TDN Q&A: Josh Rubinstein

Last month, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC) crowned Josh Rubinstein as the facility's new president, taking the reins from long-time Del Mar fixture, Joe Harper. Rubinstein, 48, joined the Del Mar executive ranks in 1997, first working in sales and marketing. Prior to his latest promotion, Rubinstein's office door at Del Mar held the twin titles of executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Having spent his early years in New York, Rubinstein went to high school and college in San Diego, just down the road from Del Mar. Initially eyeing a career in television production, he joined ABC Sports out of college, covering events like the Triple Crown and the Kentucky Derby trials. Rubinstein grew up in a non-racing family, and it was during his tenure at ABC Sports that he “fell in love with horseracing, all aspects of it. The gambling side, the sport itself, all the characters.” It was also during his time at ABC Sports that Rubinstein first “got to know the Del Mar guys.” And so, when he was offered a position there, it was “too good to pass up.”

Rubinstein said that without the advice and assistance of “a lot of people” along the way, “there's no way I'd be in this position.” And he singled out Harper and former DMTC president and general manager Craig Fravel for special mention. From Harper, Rubinstein has learned about the craft of creating a show, “and creating an environment where people are excited to come to work every day,” he said. From Fravel, he learned the inner workings of the industry.

“It's been a very fortunate ride,” Rubinstein added. “And I keep telling myself I'm a really lucky guy.”

The following is an edited transcript.

TDN: You're picking up the mantle on the back of a seminal year for Del Mar. Let's start with the many positives, at the top of which was Del Mar's inaugural Breeders' Cup. What are your takeaways from last November's two-day event?

JR: The one metric that still amazes us is the on-track handle number. We were bullish on the fact that the people who attend the Breeders' Cup were coming from all over the world and would participate heavily at the windows. But to have a $25 million on-track handle over the two days, which is a 24% increase on 2016, is amazing. Operationally, Del Mar and the Breeders' Cup well before the event agreed to cap attendance and focus on the on-track experience, and that really had a large part to do with the success of the event. Just from ease of access getting in, parking, getting a drink, getting a bet down, I think if you spoke to people they would say it was a very smooth two days.

TDN: You're obviously lobbying hard for the Breeders' Cup to return to Del Mar. If and when it does, anything you'll do differently?

JR: Little tweaks here and there. Some points of sale need to be added, especially in the box area. The ride-sharing and the ease of parking needs to be improved upon. In fact, I got out of a meeting this morning with the Breeders' Cup folks, who are in town. Breeders' Cup actually shared with us how they did a post-event survey, and attendees had a 95% highly satisfied rate, which is pretty unheard of. We're hopeful the Breeders' Cup does come back, and when they do, we'll be even better next time.

TDN: Any ideas as to when that could be?

JR: Probably not appropriate for me to talk about that. But on a broader level, we want the Breeders' Cup back, and they want to come back. Obviously, they're juggling other sites, and other politics.

TDN: Another notable positive has been in the investments you've made to the racing surfaces, and in overall injury reduction protocols, exemplified by last summer's marked decrease in race-day facilities (as compared to previous summers). How will you consolidate the efforts you've made so far?

Author's note: six horses were fatally injured during Del Mar's summer meet last year (this includes morning training and afternoon racing, as well as a “sudden death” in the barn area). Compare that to 2016, when 17 horses were fatally injured during the week longer meet (this number includes a fatality resulting from a “freak accident”).

JR: As you mention, we have made a significant investment in racing surfaces–over $15 million since 2007, and $3 million recently to change the grading and banking of the [main] track to match Santa Anita's. Outside of the investment we made, it really has been a group effort between our staff, the [California Horse Racing Board], the [Thoroughbred Owners of California], the [California Thoroughbred Trainers], and the individual owners and riders. It's been really rewarding–we've found a really good balance with track maintenance and utilizing the science that's available, along with the daily feedback we get from jockeys, trainers, and vets. Lastly, I'm biased, but I think we've got the best in the business looking after our racing surfaces–[track superintendents] Dennis Moore on the main track and Leif Dickinson on the turf course.

TDN: Any further changes or modifications on the horizon?

JR: I'll defer to the experts, to Leif and Dennis. It's an evolving process. Mick Peterson, [executive director of the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory], is very much involved in our track maintenance protocol, so we'll continuously go over the data with him and, like I said, listen to the experts.

TDN: Handle was also up during the summer and fall meets last year. How are you going to maintain that trend?

JR: It all starts with the racing product, and last year, the racing product was exceptional. Summer meet field size was 8.6, fall meet was 8.5, and as everyone knows, field size drives handle. The summer meet daily average handle was up 5% from 2016, and the fall meet, excluding the Breeders' Cup, was up 7.5%. It's no secret ADW continues to be a strong area of wagering growth, and we'll continue to work with our ADW partners to keep the trend going. We've also had a lot of success in the last five years with mini-satellites, the California satellite wagering program, and this year, we'll work with the industry to try to get more mini-satellites on board. Lastly, we'll continue to focus on the on-track experience for our large players and horse owners.

TDN: Are you concerned about a possible Breeders' Cup bump, inflating those handle numbers?

JR: Certainly, the Breeders' Cup helped. But, like I said, look at the numbers of the summer meet, and I don't really know how much an effect the Breeders' Cup had on the summer meet. “Ship and Win” at Del Mar has been very impressive. We instituted that program, and it's nice to see Santa Anita has their own version and New York now has one. What do they say: imitation is the best form of flattery? Certainly, [executive vice president for racing and industry relations] Tom Robbins and [racing secretary] David Jerkens are aggressively out there recruiting stables out here for the summer and fall.

TDN: Overall attendances, however, are still trending downwards. How do you reverse that?

JR: Certainly, attendance is an important metric, but we're also very focused on revenue per-patron. That's something that has been going up for us. Putting up a big attendance number is nice, but sometimes when you take a deep dive into what it takes to get that number, it doesn't always pencil. But, we've had a fair amount of success with lifestyle events, like concerts and festivals, and our research has shown that those folks who go to those events do come back. So, we're doubling down there. We've also got to do more for horse players and horse owners. We've implemented food and beverage discounts and other rewards that support customers.

TDN: Then there's the general good will generated by the way Del Mar (as well as the industry as a whole) rallied around the victims of the San Luis Rey tragedy. How has that response affected everyday operations at Del Mar?

JR: We currently have about 390 horses on the ground, and we expect that number to grow to the mid-400s as the 2-year-olds come in. It really was amazing to see how quickly Del Mar became the evacuation center. Literally within a day, we became a stabling and training location. We owe a large debt of thanks to the 22nd District Agricultural Association. They own the fairgrounds. They have been extremely accommodating to all our needs. And our crew here, they've jumped in and embraced what needs to be done. But really, that we were able to offer a facility like Del Mar to so many displaced horses and stable employees in their time of need was absolutely huge for the industry.

TDN: Taking over as president, you're standing on the shoulders of giants. What visions do you have for the track to make your own mark?

JR: First off, Joe Harper remains the CEO, and I hope that continues for some time. He's established an amazing culture at Del Mar that focuses on service and entertainment for owners and patrons and staff, and my goal is to continue this tradition. What I see at the macro level that's important is to ensure that Del Mar adjusts to the changes in our industry. With the closure of Hollywood Park, Del Mar has taken a larger role in California. But with the success of the Breeders' Cup, we've shown what we can do on a big stage. Del Mar has a long history of being fair and for doing what's right for racing. My goal is to keep us on that path and to ensure that California racing continues at the highest level.