Craig Bernick

The TDN recently took a lengthy dive into the business model of the average American trainer, and asked this question: "What, if anything, can be done to make this model a healthier, more efficiently run affair?" The answers garnered revolved around two central issues. One concerned reduced race-day opportunities leading to shrinking earnings, and the possible raising of day-rates to compensate. The other concerned the possible payment of monthly invoices up-front, to save trainers the pressure of covering the daily expenses for a minimum of 40-45 days. Other topics raised...

by Craig Bernick The breeding business in America has grown increasingly commercial over the last two decades. I am in favor of the 140-mare cap and applaud the Jockey Club for instituting this change. The metrics of this issue are simple to understand, comparing American foal crops to the number of "140+ stallions": 1999: 33,844--3 2009: 29,612--26 2019: 19,225--45 While I understand that these are the dynamics that emerged in the market, and that market is just a reflection of consumer behavior, I have come to believe we have let...

by Thoroughbred Idea Foundation For more than two weeks, Home Box Office (HBO) has offered free streaming via the HBO Now and HBO GO platforms for several of its famous titles, "the first time...this type of programming [is] available outside of a paywall throughout the month of April. The service is usually priced at $14.99 per month." Horse racing is not HBO, but the point is obvious. What a better way to get people to try your product than take the most captive audience period in history and give them...

From the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation: Oklahoma-based Remington Park has failed to pay its single-ticket jackpot to a winning customer, claiming a dead-heat created a second winning ticket, negating the player's unique win. Horseplayer Jeff Arthur structured several non-overlapping tickets playing Remington's Sooner 6ix bet Friday, Apr. 10, 2020. One ticket, costing him $403.20 and including 2,016 combinations, was entered via Arthur's ADW account. An image of the ticket can be found here. Arthur received consolation payouts totaling $8,920, which was the total amount of that night's minor pool, and which...

The commercial kitchen at Keeneland Race Course will serve as the epicenter for a production facility that will use displaced Lexington-area hospitality workers to prepare and deliver free meals to people and organizations that need them in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Marc Therrien, the executive chef and managing director of Keeneland's hospitality, is overseeing the association's integration of volunteer efforts with FoodChain and Nourish Lexington, which are two charitable groups collaborating to use the skills and talents of local chefs, businesses, farms, funders, and nonprofit agencies in order...

   "We are the silver lining in any and every dark cloud we could ever find. There is no need to go looking for the light when you bring it with you."  -Tyler Knott Gregson    TDN Intern Katie Ritz polled a series of industry members to see if they had found anything good that has come out of the current crisis. Their responses will appear every day in the TDN. To submit your own, email [email protected] CRAIG BERNICK For me, it has been nice to be back in Ocala...

Considering three systemic issues and offering three recommendations, the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation released its newest white paper, "American Racing's Sustainable Future." "No matter where an American racing stakeholder stands on the issues that seemingly have consumed the majority of the dialogue in the sport in recent months - the 'federal bill' or use of the crop amongst them - it is beyond time to start tackling the larger, fundamental concerns which threaten our industry and work towards a more sustainable future," said TIF Executive Director Patrick Cummings. "This paper is...

Editor's Note: the following is part of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation's weekly 'Free-Data Friday' series. #FreeDataFriday--VOLUME 17: DATA, WAGERING AND THE FUTURE OF RACING At some point the horse racing industry--owners, racetracks and industry organizations--stopped caring about gambling on live horse racing. If gambling on horse racing was any sort of priority, distributing free data would be one of the first things the industry would do. Get data into the hands of customers. Despite their massive contribution to racing, horse owners are required to relinquish any rights to data, even...