Horse racing's barrage of national advertising is apparently working, says Alan Foreman, the Baltimore lawyer serving as a director of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
Foreman recently attended a two-day retreat at Colorado Springs of NTRA's managers and board of directors. Begun April 1, Foreman the NTRA set a goal of transforming horse racing into one of the country's top five sports.
That transformation will take years, the NTRA acknowledges, but the quest began with highly visible newspaper and magazine ads and the "Go Baby Go" TV commercials featuring the actress Lori Petty. She plays a passionate bettor who looks undernourished and strung out. Love her or hate her, you can't ignore her.
Foreman says an ESPN poll that gauges the public's interest in sports asked the question: Are you very, somewhat or a little bit interested in horse racing? In March, 30 percent of those questioned said yes, in April 33 percent and in May 34 percent.
An NTRA poll produced more encouraging results. It asked: Is horse racing one of your favorite activities? Positive answers jumped from 3 percent to 16 percent.
Real Quiet's attempt at a Triple Crown may be largely responsible for that. But still, Foreman said: "I think the general consensus is, the campaign is working. We are seeing an uptick."
MATCH series a hit
A success last year in its first year, MATCH (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships) has attracted even better fields and significantly more betting dollars this year, said Foreman, founder of the series.
From April 18 to Oct. 3, horses compete in five divisions for $600,000 in bonuses for their owners and trainers -- as well as purses of $3.6 million for the 35 MATCH races at seven regional tracks.
"The series will really start to take form after the next set of races," Foreman said.
The standings:
3-year-old sprint
(after three races)
( Horse Owner Trainer Pts.
Klabin's Gold Acclaimed Racing A. Iwinski 14
Five Star Deputy Candy Stable T. Ritchey 7
Good and Tough David Reynolds F. Alexander 6
Next race: Long Clover Handicap, July 18, Philadelphia Park
3-year-old long
(after three races)
2& Thomas Jo Team Valor J. Jerkens 12
Medford New Farm B. Perkins 7
Scatmandu Robert Waxman J. Kimmel 6
Next race: Long Branch Breeders' Cup, July 19, Monmouth Park
( 3-year-old and up sprint
(after two races)
6* Original Gray Conover St. J. Tammaro 7
Richter Scale N. and R. Kaster B. Mott 6
Stormy Atlantic A. Appleton R. Camac 6
Next race: Shrewsbury Stakes, Saturday, Monmouth Park
& 3-year-old and up long
(after two races, yesterday's not included)
5) Testafly J.D. Brown et al. D. Mills 9
Acceptable Kinsman Stable B. Mott 6
Testing Richard Granville B. Boniface 4
Littlebitlively John Franks B. Barnett 4
Hot Brush Robert Meyerhoff R. Small 4
Yesterday's race: Norristown Handicap, Philadelphia Park
.' Fillies and mares long on turf
(after two races)
6* Bursting Forth Sam Huff H.G. Motion 10
Tresoriere Mrs. Alec Head C. Clement 6
French Buster Dennis Drazin W. Croll Jr. 4
Next race: Penn National Distaff Handicap, next Sunday, Penn National
Leading owners
Acclaimed Racing Stable 14
Earl Mack and Team Valor 12
Sam Huff 10
Leading trainers
Allen Iwinski 14
James Jerkens 12
H. Graham Motion 10
Desormeaux dumped
Was anyone surprised that Kent Desormeaux -- so hyperactive Belmont week he was bouncing off the walls -- lost the mount on Real Quiet to Gary Stevens, now Bob Baffert's first-call rider?
Baffert was calm and supportive after Desormeaux's premature move perhaps cost Real Quiet not only the Belmont but also the Triple Crown. Then, the next week, Baffert berated Desormeaux for his ride on Semoran at Churchill Downs.
Anyone in a relationship could see what was going on. Baffert was yelling about one thing (Semoran) when he was actually mad about something else (Real Quiet).
So now Baffert is pointing Real Quiet and his new jockey toward the Swaps Stakes July 19 at Hollywood Park.
And then, he plans to run Silver Charm on July 25 in the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar as a prep for the Pacific Classic, where Silver Charm might join Skip Away and Gentlemen in the race of the decade.
'Passion' away for summer
Purple Passion apparently won't rejoin Donald Barr's stable at Laurel Park until the fall. Bill Stathis, who manages the horse for his sister Stella Kavasis -- they live in New Hampshire, plans to keep the potentially outstanding sprinter with their New England trainer for one race at Rockingham Park and two at Saratoga. "He's had a little problem, a muscle-type thing," said Stathis of the horse, who would fare far better in Barr's hands. Hall of Fame jockey Sandy Hawley, 49, retired Wednesday at Woodbine with 6,449 victories. Really Polish, the 3-year-old Team Valor filly trained by Gary Capuano, won't run as planned in the prestigious Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park. After finishing last -- that was not planned -- last weekend in the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont, Really Polish will compete July 25 in the Delaware Oaks. "She came back fine," Capuano said, "but for whatever reason she just didn't do any running."
Yearling stars
The first horse shown proved to be the best of the 87 Maryland-bred yearlings shown last weekend at the 64th annual Maryland Horse Breeders Yearling Show at the state fairgrounds in Timonium.
Judged by the trainer Neil Howard, the grand champion was Chicago Called, a colt by Aaron's Concorde out of the mare Medieval Moat owned and bred by Robin and Donald Townsend of Keymar. Reserve champion was Oh Say Vicki, a filly by Oh Say out of Crooked Tower owned and bred by Charles J. Reed of White Hall.
Owned by Arlene Kushner, Aaron's Concorde won the Worthington Farms Challenge trophy as the Maryland stallion whose offspring earned the most points in the show. Aaron's Concorde stands at Laurie and Jerry Calhoun's Summer Wind Farm in Libertytown.
For the second year in a row and the fifth since 1984, a Clagett homebred won top award as the highest-earning 2-year-old who had participated in the previous year's yearling show. Jeanne and Hal Clagett, both in their 80s, collected top prize of $16,250 for Valay Bullet, who earned $39,958 last year while winning or placing in six of nine races.
By Carnivalay out of Silent Bullet, Valay Bullet is a full sister to the Clagetts' Bullet Valay, who won the award last year.
The top three yearlings in each class:
Class I
Colts and geldings foaled in Maryland before April 1 last year (out of mares covered in Maryland -- 15 exhibited): 1 -- Chicago Called (grand champion); 2 -- Antney, by Valley Crossing out of Family Verdict, owned and bred by Bonita Farm and Jerry Schultz; 3 -- colt by Two Punch out of Chilly Hostess, owned and bred by Richard L. Golden.
Class II
Colts and geldings foaled in Maryland on or after April 1 last year (out of mares covered in Maryland -- 23 exhibited): 1 -- colt by Polish Numbers out of Set to Fly, owned and bred by Golden; 2 -- Danny Strike, by Two Punch out of Yo Girl, owned and bred by Reed; 3 -- Roberto's Dream, by Across the Field out of Winter Romance, owned and bred by Shirley K. Lamb.
Class III
Colts and geldings foaled in Maryland in 1997 (out of mares covered outside Maryland -- nine exhibited): 1 -- colt by Lord At War out of Rare Flight, owned by Robert T. Manfuso and Katharine M. Voss, bred by Manfuso; 2 -- colt by Deposit Ticket out of Kelly's Super Pet, owned by Daniel Brewster, bred by Marc W. Gunderson; 3 -- Twoodwork, by Marquetry out of Speedy Tweetie, owned and bred by Dr. and Mrs. Victor Stevens.
Class IV
Fillies foaled in Maryland before April 1 last year (out of mares covered in Maryland -- 12 exhibited): 1 -- filly by Citidancer out of Golden Triad, owned by Mr. and Mrs. S.H. Rogers Jr., bred by Country Life/Shields; 2 -- Sassy Britches, by Mr. Goldust out of Sasabe Rose, owned by Lyn L. Raymond, bred by Kenneth Warfield Jr.; 3 -- filly by Not For Love out of Lady Bering, owned and bred by Mrs. J.W.Y. Martin Jr.
Class V
Fillies foaled in Maryland on or after April 1 last year (out of mares covered in Maryland -- 23 exhibited): Oh Say Vicki (reserve champion); 2 -- Phabulous Love, by Not For Love out of Phabulous Pheet, owned and bred by Reed; 3 -- filly by Northern Raja out of Flowerdale, owned and bred by J.W.Y. Martin Jr.
Class VI
Fillies foaled in Maryland in 1997 (out of mares covered outside Maryland -- five exhibited): 1 -- filly by Rubiano out of Thor Baby, owned by Manfuso and Voss, bred by Manfuso; 2 -- filly by Belong to Me out of Slew the Dragoness, owned and bred by Morris E. Balser; 3 -- filly by Bien Bien out of Sweet Bunny, owned by Melbourne Farm, bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Milton P. Higgins.
Pub Date: 7/05/98