Thoroughbred Horse RacingBy Rachel Costa

For Mark Hearn

CBA 350-02 Business Communications

MWF 11:15 Fall 2011

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Thoroughbred Horse Racing: Overview

• Big Races–Triple Crown–Breeders’ Cup

• Racing Legends• Horse Racing

Main Risks

Kentucky Derby

Big Races

•Triple Crown− Kentucky Derby− Preakness Stakes− Belmont Stakes

•Breeders’ Cup

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Triple Crown: Title

KentuckyDerby

Triple Crown Winner

PreaknessStakes

Belmont Stakes

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Triple Crown:Kentucky Derby

• “Run for the Roses” • 1st race of Triple Crown• Held on first Saturday

in May• “The Most Exciting

Two Minutes in Sports”

KentuckyDerby

Winner’s Circle

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Triple Crown:Preakness Stakes

• 2nd and shortest race• Held in Maryland on 3rd Saturday in May

Preakness

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Triple Crown:Belmont Stakes

• Oldest and final race• Held in New York 3 weeks after Preakness

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Breeders’ Cup

• Began in 1982• Most influential and prestigious event in

Thoroughbred racing• International sporting event• Host some of most outstanding horses in

world• $26 million, 15-race event held over 2 days

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U.S. Counties with Horse Racing Facilities

Kentucky DerbyPreakness StakesBelmont Stakes

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Seabiscuit Memorial

Racing Legends

• Man O’War

• Seabiscuit

• Secretariat

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Racing Legends:Man O’War

• “The Greatest Racehorse to Ever Step Foot on a Track”

• Began racing in 1919• Won all but one race• Broke almost all tracks’

timing records• Man O’War Stakes

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Racing Legends:Seabiscuit

• Most remarkable racehorse• Began racing in 1936• Known for his “eggbeater

gait”• Ran his first 43 races

without winning one

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Racing Legends:Seabiscuit

• New jockey: Red Pollard• Won One-on-One match against War

Admiral – “Race of the Century”• Seabiscuit and Red Pollard injured• In 1939 both made unheard of recovery• Won final race – Santa Anita Handicap• 2nd fastest time on American race track

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Racing Legends:Secretariat

• #1 name in racing• Debuted in 1972 quickly

becoming favorite• Won Horse of Year award

2 years in row• Breezed thru Kentucky

Derby & Preakness Stakes

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1973 Belmont StakesSecretariat on his way to 31-length victory

making him Triple Crown winner

Racing Legends:Secretariat

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Horse Racing Main Risks

• Possible injury to:–Horses• Fatal injury occurs 1.5 times in every

1,000 races

–Jockeys• 5.6 fatalities occur each year in U.S.

• Betting–Main reason horse racing is still strong today

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Nonfatal Jockey Injuries 1998-2006

Upper Body Lower Body Head/Neck Abs/Trunk0%

10%

20%

30%

40%33%

25% 23%18%

% o

f In

juri

es

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Japan$31.8

France$13.7

Australia$12.5

United States$12.3

Hong Kong$9.5

Money Spent Betting on Horse Racing in 2009 (in billions)

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Thoroughbred Horse Racing: Summary

• Big Races–Triple Crown–Breeders’ Cup

• Racing Legends• Horse Racing

Main Risks