Blog Title: Paul Moran at the races

Eclipse Award finalists

The Eclipse Awards finalists (in alphabetical order):

Two-Year-Old Male: Midshipman, Old Fashioned, Vineyard Haven

Two-Year-Old Filly: Dream Empress, Maram, Stardom Bound

Three-Year-Old Male: Big Brown, Colonel John, Raven’s Pass

Three-Year-Old Filly: Eight Belles, Music Note, Proud Spell

Older Male: Commentator, Curlin, Einstein (BRZ)

Older Female: Cocoa Beach (CHI), Ginger Punch, Zenyatta

Male Sprinter: Benny the Bull, Midnight Lute, Street Boss

Female Sprinter: Indian Blessing, Intangaroo, Ventura

Male Turf Horse: Conduit (IRE), Einstein (BRZ), Grand Couturier (GB)

Female Turf Horse: Cocoa Beach (CHI), Forever Together, Goldikova (IRE)

Steeplechase Horse: Be Certain, Good Night Shirt, Sovereign Duty

Owner: Godolphin Racing, IEAH Stables, Stronach Stables

Breeder: Adena Springs, Stonerside Stable, WinStar Farm

Trainer: Steve Asmussen, Richard Dutrow, Jr., Bobby Frankel

Jockey: Robby Albarado, Rafael Bejarano, Garrett Gomez

Apprentice Jockey: Inez Karlsson, Pascacio Lopez, Abel Mariano

Stronach brews a bitter broth in Florida

Another example of what’s wrong with racing:

Where Frank Stronach does business turmoil follows, this time to Florida.

His Magna Entertainment may be insolvent and its future doubtful, its stock trading below $1 but this does not preclude the widening of ill will and contentious, irrational business practice that is the Stronach signature.

Stronach, architect of the ruination of Gulfstream Park, drove Hialeah Park out of business with a combative direct-competition. Now, he has his sights on Calder Race Course, which is property of Churchill Downs, Inc. According to reports, Stronach plans to race at Gulfstream during the last three months of 2009, dates long occupied by Calder, which hosts the Tropical-at-Calder meeting during that period, a time when northern stables bolster the local horse population and a number of lucrative stakes are run. – the best meeting run at Calder.

Racing dates are deregulated in Florida and tracks are permitted to race whenever they wish. Calder has countered by filing a schedule with state officials that would see it in operation during from June until May, 2010, including the winter dates not occupied solely by Gulfstream. The tracks are about eight miles apart.

Ultimately, Calder, which has long been the backbone of racing in Florida, may have the edge in this fight. The population of horses based there is integral to Gulfstream’s racing program, particularly during the early and late stages of its meeting. Gulfstream, meanwhile, lacks the stable capacity on site to conduct a race meeting and depends largely upon horse based at Calder and Palm Meadows, which is some 50 miles north, to fill races. If Calder is open for racing, it is unlikely that CDI officials will look kindly on horsemen who ship to race at Gulfstream during either the Tropical meeting or that in midwinter.

Stronach is said by many to have Florida HBPA president in his hip pocket, which adds another layer of intrigue to the brewing clash.

This may be an opening gambit from both sides, but games of chicken usually end badly for both players. Stronach, whose megalomania and myopia have contributed mightily to a corporation that has yet to make a good business decision, continues the destructive nonsense even while teetering on the brink of ruin.

The more quickly Magna Entertainment and his founder disappear from the ranks of American racetrack operators, the better for the sport and everyone involved. - PM.

What exactly is racing's "new media?"

The recently announced Eclipse awards for writing serve as a convenient mirror for the “old media vs. new” dialogue that has from time to time moved to the front burner in the “new media.”

Having served for the last two years as a judge in the features/enterprise competition, I have at least a short-term perspective of the material submitted for consideration. The depth of work produced in 2008 was impressive. Forty-three pieces were submitted and several would have been worthy winners in a competition ultimately won by Vinnie Perrone, former racing writer at the Washington Post for a skillfully crafted piece that appeared in Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred. If any of this material was born in the “new media” is was not apparent.

I have no idea how many submissions were considered in the news/commentary category but a column written by Billy Reed after he and his granddaughter visited trainer Larry Jones’ barn at Churchill Downs on the morning after the death of Eight Belles last spring, published in the Thoroughbred Times, was the winner. Reed is a 65-year-old veteran of Sports Illustrated, Louisville Courier-Journal and Lexington Herald Leader. Bill Nack, also past 60, veteran of Sport Illustrated, biographer of Secretariat and author of several other books, was runner-up for a piece that appeared on ESPN.com.

The common thread is that the Eclipse winners, and the contenders, are old-media figures no longer working for old-media enterprises. They are first writers whose credentials predate the Internet, people whose perspective spans decades marked by voluminous bodies of work. They have seen much, all of which they bring to every theme, new and familiar. But, the framework within which they built careers – the “old print media” – is rapidly disappearing.

Many newspapers will, in some form, endure the current storm of change but in a form unfamiliar to those of us who grew up reading great sportswriters and columnists of the last century and who aspired to follow. Eventually, racing and other niche sports will be forced to develop industry supported news agencies to service publications no longer capable or willing to expend the resources necessary to cover the even major events. No American newspaper outside Kentucky or New York employs a full-time beat writer/columnist to cover racing and the total number of these positions – three, four if you count the Los Angeles Times, which reacted at least temporarily to finding the Breeders’ Cup in its lap by assigning the demoted sports editor to the beat – is a sad commentary on both racing and the American newspaper industry.

But let us not confuse blogging, which requires on ownership of a computer and spare time, with a new wave.

While there is journalism on the Internet, the blog – an awful word in its own right – in its pure form is not the “new media.” It is certainly an adjunct, providing platforms and voice to those who are passionate about any number of things, including racing and a forum for debate but certainly fails to pass the litmus test of credibility and authority. It has been embraced by almost all mainstream newspapers as a vehicle to retain reader involvement but has generally failed to translate into a meaningful commodity in terms of monetary value.

The blog in its pure form is an unfiltered personal journal but works far more efficiently as a collective effort, the only example of which was The Rail, published briefly during the last Triple Crown by the New York Times. That effort, which lent exposure to the authors of several personal blogs, compiled submissions from dozens of individuals, posted new material throughout the day and required a staff.

More typically, the racing blog is a solitary effort of a person whose income is derived from real-world employment but who is passionate about the sport and perhaps a specific area – history, betting, politics or combination of the sport’s many facets. The trade publications, including the Daily Racing Form, have embraced the format largely in the manner of mainstream publications, but of the old-school racing writers who publish such sites, only Maryjean Wall, a fixture at the Lexington Herald-Leader for decades, maintains a blog in the pure sense. Others – including the one you are reading – depart sharply from the pure form.

A successful personal blog is one that elicits reaction from readers and becomes almost participatory. While the authors of scores of racing blogs – many well done and thoughtfully written -- have successfully broadened the dialogue, they have contributed little to either the journalism or literature of racing. Before that happens, another step or two in the evolutionary process will be required that will determine its place in a changing landscape. At the moment, so called “citizen journalists” are essentially hobbyists.


A good deal of the fodder of digital subject-matter in this realm centers upon the changing media landscape.

Writing in the Atlantic, Michael Hirschorn provides a glimpse at what looms as a dramatic development in the media world that could see a change in the paper of record unimaginable only a few years ago.

“VIRTUALLY ALL THE predictions about the death of old media have assumed a comfortingly long time frame for the end of print—the moment when, amid a panoply of flashing lights, press conferences, and elegiac reminiscences, the newspaper presses stop rolling and news goes entirely digital. Most of these scenarios assume a gradual crossing-over, almost like the migration of dunes, as behaviors change, paradigms shift, and the digital future heaves fully into view. The thinking goes that the existing brands—The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal—will be the ones making that transition, challenged but still dominant as sources of original reporting.

"But what if the old media dies much more quickly? What if a hurricane comes along and obliterates the dunes entirely? Specifically, what if The New York Times goes out of business—like, this May?

"It’s certainly plausible. Earnings reports released by the New York Times Company in October indicate that drastic measures will have to be taken over the next five months or the paper will default on some $400million in debt. With more than $1billion in debt already on the books, only $46million in cash reserves as of October, and no clear way to tap into the capital markets (the company’s debt was recently reduced to junk status), the paper’s future doesn’t look good …

“ … The collapse of daily print journalism will mean many things. For those of us old enough to still care about going out on a Sunday morning for our doorstop edition of The Times, it will mean the end of a certain kind of civilized ritual that has defined most of our adult lives. It will also mean the end of a certain kind of quasi-bohemian urban existence for the thousands of smart middle-class writers, journalists, and public intellectuals who have, until now, lived semi-charmed kinds of lives of the mind. And it will seriously damage the press’s ability to serve as a bulwark of democracy. Internet purists may maintain that the Web will throw up a new pro-am class of citizen journalists to fill the void, but for now, at least, there’s no online substitute for institutions that can marshal years of well-developed sourcing and reporting experience—not to mention the resources to, say, send journalists leapfrogging between Mumbai and Islamabad to decode the complexities of the India-Pakistan conflict. “

NTRA's Waldrop: Buckle up

National Thoroughbred Racing Associaion president Alex Waldrop on the sport's rather bleek economic news"

“The fourth quarter was an extremely challenging one due in large part to the worldwide economic slowdown and other internal factors. Results in December were strongly compromised by a major drop in racing days brought about at least in part by a calendar that was unusually short on weekend dates.

“While the overall year-end figures compare favorably in some ways with those of many other sports and industries, it was nevertheless a very difficult 2008 for virtually every segment of the racing industry.

"There were bright spots, including many spectacular performances on the racetrack and progress on the equine safety and integrity front. The new year brings renewed hope, but also the sobering reality that any economic recovery will likely be a slow process. As an industry, we must remain focused on retaining and growing our fan base, and we must continue to vigorously promote our game, which remains one of the great values in all of sports.”

Maryland 2008 figures nosedive

The Maryland Jockey Club concluded the 2008 racing season with average wagering figures 22.5% lower than 2007. All sources handle totaled $668.1 million as compared to $875.8 million the previous year. Racing 14 fewer days in 2008, the daily handle decreased from nearly $3.8 million to just over $2.9 million each day.

Wagering figures for the 17-week Laurel Park fall meeting were 39 percent lower than a year ago. Numbers for the Laurel Park winter (down 17%) and Pimlico Race Course spring (down 16%) stands were also down from the previous year.--MJC

NBC Sports wins National TV Eclipse

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers Association today announced that NBC Sports has won the Media Eclipse Award for National Television - Live Programming for its telecast of the 2008 Preakness Stakes. This is the eighth consecutive year that NBC Sports has won the award in the National Television Live Programming category.

The Preakness Stakes broadcast aired on May 17, 2008, from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Coming in the wake of the fatal injury to the filly Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby two weeks before, NBC's two- hour telecast featured an examination of the racing and breeding industry and its response to the tragedy during the first portion of the program. The focus of the telecast then shifted to Big Brown's challenge to conquer racing's second jewel, and subsequent dominating performance to the delight of his winning connections.

"We are extremely proud of the high standards and passion which our production team and talent demonstrated in winning this prestigious award." said Sam Flood, coordinating producer of NBC Sports and producer of the Preakness telecast. "Tom Hammond [co-host] set the tone for our show in delivering the stories which make Thoroughbred racing so great, and once the race began, director David Michaels and his team took charge."

NBC began the broadcast with an overview of issues facing Thoroughbred racing and followed it with a roundtable discussion, monitored by co-host Bob Costas, with Eight Belles's trainer Larry Jones, Bill Rhoden, columnist for The New York Times, Dr. Larry Bramlage of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and NBC racing analyst Gary Stevens. The program also included interviews with NTRA President Alex Waldrop and Big Brown's trainer Rick Dutrow. NBC covered the Preakness with 28 cameras, including the use of overhead camera in replay, revealing Big Brown's powerful move away from his rivals in the Pimlico stretch.

"We felt that it was important to address the Eight Belles issue and its impact on racing before getting to the story of the Preakness," said Flood. "It was essential to cover the story from all angles."

NBC's telecast was hosted by Costas and Hammond, who were joined by analyst Gary Stevens, handicappers Bob Neumeier and Mike Battaglia, and reporters Donna Brothers and Kenny Rice. Tom Durkin was the racecaller. The Preakness telecast was produced by Sam Flood and directed by David Michaels. Dick Ebersol and David Neal were executive producers. The roundtable discussion was produced by Rob Hyland and Bruce Cornblatt.

Judges for the National Television - Live Racing category were: Pete Macheska, director, Fox Sports; Bud Lamoreaux, former executive producer of CBS News Sunday Morning, and producer and director Peter Lasser of Lasser Productions. Honorable mention in the National Television Live Programming category went to ESPN for its telecast of the ABC/ESPN production of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, October 25, 2008, from Santa Anita Park. Mike McQuade was the ESPN executive producer of the telecast and Jack Graham was the producer. -- NTRA

Adena Springs again tops U.S. breeders

Adena Springs tops the list of leading individual breeders in North America in 2008 with earnings of $19,217,703, according to statistics released today by The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc. (TJCIS). In topping the list for the sixth consecutive year, Adena Springs bred the winners of 603 races from 3,671 starts and is followed by Stonerside Stable, which bred the winners of 98 races from 518 starts for earnings of $7,433,027.

Adena Springs also heads a second breeder list that includes partnerships. Including partnerships, Adena Springs bred the winners of 604 races from 3,679 starts for earnings of $19,247,705. Runner-up was Stonerside Stable, which alone or in partnership bred the winners of 130 races from 711 starts for earnings of $8,521,912.

Completing the list of top 10 individual breeders were Eugene Melnyk, $6,410,230 (231 wins/1,355 starts); Brereton C. Jones, $6,339,254 (216/1,373); WinStar Farm LLC, $5,460,005 (89/599); Juddmonte Farms Inc., $4,924,494 (51/365); Sherman Family Thoroughbreds LLC, $4,839,702 (309/2,445); Sez Who Thoroughbreds, $4,780,068 (196/1,580); Padua Stables, $4,773,351 (192/1,158); and Everest Stables Inc., $3,966,631 (116/875).

Rounding out the list of top 10 breeders including partnerships were W.S. Farish, $6,950,184 (193 wins/1,202 starts); Brereton C. Jones, $6,692,257 (230/1,525); Eugene Melnyk, $6,425,830 (232/1,357); WinStar Farm LLC, $6,092,313 (122/850); Sherman Family Thoroughbreds LLC, $5,160,946 (339/2,695); Sez Who Thoroughbreds, $4,944,584 (201/1,644); Juddmonte Farms Inc., $4,924,494 (no horses bred in partnership); and Padua Stables, $4,819,874 (194/1,164).-- TJCIS

Racing's ecomony continues steepening slide

While leaders of Magna Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Inc. and the New York Racing Association -- the Big 3 of racing -- have yet to appear before Congress seeking TARP funds, it may be a good idea to fuel the private jets while oil remains cheap.

Betting receipts and purses at the nation’s thoroughbred racetracks gained negative momentum in lockstep with the wider national and global economies in December of 2008.

December figures released today by Equibase showed that wagering dipped below the $1-billion threshold to $820.4 million for the month, a year-over-year shortfall of 20.3 percent compared to 2007, when the economy slipped into recession. Purses for the month declined by 13.4 percent while the number of racing days was reduced by 10 percent.

The December figures suggest a steepening decline in business at racetracks, off-site wagering facilities and advance deposit platforms. Total wagering for 2008, $13.7 billion, was off year-over-year by 7.16 percent compared to ’07. Purses fell by 1.33 percent and the number of racing days was 1.2 percent lower than the prior year. -- PM

Got a 3-year-old and $600?

The eyes of Thoroughbred racing fans and officials will likely be turning to the east – way to the east – as the 2009 Triple Crown season opens.

The reason? Two of 2008’s major 2-year-old winners – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champion Midshipman and double New York winner Vineyard Haven – will be preparing for the Triple Crown races in Dubai under the watchful eye of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum and his Godolphin Racing’s trainer, Saeed bin Suroor. This outstanding pair of runners could bring Sheikh Mohammed’s long-held dream of producing a Kentucky Derby winner from the sands of his native country to fruition.

Sheikh Mohammed bought Vineyard Haven in November for an undisclosed price from Hall of Fame trainer Robert Frankel, who owned the colt in partnership with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre and Louis Lazzinnaro. The son of Chilean-bred Lido Palace won Saratoga’s Hopeful and Belmont Park’s Champagne, both Grade I stakes, prior to the sale. The colt bypassed the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile after a testing campaign that saw him finish third in the Grade II Sanford Stakes before his two stakes wins.
Midshipman came to Godolphin Racing as part of the purchase by Sheikh Mohammed of Stonerside Stable in October, just before the Breeders’ Cup Championship days at Oak Tree at Santa Anita. The victory in the Juvenile made Midshipman a double Grade I winner, also, having won the Del Mar Futurity in September for trainer Bob Baffert. He finished second in the Grade I Norfolk prior to the Juvenile, and left the Baffert barn for training in Dubai following the Breeders’ Cup.

With all that being said, Triple Crown Productions Executive Vice President Edward P. Seigenfeld expects another rousing round of nominations to the 2009 Triple Crown races as nominations packages are sent to owners and trainers both nationally and internationally. Triple Crown Productions representatives will be on the grounds of a number of racetracks during January in California, Florida, Louisiana and Arkansas to take nominations. The early nomination period – when horses can be nominated for $600 each – closes on Saturday, January 24. A late nomination period – with a $6,000 per horse fee – will close on Saturday, March 28.

Other Grade I juvenile winners include Square Eddie in Keeneland’s Breeders’ Futurity, Pioneerof the Nile in Hollywood Park’s Futurity and Street Hero in the Norfolk. Unfortunately, Street Hero came out of a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with an injury that sent him into retirement and stud duty in 2009.

Among juvenile fillies, the standout is Stardom Bound, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, as well as the Del Mar Debutante and Oak Leaf Breeders’ Cup Stakes, also Grade I efforts. She was sold following the Breeders’ Cup to IEAH Stables and will train in Southern California under the eye of Frankel. Whether she will be a Triple Crown nominee remains to be seen. Other Grade I winners among the distaffers include Mani Bhavan, Saratoga’s Spinaway Stakes; Dream Empress, Keeneland’s Alcibiades; Sky Diva, Belmont Park’s Frizette, and Laragh, Hollywood Starlet at Hollywood Park. -- TRIPLE CROWN PRODUCTIONS

Local TV Eclipse to Lousiville station

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers Association today announced that WAVE3-TV in Louisville has won the 2008 Media Eclipse Award for Local Television for its documentary on the 30th anniversary on the Affirmed-Alydar rivalry, “A Legend Re-Affirmed – The 1978 Triple Crown.” The 30-minute telecast aired on May 1, 2008.

This is the third Media Eclipse Award for WAVE-TV, having previously been honored in the Local Television category in 2004 and 2005 for its Kentucky Derby race day programming.

“Living and working in the Blue Grass State, this is an incredible honor to receive the most prestigious award in horse racing,” said Lee Eldridge, executive producer of ‘A Legend Re-Affirmed’ and WAVE3-TV news director. “We had an extremely capable and hard working team that put this documentary together in the month leading to the Derby, and we received tremendous cooperation from the people who were at the center of horse racing’s greatest rivalry, the jockeys Steve Cauthen and Jorge Velazquez, Alydar’s trainer, John Veitch, and network racecaller Dave Johnson.”

With great attention focused on Big Brown as the favorite coming into the 2008 Derby and a chance to win the elusive Triple Crown, Eldridge believed that attention needed to be paid to the last Triple Crown winner, Affirmed, and his unforgettable battles with Alydar in the Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes thirty years ago. “We felt that this was a story that needed to be told again on its 30th anniversary, but what surprised us in our interviews with the principals was their candor in revealing some things we’ve never heard before.”

Among some of the oddities was Affirmed’s jockey, Steve Cauthen, relating how, his father and brother made late hotel reservations for Derby week and got a room with just one bed. The three of them rotated each night for the bed, and Steve wound up sleeping on the floor the night before the Derby.

Veitch also revealed that after the Derby one of his stable crew told him one of Alydar’s eyes had been swollen shut. Veitch believed that a clod of dirt hit Alydar in the eye early in the race, causing him to drop far back. Alydar’s owner, Mrs. Lucille Markey of Calumet Farm, not wanting to make an excuse for her colt’s second-place finish, told Veitch not to let word of the incident reach the press.

Eldridge credits his production team for receiving the Eclipse Award, led by lead reporter and writer, Caton Bredar; chief photographer and editor, Reid Olson; post production editor Drew Cook and art director Rhonda Harshfield.

Honorable mention in the Local Television category went to CTV-Alberta and Horse Racing Alberta for its live coverage of Ky Alta Stake, which aired on July 1, 2008. Jeff Robillard and Jack Stuart were executive producers. Horse Racing Alberta won the 2007 Media Eclipse Award for Local Television.

Judges for the Local Television category were Jack Coffey of Eclipse Productions; Stuart Kirshenbaum of Oak Street Films and Jay Posner of the San Diego Union Tribune.

The Eclipse Awards are presented by the NTRA, National Turf Writers Association (NTWA) and Daily Racing Form. Eclipse Awards are bestowed upon horses and individuals whose outstanding achievements in North America have earned them the title of Champion in their respective categories. Awards also are given to recognize members of the media for outstanding coverage of Thoroughbred racing. -- NTRA

The envelope, please ...

Two cents worth on the subject of Eclipse Awards, the finalists for which will be announced this week:

2-year-old male: Tough call between Midshipman and Vineyard Haven, both now residents of Dubai, goes to the former simply on the strength of the Breeders’ Cup.

2-year-old female: Stardom Bound, who has reached her destination.

3-year-old male: Big Brown. There was simply no competition.

3-year-old female: Expect this to go to Eight Belles, but Music Note, a three-time Grade I winner, is the right call.

Older male: Curlin, who requires no introduction.

Older female: Zenyatta is likely a unanimous choice, one of several in the larger poll.

Male sprinter: Midnight Lute, though Benny the Bull is the more likely winner, the Breeders' Cup repeat was enough for me.

Female sprinter: Indian Blessing on the strength of the Test and Prioress and forgiving the synethetic defeat in the Breeders' Cup.

Male turf: Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Conduit will not be the lone European Eclipse winner.

Female turf: Goldikova, who humbled males in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, is the other.

Steeplechaser: Good Night Shirt at the end of an undefeated season
Horse of the Year: Curlin, though there is no argument here with those who would opt for Zenyatta.

Owner: Stonestreet Stable, for having raced Curlin at age 4.

Trainer: Steve Asmussen. Money, money, money, money. And, Curlin, too.

Jockey: Garrett Gomez, who would undoubtedly have set a new earnings mark if not for an untimely injury late in the year. – PM

Derby prospects: First works of the new year

Two of John Oxley’s top 3-year-old prospects worked out Saturday morning at Gulfstream Park for trainer John Ward, including Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) winner Beethoven, and jockeys who won two of the last three editions of the Kentucky Derby (G1) rode them.

Calvin Borel, who rode Street Sense to win the 2007 Derby, shipped in to work Beethoven, going three furlongs in 36. Edgar Prado, rider of 2006 Derby winner Barbaro, was aboard Strategic Decision, a maiden out of the champion mare Beautiful Pleasure. He was timed an easy half-mile in 50 1/5.

With three victories from five starts, including the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs Nov. 29, Beethoven’s winter campaign is booked pretty solid, according to Ward, who won the 2001 Florida Derby (G1) here and Kentucky Derby with Monarchos.

“His goal is to make the Holy Bull (G3) and the Florida Derby,” said Ward of the Kentucky-bred son of Sky Mesa. “Where we go in between is up in the air.”

The $150,000 Holy Bull is Jan. 31 at one mile around one turn. The $750,000 Florida Derby is Mar. 28 around two turns at 1 1/8 miles. Ward’s dilemma for a February race is whether to stay at one mile for the $250,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) Feb. 28 or stretch out in distance.

“We have to decide whether to go out of town for a two-turn race (in February), or maybe, even a workout here might be best for us.”

Strategic Decision, a homebred son of Distorted Humor, will try to build on a third-place finish in his debut over Polytrack at Turfway Park on Dec. 12. His regal breeding and training style lead Ward to think improvement will come quickly.

“Once he’s in a regular running routine, he’s the type of horse that will move forward,” he said. “He’s working his way into a running style and I’m sure each race he goes in will be better than his last.”

“John is really high on him and he ran really well first time out,” said Prado. “Hopefully I get a chance to ride him when his next race comes around. It’s too early to get very excited about anyone, but I’m looking forward to many of the horses I rode in New York coming down here. Hopefully we can stay healthy, get some luck and get some big purses.”--GP

From the New York Sprint Advisory

Aqueduct, race 5: Sleuse at 2-1 or better

That didn't take long

The New York Racing Association and TVG have successfully concluded a new two-year agreement, which subsequently was approved by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board.

The agreement goes into effect at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday, when the NYRA racing will return to TVG programming. --NYRA

The Nicanor report: Quite good at the gate

By Rolly Hoyt / Gulfstream Park

Lael Stable’s Nicanor, the full-brother of 2006 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Florida Derby (G1) winner Barbaro, continues to progress toward his highly anticipated career debut at the end of January or early in February.

Trainer Michael Matz reported the 3-year-old homebred son of Dynaformer worked from the starting gate at Palm Meadows Training Center last Sunday, going three furlongs in :36.50 over the fast dirt track.

“He hadn’t broken from the gate in a while,” said Matz. “He is quite good at the gate and he’s doing fine. If everything continues to go well he should be starting at the end of the month.”

The workout was the second recorded drill out of a starting gate, breezing three furlongs from the barrier at Fair Hill Training Center last June. After a break from July to November, Matz has ramped up Nicanor’s training in South Florida with five works since Nov. 16.

Barbaro was already 3-for-3 at this point in his career, halfway to his six straight wins until breaking his ankle in the Preakness Stakes (G1). The resulting attempts to save the colt’s life captivated the world. Barbaro eventually succumbed to laminitis eight months later.

Until Nicanor starts his own career, the comparisons between the two sons of broodmare La Ville Rouge will be constant. Matz, however, remains restrained.

“They both have individual characteristics at this point,” he said. “They are two different types of horses. Nicanor does look like he could do well on any surface we want to run on. That’s similar. He’s looking like a competitive horse, but he obviously has some big shoes to fill. We will just keep taking it in stride.”

From the New York Sprint Advisory

January 2, Aqueduct, race 5

1. Jenay Benay; probability .45, fair value 6-5

Belmont neighbors: Say no to VLTs

The Locustwood/ Gotham Civic Association, which represents the community adjacent to Belmont Park, began 2009 by issuing the following statement in regard to video lottery terminals at Belmont Park, which along with a tax on diet soda, now has support of the governor. --PM

The Locustwood Estates Association founded in 1929, and renamed in 1989 to the Locustwood / Gotham Civic Association serves as the civic that represents the homeowners, families and children of the residents that reside in the western section of the hamlet of Elmont.

Slightly over eighty percent of Belmont Park is within the area referred to as Locustwood Estates. As the civic with the closest proximity to Belmont Park, and ultimately the greatest impact to development at the location, we had done an extensive research and study as to what would best fit the community, as well the needs of the taxpayers and the benefit of the horse racing industry.

The Locustwood / Gotham Civic Association, in conjunction with research and community
Responses recommend opposing Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) at Belmont Park. It is critical for the State of New York, to improve upon the historical nature of Belmont Park and focus on connecting the community with the racetrack.

The State is in a tough economic situation. There is a conscious strategy across the nation on part of the gambling industry to take advantage of States who are forced to make these tough decisions. There is no evidence that states with large sources of gambling revenues are better financially or better off in providing services to the citizens of its State.

In 1999, a Federal Commission reported, "States should refuse to allow the introduction of casino style gambling including VLTs into pari-mutuel facilities." Largely because of deceptive advertising practices, and how these facilities tend to target minority and poor communities. As Newsday recently reported, Elmont is a lower-middle class, working and multi-cultural community.

Elmont is a community that is most at risk and vulnerable to the social and economic damages that VLTs create.

Not all types of gambling are the same. The University of Alabama in May 2008 identified scientific proof that gamblers of VLTs have the same chemical reaction similar to cocaine, according to high-tech imaging that looks inside the brain. A 2004 New York State Senate study found that VLTs are the most addictive and most dangerous form of gambling. In 2002, even casino advocate Senator John McCain, acknowledged to a crowd in South Carolina, those electronic games such as VLTs unlike other forms of gambling hurt families and communities.

The New York State Supreme Court acknowledges that not all gambling is the same, as some forms would violate the Constitution of the State of New York.

It is the duty of our state representatives to protect the integrity of the State Constitution which is their sworn duty, as well as their moral duty of protect the constituents that they represent.

Government should not be in a practice of promoting the sale of cigarettes to promote revenue, as they should not be doing that with VLTs, especially to minors as has been done in the past. More kids today gamble than are involved with drugs, smoking or drinking, according to Jeff Derevensky, a psychology professor at McGill University in Montreal. One reason: They are growing up with a message that wagering is acceptable. "Today's 10-year-old will spend their entire life in a world in which gambling is sanctioned and owned by the government," he says.

We can thank some of our state representatives for that. While New York State may receive some financial benefit because of expanding gambling, the social and economic burden will fall on the community. Counties that have gambling facilities have bankruptcy rates go up by over 18%. Small business around casinos often close due to financial loses, and there is a degradation of quality of jobs, and the local work force and their opportunities for self-growth.

Ultimately, the result to the local community is another mandated cost. Social costs are staggering after a few years a VLT operator opens. The cost to the local community is $13,000 to $22,000 for each problem gambler. Taken into account the average of problem gamblers generated by VLTS across the nation, it will cost the hamlet of Elmont $14.43 million to $57.72 million a year, to cover the social costs of VLTs alone.

The federal study also noted that communities like Elmont with a high minority population and or youth population tend to have substantially higher financial burdens as a result. This figure does not include the costs of infrastructure, or the costs of increased police coverage nor the financial implications to other surrounding communities such as Bellerose, Floral Park, South Floral Park and Queens Village.

"The economy as a whole would be much better off had we not allowed [casino gaming] to expand," says Earl Grinols, a University of Illinois economics professor. Figuring in a broad range of factors - crime, lost productivity, bankruptcy, social services and regulatory costs - Grinols determined that each pathological and problem gambler costs the public at least $13,600 per year; the total works out to $180 per citizen. That more than negates the industry's economic benefit, which Grinols estimates at $50 to $70 per citizen.

States across the nation are cutting back from gambling projects. Massachusetts stopped their plans of three casinos. In Buffalo, New York, the current economic climate halted the construction of a casino. In the province of New Brunswick, Canada the government eliminates 50% of VLT locations and the result was millions of dollars more for the horse racing industry. Evidence that more is not always better. Casinos in New Jersey, Connecticut and Las Vegas are going bankrupt and laying off
thousands.

Horse racing as a sport, in order for its long term survival cannot rely on a band-aid, but rather an extensive remodeling of its product design.

Video Lottery Terminals bring more harm than good; provide no long-term economic benefit and only breeds corruption and degradation of families and the quality of life of communities. There is no scientific proof proving they are beneficial to the community except for hearsay by individuals often compromised due to the special interest

Last October 2007, the community cried out that the neighbors of Belmont Park been ignored by NYRA and our government representatives' claim that was going to change. In various December 2008 newspaper publications, it is evident that our assembly member does not even know who the neighbors of Belmont Park are. For 80 years, Locustwood has been the civic that represent Belmont Park, NY, as well as the residents adjacent to the Park.

Tough decisions call for tough answers. While we look for quick solutions to our troubled economy, we must not forget who will have to front the burden and the most importantly the consequences in the future. It is the children, and the many who attend schools around Belmont Park, some just a hundred feet away that ultimately would face the consequences.

We must look at the harsh reality. Though VLTs seem to create a quick fix, we must not be blind to the economic, social and scientific evidence that prove that not only in our State, our nation, but the world that ultimately VLTs cause more harm than good.

TVG begins '09 without NYRA signal

Clients of the Television Games Network begin the new year unable to wager on races run at Aqueduct.

New York Racing Association president Charles Hayward issued this statement on Thursday.

“We are disappointed to announce that NYRA has been unable to reach a simulcast agreement for 2009 with TVG at this time. Regrettably, we are unable to send our signal to TVG and their contracted parties TVG-Yonkers and TRNI beginning today. We will continue to work diligently to finalize an agreement and hope to do so in the very near future. We sincerely regret the inconvenience to TVG’s account wagering customers."

Pair of stakes tops Gulfstream opener

A full field of 14 older horses led by Hobeau Farm’s Delightful Kiss will go to the post for the $100,000 Hal’s Hope Handicap (G3), and eight 3-year-olds are set to clash in the $100,000 Spectacular Bid Stakes, the highlights of Saturday’s opening-day program at Gulfstream Park.

The track will run on a five-day-a-week schedule, Wednesdays through Sundays, before closing on April 23. Post time for the first race daily is 1:15 p.m.

Jockey Calvin Borel will fly in to ride Delightful Kiss in the one-mile Hal’s Hope, and he will break from Post 4 in the bulky field. It will be his first start since a game runner-up effort behind Einstein in the $400,000 Clark Handicap (G2) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28, with favorite Commentator third.

Delightful Kiss is a 5-year-old roan/gray Florida homebred gelding by Kissin Kris trained by Pete Anderson, who has taken him back and forth across the nation the last two years, including a California swing before the Clark when he captured the All American Stakes (G3) at Golden Gate Fields in late September and finished a close-up fourth in the inaugural edition of the Breeders’ Cup Marathon at Santa Anita on Oct. 25.

However, the one-turn mile may be short of the best distance for Delightful Kiss, a confirmed stretch-runner whose next major goal is the $1 million Sunshine Million Classic at nine furlongs at Gulfstream on Jan. 24, leaving Saturday’s race wide-open.

Other contenders that will get plenty of attention in the race include Four Roses Thoroughbreds’ 4-year-old Anak Nakal with Joe Bravo to ride for trainer Nick Zito and Rolbea Thoroughbreds’ 5-year-old Finallymadeit with Eduardo Nunez getting the return call from trainer Javier Negrete.

Anak Nakal was high-profile on the 2008 Kentucky Derby (G1) trail after capturing the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old. After a sluggish start to the campaign and seventh-place finish behind Big Brown in the Derby, Anak Nakal finished third in the Belmont Stakes (G1).

A son of Victory Gallop, Anak Nakal scored his biggest victory in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G2) at Philadelphia Park on Sept. 1 and ran well to be second behind Arson Squad in the Meadowlands Cup (G2) in his first try against older horses. Anak Nakal also made his last start in the Clark Handicap, but was never a threat finishing seventh.

Finallymadeit has been appropriately tagged the ‘Iron Horse’ of South Florida racing making 19 starts in 2007 and 15 in 2008, and comes into the Hal’s Hope in the best form of his career. The homebred chestnut by Concerto has won the $200,000 Carl Rose Classic on Nov. 8 and $100,000 Fred W. Hooper Handicap (G3) last out on Dec. 13 in wire-to-wire fashion.

Completing the deep and talented field drawn for the Hal’s Hope are Leo-Sag Stable and partners’ Cuba, Donver Stable’s True Resurgence, Paul Pompa. Jr.’s Fearless Vision, Three Diamonds Farm’s Now a Victor, Darley Stable’s National Pride, Patriot Stable’s Famous Patriot, Edmund Gann’s It a Bird, Rose Family Stable’s Rexson’s Rose, Marc Keller’s Bribon, Mitchell Ranch’s Bullsbay and David and Teresa Palmer’s Storm in May.

You Luckie Mann Likely Choice in 'Bid'

Kramer Stable’s You Luckie Man was very impressive winning the $100,000 Birdonthewire Stakes by 11 lengths at Calder last out on Oct. 18 for trainer Marty Wolfson and may rule the favorite in the six-furlong Spectacular Bid Stakes, the first in a series of stakes scheduled at the meet for potential Triple Crown race prospects.

Jockey Jermaine Bridgmohan rides You Luckie Mann. The roan/gray son of Exchange Rate won his debut at Calder in late July by 14 ¾ lengths before finishing third in the Dr. Fager and Affirmed divisions of the Florida Stallion Stakes as the favorite in each race won by Big Drama before the Birdonthewire romp.

Let’s Go Stable’s Silent Valor will get plenty of attention in his first start since finishing eighth behind Midshipman in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita on Oct. 25, beaten less than four lengths for it all in respectable effort. Jockey John R. Velazquez rides Silent Valor for trainer Todd Pletcher. The son of Lion Heart scored his biggest victory in the Sapling Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park last summer.

Completing the field for the Spectacular Bid are Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Notonthesamepage, Elvis Trujillo; Zayat Stable’s Jazzandthemagician, Kent Desormeaux; John Dillon’s Vinnies Wild Tale, Eibar Coa; Brian Prichard’s Under Contract, Alan Garcia; Joseph Pace’s Put It Back Twenty, Edgar Prado; and J. Robert Harris, Jr.’s Bee Cee Cee, Cornelio Velasquez. -- GP

2008 earnings leaders

Steven Asmussen, Garrett Gomez and Zayat Stables, LLC head the individual lists of the leading trainers, jockeys and owners, respectively, by North American earnings in 2008, according to final statistics released today by Equibase Company LLC, the Thoroughbred industry’s official database for racing information.

Big Brown led all Thoroughbreds in 2008 with North American earnings of $3,576,700. Following Big Brown was Raven’s Pass with $2,700,000 and Zenyatta with $2,090,580.

The year-end compilations are distributed annually by Equibase and include results from Thoroughbred racing in North America only. The top 100 North American leaders in each category are accessible at http://www.equibase.com.

Asmussen, who previously topped the trainers’ list in 2003, won a single-season record 622 races from 3,002 starts for North American earnings of $24,235,247 in 2008. Runner-up was Todd Pletcher, who was the leading trainer by North American earnings each year from 2004-2007. Pletcher-trained horses won 208 races from 1,090 starts for earnings of $13,784,546 in 2008.

Completing the list of top 10 trainers by North American earnings in 2008 were: Richard Dutrow Jr., $12,011,668 (173 wins/709 starts); Robert Frankel, $11,702,123 (93/483); William Mott, $10,342,544 (120/798); Scott Lake, $9,343,609 (421/1,918); Jerry Hollendorfer, $8,637,578 (282/1,161); Kiaran McLaughlin, $8,152,865 (131/551); Gary Contessa, $7,482,466 (178/1,287); and John Sadler, $7,355,886 (125/652).

Garrett Gomez, with earnings of $23,344,351, topped the North American leading jockeys’ list for a third consecutive year in 2008. He rode the winners of 214 races from 1,023 mounts. Rafael Bejarano finished second, with 266 wins from 1,290 mounts and earnings of $16,439,729.

Rounding out the list of top 10 jockeys by North American earnings in 2008 were: Kent Desormeaux, $15,591,897 (171 wins/999 mounts); Edgar Prado, $15,132,119 (215/1,211); John Velazquez, $14,903,211 (215/1,177); Ramon Dominguez, $14,560,866 (310/1,321); Alan Garcia, $14,468,338 (231/1,282); Robby Albarado, $14,190,917 (250/1,240); Eibar Coa, $12,410,747 (256/1,412); and Javier Castellano, $12,142,962 (157/1,005).

Zayat Stables, LLC, won 116 races from 740 starts and earned $6,883,902 in North America during 2008 to lead all owners. Runner-up was Stronach Stables, which won 114 races from 466 starts for earnings of $6,677,124.

Completing the list of top 10 owners by North American earnings in 2008 were: Augustin Stable, $5,156,879 (60 wins/296 starts); Darley Stable, $4,745,650 (55/258); Maggi Moss, $4,253,963 (210/721); Godolphin Racing LLC, $4,158,944 (27/99); Mr. and Mrs. Jerome S. Moss, $4,148,872 (26/125); Heiligbrodt Racing Stable, $4,004,605 (122/627); WinStar Farm LLC, $3,851,304 (44/234); and Juddmonte Farms, Inc., $3,575,686 (18/100).

In addition to the official North American racing leaders’ lists available at http://www.equibase.com, Equibase also provides a second set of leaders’ lists that includes the results of the Dubai World Cup card from March 29, 2008, at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. Including these international earnings, Curlin was the leading Thoroughbred with earnings of $5,294,000. Steven Asmussen remained the leading trainer with earnings of $27,835,247, Garrett Gomez the leading jockey with earnings of $23,564,351 and Zayat Stables, LLC the leading owner with earnings of $6,883,902. -- EQUIBASE

What are these people thinking?

Effective January 1, 2009, the New York State Racing and Wagering Board (NYSRWB) has implemented a new rule concerning any winning pari-mutuel ticket purchased at a New York pari-mutuel facility that is not cashed within ten days and has a cash value of $300 or more. Under the new NYSRWB mandate, such a ticket can only be cashed at specific designated pari-mutuel windows after the name, home address, date of birth and social security number of the relevant patron have been provided.

No other racing jurisdiction in the country makes this requirement of its customers.

The New York Racing Association strongly opposed this new rule when it was circulated for industry comments and continues to oppose the rule as fundamentally bad public policy, because it will not remedy any material harm that can be articulated and it will therefore needlessly damage the business of the state's pari-mutuel facilities.

“The New York Racing Association is the industry leader in integrity based on its anti-money laundering policies, its race day security barns, and its refusal to do business with unregulated off-shore rebate shops,” said NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward. “However, this rule is not about integrity; it is further inconveniencing the customer who is fortunate enough to have placed a winning wager. No other state in the country punishes its customers for holding on to a winning ticket for more than 10 days. Given the current state of the industry and the economy in general, this new ruling could not have come at a worse time.”-- NYRA

2008: So ends the year from hell

The last day of racing at Aqueduct in 2008 was perfect.

Cold.

Wind-driven snow.

Rain was in the forecast, but failed to materialize. That may have been over the top in what was an embarrassment of grimness.

And, the cherry on the sundae …

A mandatory pick-six distribution with a bit more than $30,000 left over from Sunday’s card.

It went like this …

Fourth race: Cat Three Approach, $12.00. This one was 5-0-0-0 before breaking his maiden in his inner-tube debut – by 7 lengths and going away... Every now and then, as they say, Mike Hernandez, who trains Cat Three Approach, will get dawn past a rooster.

Fifth race: Great Emperor, $25.60. A $35,000 claim from Kiaran McLaughlin out of a grass route at Saratoga recaptures the form in which he won first-time while turning back to a dirt sprint. Probably a bit of an overlay here, but unkind to many pick-six tickets. Then again, Coach Butts, who was outfinished for the win, was 9-1 and probably would have been equally damaging.

Sixth race: Personal Good, $71.00 and last of 10 after a quarter-mile. This one had a bullet work since his last start and Bernardo Callejas is 33 percent second time off the claim, but this winner, who rallied on the fence, seemed overmatched in $20,000 company. The tormented moans sounded like the floor of the stock exchange. This is the time to resolve to stop playing the pick-six in 2009.

Seventh race: Quite appropriately, the weaker half of the Tony Dutrow entry beats the horse they were betting on – wire to wire. It happens. Not exactly a potential single, the duet pays $6.90. By this point, the entry keeps many alive for four. The few who are alive, however, are looking very good with two imposing favorites in the next two races.

Eighth race: After a 101-day vacation, the not-always reliable Delosvientos leads at every call of the 13-furlong Gallant Fox Handicap, gallops away to an 11 ¼-length win at 4-5. When he gets this loose trip going a marathon route of ground, he is very tough.

Ninth: A laboring Mrs. Holden was not exactly dashing through the snow late but led a tired pack to the wire, never threatened while racing on the lead at 3-5.

The players went after this pick-six with determination. The pool closed with $191,066 total. Those smart enough to get past the first three legs collected $68,249 and a bunch of $403.00 consolations.

A year that has been bizarre in almost every area of life is thankfully over. Today, a good crowd will be present at Aqueduct. The NYRA calendar is widely prized. We like Coli Bear in the Interborough. A happy, healthy and prosperous 2009 to all. -- PM

Count Fleet winner will be one to watch

By Jenny Kellner /NYRA

Aqueduct Racetrack in January might not be where one would expect to find the next Kentucky Derby winner, but it was just five years ago that a Pennsylvania-bred colt named Smarty Jones took the first step on the road to winning the Derby when he took the Big A’s Count Fleet Stakes, the first three-year-old stakes of the year in New York.

On Saturday, trainer Steve Asmussen finds out if Turtle Bird Stables’ Haynesfield can take that same step as he faces six other sophomores in the 34th running of the $65,000-added Count Fleet. The one mile, 70 yard race is included on the resumes of 1993 Preakness winner Prairie Bayou and 1992 Travers winner Thunder Rumble and was won last year by Giant Moon, who went on to complete in the Preakness, finishing eighth behind Derby winner Big Brown.

Haynesfield, like Giant Moon a New York-bred, has a pair of impressive victories from three starts, following a maiden victory at Belmont Park in September with an eye-catching 5¼- length score in restricted Damon Runyon Stakes on December 7.

“It’s a process,” said Asmussen. “He wound up in the Damon Runyon when an allowance race for New York-breds didn’t go, and now he’s in the Count Fleet off a very good race.”

The 2-1 favorite in the Damon Runyon, Haynesfield led gate-to-wire, covering the mile and 70 yards in 1:42.95, having broken his maiden in similar front-running fashion. In his first start at Saratoga Race Course on August 29, the chestnut colt finished a non-threatening third against state-breds, an effort Asmussen said was “disappointing.”

“But he redeemed himself in his next start, and honestly, we were very pleasantly surprised with his last race,” said the trainer, adding with a laugh: “You go through the steps and try to keep your mouth shut, one way or the other.”

Haynesfield, under 118 pounds, will be ridden again by Ramon Dominguez as he breaks from post No. 4.

Joining Haynesfield in the Count Fleet are a pair of sophomores from New York’s leading trainer of 2008, Gary Contessa. Winning Move Stables Pitched Perfectly, a maiden winner at third asking, and Sanford Robbins’ Bad Action, fourth in an optional claimer at the Count Fleet distance in December, will run as an entry from the rail and the outside under Pablo Morales and Eddie Castro, respectively.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has entered Shadwell Stables’ Aswaaq, a son of Empire Maker out of the Seattle Slew mare Queen Mama who also broke his maiden in his third start, covering the nine furlongs in 1:54.24. Jeffrey Sanchez had the mount from post No. 2.

Repole Stable’s Mike From Queens, with two victories in his last three starts, breaks from post No. 5 with Rajiv Maragh aboard.

Augustin Stables’ Smart Bid, a recent maiden winner at Philadelphia Park, leaves from post No. 6 with Jeremy Rose up, and Robert J. Koones’ Jess Not Jesse, a maiden winner on the turf at Saratoga in August, drew post No. 3 under Channing Hill.

Internet Eclipse to Courier-Journal

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers Association announced today that the Web site courier-journal.com of the Louisville Courier-Journal has won the 2008 Media Eclipse Award in the Audio and Multi-Media Internet category for its three-part series on injuries to race horses, which appeared on its site from August 16-18, 2008.

Following the fatal injury to Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby, The Courier-Journal initiated an investigative examination of horse racing safety, incorporating multiple platforms of audio, video, print, interactive graphics and still photography on courier-journal.com. Titled “Tragedy on the Track,” the series explored genetic research and breeding, track surfaces and performance enhancing medication. The print pieces were supported by videos, which included a comparison of Thoroughbreds making foot impact on a dirt track and synthetic surfaces; and a demonstration by blacksmith Steve Norman focusing on the differences between flat horse shoes and controversial toe grabs.

“After the deaths of Barbaro and then Eight Belles and the industry and public reaction to them, it was obvious that we needed to take another look at the issue of breakdowns,” said Courier-Journal Sports Editor Harry Bryan. “‘It was a real team effort, but it was especially important that our editor, Bennie Ivory, recognized not only the significance of the issue but also the possibilities that the internet provided in conveying the story. He provided us with the time and the resources to get the job done right. The tools of the Internet enabled us to tell the story far more effectively than in previous efforts.”

The principal writers were Jennie Rees, Andrew Wolfson and Greg Hall, with Scott Utterback, videographer and Steve Reed, graphic artist. Other editors involved in the project were John Mura, the multi-media manager of the site, along with Kim Kolarik, new media editor, Managing Editor Ben Post and First Amendment Manager Jean Porter. The site may be viewed at http://www.courier-journal.com/horse.

Honorable mention in the Audio and Multi-Media Internet category went to The New York Times website, nytimes.com, The Rail, for its Kentucky Derby multi-media coverage, which was created by Joe Drape, Bob Goetz, Peter Blair and Melissa Hoppert. The Louisville Courier-Journal also received an honorable mention on courier-journal.com for its Derby week coverage. -- NTRA

Eclipse finalists announced Jan. 8

Finalists for the 2008 Eclipse Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 8.

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), National Turf Writers Association (NTWA) and Daily Racing Form (DRF) vote on and present the Eclipse Awards in recognition of excellence in Thoroughbred racing. Winners in all categories will be announced at the 38th annual Eclipse Awards ceremony, to be held Monday, January 26 at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach in Miami Beach, Fla.

Finalists comprise the top three finishers in 17 equine and human categories. The three finalists for Horse of the Year will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on January 26.--NTRA