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Godolphin Homebred Romps in Delaware Debut

4th-Delaware, $41,225, Msw, 8-26, 2yo, 6f, 1:11.85, ft.
TATE (c, 2, Quality Road–Collective, by Bernardini), the 2-1 second choice in this debut, was hustled from the gate to keep pace with the early leaders before settling just off the pacesetters in third. He split foes at the top of the lane, charged to the lead with a furlong to run and stormed clear to graduate by seven lengths. Plamen (Curlin) was second. Tate is a half-brother to Shared Sense (Street Sense), GSW, $327,745. Collective produced a colt by Hard Spun in 2019 and a filly by Street Sense this year. She was bred back to Street Sense. The unraced mare is out of multiple Grade I winner Composure (Touch Gold) and is a full-sister to graded stakes winner Penwith. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $24,000.
O-Godolphin, LLC; B-Godolphin (KY); T-Michael Stidham.

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Spanish Language Announcer Sues NYRA, Says He Was Paid Less than Whites Doing Same Job

Luis Grandison, a Black Latino who is a native of Panama and who served as the New York Racing Association’s Spanish language race caller from 2014 through March 2020, has sued NYRA claiming he was discriminated against because he was paid less than white Americans who call the races in English.

According to a suit filed Tuesday in Brooklyn Federal Court, Grandison was paid $60,000 a year. The suit claims that long-time NYRA announcer Tom Durkin earned $440,000 a year before retiring in 2014 and that his replacement, Larry Collmus, was paid in excess of $200,000 annually. Collmus left NYRA in January and was replaced by John Imbriale. The lawsuit claims that Imbriale also earns in excess of $200,000 annually.

“Although Grandison and his fellow full-time race callers performed the same primary duty (i.e., announcing), NYRA paid the white American race callers more than double Grandison’s salary despite Grandison having just as much experience as them, working more months per year than they did, and performing additional advertising duties not required of them,” the suit reads.

Grandison was furloughed in March when racing was shut down by the coronavirus. His job was then terminated in June. The suit alleges that NYRA’s treatment of Grandison amounted to “unlawful discrimination against him on the basis of his race, color, and national origin…”

“Defendant purposely discriminated against Plaintiff because of his Black and Latino/Hispanic racial background, thereby denying him equal terms and conditions of employment enjoyed by his white counterparts,” the suit also alleges.

NYRA Director of Communications Pat McKenna issued a statement defending the racing organization and its history of diversity.

“The New York Racing Association (NYRA) is proud to have the most diverse broadcast and TV team in the sport of horse racing today, and maintains a fair and equitable workplace,” the statement read. “NYRA–like so many businesses across the state and nation–has faced significant financial challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and has been forced to make adjustments to its workforce in order to maintain operations and safeguard its future.”

Grandison began his career in Panama and called races at Hipódromo Presidente Remón in Panama City before moving to the U.S. in 2009. When he was brought on board by NYRA to call the races, then CEO and President Chris Kay said the hiring of Grandison was an “important initiative that will help enhance and personalize the guest experience for our Spanish speaking fan base.”

According to the suit, Grandison’s salary when hired was $32,000 and that he subsequently received raises until reaching the $60,000 mark. His job, the suit claims, involved more than just announcing and that he was required to promote NYRA racing on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, a role that was not required of Durkin, Collmus or Imbriale.

Grandison is seeking unspecified damages for discrimination.

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Oaklawn Planning 57-Day Meet with Four $1-Million Stakes Races in 2021

Pending approval from the Arkansas Racing Commission, Oaklawn plans to conduct its regular 57-day meet highlighted by four $1-million stakes races–$1-million GII Rebel S., $1-million GI Arkansas Derby, $1-million GII Oaklawn H. and $1-million GI Apple Blossom H.–and the richest purse structure in its 117-year history. The 2021 season, which will be accentuated by the opening of a multi-purpose event center and a luxury 200-room hotel overlooking the track, is scheduled to run Friday, Jan. 22–Saturday, May 1.

In addition, 21 stakes will have their purses raised by at least $25,000, most notably are $150,000 increases to both the Essex H. Mar. 13 and Oaklawn Mile Apr. 10, which will be worth $500,000 and $400,000, respectively. The purse of the GIII Razorback H. on Saturday, Feb. 13 will be raised by $100,000 to $600,000. All stakes, including ones for state-breds, will be at least $150,000 each.

“We would not be able to once again offer record purses next year if it weren’t for the tremendous support we’ve received from the Arkansas Racing Commission, the horsemen, and our fans in 2020,” Oaklawn President Louis Cella said. “We are excited to continue building on our ‘New Level of Excellence,’ which will include our new hotel, event center, state-of-the-art spa, and additional restaurants, which are all on schedule to open late 2020/early 2021.”

Oaklawn’s rich 3-year-old program for horses with GI Kentucky Derby aspirations will begin opening day, Jan. 22, with the $150,000 Smarty Jones S. and will culminate closing day, May 1, with the $300,000 Oaklawn Invitational. In between are the $750,000 GIII Southwest S. Feb. 15, Presidents’ Day Monday, the $1-million GII Rebel S. Mar. 13, and the $1-million GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 10.

Oaklawn’s five signature races that comprise the traditional Racing Festival of the South will be run over three Saturdays starting with the $600,000 GIII Fantasy S. for 3-year-old fillies on GI Kentucky Oaks trail Apr. 3.

Oaklawn’s series for older horses culminates Apr. 17 with the $1-million GII Oaklawn H. and the $1-million GI Apple Blossom for fillies and mares.

“Once finalized, the full purse program will be released soon,” added Oaklawn General Manager Wayne Smith. “We anticipate it will exceed $700,000 a day.”

Oaklawn’s 2021 stakes schedule features a total of 33 races worth $11,000,000. Racing will be conducted Friday-Sunday for the first two weeks of the meet and then shift to a Thursday-Sunday schedule starting in February. There will be racing on Presidents Day – Monday, Feb. 15, but there will be no racing on Easter Sunday, April 4.

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Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame Inductees Selected

Eclipse champions Heavenly Cause and What a Summer have been inducted into the Maryland-bred Thoroughbred Hall of Fame.

The selections were made by a committee of Maryland racing industry members coordinated by the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and Maryland Racing Media Association.

“These two great mares deserve their place of honor among our Hall of Fame horses. They were the product of dedicated Maryland breeders who were rewarded with great champions,” said Cricket Goodall, executive director of Maryland Horse Breeders Association.

What a Summer, a two-time GII Fall Highweight H. winner over males, was the Eclipse Award-winning champion sprinter of 1977. Five-time Grade I heroine Heavenly Cause was the top 2-year-old filly in the nation in 1980 and added the GI Kentucky Oaks the following term.

“Our latest class of Hall of Famers, both Eclipse champions, speaks to the depth and quality of the Maryland breeding program over many years,” said Maryland Racing Media Association president Frank Vespe. “It’s remarkable how many deserving horses we’ve named to the Hall of Fame – and how many we still have to name.”

The newest honorees, with biographies, photos, videos and complete race records, are showcased on-line at www.mdthoroughbredhalloffame.com.

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