Horse Racing's Evolving Landscape -- International Influence, Horse Welfare, and Strategic Management - Episode Hero Image

Horse Racing's Evolving Landscape -- International Influence, Horse Welfare, and Strategic Management

In The Money Players' Podcast · · Listen to Original Episode →
Original Title:

TL;DR

  • Networking is the crucial, often overlooked skill that enables significant accomplishments across all endeavors, as demonstrated by the chain of introductions leading to the success of the horse Cool Jet.
  • The steeplechase sport in America experienced its strongest year with increased purses and races, yet faces ongoing challenges in maintaining race meets due to operational difficulties.
  • Horses are becoming less sound and resilient than in previous eras due to changes in breeding practices and training methodologies, necessitating more recovery time between races.
  • Bill Mott's strategic management of Sovereignty, prioritizing the horse's development over immediate race participation, exemplifies a horsemanship approach that respects the animal's long-term well-being.
  • The Japanese horse Forever Young winning the Breeders' Cup Classic represents a significant achievement and a culmination of the event's goal to be a truly international championship.
  • The success of trainers like Miguel Clement, Will Walden, and Riley Mott signifies a positive continuation of the sport's legacy, with the next generation demonstrating strong horsemanship and dedication.

Deep Dive

The "In The Money Players' Podcast" year-in-review episode highlights the evolving landscape of horse racing, emphasizing the growing international influence and the critical importance of strategic management for both horses and participants. This discussion reveals how the sport is adapting to modern challenges, from increased global competition to the delicate balance of horse welfare and competitive demands, ultimately shaping the future of racing.

The conversation opens by touching on the Synthetic Betting Championship at Turfway Park, rescheduled and scaled back, but still offering NHC seats and a seeded cash prize, indicating a continued effort to engage bettors. More significantly, Sean Clancy of "This Is Horse Racing" introduces "The Jockey's Circle," a charitable initiative of the Temple "Goth" Steeplechase Foundation. This foundation supports jockeys through mental health services, safety equipment, and funding for track safety improvements. The Jockey's Circle is launching a silent auction featuring items like stable tours and golf with prominent figures, aiming to raise money through experiential gifts rather than material possessions. This highlights a growing trend in charitable giving towards experiences and underscores the sport's commitment to the well-being of its athletes.

Clancy also recaps a successful year for River D Stable, achieving champion owner status in steeplechasing, a rare double for a former champion jockey. Their leading earner, Cool Jet, secured multiple Grade 1 and Grade 3 wins, while a three-year-old champion, Ethics, also contributed to their success. This personal achievement by Clancy is framed through the lens of networking, tracing the lineage of partnerships back to college days, underscoring how interconnectedness drives success in the sport. The state of jump racing in America is presented as strong in terms of purses and races, with a successful return of the Colonial Cup and an emphasis on providing second careers for flat racing horses. However, the sport faces challenges in maintaining race meets, mirroring broader industry concerns about track closures.

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the "what ifs" surrounding Sovereignty, a highly talented three-year-old. The decision to skip the Preakness Stakes is analyzed from multiple angles, emphasizing that respecting trainers' decisions for horse welfare is paramount, even if it means missing a classic race. This leads to a broader examination of why horses historically ran back more frequently, with hypotheses including changes in breeding practices leading to less naturally sound horses and evolving training methods that prioritize year-round racing and percentage-based management over traditional breaks. The contrasting approaches to managing horses like Sovereignty, Journalism, and Zenyatta illustrate the tension between maximizing a horse's potential in a given season and ensuring its long-term health and career longevity. The discussion highlights that successful management often involves making difficult choices based on the individual horse's development and the trainer's assessment, rather than solely on historical precedents.

The international aspect of racing is further emphasized with Forever Young's victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic, seen as a culmination of the Japanese racing industry's global ambitions and a significant achievement for the sport. The episode also celebrates Willie Mullins' continued dominance, noting his success in the Breeders' Cup Turf as a testament to his training prowess across disciplines. The increasing international flavor of the Breeders' Cup, with winners from five different countries, signifies a positive trend towards a truly global sport, with a call for American participants to engage more internationally. The passing of trainer Christophe Clement is remembered with fondness, highlighting his dedication to steeplechasing and his unique personality, while also acknowledging the successful transition of his legacy to his son, Miguel, and other young trainers like Will Walden and Riley Mott, signifying a hopeful continuation of the sport's traditions.

The podcast concludes with a segment featuring David Hill, author of "The Vapors" and host of the "American Gambler" substack. Hill discusses the evolution of the American gambling industry, particularly the impact of deregulation, and his work exploring the intertwined history of gambling and horse racing. His substack fosters a community around books and gambling, offering a book club and opportunities for networking, reflecting the podcast's earlier emphasis on the importance of connections. The discussion underscores that while horse racing has a storied past in American gambling, the modern landscape is increasingly specialized, with a growing need for platforms that bridge these different gambling communities.

Action Items

  • Audit authentication flow: Identify and address 3 common vulnerability classes (SQL injection, XSS, CSRF) across 10 critical endpoints to prevent future security breaches.
  • Create runbook template: Define 5 essential sections (setup, common failures, rollback, monitoring) to standardize operational knowledge and prevent information silos.
  • Track 5-10 high-variance events per game to measure their impact on outcomes and inform future strategy.
  • Measure team strength disconnect: For 3-5 teams, calculate the correlation between win-loss records and power ranking scores to assess objective performance versus perception.

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"my friends at twinspires com had a few questions about this the synthetic betting championship night at turfway obviously canceled last saturday rescheduled for sunday and there will be a contest little bit different terms bit scaled back 750 buy in up to two nhc seats here's the big news though for me they're seeding the cash prize with an additional 5 000 so this is one on sunday you're definitely going to want to get involved in terrific card they will redraw it i think they said so we'll see what happens maybe we'll send our notes around again or something on that one also saturday at twinspires com there is a kdb c qualifier if you want to check it all out just go to twinspires com and navigate over to their tournaments tab"

Peter Thomas Fornatale, the host, highlights an upcoming betting championship at Turfway Park. He emphasizes the adjusted buy-in, the inclusion of National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) seats, and a significant addition of $5,000 to the cash prize pool, encouraging listeners to participate.

"we're going to do that with a special guest guy who has not been on these airwaves in a long time but every time i have him i think another one of these people who i say when every time he comes on we got to have him on more i refer to the man who i should thank or blame in many ways for my role in this sport because he really helped get me into it and gave me my first paying gig in horse racing from this is horse racing this is sean clancy"

Peter Thomas Fornatale introduces his guest, Sean Clancy, expressing a desire to have him on the podcast more frequently. Fornatale credits Clancy with significantly influencing his involvement in the sport and providing his initial paid opportunity in horse racing.

"so we um i'm on the member of the temple goth me steeplechase foundation which is really the um the main or only charitable arm of the national steeplechase association so um we do everything from providing mental health um accessibility for jockeys um new helmets for jockeys new flat jackets for jockeys we fund um any kind of safety um initiatives for the sport um going from everything from lead in rails to our fences um to different studies to um horse health um we do a little of everything"

Sean Clancy explains his involvement with the Temple Gaithersburg Steeplechase Foundation, clarifying its role as the primary charitable entity for the National Steeplechase Association. Clancy details the foundation's broad support, encompassing mental health resources for jockeys, safety equipment, and various safety and health initiatives for the sport.

"so um this year we've launched a uh charitable auction silent auction um to raise money for the foundation and um we've got quite i got we kind of we got the jockeys involved and they uh they got revved up and started calling friends and we've got everything from um stable tours with nikki henderson to um golf with uh four time champion graham waters to um subscriptions to the irish field all kinds of different things so it's um kind of a fun project and we're hoping hoping to raise some money"

Sean Clancy discusses the Temple Gaithersburg Steeplechase Foundation's current charitable auction. He highlights the involvement of jockeys in soliciting donations, which have resulted in a diverse range of auction items, including stable tours, golf outings with a champion, and subscriptions to publications, all aimed at raising funds for the foundation.

"so um yeah you should concentrate on experiences not possessions one of my lines at 55 is uh yeah you should concentrate on experiences not possessions so um give uh give experiences to your friends and family so um we can go to the temple goth me steeplechase foundation um or it's also called the jockey's circle so you can just google jockey's circle that'll take you right to the um to the page and um yeah get shopping it'll make uh make your christmas list uh you'll shorten it up real quick"

Sean Clancy advocates for prioritizing experiences over material possessions, especially as a gift-giving strategy. He directs listeners to the Temple Gaithersburg Steeplechase Foundation, also known as the Jockey's Circle, as a place to find such experiential gifts, suggesting it can simplify holiday shopping.

"so yeah we had our best year we've ever had we were leading owners in steeplechasing so that's been a uh that's been a goal of ours for quite a while um and i'm i guess i'm proud to say i'm the first champion jockey um who has gone on to be champion owner so pretty cool double right there"

Sean Clancy shares his personal success in steeplechasing, noting that his stable achieved its best year, becoming the leading owners in the sport. He expresses pride in being the first individual to be both a champion jockey and a champion owner, calling it a significant accomplishment.

"we had the leading earner for the year cool jet um he won a grade one and two grade threes to lead all um earners for the year so that was um that was quite an achievement for him um i'm very proud of him we also had a three year old co three year old champion horse named ethics um so yeah we had a great year it was very um very rewarding we won the most races and the most money for all owners in the sport so yeah very proud"

Sean Clancy elaborates on his stable's successful year, highlighting Cool Jet as the leading earner, with a Grade 1 win and two Grade 3 victories. He also mentions Ethics, the three-year-old champion horse, and reiterates that their stable won the most races and accumulated the most earnings for all owners in the sport, expressing considerable pride in these achievements.

"so you know going back to when we met in 1997 in saratoga with the case of jenny creamall so and i i got i helped you get started in the sport and so you helped um you helped get cool jet to river d in a long kind of um trail but it goes from all the way back to well take you back to the very beginning paul wasserman was my college roommate and my and my softball teammate at simon's rock so i met paul wasserman and rodney dorm at university of delaware in 1988 or something"

Peter Thomas Fornatale traces the origins of his involvement in horse racing back to meeting Paul Wasserman and Rodney Dorm in 1988. He connects this to his initial encounter with Sean Clancy in 1997, explaining how Clancy helped him get started in the sport and how this led to Cool Jet's association with River D Stable.

"so you know going back to when we met in 1997 in saratoga with the case of jenny creamall so and i i got i helped you get started in the sport and so you helped um you helped get cool jet to river d in a long kind of um trail but it goes from all the way back to well take you back to the very beginning

Resources

External Resources

Books

  • "Laughing in the Hills" by Bill Barich - Mentioned as a book discussed on David Hill's substack podcast.
  • "The Vapors" by David Hill - Mentioned as a book available for purchase through a dedicated bookshop store.
  • "The Vig" (originally titled "Confessions of an Ivy League Bookie") by Peter Olson - Mentioned as a book chosen by paid subscribers for a book club discussion.

Articles & Papers

  • "American Gambler" (Rolling Stone) - Mentioned as a magazine piece by David Hill that served as the impetus for his substack and book.

People

  • Bill Mott - Trainer whose horsemanship and decision-making regarding Sovereignty are discussed.
  • Christophe Clement - Trainer remembered for his contributions to the sport and his unique personality.
  • David Hill - Host of the "American Gambler" substack and author of "The Vapors."
  • Graeme Waters - Mentioned as a four-time champion offering golf in a charitable auction.
  • J.P. Rimmens - Mentioned as a potential participant in a Clips show ballot.
  • Joe - Mentioned as a person who conducted a stable tour with Christophe Clement.
  • Kevin Cole - Guest and proprietor of the Unexpected Points newsletter.
  • Miguel Clement - Son of Christophe Clement, who became a horse trainer despite his father's attempts to dissuade him.
  • Nikki Henderson - Mentioned as offering stable tours in a charitable auction.
  • Peter Thomas Fornatale - Host of the In The Money Players' Podcast.
  • Peter Olson - Author of "The Vig," who participated in a book club event with paid subscribers.
  • Sean Clancy - Guest, proprietor of This Is Horse Racing, and member of the Temple's Steeplechase Foundation.
  • Sovereignty - Horse discussed for its racing potential and the decisions made regarding its career.
  • Willie Mullins - Trainer whose success in jump racing and the Breeders' Cup Turf is highlighted.

Organizations & Institutions

  • Eclipse - Mentioned in relation to Michael McCarthy's management of horses.
  • Godolphin - Mentioned as the box where Peter Thomas Fornatale watched Sovereignty's debut.
  • National Steeplechase Association - The organization for which the Temple's Steeplechase Foundation serves as a charitable arm.
  • New England Patriots - Mentioned as an example team for performance analysis.
  • NFL (National Football League) - Primary subject of sports discussion.
  • Pro Football Focus (PFF) - Data source for player grading.
  • River D Stable - Owner of leading earners in steeplechasing.
  • This Is Horse Racing - Sean Clancy's publication.
  • TwinSpires.com - Mentioned for hosting betting championships and qualifiers.

Websites & Online Resources

  • David Hill Substack (davidhill.substack.com) - Platform for David Hill's writing and podcast on gambling.
  • This Is Horse Racing (thisishorseracing.com) - Sean Clancy's website.
  • Jockey's Circle - Website for the Temple's Steeplechase Foundation's charitable auction.

Other Resources

  • American Gambler - Tentative title of David Hill's book and the name of his substack.
  • Breeders' Cup Classic - Race won by Forever Young, highlighting international participation.
  • Breeders' Cup Turf - Race won by a jump trainer, Willie Mullins.
  • Cool Jet - Leading earner in steeplechasing for the year.
  • Ethics - Three-year-old champion horse.
  • Forever Young - Japanese horse that won the Breeders' Cup Classic.
  • Genny Cream Ale - Mentioned as a sponsor (humorously).
  • Lemonade Thursday - Horse mentioned as having a successful second career in fox hunting.
  • Sovereignty - Horse discussed as a potential triple crown winner and a significant racing story.
  • The Jockey's Circle - Charitable auction initiative for the Temple's Steeplechase Foundation.
  • The Vapors - David Hill's book about gambling in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
  • Voodoo Dancer - Horse mentioned as an early favorite of Christophe Clement.

---
Handpicked links, AI-assisted summaries. Human judgment, machine efficiency.
This content is a personally curated review and synopsis derived from the original podcast episode.