NEWS
Breeders’ Cup seeks permanent
World Championships site
Posted: Friday, December 11, 2009 3:15 PM
by Ed DeRosa
When Breeders’ Cup Ltd. announces the site of the 2011 World Championships it might also be announcing the site of its event in ’12, ’13, and beyond.
The Breeders’ Cup Board of Directors on December 11 authorized management to “explore the feasibility of a single permanent host site location for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships” as one of the four pillars of its strategic plan.
“It’s possible that the permanent site could be announced for the 2011 event,” said Breeders’ Cup spokesman Jim Gluckson. “We would have one site—not a rotation.”
Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, and Santa Anita Park have held the World Championships most often, including four of the past five editions with Oak Tree Association being the first to stage the event in consecutive years in 2008-’09 at Santa Anita. Of those three entities, only Santa Anita had had discussions with Breeders’ Cup about becoming a permanent host before the December 11 board meeting.
“We were a part of some very preliminary discussions,” Santa Anita President Ron Charles said. “After the [board’s] announcement, I anticipate there will be some additional talks and discussions as other tracks look at the options.”
Churchill Downs is slated to host the event for a record seventh time in 2010. Churchill Vice President of Communications Liz Harris said on December 11 that she was not aware of any discussions between Breeders’ Cup and Churchill concerning making the Louisville track the permanent home of the richest days in racing.
“No one yet has spoken with Breeders’ Cup executives about specific plans, but I know that we’ll be happy to discuss this with Breeders’ Cup executives once they have specific proposals,” Harris said. “The only thing we have had with Breeders’ Cup is some very informal discussions regarding whether the first day [of the two-day World Championships] could include some night racing.
“Breeders’ Cup always does well here, so I would hope that Churchill would be a part of long-term discussions.”
Belmont Park has played host to the event on four occasions—most recently in 2005—and is believed to be in the running to stage the ’11 event, but the New York Racing Association has had no discussions with Breeders’ Cup about being a permanent host.
“We know nothing about it and have no details about it,” NYRA Chief Operating Officer Hal Handel said on December 11.
Keeneland Race Course has never held a Breeders’ Cup, but its president, Nick Nicholson, did travel to this year’s event as the guest of Oak Tree President Sherwood Chillingworth with the intent to see how a host track handles the event.
“If [Keeneland is] ever going to have one of these, I figured I should go see how it’s done,” Nicholson said in October.
The other three points listed by the board’s strategic plan are:
* Establish a new Breeders’ Cup Racing Series in partnership with North American and European racetracks to better define and market the road to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships;
* expand brand marketing and commercial development programs, with an emphasis on digital marketing and social media; and
* take a new approach to nominations to significantly expand the number of Breeders’ Cup eligible horses.
Gluckson said the Racing Series actually would be more likely to be geared toward North American-based horses but that the goal in expanding the number of Breeders’ Cup eligible horses would be to ensure more participation from the best horses throughout the world—not just North American and Europe.
Ed DeRosa is news editor of Thoroughbred Times
