OPINION: Thoughts of the Day, Simple Truths & Droppings Into the “Muck Pit”

(Charlie, the backside cat at Churchill Downs, knows where the muck pits are / Photos by Holly M. Smith)

Here are a few “Thoughts of the Day;” a few more “Simple Truths;” and, of course, a few new droppings into the “Muck Pit”…

Here we go…

HISA’s Threat to Shut Down Kentucky Derby Simulcasts Was Disgusting — Especially If You Know Who Voted To Do It:

Just a couple of weeks ago, right in the height of the legal and words fight between the hierarchy of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety organization and the leadership team of Churchill Downs over how much money that the track owed the oversight organization, the cracker jacks at HISA decided to make a major power play.

Although the two warring entities reached an out-of-court settlement to an on-going lawsuit that was sought to decide the very issue and they agreed to put the issue to bed, this HISA “power play” has not gotten the right amount of inspection or scrutiny, in my opinion.

This was, nearly literally, a decision by HISA to pull a gun and put it to the head of the world’s biggest racetrack and the game’s biggest, brightest and most shiny of all stars — The Kentucky Derby.

HISA’s threat was very clear:

Either pay up what we think you owe — no matter if it is legal or not — or we will ruin your Kentucky Derby. We will cost your city millions of dollars. We will cost your state multiple millions of dollars. We will cost your fans. We will cost your company. We will hurt your brand.

Period.

Interesting way to help save the industry, which HISA was billed and sold to do, don’t you think?

A terrible way, to be truthful. And, when you know all the details and facts? It’s a disgusting way.

Here’s the facts.

Back in the late 1980s, I was hired by a group of the sports best and most renown people to become the new Executive Vice President of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders’ Association. I was going to replace Nick Nicholson, who was moving along to The Jockey Club. (Teaser…He is another story for another day.)

The truth is that the KTA was a sparkling new organization, barely eligible for a 2YO race at Keeneland, when I came along.

And, there was a significant reason why the KTA was created, to begin with, at that time.

The KTA was created for one purpose and one purpose only.

At the time, the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association was the only organization representing horsemen and owners at the Kentucky racetracks. At that time, the HBPA was led by Edward Houston Flint. And, at that time, the negotiations between Churchill Downs and the horsemen was truly at an all-time low.

In order to get Churchill Downs’ attention, Ed Flint had one major tactic and threat. Because the Federal Horseracing Act of 1978 gave an organization that represented the majority of horsemen the right to approve simulcasting of races emanating from that track, Flint and his crazy lieutenants — most of whom were hellbent on creating chaos — were preparing to use it. In order to get a contract, Flint would threaten. Over and over and over and over. If they didn’t get a ham sandwich and a new gate open on the backside, then they would not approve the simulcast of the Kentucky Derby.

As a result of the threats and the craziness, Churchill Downs’ Chairman of the Board — the amazing Warner Jones — reached out to some of his best friends in Kentucky to build a new organization. A new group that would go out and get signatures from all the owners to prove that it represented the majority of the horses in the Kentucky Derby, and, ultimately, the majority of the horses stabled at Churchill Downs.

For awhile, it worked. The new horsemen’s organization got the signatures. The Derby simulcast went on. Flint lost his threat. Flint nearly lost his mind, and some would argue that he did. Flint lost his grip and his job.

The leadership of the KTA included the likes of Alice Chandler, whose father — Hal Price Headley — founded Keeneland. Her chief lieutenant was a fellow named Bill Thomason, who would later go on to be the President of Keeneland. Thomason’s brother-in-law is a guy named Bill Lear, an attorney who was installed as the lead attorney for  the KTA and Chandler’s Mill Ridge Farm, along with other major blood-bred farms and is now the Trustee at Keeneland. They all were sewed at the hip to Nick Nicholson, who went to The Jockey Club, and, ultimately, to President at Keeneland, too.

This group of Lex Blue Bloods was never to be confused with being user-friendly, or looking for consensus or brotherly love cooperation. They were single-minded and driven by what they determined to be the right way; the only direction. In short, The Jockey Club way.

I was instructed, told, ordered to never talk to the HBPA. Never. Ever. It was a radical organization run by the devil himself.

But, over time, I came to find out a whole lot differently.

The new Kentucky HBPA President was Pete Salman, who was a lifelong horsemen from Scott County and whose family owned and operated little Crimson King Farm. I got to know Pete. Personally. I got to be friends with Pete. Deeply. I came to find out no matter what was going on that I could trust Pete. Always.

The Kentucky HBPA Executive Director, at the time, was Marty Maline. He and his team did more work on the backside of Kentucky tracks than any other, including incredible work with the Backside Improvement Commission and with the Health and Welfare Fund for backside workers. I got to know Marty. Personally. I got to be friends with Marty. Deeply. I came to find out no matter what that I could trust Marty. Always.

Together, with Don Ball leading the new KTA and KTOB, and along with our newly found friends at the HBPA, we were able to achieve some amazing goals. We passed simulcasting legislation. Over and over. Improving each time. We improved the KTDF fund. We, jointly, were able to negotiate the best horsemen’s contracts with all of Kentucky’s tracks.

The successes were precursors to what Kentucky has continued to build legislatively and collectively to make the Commonwealth the best breeding and racing venue in the entire country, if not the world.

Things are good in Kentucky, right? One would only think…

Until you get to this fight between HISA and Churchill Downs over a funding mechanism and calculations on how much money is and was due in fees and fines to the federally-mandated organization.

Until you get to this recent threat to pull the simulcast of the Kentucky Derby.

Until you get back to the days and memories of Ed Flint.

But here’s the gut punch people.

When HISA was contemplating this massive, pistol-whip option, it called on a three-person board to approve the threat. According to multiple sources, that group of 3 allegedly included the likes of Joe DeFrancis, whose family ran Pimlico into the ground so badly that the only person willing to purchase it was Frank Stronach; and…drum roll please…Bill Thomason.

What?

Bill Thomason? The first lieutenant of Alice Chandler. One of the original architects of the KTA? One of the people behind the creation of a new horsemen’s organization simply because Flint and the HBPA threatened the Kentucky Derby simulcast? The same guy who served as President of Keeneland and is brother-in-law to Bill Lear? One of the same team that hated, and was utterly disgusted with any and all threats on our Kentucky Derby simulcast that they went so far as to create an entirely new organization that would put a final end to Ed Flint?

Are you kidding me?

Nope.

I guess all things come full circle, right?

I guess.

I guess this “threat” was only disgusting when it came from Ed Flint and not from The Jockey Club-endorsed HISA?

I guess.

For the record, this week a court decided and issued an opinion that, indeed, Churchill Downs was correct in its’ lawsuit vs. HISA. The math calculation that HISA was attempting to impose was not correctly allowed.  But, my guess is that HISA and Bill Thomason don’t issue an apology.

I guess.

After all, this is the statement that Churchill Downs released after the Judge’s ruling:

Bill? Meet the Muck Pit.

No Person Should Be Shocked By FanDuel TV:

Is anyone truly surprised that FanDuel TV recently announced that it was going to drop broadcasting and television coverage of Thoroughbred horse racing? Seriously?

If so, I’m surprised and shocked by the industry’s overwhelming reactions of surprise and shock.

Truth be known…

This news has been coming for several months now, if not longer. Maybe it has been in the works ever since FanDuel bought out and took over all the coverage from the old TVG Network. It has long been speculated that FanDuel was not interested in broadcasting horse racing at all. It was a serious question right from the beginning. That’s why they have mismanaged most of their on-air talents and have never, ever, ever improved the quality of the TV production or delivery options. The company leadership simply didn’t care.

From the beginning, and truly, all FanDuel was and has been interested in is how its’ company and affiliated branches could peal off more betting dollars from the racetracks and their Advance Deposit Wagering platforms — like TwinSpires.com and NYBets — and get those customers into the FanDuel network of betting options. They were hoping they could either “buy” or “steal” these customers from the traditional horse racing options and help transfer them into other sports betting options.

FanDuel TV was hoping that it could simply make more money by taking it away from the tracks and make more money without having to produce the live racing product.

When that didn’t happen fast or far enough?

Well…

FanDuel TV did the following…

Cough. Spit. Vomit.

FanDuel is dropping coverage of Thoroughbred horse racing.

This new news of FanDuel TV dropping Thoroughbred racing has nothing to do with the sport; its’ popularity; or its’ ability to create either watching fans or advertising dollars.

It has all to do with a company that is only interested in expanding betting platforms — including this silly notion that people are interested in “predictive markets” and possible wagers on whether people will eat more hot dogs than burgoo at today’s opening day at Keeneland. Watch this play out. It will be gone, too.

Simple truth is that broadcasting quality and quantity is not important to them. Agreements? Loyalty? Relationships? Not important. Driving betting dollars to their platforms is the only thing that is important. And, it’s all important.

When that didn’t happen at FanDuel’s horse racing platform? The result was inevitable. It was gone.

The same thing happened when the company purchased the rights to televise and broadcast several teams in Major League Baseball — including our beloved Cincinnati Reds. FanDuel TV had no interest in winning an award for broadcast quality of baseball games. FanDuel TV was only interested in driving more bets to their platforms from televising baseball and offering in-game wagering options throughout the broadcast.

When that didn’t happen enough? The result was inevitable. It was gone. FanDuel dropped the bomb on several MLB teams that it would no longer provide broadcasting of their games, just a few weeks before Spring Training of the 2026 season. That left these MLB teams struggling to find other options to provide game coverage to their respective and loyal fan bases.

In the case of these baseball teams, MLB stepped up. It intervened. It helped create in-house TV broadcasting teams and networks that were offered on various streaming networks; other public broadcasting stations; and traditional satellite providers like Dish Network or DirectTV.

I’m so sorry for the people that spent so many years and hours doing their best to help create TVG and then help provide expert analysis and coverage of Thoroughbred racing at FanDuel TV. They gave so much. They cared too much. They deserved much better.

But nobody should be shocked that a gambling company has dumped broadcasting of events that didn’t support their betting platforms enough, in their opinion.

FanDuel TV was never a good partner. Not for MLB. Not for Thoroughbred racing, either.

FanDuel TV? Meet the Muck Pit.

Who Will Step Up To Provide Coverage of Thoroughbred Racing Now?

Well, the answer of that question should be simple.

It should be The Jockey Club and/or the Breeders’ Cup.

It should be HISA, too. Never mind that it’s’ a regulatory agency. If there is no sport, there is nothing to regulate, right?

They all have the money, or the ways to create it. They all have the resources. They all have the deep pockets. They all could do the job.

But they are all lacking one critical ingredient.

It’s not the money. It’s the fact that they all lack the heart and soul. They lack commitment to the industry. They lack direction.

When it comes to really helping the industry?

They all lack the gumption.

In short, these groups are no MLB.

So, this large hole will have to be filled by the only entities that have a history of stepping up when something is desperately needed.

NYRA — which has been developing a broadcasting option with Fox Sports — is already talking about expanding its’ coverage package and making it more available to other tracks around the country.

That is great news.

Churchill Downs — which has kicked TVG and FanDuel off the grounds before and refused to negotiate with them — is likely to join with NYRA, too, to help create a new vehicle; a new product; a new service that will offer products to streaming networks and others.

These two entities will have to fill the void and do what MLB did for its’ teams and save broadcasting for teams like the Cincinnati Reds.

In the end?

In my opinion…

The products will be better.

The broadcasters dumped unceremoniously and hurtfully by TVG / FanDuel will have some opportunities to move up — if they are good enough.

The production quality will improve — especially if the new options include people and expertise of those like G.D. Hieronymus, who has always been the horse industry’s best TV production talent.

Stay tuned. The channel number may change. But I bet the show will go on.

Zoom in. Is that The Jockey Club & Co in the Muck Pit?