plan to be deployed uniformly across the country. Intelligence-based testing has proven effective in catching bad actors when used in other sports and jurisdictions. HIWU's operations team will take an interdisciplinary approach in its allocation of testing across the country with a focus on ensuring the quality and effectiveness of the doping control process.

The operational strategy will also be informed by collaboration with HIWU's investigations unit to incorporate and act on pertinent information received through its anonymous whistleblower platforms. Intelligence from “boots-on-the-ground” industry participants, including stewards and veterinarians, and continued cooperation with state racing commissions and laboratory/scientific partners will inform the test selection process.

8. A discretionary policy for positives resulting from potential environmental contamination is in place.

The ADMC Program's Atypical Findings Policy requires additional investigation in any instance in which a horse tests positive for a substance that has a higher risk of being present as a result of environmental contamination rather than intentional administration. If HIWU determines that the substance was present due to contamination, the test result may be considered negative, and no penalties will be issued.

9. More Out-of-Competition testing than ever before.

Under HISA's ADMC Program, HIWU will oversee the introduction of the first nationwide Out-of-Competition (OOC) testing program for Banned Substances. This extra layer of testing will weed out those who do not operate with integrity, deter others from doing the same and prioritize equine welfare year-round.

OOC testing will only regulate Banned Substances – not Controlled Medications. If a Covered Horse is located on private property, and the Responsible Person does not want sample collection personnel entering the property, they have the option to bring the Covered Horse to a location that is mutually agreed upon with HIWU e.g., racetrack, as long as the Covered Horse is presented at that location within six hours of notification of testing.

10. Investigations will be led by former law enforcement officers and seasoned racing experts.

HIWU's investigations unit, which will help lead the enforcement of the ADMC Program, is led by former law enforcement officials with considerable experience in the racing industry.

Naushaun “Shaun” Richards, who will serve as Director of Intelligence & Strategy, joined HIWU after a 23-year tenure with the FBI, where he initiated and directed the criminal investigation that resulted in the indictments of more than 30 individuals across the racing industry. Shawn Loehr, who will serve as Director of Investigative Operations, previously spent more than 27 years in California law enforcement, most recently spending nearly four years as the chief of enforcement and licensing for the California Horse Racing Board.

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Del Mar's “Ship & Win” program, the track's highly successful magnet for attracting out-of-state runners to compete at the shore oval, will be on deck for the 13th consecutive season when racing returns at the seaside starting July 21.

Since its inception in 2011, “S&W” has drawn more than 2,400 equine competitors to Del Mar, which has helped it regularly establish itself as one of the nation's top tracks for field size both in the summer and during its fall session. Additionally, the popular program has had a solid ripple effect for the other major racing facilities throughout the state as a majority of its imported “S&W” runners stay on in California to continue their careers.

The current “S&W” enhancements include a $5,000 first-start bonus and a 50% purse supplement for all dirt runners. Further, turf horses earn a $4,000 starter bonus and a 40% purse supplement.

The purse supplements extend to any additional starts during the summer meet and hold true for first through fifth finishers in their races. Also, should a “S&W” horse be claimed out of its first outing and subsequently run back at the session, the original owner will receive all earned supplements.

“This program has proven to be an absolute home run for Del Mar and all of California racing,” said David Jerkens, a Del Mar vice president and its racing secretary. “Our fields grow stronger each summer with “Ship & Win” horses and then the lion's share of those runners stay on and race at other venues in the state. Our local owners and trainers bring us most of these imports, so that provides beneficial enhancements for our regular backers.”

Here are the simple guidelines for “S&W” horses:

• Horses cannot have raced in California in the past 12 months and must have made their last start outside the state.
• First-time starters do not qualify.
• Purse bonuses will extend to a horse which makes its initial “S&W” start in May or June at Santa Anita. Further, that same horse may make up to two starts during that period and still have its purse benefits extended through the Del Mar meet.
• Guaranteed $5,000 check for any qualified starter in their first “S&W” outing on dirt; Stakes races included.
• 50% bonus applied to same qualified horse's purse earnings for EVERY dirt start during the summer meet.
• Guaranteed $4,000 check for any qualified starter in their first “S&W” outing on turf; Stakes races included.
• 40% bonus applied to same qualified starter's purse earnings for EVERY turf start during the summer meet.
• Purse bonus applies to earning for places 1-5, excluding stakes races. If a “S&W” horse is acquired after its initial “S&W” start, the original owner will receive purse bonuses for subsequent outings throughout the summer stand.
• Horses that make their original Del Mar “S&W” start will remain eligible for bonus money for their first start at the Santa Anita Fall meet, provided the horse makes only one start at Del Mar.
• DMTC reserves, at is sole discretion, the right to determine eligibility for qualified starters.

Those with questions about “S&W” are asked to contact David Jerkens at (858) 792-4230, or at david@dmtc.com

“This signature, innovative and popular program has increased the horse population and field size for every owner in California,” said Thoroughbred Owners of California chairman Gary Fenton. “DMTC continues to be a leader in positive and innovative changes within our industry.”

Earlier this month Del Mar announced a robust purse and stakes schedule befitting its standing among the nation's foremost racing headquarters. Its 31-day session will include purse payouts of over $800,000 a day and its stakes schedule will consist of 39 events worth $8,275,000.

The iconic track's 84th summer season will go from Friday, July 21 until Sunday, September 10 with most of its racing days starting with its traditional 2 p.m. first post.

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Veterinarian Justin Robinson, criminally charged in 2017 with multiple counts of illegally influencing the outcome of a horse race, was given a $500 fine and probation in a deferred adjudication agreement approved in Bexar County District Court in  San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 28.

Robinson was named as the attending veterinarian in connection with a series of Class 1 positive drug tests from horses trained by then-reigning AQHA champion trainer Judd Kearl and two others. The drug detected was nomifensine, an anti-depressant that has not been legal in the U.S. since the 1980s. Kearl was suspended a total of 19 years by the Texas Racing Commission. Trainers Jose Sanchez and Brian Stroud were suspended four years and one year, respectively.

Monica Guerrero, attorney for Robinson, said the deferred adjudication includes three years of probation, during which time he will not be allowed to practice veterinary medicine in the state of Texas. Robinson was also required to submit to 80 hours of community service, though as an option could make a $500 donation to Haven for Hope, a homeless shelter in San Antonio.

If all the conditions of the deferred adjudication are met, Guerrero said, the charges may be removed from Robinson's permanent record. In addition to the $500 fine, Robinson was assessed $375 in court costs.

The deferred adjudication agreement, approved by Judge Frank Castro, was reached weeks before a scheduled April 3 jury trial.

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