Mckinzie Headlines Loaded Runhappy Met Mile
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SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2020 DIVERSITY IN RACING: JONATHON KINCHEN MCKINZIE HEADLINES Horseplayer, NYRA/Fox Analyst, Co-creator In The Money LOADED RUNHAPPY Media What if one of racing's biggest moments had a Black person at MET MILE the center? Other sports have had such moments, from Doug Williams winning the Super Bowl to Tiger Woods's first Masters victory to Venus Williams winning Wimbledon. These moments made these sports more appealing to Black people because they saw people who looked like them achieving success at the highest levels. Racing in the modern era is still waiting for that moment. And for a sport that's been so traditionally white, that's been a barrier to Black people becoming fans and feeling welcome, even though we're 20 years into the 21st Century. Cont. p3 IN TDN EUROPE TODAY McKinzie | Horsephotos OF LOVE, KINGS AND EMPERORS The delayed Investec Derby and Oaks take centre stage at A talented and deep field of eight will line up for Saturday=s last at Epsom on Saturday. Click or tap here to go straight to highly anticipated 127th renewal of the GI Runhappy TDN Europe. Metropolitan H. at Belmont Park. The prestigious event is a AWin and You=re In@ qualifier for the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders= Cup Dirt Mile. An unlucky second behind the mighty Mitole (Eskendereya) in last year=s contest, >TDN Rising Star= McKinzie (Street Sense) figures to vie for favoritism. He was first or second in all seven of his starts in 2019, led by a win in Saratoga=s GI Whitney S. and a runner-up finish in the GI Breeders= Cup Classic. The four-time Grade I winner made up for a dismal performance in the inaugural $20-million Saudi Cup Feb. 29 with a good-looking victory in the seven-furlong GII Triple Bend S. at Santa Anita June 7. Hall of Famer Mike Smith makes the trip from Southern California to guide the 2-1 morning-line favorite. "I think any time you win a Grade I on the East Coast it's pretty important, especially at Belmont and Saratoga. It's like hitting a home run in Yankee Stadium, it means something," Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. "His comeback race was just perfect. If he brings his >A game,= that's what we're looking for. He's doing really well." Cont. p3 PUBLISHER & CEO Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor Saturday, July 4, 2020 Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Senior Editor Steve Sherack @SteveSherackTDN Racing Editor Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN Deputy Editor Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Associate Editors Christina Bossinakis @CBossTDN Joe Bianca @JBiancaTDN News and Features Editor In Memoriam: Ben Massam (1988-2019) ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Lia Best Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin Advertising Assistant/Dir. Of Distribution Rachel McCaffrey Advertising Assistants Amie Newcomb Kristen Lomasson On opening day at Monmouth Park, jockey Antonio Gallardo uses the hands-free Photographer/Photo Editor face washing device developed by Monmouth Park winner's circle security officer Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew Larry Diglio. | Bill Denver/Equi-Photo [email protected] Social Media Strategist TODAY’S GRADED STAKES Justina Severni EST Race Click for TV Director of Customer Service 9:30a Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies’ Sprint S.-G3, NAA -------------- TVG Vicki Forbes 10:40a Investec Oaks-G1, EPS -------------- FS1/TVG [email protected] 11:15a Princess Elizabeth S.-G3, EPS -------------- FS1/TVG 11:55a Investec Derby-G1, EPS -------------- FS1/TVG Marketing Manager Alayna Cullen @AlaynaCullen 12:45p Coolmore Sioux Nation Lacken S.-G3, NAA -------------- TVG 2:24p Victory Ride S.-GIII, BEL TJCIS PPs FS1 Director of IT & Accounting 4:45p Delaware Oaks-GIII, DEL TJCIS PPs TVG Ray Villa 4:46p Eclipse S.-GII, WO TJCIS PPs TVG [email protected] 5:13p Poker S.-GIII, BEL TJCIS PPs FS1/NBC [email protected] 5:15p Kent S.-GIII, DEL TJCIS PPs TVG 5:47p Runhappy Metropolitan H.-GI, BEL TJCIS PPs FS1/NBC WORLDWIDE INFORMATION 6:20p Manhattan S.-GI, BEL TJCIS PPs FS1 International Editor 6:28p Los Alamitos Derby-GIII, LRC TJCIS PPs TVG Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN [email protected] 6:51p Suburban S.-GII, BEL TJCIS PPs FS1 European Editor 7:28p Great Lady M S.-GII, LRC TJCIS PPs TVG Emma Berry [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing Sean Cronin & Tom Frary [email protected] 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) www.TheTDN.com TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 16 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • JULY 4, 2020 Met Mile cont. from p1 Kinchen cont. from p1 Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), winner of last year=s GI Runhappy Travers S. and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. over subsequent Classic hero Vino Rosso (Curlin) via disqualification, kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with a well-timed decision over Endorsed (Medaglia d=Oro) in the GIII Westchester S. in the Belmont mud June 6. "He just grew up physically in his body and his mind," Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said. "He's gotten more aggressive and he's caught onto what it's all about now. He was still figuring things out last year, especially earlier in the year. Everything he's done this year has been good. He acts like he's ready to run." Moved up to second via disqualification in the GI Kentucky Derby, Code of Honor is three for four at Belmont Park, including a track-and-trip score in last July=s GIII Dwyer S. Jonathon Kinchen | ThoroStride photo Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}), well-beaten in last year=s Kentucky Derby, has found his niche racing around one turn this term. A I don't believe that people in horse racing are plotting to keep sharp winner of Gulfstream=s Sir Shackleton S. Mar. 28, the Black people out. But what they are doing--relying on networks chestnut realized a career high while earning a gaudy 110 Beyer of people they already know--means keeping mostly white Speed Figure with a jaw-dropping victory over Network Effect people in the game, particularly at its highest levels. Horse racing needs to change, from the top to the bottom, and it's (Mark Valeski) in a sloppy renewal of the GI Runhappy Carter H. racing's job to do the hard work of stretching beyond its usual in Elmont June 6. Both wins were at seven furlongs. networks to recruit Black talent and to create an environment where Black people feel welcome. Cont. p4 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 16 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • JULY 4, 2020 Kinchen cont. patronizing. This idea has been around since the 1960s and How does this happen? With many, many small changes and there's no reason racing can't make a concerted effort to invest many, many tough conversations. in this type of plan in a non-cynical way today. In the last year of his presidency, President Obama was on I've seen racing do a great job marketing to local colleges in WTF with Marc Maron (a podcast just slightly more successful both Lexington and the Capitol region, and I know these efforts than JK + 1). He likened the process of change to the steering of have created fans. Why not put some promotional muscle at an ocean liner and said that the real work "is to make targeting Black communities, whether via historically Black incremental improvements or try to steer the ocean liner two colleges or other institutions that have significant Black degrees north or south so that, 10 years from now, suddenly populations. Smart group sales initiatives aimed at such groups we're in a very different place than we were. At the moment, can draw Black fans AND help them feel welcome at the track, people may feel like we need a 50-degree turn; we don't need a and not like the only Black face in the crowd. two-degree turn. And you say, 'Well, if I turn 50 degrees, the Other sports have done a great job of celebrating Black whole ship turns over.'" success in their sports--Major League Baseball's various tributes There are ways that racing can change right now, but in the big to Jackie Robinson come to mind--and I don't think we've done picture, the type of incremental change described above is also enough of that in racing. With all respect to the listed sprint needed. The idea that EVERYTHING needs to change RIGHT stakes at Aqueduct in January, Jimmy Winkfield is a major NOW isn't just impractical, it's impossible. I am much more historical figure in racing, the last Black jock to win the Derby interested in pursuing real world solutions than I am at before the sport was segregated. There should be a race at screaming into the void. Churchill Downs named for him on the first Saturday in May. How do we actually accomplish change? Let's start by creating That's the day when the most eyes are watching and therefore a more welcoming environment for people of color. One part of the most Black eyes are trained on the sport as well--let's show this has to be marketing. Major international brands like all those viewers that the Black contributions to this game are McDonald's, Sprite, and the NBA have figured out ways to tailor appreciated.