Hayes Taylor said he is easily distinguishable when he walks into a meeting of racetrack general managers.
Of the approximately 100 GMs at North American thoroughbred tracks, he is the only African-American.
On Thursday night, Taylor, who manages the Finger Lakes (N.Y.) racetrack, as well as Ohio steward Daryl Parker and his son, jockey DeShawn Parker, will be honored at the sixth African-Americans in Horse Racing annual dinner, held at the Sports Palace at Pimlico Race Course.
Even though Taylor says that black representation in racetrack executive suites is far below what he thinks it should be, "It's a feeling that's no different from the situation I grew up in. I was one of the few blacks in my hometown and am used to the whispers and innuendoes. It's just something African-Americans have to deal with. We always are in a situation where we have to prove ourselves and our competence."
Thursday's affair is the brainchild of Inez Chappell, a Baltimorean who long thought that African-American achievements in horse racing had been overlooked. Her efforts at organizing the annual dinner, which has honored owners, trainers, jockeys and racing personnel, has heightened awareness nationwide of the African-American contributions to the sport.
This year, she said, not only will politicians such as Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke, Rep. Kweisi Mfume, state Sen. Vernon Gray, Baltimore City Council president Mary Pat Clarke and several other local notables turn out for the party, but owners from as far away as California and Kentucky also are coming.
"It's gotten so big that I'm even getting requests from quarter-horse racing people to get involved, and I've been contacted by a representative of a trading card company who wants to put African-Americans involved in horse racing on their cards," Chappell said.
Taylor got into racing in an unusual way. He is an attorney who seldom went to the track, "maybe only two or three times in my life," he said.
When one of his clients, Bill Blair Jr., bought Mountaineer Park in Chester, W. Va., almost 10 years ago, he asked Taylor to become general manager.
"I was a complete outsider and believe me, it raised a few eyebrows when I took over running that track," he said.
Among Taylor's innovations were introducing video lottery terminals at the track as well as being one of the first proponents of multi-card interstate simulcasting.
Mountaineer Park made enough money, Taylor said, that after five years, it attracted a buyer and Blair sold out to a company called Winners Entertainment.
"I was going back into law practice, when the Delaware North Corp., called me and asked if I wanted to run Finger Lakes [the company's racetrack in upstate New York]. I've been here two years," he said.
Last year, Taylor said, Finger Lakes showed a record handle of $170 million and horsemen's annual purses went from $8.5 million to $10.5 million.
"It's a healthy increase, but one that has to keep growing," he said. "Even at the smaller tracks like ours, we have to keep increasing purses to attract a dwindling supply of horses."
Holy Bull is Kentucky-bound
Horse of the Year Holy Bull has made a rapid recovery after pulling up lame in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park a week ago and is expected to be shipped to Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Ky., on Thursday to prepare for stud duty.
Once the horse receives required vaccinations and test breedings, he could actually start servicing his book of mares by March 20, said Jonabell Farm president, Jimmy Bell.
Bell said that Gulfstream Park officials are planning "a huge send-off for the horse on Wednesday and we expect to see him at our farm at sunrise Thursday. We are planning on having a media day and reception for the horse when he gets here."
Bell said that he has received about 125 inquiries from owners who want to breed their mares to Holy Bull. Among them are Maryland breeders Bob Levy and Adelaide Riggs.
Levy is breeding Tenacious Tiffany, his stakes-winning daughter of Star De Naskra who finished fourth last year in Laurel's Barbara Fritchie Handicap.
Bell said his farm veterinarian is coordinating efforts with Holy Bull's vet at Gulfstream Park and will work out a recuperation program for Holy Bull once he arrives at Jonabell.
"Holy Bull is undergoing limited exercise now," Bell said. "He has been making a turn around the shedrow at his barn at Gulfstream and from what I've been told, is not noticeably lame."
The horse suffered soft tissue damage when he strained ligaments in his left foreleg when he put a foot down wrong during the race. "Fortunately, its something that heals quickly," Bell said.
Garcia's 'Politely' curse
One of the next logical stakes races for White Cliffs, the winningest 3-year-old filly in Maryland, is the $60,000 Politely Stakes at Laurel on March 11.
But the filly's trainer, Carlos Garcia, said he wants no part of the stakes.
"For me, it's been a bad-luck race," Garcia said. "I've won it or been second two or three times, but the horses never amounted to much after they ran in it."
Last year, Garcia said, he finished second in the Politely with Prospective Joy "and after that she never ran again."
The curse also affected some of his other runners such as T.V. Countess, who won in 1988, and Saratoga Spark, runner-up to Big Pride in 1990, Garcia said.
The Politely, which honors a former Maryland-bred champion mare, is at 7 furlongs and seems to have perfectly harmless conditions.
Among its previous winners are Safely Kept, who went on to win an Eclipse Award, and multiple stakes winner, Silver Tango.
But Garcia said he will not be persuaded to run White Cliffs in the Politely. "Absolutely not," he said.
Laurel signal at Charles Town
Is there such a thing as harassment of an off-track betting parlor operator?
Johnny Poole, who owns and operates the state's most successful off-track betting OTB parlor, the Cracked Claw, near Frederick, said he "can't believe" that Laurel/Pimlico management plans to sell its Laurel live-card signal to the Charles Town racetrack, when the West Virginia plant re-opens for simulcast action on Friday.
Charles Town, located about a half-hour from the Cracked Claw, is Poole's nearest competitor and he figures "it's got to hurt my business if Charles Town offers the Maryland races. I don't understand why Laurel is doing this. They only get 3 percent for selling the signal to Charles Town, but a full 14 percent [split with horsemen] from the money bet on the Maryland card here.
"A total of $36 million was wagered here last year and on a Saturday a week ago, $330,000 went through our windows, more money than was handled at Rosecroft Raceway. Why would track management want to try to hurt us?"
Poole said that no one from Laurel/Pimlico consulted him about the decision. "I found out about it by reading the newspaper," he said. "I have no control over it, since the tracks dictate the program."
Laurel/Pimlico president Joe De Francis explained last week that selling the Laurel signal to Charles Town is being conducted on "a trial basis. If it turns out that it cannibalizes the handle at the Cracked Claw, we'll stop it."