Rory Babich, Donna Barton Brothers join Thoroughbred Idea Foundation Board 

Thoroughbred Idea Foundation (TIF) Founder and Board Chairman Craig Bernick announced today the addition of Rory A. Babich and Donna Barton Brothers to the TIF Board of Directors. 

Rory Babich currently assists in the operation of St. Elias Stables. Before moving to the horse racing and breeding business, he served as the CEO and President of the NHL’s Florida Panthers and BB&T Arena. Previously, Babich worked as the Chief Operating Officer of the liquid markets funds business of Fortress Investment Group. Babich joined Fortress after working as an executive with Swiss Re Group, one of the world’s largest reinsurers. He began his career as an international corporate attorney at the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison where he worked in their New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo offices on a wide range on global transactions.

Donna Barton Brothers is the Chief Operating Officer of Starlight and Star Ladies Racing. Brothers was the second leading female jockey in America by career earnings when she retired at the end of a 12-year career in 1998 following 1,130 wins. The author of Inside Track - Insider's Guide to Horse Racing, Brothers has been a member of the NBC Sports broadcasting team since 2000, covering the Triple Crown, Breeders’ Cup, show jumping, Professional Bull Riding and other horse sports. 

First TIF Report due this week

TIF will release its first in-depth industry report later this week. Launched to provide an active forum for the exchange, curation and advocacy of ideas which will improve thoroughbred racing for all stakeholders, and specifically its primary financial participants – horseplayers and owners – TIF intends for these reports to spark discussion and action about various industry policies which may have existed, unchanged, for decades. 

Australia's Racing Victoria mandates filming of "jump-outs"

Racing Victoria, which oversees racing in the Australian state of Victoria, and is home to the famous Melbourne Spring Carnival, announced a new requirement for courses within the jurisdiction to provide archived video of "jump-outs," essentially, gate workouts. 

From the Racing Victoria press release: "Victorian Clubs conduct between 350 and 400 sets of jump-outs annually as part of the industry’s training regime and they provide a valuable insight to punters on the future performance of horses.

"RV Executive General Manager, Racing and Participant Wellbeing, Greg Carpenter, said, 'Today’s announcement is an important step forward in providing greater transparency around jump-outs for punters who are integral to the funding of the industry.'

“We have taken on board the feedback provided by punters and believe this decision will benefit punters by equipping them with more information to make their wagering decisions."

Click HERE to read the full release.

Could North American racing consider a greater distribution of morning workout footage? Would the presence of "trials" or "jump-outs" be an advantage to trainers and provide greater transparency for bettors? 

Questions well worth considering... 

World Horseplayers' Tour pilot episode released

With a concurrent cocktail party for invited guests in Saratoga and an online launch via social media, the world was introduced to the World Horseplayers' Tour on Wednesday (August 8). 

Led by the Daily Racing Form's Peter Thomas Fornatale and contest veteran Jonathon Kinchen, viewers are engaged in a 45-minute battle between eight players, each of whom qualified as top earners from a live money tournament the previous day. With a rising "blind" limit structure, the action and pressure are constant from the start. 

In the end, it was "Philly Joe" Metka who came away with the win in the inaugural event, taking home more than $100,000 in total prize money.

Watch the pilot edition of the World Horseplayers' Tour. 

Follow them on Twitter @HorseplayerTour

Innovation shunned as developer's app shelved

Engineer Robin Howlett spent nearly two years of his free time developing an easy-to-use app for casual racing fans to research deeper statistics out of racing charts. Unfortunately, Howlett received a notice his work violated Equibase's terms of service, and he was to shutter his app. 

T.D. Thornton has the full story HERE via the TDN. 

Some Ideas for the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation

With the launch of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation, the TDN's Bill Finley offers some of his suggested ideas as the TIF launches.

Click HERE to read the article via the TDN.

TDN Q&A with TIF Executive Director Pat Cummings

Bill Finley of the Thoroughbred Daily News sits down with Pat Cummings to discuss the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation.

Click HERE to read the Q&A

TIF Spotlight Series: Groom Elite Program Comes to Laurel Park

by Shayna Tiller 

​The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association welcomes the esteemed Groom Elite Program to Laurel Park from June 25-29 with their Basic Grooming 99 course the first offering scheduled. 

​Dr. Reid McLellan, the program’s Executive Director, spent 15 years directing the Animal Industries program at Louisiana Tech University, and has worked in various positions throughout racing. McLellan co-founded Groom Elite with Susan O’Hara in 2001. O’Hara owned racehorses, and after taking one of McLellan’s trainer’s exam prep courses, inquired about opportunities for grooms wanting to improve their skills and knowledge.

“The minimal qualification for being licensed as a groom of a racehorse is that you could show up at a stable gate at five o’clock in the morning looking for work,” said McLellan. “Do that and you have reached the minimum qualifications.

“The grooms of [O’Hara’s] racehorses gave her so much information, because they were with them more and they wanted to learn.”

The inaugural Groom Elite Program was launched at Lone Star Park in 2001 and followed by a more advanced course in 2002. Since then, the program has reached 33 racetracks and continues to gain momentum. Groom Elite visited Gulfstream Park every year since 2008, and The Stronach Group is bringing it to Laurel Park for the first time. 

“We were known as a Texas program, but really it is a national program,” said McLellan. “It’s just grown from that because there’s such a need for it.”

McLellan hopes to elevate the education of those working in the industry, as well as helping those outside of the industry become involved.

“There’s a two-fold need,” said McLellan. “The first was that we would provide education, information, and opportunities for already licensed grooms to learn about why we, as trainers, ask them to do the things we ask them to do, and give them some more insight into things like bandaging, tacking, and ways to do things that reduce hindrance and help a horse to have confidence to perform at its best. 

“Then as we begin to get that done, some of the trainers were saying one of the things they didn’t have time to do, and what we needed, was an opportunity for people that wanted to learn or get into the business and have an entry level job. That’s the foundation of the basic grooming class we will be conducting at Laurel for the first time.”

Basic Grooming 99 is a 16-hour course teaching students how to work safely with horses in a racing environment, preparing them for an entry-level job as a hot walker or groom. Groom Elite 101 is a 40-hour, nationally-recognized certification program that is far more advanced and targeted at experienced horsemen. Groom Elite 101 is likely to be offered at Laurel later in 2018.

McLellan led Basic Grooming 99 at Presque Isle Downs & Casino in the spring, with all 15 students becoming licensed workers at the track. He looks forward to the same success at Laurel Park.

“Several of the people we had at Presque Isle were unhappy with what they were doing (before working with horses) and after their first week of work they were deliriously happy. That’s the idea. To get more people who want to be committed workers in the industry that we need.”

To register for the free courses, call (410)-902-6844 (English and Spanish), or visit groomelite.com for more information.

 Author’s note: Growing up 15 minutes from Laurel Park, my family visited the track often, gushing over the horses and horsemen in the paddock and winner’s circle. For years, I wanted to become a part of the exclusive game, but it seemed unapproachable and unattainable without connections to the industry. Programs like Groom Elite are essential, not only to the continuing education of those involved in the sport, but also to help those who want to become involved without knowing where to begin.

The TIF Spotlight Series will occasionally showcase individuals and programs throughout thoroughbred racing that are making a positive impact on the industry.

 Thoroughbred Idea Foundation is pleased to announce that Catherine Donovan and Tom Reynolds have joined its Board of Directors.  Catherine Donovan and Tom Reynolds bring outstanding credentials and board experience to TIF, and will be helpful in all areas, especially strategic planning, governance, and marketing.