Support California Horse Racing-The Majesty of Live Racing/title> <BODY text="black" bgcolor="FFF8DC" link="black" vlink="red" alink="purple"> <center><p><b><font face="Raleway" size="100" font color="000080"<h1>The Majesty of Live Racing</h1></b></font></p></center> <body> <hr style="border: 2px solid black;"/> <p>Hi folks,</p> <p>Tonight, let's spend a few minutes on the subject of how horse racing produces a unique connection with those involved in the sport.</p> <p>Penny Chenery, the owner of the legendary Secretariat, said on a radio program once, that the emotional connection is needed in racing.</p> <p>That emotional connection is seen in sports, like the Olympics, for example. People can understand many of the athletes competing, what obstacles they overcame to reach the pinnacle of sports.</p> <p>Penny was right. Racing needs that emotional connection to have more fans. The question is, how does that connection happen? Well, it must be understood that this sport is a microcosm of everyday life. Those who work in racing are very similar to those who do not work in the industry.</p> <p>In short, we can relate to many people in horse racing.</p> <p>Regardless if someone is a jockey, trainer, owner, groom, breeder, or fan, anyone who is a part of racing is involved in something that creates a plethora of emotions, and they will say as much.</p> <p>Horse racing is also different because unlike other sports, people can relate to the personalities in the racing world each day. <p>Many of you reading this likely begin your days early, well before the sun comes up. Horse racing is no different. Workers employed by stables are up before first light each day, tending to Thoroughbreds before the crowds come to see them in action. The work is hard, and the hours are long, but this is their passion, and these people wake up each morning able to do what they love.</p> <p>Perhaps some of you are a manager for a company, maybe your own business. If so, you could relate to a trainer. The trainer is the manager, and has employees that work as a team towards a common goal. Each person has a role, and together they strive for success. The trainer also meets with clients, in this case owners of racehorses who want a professional and competent individual to oversee their equines.</p> <p>Once a stable has horses, the trainer must make myriad decisions in regards to each horse. There are workouts, meetings with owners, as well as deciding which races to enter the horses, just to name a few. Horse racing is very much a sport of multitasking and delegating, and with it comes much pressure.</p> </p>Successful trainers have to pick their spots when it comes to races. They are savvy handicappers. They know what races their charges can be competitive in, and subsquently enter them in said races. This can be the so-called superbarns, or they can be the middle-sized or smaller operations. When a conditioner has a decent winning percentage, especially when taking into account the number of starters he or she has had during a meet, they have not just talented horses, but also know where to enter them.</p> <p>Of course, businesses need customers on a consistent basis. A stable must have horses to be able to participate in races.</p> This can be a worry to smaller barns. It makes the trainers wonder if they must move their barn to another circuit, or will they continue on in the hopes of finding success in their current situation. Trainers are very much like managers, and they must oversee a lot of tasks everyday while also keeping an eye on the long-term. Believe it or not, people can relate to jockeys as well. This might seem like an odd statement, given the fact that a jockey rides an animal weighing over 1,000 pounds each day, and doing so with no fear. But in reality, a jockey is very much like an average person. For starters, a lot of you reading this might not be a salaried employee at your job. If you don't work, you don't get paid. For jockeys, this is also true. Jockeys must ride. If they are not riding, they are not making money. This is especially true if they get injured and are out of action for an extended period of time. This can be tough on a rider, especially a young one starting out in the game. They worry about paying the bills, about being able to work again. This is what they do, just like so many of us. They get up and go to work early each morning, riding horses, talking to trainers with the hope of securing mounts to ride, and holding on to the dream of making it big as an elite jockey. Many of us have dreams of following our passion, to wake up each day being able to take part in it. Some of us get to live that dream, and jockeys are an example of that. Bill Shoemaker came from humble beginnings in Texas to become one of the most iconic jockeys in the history of the sport. Laffit Pincay, Jr. came from Panama to the United States and realized his dream of becoming one of the sport's greatest riders. Dreams can come true, no matter who you are or where you are from. We can even relate to racehorses. There are some who are underdogs who achieve great success over the duration of their careers. Seabiscuit was an example of overcoming the odds. He became a symbol of hope and never giving up during the Great Depression, and was the most popular horse in his heyday. Ruffian was one of the most gifted equines in the sport's history. She attracted a legion of fans not long after Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in their famed tennis match in the 1970s. Nadia Comaneci would become one of the stars of the 1976 Olympics by scoring multiple perfect 10s in gymnastics. Ruffian amazed her fans with her speed. Once she was in front, she would not relinquish it. At a time when women were making headlines in sports, Ruffian clearly made her mark as well. It was almost as if she knew all of what was happening around her. John Henry would show people that determination can pay dividends in the 1980s. Once he entered the barn of trainer Ron McAnally, success came his way. He would become the first two-time winner of the prestigious Santa Anita Handicap. He would win the inaugural Arlington Million. He would earn multiple Eclipse Awards, including the Horse of the Year Honor at age 9. He has become a legend years after his retirement. People admire someone who tries each time out, and John Henry could do just that. A hometown hero can also get one's support. Take Smarty Jones, for example. A New York bred horse, Smarty Jones took the racing world on a thrill ride in the spring of 2004, capturing the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He did not get the Triple Crown, but he was so loved by his fans in New York. In the present day, California is cheering on one of its own. California Chrome slowly gained a fan base en route to the Kentucky Derby in 2014. During the Derby prep races at Santa Anita, Chrome's following grew. Once he triumphed in the Santa Anita Derby, all eyes were on this chestnut colt. Could a California-bred win the Kentucky Derby. It had not been done in over fifty years, but Chrome stopped that streak with a fantastic victory in Louisville. A win in the Preakness followed, which set the stage for a run at the Triple Crown at Belmont Park. He may not have won the Crown, but his fan base did not decrease. If anything, it kept growing. He is the people's horse. He is an underdog who has defied the odds. Chrome shows that anything is possible. Any obstacles to a dream can be overcome. One just cannot give up. Even handicappers can relate. They are hoping to cash in a winning ticket. However, horseplayers study information in advance of the races they will contest. They look for clues that will help them win large amounts of money. They will look at pedigrees, trainer angles, recent form, back class, just to name a few. Think of it as studying for an exam. Coming from someone that has cashed in winning tickets, there is a sense of satisfaction knowing you handicapped well and it led to cashing in a ticket. You have that feeling of triumph that lasts for a while. Racing can take someone on a journey filled with fun and wonder. Here's a story that illustrates this. A few years ago, a group of everyday people with different occupations all became shareholders in a racehorse named Noble's Promise. How many people were involved in this ownership? The answer is over 20. Noble's Promise would give them a thrill of a lifetime when he competed in the 2010 Kentucky Derby. Although Noble's Promise did not win, the owners were no doubt thrilled that they owned a horse who took part in one of the most prestigious events in all of horse racing. Success is achieved through hard work and planning. Both happen in abundance in the sport of horse racing. Those involved with it have hopes and fears similar to everyone else. They go to work each day, prepare as well as they can, and strive to be the best they can be. When we go to the track as fans, watch the horses, jockeys, trainers, all the figures in racing. You will come to find how similar horse racing is to everyday life, and how we relate to the people associated with it. That emotional connection is there, friends. It is there maybe more so than any other sport in existence. We can relate to several personalities in horse racing, and that is one reason why this sport is so special and unique.</p> </body> </html>