California’s horse racing industry is struggling, but local enthusiasts are keeping the horses on the track.
My dad used to call them “heart attack” or “cardiac” horses. You know the ones: They come from the back of the pack and, by the time they hit the stretch, they pass the leaders before anyone knows they’re coming. It’s the moment the fans eat up. It’s the thunderous, nail-biting, nose-to-nose finish that has some jumping and cheering and others turning away. Either way, the response comes from a deep emotional core. And that’s the thing with horse racing—if you’re going to be closely involved, you most certainly have to be passionate about it.
At the gate
According to the California Authority of Racing Fairs (CARF), horse racing as we know it today was established in 1933 and took three attempts to pass the legislation. The passing bill stated racing would promote the “encouragement of agriculture and breeding of horses,” and set aside an annual allotment of racing revenues to be used for health, safety and maintenance projects (it’s put toward the state fair system).
Someone must have done something right. Because today, we’re talking about a sport where fans wagered $41.6 million in 2005 in Sonoma County alone (the state gets about a tenth of that), and close to $4.2 billion statewide. And while racehorses only make up a small percentage of the horse industry in the North Bay, horses as a whole constitute the second most viable agricultural activity here—winegrapes come in first. Horses are a huge factor when it comes to sustaining the green nature of the county, but their economic impact also extends to jobs for equine-related activities and the businesses surrounding them—feed, clothing, tack, veterinarians and so forth. When the races come to town, tourist dollars pour in to local hotels, restaurants, shops and more. In short, the economic impact is huge.
Fair game
This year, the excitement continues as Wine Country Racing at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds is extended by one week (it runs from July 18 to August 6, continuing for seven days after the rest of the fair closes on July 30). So if you’re catching this issue early, it’s not too late to head to the fairgrounds and place your bets.
“Horse racing here is the biggest revenue for the fair,” says Fair Manager Jim Moore (who returned to the position this year after retiring—or so he thought—in 2005, and will continue until a suitable replacement is found).
“All the buildings [at the fairgrounds] came about from racing proceeds,” he says. The grandstand was completed in the mid 1960s. Three years ago, a 7/8-mile turf track was built along the inside edge of the one-mile dirt track, making it one of only a handful of turf tracks in the state—and thus attracting more horses.
Moore has been involved in the racing industry for many years, even before he began his current position in 1987. And of all the things he oversees at the fair, he admits racing is his biggest interest. He grew up around horses and discovered early on that he loved visiting the track. “I bought my first [race]horse in the early 1980s,” he says. “I just came to the fair and a guy had a horse for sale and I bought it.”
Moore goes on to say he owned horses for 10 to 12 years before he and his wife settled down to have kids. “Our horses were always ‘cheap,’” he says. “We’re not talkin’ Curlin here.” Curlin is this year’s Preakness winner—talk about a stretch run there—and is owned in part by Jess Jackson (founder of Kendall-Jackson). He was also in the money in the two other legs of the Triple Crown (the Kentucky Derby, where he ran third, and the Belmont Stakes, where he lost by only a nose to the first filly ever to win that race). Not bad for a horse that only broke its maiden (won a race for the first time) this February.
Then again, by today’s standards, even a “cheap” racehorse is expensive. It can cost $2,000 each month, at an absolute minimum, just for training. Because of that and other factors, the racing industry in California is struggling. “It used to be racing and cards were the only legal forms of gambling in California,” says Moore. “But then along came the Lotto, then Indian casinos. Those things now compete for gambling dollars.
“At the same time, owning and training horses has become more expensive. So the purses [what the winning horse will make], which are dependent on the handle [the number of people gambling] aren’t keeping up with the costs,” he says. “More and more people are dropping out of horse ownership. This means less horses per race—and then wagering is affected.
“Even at its best, 20 years ago, if you calculated all the money it cost to train enough horses to fill all the races, it would turn out to be twice [at least] what the total purses were. Today it’s probably even more.” In other states, some racetracks have started to allow slot machines to help make up the difference. A percentage of the proceeds is put toward increased purses—and California horses are attracted out of state.
“Fortunately, there are a lot of people here who still enjoy the sport,” says Moore. “People are involved because they love it and they like to watch their horses win. It’s never been a real moneymaking proposition for owners. Very few break even.”
Jack DeMeo, an owner and breeder of racehorses, agrees that it’s a high-risk venture, but points out it can be very profitable as well. “It’s like drilling for oil,” he says. “You know going in that it’s difficult, and hope to be one of the lucky ones.”
DeMeo has been involved in the industry for more than 50 years. “I took a law school hiatus,” he says. “I didn’t have enough money to eat in those days, let alone own racehorses!” Aside from horse racing, he’s also a managing partner at DeMeo & DeMeo, a Santa Rosa-based law firm.
One of horse racing’s sure successes is satellite wagering. There are many such facilities statewide (and beyond). During the fair, Santa Rosa’s Jockey Club’s wagering works as if it were part of the grandstand. Other times (it’s open year-round) the fair gets 2 percent of the handle. The rest goes to the track and horsemen where the horses are physically running.
“Overall it’s been good for racing,” says Moore. “When I was coming here in the 1980s, the number of people at the track was almost oppressive. But when we started to simulcast the races, we lost about a third of the on-track attendance. At the same time, the fan base was increased by a huge amount [maybe even triple]. People could watch and bet from facilities in their own communities, too.”
So what are some other ways to increase the fan base? “To me, it’s the fundamentals,” says Moore. “You need competitive racing. In most cases, that means you need more horses. Now that we’re running an extra week, we may have to reduce the amount of racing days per week so there are more horses per race. It makes the sport more interesting if the races are more competitive.”
DeMeo adds that developing a new and younger fan base is also important. “The industry could do a much better job marketing its product,” he says.
Moore continues, “We’re looking forward to a longer race meet, though, even if the days per week get reduced. Pleasanton is the same way. [Pleasanton will increase its racing days due to Bay Meadows’ impending closure.] People are always looking for a hero. A horse or a jockey that generates enthusiasm will always increase interest.”
Bred for success
When Sonoma County horseman Robert Walter told his wife Barbara he was interested in buying a horse at the Keeneland auction in Kentucky, she took a look at the list of horses for sale. The Walters had been involved in the racing industry for some time, and one of Mrs. Walter’s strengths in the endeavor is breeding. At the back of the catalog, she spotted a filly named “Home From the Fair” that was sired by Northern Dancer. Her dam (mother) was a first sister to Arts and Letters (another esteemed racer). This was one chance Mrs. Walter didn’t want to miss.
“Dr. Jack Woolsey represented us at the sale, which went on for a few days. He was there to check out our choices and do the bidding for us,” she says. “I knew that since she was listed toward the end of the catalog, a lot of people would have left or spent their money by the time she went up for sale.” And she was right, because Woolsey purchased the filly for $60,000. Now that might sound like a lot, but it was a bargain compared to a sibling that went for sale the first day and was purchased for $350,000.
“Jack was reporting back every day, and I kept asking if he’d seen her yet. Then he finally called and told ‘Mr. W’ [as she calls her late husband], ‘She’s exactly the kind of filly you’d like.’ Mr. W looked across the desk to me and said, ‘You found her and you fought for her, so she’s yours.’
“His only request was that I sell him her first colt. I said, ‘I will not. I’ll give him to you!’” The colt was none other than Robannier, one of the Walters’ most successful stallions, who shares a sire (father) with local racing hero, Cavonnier.
Most people know Cavonnier as the horse that placed in the 1996 Kentucky Derby—beaten by only a fraction of a nose by Grindstone. Bob Baffert was his trainer at the time. Cavonnier’s other credits include winning the Santa Anita Derby that same year (which guaranteed his entrance to Kentucky), being named California’s 1995 Champion 2-year-old colt and 1996’s Champion 3-year-old colt and Horse of the Year. (1995 was the first time in California history that the Champion 2-year old stallion and Champion 2-year-old filly were bred by the same breeder: the Walters.)
Today, Cavonnier resides at Walter’s 60-acre Vine Hill Ranch in Sebastopol with six yearling colts. Mrs. Walter calls him “Uncle Cav.” He takes care of the yearlings, she says, and keeps them in line. “I hope he’s telling them what to do,” she laughs. “He better be!” She also says that when he sees her bright red station wagon, he comes up to the fence expecting carrots. “If I have them, he pushes the yearlings away. Those are his carrots.” He also has a stakes race named after him at the Sonoma County Fair, and he visits there each year.
Aside from the obvious love she has for racehorses, Mrs. Walter speaks of her late husband with incredible admiration. “He’s the most handsome man you’ve ever seen, inside and out.” The two of them established their Vine Hill Ranch in 1993. “We always said we’d grow old together,” she says. “I look at the pictures around the house [a beautiful hilltop home that took three architects and nine years to build] and that’s exactly what we did. We had 30 wonderful years.”
Mr. W was originally a polo player, a sport he participated in until his late 60s, when, according to Mrs. W, he “morphed into the thoroughbred business.” He’d lived in the Santa Rosa area since 1957 and was an early owner of the Fountaingrove region there (you can see it from their Vine Hill Ranch home).
He was a natural horseman, and she had a knack for pedigrees. It was the ideal joint effort. “He’d say, ‘What would happen if we bred so-and-so with so-and-so,’ and I’d sit up into the night studying the pedigrees and then show him in the morning,” she says. She actually used shirt boards at the time to outline the pedigrees by hand—and still does—so she can match them up.
Today, she boards the majority of her horses in Southern California, where she has 10 mares and one stallion—Robannier (now 16 years old). The foals come to Sebastopol the year they’re weaned and stay until it’s time to begin preparing for racing. While they’re here, George Pirie—“the best leg man there is,” says Mrs. W—takes care of them. He handles their initial introduction to tack, which Mrs. W calls “going to grade school.” When they return south to the ranch where they were born, ranch owner Gary Howard takes them “through high school,” gatework and assesses them for track placement. The horses that end up running in Northern California are trained by O.J. Jauregui once they’re here. If horses remain in Southern California, trainer Patrick Gallagher continues on.
Since she’s been involved, Mrs. Walter says she’s seen many strides taken within the industry to assure the public that horse racing is above board. “They’ve made the rules more stringent, and there are more testing procedures. People are fined and suspended,” she says. “And whether you’re the trainer with the smallest barn or one of the top trainers, nobody’s sacrosanct.” She also admits having racehorses is an expensive venture.
When I ask why she remains involved, she gives me the answer I should have already known: “I’m doing it for Mr. W’s memory. It was his goal to prove that a good horse could be produced from Northern California and to prove to small breeders—we were sometimes called a ‘mom-and-pop operation’—that they had a chance to produce a good horse without spending millions.
“Besides, I’ve never been a ‘let’s have lunch and shop’ kind of person,” she says. And about her staying in racing, she says Mr. W would have said, “Well, it’ll keep you out of the saloons!”
When I ask what her favorite thing about horse racing is, Mrs. W says, “The beauty of the animal. And I’d be absolutely dishonest if I said I didn’t like to win, too.”
Setting the pace
Dr. Jack Woolsey, who purchased Home from the Fair for the Walters at that Kentucky auction, is a longtime Sonoma County veterinarian who’s been involved in the racing business since the late 1960s (he started purchasing horses at Keeneland in the early 1970s). One of his horses, Marcutio, ran second in the first turf race at the Sonoma County Fair.
Most of the horses Woolsey has owned have been in partnerships with friends. Sting Stables was a group of six people, and Woolsey still uses their colors (black and yellow stripes, like a bee). Some of his biggest successes include Raise Your Skirts, who cost $5,000 as a yearling and then went on to win several stakes races at Golden Gate Fields and other venues. Another filly, Grenzen, who Woolsey purchased for $11,000, won $350,000 in three years and placed at the Kentucky Oaks (a race for fillies only, which is run the day before the Derby). She’s gone on to become a very successful broodmare.
Woolsey was recently named the first-ever recipient of the Sonoma County Fair’s Award of Excellence in the Horse Industry. He’s also respected for helping many people in the area become involved in horse racing.
When asked what makes a great racehorse, he says, “I like to see the muscles. I also measure the horse to make sure it’s well proportioned and every part matches. When it runs, it keeps its head straight forward and looks down the track.”
Over the years, he’s seen many changes in the industry. And like Moore and Walter, he cites the expenses of owning and training the horses, as well as the industry cracking down on drug use. “You better be careful or you’ll be ruled off,” he says.
But the thing most people are talking about these days, as far as big changes go, is the recently mandated switch to synthetic racetracks for any track running for more than 30 days a year. It’s a mix of dirt and synthetic materials that, in the end, is supposed to help eliminate breakdowns, especially in the horses’ front legs. “The problem was brought to the forefront with Barbaro [last year’s Kentucky Derby winner, who went on to injure himself in the Belmont Stakes with a simple misstep—an injury that eventually cost him his life],” says Woolsey. It’s the part of racing that’s nothing but heartbreaking.
“Any track that runs more than four weeks in California is required to put in the synthetic course,” says Woolsey. The switch can cost about $6 to $7 million initially, and the maintenance costs are still unknown.
DeMeo says the new surfaces will help increase the number of horses running, because not only do they help prevent injuries to the horses—they also help protect the jockeys. “They’re often the forgotten ones,” he says.
But you can’t really run a race without them, can you?
Santa Rosa’s track doesn’t have the synthetic material, because it only runs races for three weeks. “But Santa Rosa has a nice surface,” says Woolsey. “And the turf course is very good. It’s too bad the track doesn’t stay open for months. It would be a boon to the area. But they’d need enough horses and trainers to support it.”
“Another new development is being able to register a horse online,” says Woolsey’s wife (and fellow racing enthusiast) Linda. “While you once had to send in photos to register your horse, now you can just email them. And instead of sending blood to The Jockey Club [the breed registry for thoroughbred horses in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico] to verify parentage, all it takes is a snip of the horse’s mane and it’s done by DNA testing,” she says. “You can also get results online, match pedigrees and get all the data you need for gambling and handicapping. We don’t make bets, though. We just like to watch our horses run.”
So what should you do if you want to buy your own horse? “Get a bunch of friends together to do it,” says Jack. “Friends who are resilient,” Linda adds. “And be optimistic and patient.”
Jack also says to be careful when choosing a trainer. Ask what they charge. Ask what the vet bill will be every month. “Talk to people who own racehorses,” he says. “It’s very important to find someone honest.”
The winner’s circle
What used to be called the “sport of kings” is now largely the sport of anyone who wants to take part—be it by placing a simple bet or owning the favorite. “What racing does is bring people together,” says Moore. “The major owners, trainers and the fans are all there—and everyone’s talking about racing.” And that’s what it comes down to. It’s something that everyone involved enjoys for the sheer love of the sport. After all, there are only so many of those coveted “cardiac” moments to be had.
