AAAAAAH, THE SPAAAAAA

(Thoroughblog note - This site will now post the THOROUGHBRED BLOGGERS ALLIANCE HORSE RATINGS, see at right, sponsored by various companies in racing. For more details, see the TBA's website, link at right).
THOROUGHBLOG will continue to publish its own top Canadian-bred list.

UPDATE: WESTMORELAND (Canadian-bred, see below) wins tragic opener at Saratoga. It appeared as if 7-year-old MASSOUD broke down while leading in early stretch in the first race of the Saratoga meeting, causing another horse to fall. Jockey John Velazquez rode Massoud, who had only raced 13 times despite his age and was making his first start since October for Ken Tomlinson and trainer Graham Motion. The horse was euthanized.

SARATOGA gets underway today (Friday’s are twilight post times) and the first race is on the grass for high claimers and features Canadian-bred WESTMORELAND, a half-brother to stakes placed Marchfield, and dropping big-time in class for trainer Al Stall.

BLOCKBUSTER TURF PEDIGREES in race 5 including the rail horse BISHOP’S CREEK (Dixieland Band) and TASK FORCE (widest post)..

The opening day feature, the SCHULYERVILLE, is a cool race for fast 2yo fillies, most with big Beyer Figures. How about the $3,000 purchase (appears as if she’s since been sold) SUBTLE ALY, by Deputy Minister stallion FRENCH ENVOY (a winner and third once in the Grade 3 Jaipur Stakes), out of Very Subtle’s winning daughter and producer of 5 other modest foals, Aly Sweet (by Alydar). Super debut and could be a world beater.

Enjoy!

(below - from the New York Daily News...)

Spa makes racing a winner

Upstate oval still best bet

BY SHERRY ROSS
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Saratoga remains a welcome sight for those looking for a relaxing way to put sizzle in their summer.

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Around 1 p.m. this afternoon, track announcer Tom Durkin will encourage the crowd to join him at the start of the first race in shouting, "And they're off at Saratoga!"

Hokey? Sure. A lot of things about this place are hokey. It's horse heaven for gamblers and gambolers alike - touts and tourists having totally different experiences but enjoying themselves just the same.

The unique blend of country fair and elite competition that characterizes the 36-day Saratoga meet begins anew today. For the 139th time, Saratoga Race Course will open its gates and the pilgrims will stream in.

While the New York Racing Association faces an uncertain future in terms of its ownership of the franchise, fans and horsemen will pay more attention to the improvements in amenities and purse structure. The lure of a possible showdown between Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and Preakness winner Curlin in the showcase $1 million Travers on Aug. 25 will dominate the backstretch chatter, as will the iffy health of the Belmont Stakes-winning filly Rags to Riches.

Old favorites will return, including retired 2003 Derby winner Funny Cide, who gets his public salute on Aug. 10, and newcomers will turn in eye-catching performances that will generate talk of the Breeders' Cup and next year's Triple Crown trail.

As befits Saratoga's position as the great stage on which to unveil future stars, the opening day feature is the Grade III $100,000 Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies. It will be followed tomorrow by its colt counterpart, the Grade II $150,000 Sanford.

Todd Pletcher, who won his first Spa training title in 1998 and has followed that by winning it the last five summers, has won three of the last four editions of the Schuylerville and has two fillies entered. Only one, Lady Chace, is expected to run, however, with Pletcher planning to scratch New York City Girl.

Lady Chace trounced four other rivals in her debut race at Monmouth Park on June 28, winning by almost 11 lengths.

"It was a short field, but she certainly did it the right way," Pletcher said.

However, Lady Chace will face serious challenges from the already seasoned Dreabons Legacy and According to Plan. The latter, trained by Barclay Tagg, turned in one of the most impressive performances by a juvenile during the recently concluded Belmont meet when she scored by more than four lengths in her debut on June 29.

Dreabons Legacy, who ships in from Churchill Downs for infrequent Spa visitor Steve Flint, is the only filly in the field who has tried stakes company. According to Daily Racing Form statistics, Flint has saddled only three runners at the Spa over the last four years, with a win and a second-place finish to his credit.

Dreabons Legacy finished second to Rated Fiesty in the Grade II Debutante at Churchill Downs on July 7. The other eight fillies entered in the Schuylerville are coming in off maiden wins.

"What happens in races like this is a lot of these fillies will face adversity for the first time in their career," Flint said. "You don't know how they're going to respond."

New to a lot of the horses, too, will be performing in front of tens of thousands of fans instead of the usual sparse crowds that attend racing the rest of the year. Last year's opening-day attendance at the Spa was 27,346. The winner of the first race that day was Massoud, who just happens to be entered in today's opener. At least he'll be ready for the roar.

'Z' LOWDOWN: Trainer Nick Zito seems to back Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan to have separate entities run the racing and the VLTs (video slots) available at tracks.

"As a fan, you know I'm a fan first," Zito said. "I think it is better for the fan to have someone run racing that knows about racing and someone run the slots that knows about the slots. I'm not working for Eliot Spitzer but I think he's right."

When asked about the possibility of Aqueduct closing, Zito said he has "mixed emotions," but could live with it as long as the horses and trainers who use Aqueduct now get barns and stalls at Belmont Park.

Zito also said he likes his first-time starter, Hi Chris, in today's second race. - With Jerry Bossert

MORE THAN A PASSING GLANCE

Wednesday night at Woodbine

More Jelly Cable was added yesterday to Woodbine’s POLYTRACK as tweaking of the surface continues. The weather is going to get very warm and humid this week so look for the wax etc. to grip together and start to produce quick times.

Tonight’s PASSING MOOD Stakes honours a Broodmare of the Year in Canada and desecendent and source of some of the most talented racehorses this country has seen.

A daughter of the mighty BUCKPASSER from Canadian Oaks winner Cool Mood (one of Bud Willmot’s first purchases as Kinghaven Farms), Passing Mood was a stakes winner as a 2yo and retired early.

Her offspring include Canadian Triple Crown and Grade 1 winner WITH APPROVAL, Grade 1 winner TOUCH GOLD, and stakes winners Bar U Mood, Sweeping Change and Daijin.

Passing Mood’s half-sister SHY SPIRIT, produced TC winner IZVESTIA and others.

Some of the Ontario-sired stakes races this season have been goodies and tonight’s race, for 3yo fillies at 7 furlongs on turf, is interesting.

Morning line favourite is YOU WILL LOVE ME, one of only a couple of horses owned by her breeder Bill Jones. This is a versatile One Way Love filly who was 2^nd in the open Ontario Damsel Stakes last time to QUIET ACTION, who would win this race if she were eligible.

New Venture Stables’ BIRSAY has won two consecutive turf sprints and this Bold Executive filly has been making good on her $52,117 (US) purchase price as a yearling.

QUITE A KNIGHTMARE is the up and comer who will try and adjust to sprinting again. The Ascot Knight homebred from Huntington Stud Farm was 2^nd to the very good Sans Souci Island in her only grass race.

And turf debuters BELLICOSE BELLE and FEVERISH DREAM are both by modest turf sire War Deputy but the former goes for the potent combo of trainer Ian Black and Emma-Jayne Wilson.

Horses to Watch - YOU WILL LOVE ME - QUITE A KNIGHTMARE

WANNA BE LIKE WEG

CHALK wrote in yesterday and mentioned the HBPA talks in Virginia late last week – detailed below in a story in the Blood-Horse.

Indeed, Woodbine has an enviable account wagering system (plus its own HPI TV station, offering 4 channels), easily the best in North America (if you have seen and used the others, you would agree).

These discussions centre on horsemen and their share of revenues etc.

See what you think…

Horsemen: Fix Account Wagering Mess Now
by Tom LaMarra
(COURTESY, the Blood-Horse)

In by far the most enlightening panel discussion the industry has seen on account wagering, representatives of four entities discussed their business models July 20 at the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association summer convention in Colonial Williamsburg, Va. In the end, there was no resolution to ongoing conflicts over exclusivity and the sharing of content, but they did get a clear message: Horsemen want the system fixed.

“The fragmentation of this industry is not more present right here, right now,” said Sean Alfortish, president of the Louisiana HBPA. “I’d weld these doors shut if you guys would come up with a solution. We’ve got a great opportunity on our hands. I’d work all night to get it done. This is the single-most important issue for the industry today.”

Alfortish’s comments were directed to Charles Champion, president and chief executive officer of Youbet.com; Scott Daruty, president of TrackNet Media Group; and David Nathanson, senior vice president and general manager of TVG. Steven Mitchell, senior vice president and chief financial officer for Woodbine Entertainment Group, also was on the panel to discuss the Canadian model in which there are no third-party account wagering providers.

To perhaps ease anticipated tension and lighten the proceedings, the National HBPA drew post positions--numbers from a hat--to determine the order of presentation. Champion had a technological edge--his own computer--so he went first, followed by Nathanson, Mitchell, and Daruty.

The following is an overview of each presentation:

Youbet.com

Champion said Youbet.com believes there are “questionable business models” in the marketplace, and that sub-license fees such as the ones he pays to TVG and Magna Entertainment Corp. for content hinder promotion, investment, and profit. He said the customer is suffering under the current structure that forces multiple wagering accounts.

Champion outlined “economic examples” for Youbet.com. When all fees are totaled, the company gets about 10.7% net revenue from a signal from an independent racetrack, 5.9% from a track operated by MEC, 3.1% from TVG-exclusive products, and 1.82% from TrackNet Media, which is now buying and selling signals.

Champion proposed a model calling for higher host fees to reward live racing operations; “demographic and geographic incentives” for Youbet.com; longer content contracts; and no statewide source-market fees.

“Paying 10% host fees would not be unconscionable to us,” he said.

TVG

Nathanson said exclusive racetrack partners benefit from television exposure as evidenced by the fact that 90% of TVG handle comes from races that are broadcast on the network. The average handle, he said, is 900% higher on a race on TV.

Based on the average pari-mutuel takeout of 20%, TVG returns 14% (3% in host fees and 11% in source-market fees) to the industry, Nathanson said. The company has returned $250 million to the racing industry thus far, he said.

“I don’t believe any other (advance deposit wagering) provider has returned more to the racing industry,” Nathanson said.

As for having a reputation of not participating in discussions with horsemen, he said: “We’ve working very diligently with horsemen across the country on a partnership we believe is best for the future of racing.”

WEG

Mitchell said the company, which offers Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing, had a total handle last year of $1.3 billion, or half the Canadian market. The largest chunk of handle comes from export of the signal--$457 million--but local-market wagering is huge for the company.

WEG operates 27 teletheaters, or off-track betting centers, that generated $439 million in handle last year. On-track handle was $258 million, and Internet wagering through HorsePlayer Interactive was $132 million.

Mitchell said many WEG patrons use all three outlets for wagering.

Because WEG owns the account wagering system, the revenue stays with the racetrack and horsemen. For Thoroughbred racing, Mitchell said the track gets 6.9% and horsemen 9.35%. In Ontario, each track has a designated “home market area” and keeps the revenue generated in that market.

Mitchell agreed with Nathanson that TV coverage is important. WEG has about 475,000 subscribers to its live horse racing broadcasts.

“If you get the signal in front of customers, they will wager more,” he said.

TrackNet Media

Daruty said the company, a partnership between Churchill Downs Inc. and MEC, “wants to help customers by establishing a non-exclusive ADW environment.” The primary objective, he said, is to “return more money to the producers of the show--the horsemen and the tracks.”

Daruty said host fees should run from 4%-8%, with a “limited number of high-quality tracks” getting 8%, and the remaining tracks 5%-7%. He said an appropriate source-market fee is 7% within a 25-mile radius of a wagering facility.

Daruty said the recent Churchill Downs spring meet was a perfect example of how the TrackNet Media structure can work. The Churchill product this year wasn’t available through TVG and Youbet.com, so average daily account wagering handle was down 37.7%. But revenue, he said, increased 1.7% because host fees went from 3% to 8%.

As handle grows, revenue will grow with it, Daruty indicated.

“If horsemen want to set up an account wagering platform, that’s great,” Daruty said. “You can have the content as well.”

Horsemen who heard the presentations expressed dismay at the fact they’ve had little say in the pricing of signals even though they have protections under the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978.

Nick Coukos, executive director of the Ontario HBPA, took offense with Daruty’s comment given the fact horsemen provide and ultimately control the content. He said MEC chairman Frank Stronach has repeatedly said “partnership, partnership, partnership” when it comes to relations between racetracks and horsemen’s groups. Yet horsemen, he said, have no say in signal pricing.

“Of course they have a say,” Daruty responded. “We all know how the IHA works. We’ve always made it clear when we cut deals with account wagering companies there is an express provision that the agreement is subject to the consent of horsemen. Technically under the IHA, horsemen don’t have a say in pricing.”

On the topic of exclusivity, horsemen, led by Alfortish, requested that exclusivity tied to wagering contracts be eliminated. Daruty said TrackNet would be willing to deal with TVG’s need for exclusive television rights as long as the wagering aspect isn’t exclusive.

“Are you willing to drop the portion of exclusivity related to betting?” Alfortish asked the account wagering representatives. “Is there any room for compromise? As horsemen, we have to take action. And don’t think as horsemen, we won’t. This is evolving.”

Nathanson said exclusivity has several meanings. He said TVG technically has no exclusivity because it licenses its content to account wagering providers and doesn’t restrict those companies from giving it to others. “We’re not limiting that content,” he said.

Nathanson also questioned the TrackNet Media business model. He said only the major racetracks would end up with the ultimate return of 15% revenue (8% host fee and 7% source-market fee). With TVG, he said, all tracks get the 14% (3% host fee and 11% source-market fee).

“The cream of the crop will get the 15%,” Nathanson said. “That’s 1% more than we’re offering everybody.”

Alfortish said that in Louisiana, horsemen plan to take action. Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Inc., so its signal will fall under TrackNet Media. Alfortish, however, wants broad distribution for the signal. Youbet.com has a partnership with Harrah’s Louisiana Downs that led to a 60% spike in Youbet.com handle on the track’s races.

“I’m going to do something with Youbet.com at Fair Grounds,” Alfortish said. “I don’t want our state to be stifled by this foolishness. So what if (Youbet.com) has everybody’s signal. Isn’t that the ultimate goal? The content belongs to the people. You have even deprived horsemen of watching their own product.”

The dispute over account wagering has put the Claiming Crown, which is partly owned by the National HBPA, in the crosshairs. The event, to be held Aug. 4 at Ellis Park in Kentucky, will be available only on HRTV, which is owned by CDI and MEC. Currently, it won’t be available through TVG or Youbet.com.

“If you truly believe in sharing content, I’m asking you on behalf of our affiliates to share the Claiming Crown,” National HBPA president Joe Santanna said.

Tom Metzen Sr., president of the Minnesota HBPA, said the only other time the Claiming Crown was on HRTV, handle dropped 50%. In other years, it had been broadcast on TVG.

“Unfortunately, it’s true that the Claiming Crown won’t be available for account wagering through TVG or Youbet.com,” Daruty said. “Horsemen can’t force us to sell it to somebody we don’t want to sell it to. That’s a true partnership.”

CDI controls the Claiming Crown signal through a contract provision it has with Ellis Park, which it sold to local businessman Ron Geary last year. Geary has attempted to maximize exposure of Ellis Park locally and through export of the track’s signal, and horsemen believe the Claiming Crown offers an ideal opportunity for that.

Champion, who was said by Daruty to be “skating down the middle” in an attempt to be the only account wagering provider with all the product, said after the meeting that he just wants to satisfy his customers. He also said the discussion could be masking a more serious issue.

“Where is the true money in this industry?” Champion said. “It’s in OTBs and simulcasting. That’s still 90% of the handle. So what are we going to do with the 90%?”