THE BELMONT Legacy in the Making STAKES

The , first established in 1867, is the longest running of the Triple Crown events, and one of the oldest stakes races in North America. The 147th Belmont Stakes was run on Saturday, June 6, 2015, and American Pharoah won the race, becoming only the 12th horse in history to win the Triple Crown and the first in 37 years. Following this historic race, The Legacy Lab spoke to Chris Kay, CEO and President of the New York Racing Association (which runs thoroughbred racing at New York’s three major tracks, including Belmont). In this Legacy in the Making interview, Chris talks about how he balances a respect for the traditions of Belmont with a need to reframe horse racing as modern and relevant to a younger generation.

Today, the Belmont Stakes is run by the New York Racing Association (NYRA). The NYRA was created in 1955 as a not-for-profit organization. That said, we are a not-for-profit that has been at the cornerstone of the horse racing industry in New York for a long while, contributing heavily to an industry that generates an eco- nomic impact of more than $2 billion annually and adds over 17,000 related jobs to the state of New York.

Before the NYRA existed, there were four different entities that owned individual local racetracks, which they later contributed to form the basis of our racing asso- ciation. Under the NYRA, the four tracks became three: the majestic where Triple Crown champions are made; the Saratoga Race Course, one of the oldest sporting facilities in America, which has been described by Sports Illustrated as one of the top 10 Can you tell us about the origins horse racing. It happens five weeks sporting venues in the world; and of the Belmont Stakes, including after the and three the , New York its role in the New York Racing weeks after the Preakness Stakes. City’s racetrack in the borough of Association’s stable of brands, This year, we had the 147th running Queens near JFK airport. and about the iconic race itself? where the world witnessed history as American Pharoah became only Up until recently, the Belmont The Belmont Stakes is the third the 12th horse ever, and the first one Stakes was really a one-race and final leg of the Triple Crown in in 37 years, to win the Triple Crown. event, where the audience size

2016 1 was directly related to whether successful sports. We are creating one of Broadway’s most successful there was a Triple Crown on the line. must-see big event days providing plays; and a GRAMMY®-nominated If you go back even just a couple the best racing, entertainment and band that also hails from New York, of years, when there was a Triple hospitality all in a single event. the Goo Goo Dolls. Crown up for grabs, there might have been over 100,000 people Our new approach started with the here on race day and a very large 2014 Belmont Stakes Day. We took audience watching at home on TV. some of our better races previ- “By creating must-see But if there wasn’t a Triple Crown, ously run on other days, including big event days, we the crowd would be anywhere from the Metropolitan Handicap, and 45,000 to 50,000 in person, and added them to the card featuring improved the quality the broadcast audience would also the Belmont Stakes. With 10 major of horse racing for all be cut in half. stakes races featuring $8 million in horse racing fans and purses, all of our racing packages Over the past two years, my team and trackside seating areas were sold horseplayers across and I have been working to trans- out before the running of last year’s the country.” form the Belmont Stakes into an Preakness—before anyone knew if event far bigger than just one race. there would even be a Triple Crown possibility. We built on this success in 2015 and transformed Belmont We also started to integrate Stakes Day into the three-day high-definition (HD) technology into “This year, we had Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. the entertainment experience. We We featured the world’s finest thor- installed 378 HD televisions and the 147th running oughbreds and jockeys competing three HD video boards, as well as where the world in 31 races, including 17 stakes races, provided several HD point-of-view all for more than $10 million in total cameras for fans to customize the witnessed history as purse money. way they watch horse workouts, American Pharoah horses in the paddock and the became only the To be a must-see event, the racing races. At the finish line, we installed alone wasn’t enough. We included an HD slow-motion camera. 12th horse ever, and additional entertainment. The anal- the first one in 37 ogy I used for NBC, the network In terms of onsite hospitality, we broadcasting the Belmont, was that made a combined $5 million invest- years, to win the I wanted to have a halftime show ment in improving the train station at Triple Crown.” feel that you might experience Belmont Park. We brought in more around a major football event, than 30 food trucks featuring local albeit with a distinct New York vibe. flavors. And we limited attendance This year, our race day entertain- numbers to enhance the experience What’s been the Belmont Stakes’ ment included the veteran band for everyone. biggest success, and what did you from the United States Military learn from it? Academy at West Point in New York By creating must-see big event days, accompanied by paratroopers with we have improved the quality of We’ve been working toward GoPros® jumping out of helicop- horse racing for all horse racing fans learning and applying from other ters; the stars of The Jersey Boys, and horseplayers across the country.

2016 2 Can you tell us about the audience here. This is better than any fantasy president of the Long Island Railroad, you are now appealing to? league. You pick the horse. You who had just started a month earlier. know who the is. Then boom, We agreed that we had to do some- We’re aiming to appeal to the it’s real. You don’t have to wait thing to fix this. Over the following 18−35 year old crowd. Some may until the end of the day to find out 50 weeks, we worked on a plan. The argue that horse racing has been whether your baseball players were train station at Belmont Park was popular for decades. But we really 0-for-4 or 4-for-4. It’s all there, right built in 1968 and was in incredible have lost a generation going back in front of you. It’s very exciting. need of renovation and upgrading. 10, 15, 20 years. And when we lost The Long Island Railroad put $4 mil- that generation, we lost the ability We’re not asking this new audi- lion into it, and we put $1 million into for that generation to bring their ence to come every day. But on it. And by 2015, we had a new station kids to the track. They were going those must-see days where you that worked much better than the to other sporting venues. Football have exceptional entertainment one in 2014. has grown in popularity. Horse and some rare food and beverage racing has declined. So, with our options, it’s a great opportunity In addition, the building at Belmont approach, we’re trying to say this is for the young crowd to sample the had also been built in 1968 and not your grandfather’s horse racing. modern experience. had limited space and restrooms. So we had to ask ourselves, ‘What could we do to better satisfy our In transforming the Belmont Stakes guests’ expectations?’ Rather than “Some may argue that into a must-see event, what are have 115,000 people, I capped the some of the hard lessons you have audience this year at 90,000. In horse racing has been learned along the way? response, some people said I was popular for decades. an idiot and that I was closing out In 2014, what did not work well the sport. But the vast majority of But we really have lost was that we had a massive in-person people said, ‘Well, I think that shows a generation going crowd of roughly 115,000 people. real courage.’ All the criticism that And we didn’t have the infrastruc- occurred in 2014 was negated, and back 10, 15, 20 years. ture to help make that experience we were praised in 2015. Between And when we lost that a must-repeat one. The logistics of capping the event at 90,000 guests getting in and out were not good at and making capital improvements generation, we lost all. Unfortunately, what was a great on and around the facility, it made a the ability for that day of racing was marred by how world of difference. long it took to leave the facility. It generation to bring was something that I was concerned their kids to the track.” about and wanted to address as a You’ve talked a little about some newcomer. However, I had been of the changes that you’ve added. told, ‘We’ve been doing this for a Given the rich history of the long time. This is your first one. Belmont Stakes, what traditions, This is fun. You can party, you can Don’t worry about it.’ The result, if any, did you seek to protect? place a bet and you can watch a as I anticipated, was not good. race. And if you win, you can cash We have a trophy room where your ticket and party some more. The Monday after the Belmont that we display the Belmont and Triple There is immediate gratification year, I got on the phone with the Crown trophies. In 2014 and again

2016 3 in 2015, we reached out to the three more of them because some of US Open tennis tournament is the jockeys who rode to glory at Belmont them are in their 60s now. When unofficial end of summer. for Triple Crowns in 1973, 1977 and you go to the Kentucky Derby, they 1978. All three jockeys were there in sing ‘My Old Kentucky Home.’ To achieve that ambition, two condi- 2014 to sign autographs when Cali- People from Kentucky sway back tions have to be true. First, in New fornia Chrome attempted—though and forth, and everybody else York, everything has to be of the did not ultimately win—the Triple mouths the words. When you are highest quality. When you look at Crown. We extended the same offer at the Belmont, when we play ‘New the US Open, it’s first and foremost in 2015 when American Pharoah York, New York’ by Frank Sinatra, about the quality of the tennis. You attempted—and succeeded—at everybody’s belting it out—includ- can’t have mediocre quality and doing the same thing. All the jockeys ing the people from Kentucky who then pay a few celebrities to show tried to make it, but one of them had come to visit for the event. up to help make it something it isn’t. suffered an injury. So we had two of So, our event focus, like theirs, has the three on hand for the significant to be on the quality of the racing. event. In 2014, along those same Second, there needs to be recogni- lines, we reached out to the widows tion that everybody in this city likes of the owners of those past Triple “In transforming to feel like a celebrity. Everybody Crown winners: Secretariat [1973], the Belmont Stakes tweets and has their phone going Seattle Slew [1977] and Affirmed all of the time. So, we need to make [1978]. We had all three of the women into a modern sure that everyone feels special there, and they presented one of event for the next when they come out for the day. the trophies on Belmont Stakes We’re going to entertain you; we’re Day, as did those jockeys, as part generation of going to feed you well; we’re going of our event. fans, in bringing to give you lots of different things to pique your interest in fashion, In transforming the Belmont Stakes it forward, we’ve in music and, of course, in horse into a modern event for the next definitely made a racing. I would say that we are well generation of fans, in bringing it on our way to making our event as forward, we’ve definitely made a real real effort to show much a part of the summer tradition effort to show an appreciation and in New York as the US Open. respect for our past by celebrating an appreciation and its history. respect for our past For such a pedigreed event, you by celebrating added a rather remarkable chapter Earlier you mentioned the rele- its history.” to the Belmont Stakes storybook vance of New York as a backdrop, this year. From your perspective, as part of the context for the what was it like to have been there event. Can you elaborate? Would on the day when American Pharoah you consider the Belmont Stakes Beyond tapping into the passion won the Triple Crown? an important New York tradition? that already exists, my ambition is to turn the Belmont Stakes into Unforgettable. The wall of sound I think New York has some of even more of a New York tradition: that engulfed us on the presen- the most devout horse racing fans making our event the unofficial start tation platform, from about eight in the country. The key is growing to summer in the same way that the seconds before American Pharoah

2016 4 won up until about 10 minutes after, And rather than winning jockey pelling to view from above or on was incredible. It was so loud and joy- immediately taking the sidelines. To give you a sense of ous. I turned and looked at all these his horse to the winner’s circle for things, a typical jockey, when the race people—the fans, everybody on their pictures, he went all the way down starts, has five or six different gog- feet with their arms in the air, every- to the end of the grandstand so gles on. And so, when one fills with one jumping up and down. It felt like that everyone could see American mud, he puts it up on his helmet. And it went on for a really long time. Pharoah prance by, creating even when the second one fills with mud, more cheers for the horse and the he puts it up on his helmet. And at jockey. It was the equivalent of a the end of the race, he may be on his baseball player coming out of the fifth or sixth pair just because of all dugout for a ‘curtain call’ in response the dirt that’s kicked up by the horses “Beyond tapping into to the continuing ovation from the in front. So, we have to work through the passion that already crowd for a remarkable play. The out- the technology that is trendy versus exists, my ambition is to rider, capturing the moment live, had the technology that actually makes turn the Belmont Stakes a GoPro camera on him. The outrider the viewing experience better. was the first person to talk to Victor into even more of a New after he won the Triple Crown. And York tradition: making our Victor, in a very genuine, live moment, event the unofficial start to said, ‘Holy shit!’ “With new toys and

summer in the same way technology, the that the US Open tennis You referenced the integration temptation is to think tournament is the unofficial of modern technology, including that the closer views end of summer.” GoPro technology, into the on- would always be better, air coverage of the event. Are there other integrations of new but actually, the race technology that you are currently tends to be more For those less familiar with racing, employing or considering to change compelling to view the way that ownership is defined is the way we watch horse racing? by ‘silks’—the blouse or shirt worn by from above or on the jockey. Each owner has a distinct That’s definitely the kind of thing the sidelines.” color and/or emblem on their jock- we’ll explore doing more of to help ey’s clothing. On race day, we had make it fun for people viewing on 11 different placards on display that television. The balance we need to featured the 11 previous Triple Crown find is to integrate modern tech- I can tell you that one technology winners, the horse’s name and year, nology to enhance viewing, but not recently considered was the use of and a caricature of the silks worn while putting any of the horses or drones. We tried a drone to give us by the jockey on the day they won. jockeys at risk, and not while inter- better shots of the crowd. But we Within three minutes of American fering with the race itself, including have not yet utilized a drone to give Pharoah crossing the finish line, we how the horses run. us shots of the race itself. For now, erected a new placard for his win to what we’ve done instead, unlike any great applause. After a long drought, With new toys and technology, the other racetrack in the country, is we had our 12th Triple Crown winner. temptation is to think that the closer position several point-of-view cam- History had been made. views would always be more com- eras around the track. In turn, you

2016 5 can customize the way you watch a purse. And of course, American At 147 years old, while still race on our website. So if you’re in Pharoah won. The folks in Lexington respecting the traditions of its California, you can watch it from dif- are going to put on a great couple of storied past, the Belmont Stakes is ferent angles, not just the one angle days this year. It’ll be great because also continuously working toward that we create for normal viewing. a lot of breeders are in Lexington. elevating its experience: taking And you can look at horses in the But for sheer excitement and drama, influences from the worlds of paddock too. wherever you were watching, you sports, entertainment and gaming; were likely to conclude that the Bel- integrating aspects of high tech mont was more compelling than the into the older universe of the How would you like to see the Breeder’s Cup. racetrack; and applying modern Belmont Stakes continue to aspects of hospitality—all designed evolve? What do you see as its It’s a high ambition, but we are again to contribute to the best day of legacy in the making? building a legacy that signals the racing in America. What once was Belmont as the best day of racing just a single, albeit significant, horse This is a place where champions in America. race is transforming into a bigger are crowned. Yes, in 2015, after a cultural event that is part of the rich 37-year drought, we crowned a fabric of the City of New York. For Triple Crown champion. But every What advice would you give to a young generation that previously year, we’re going to crown a Belmont another leader trying to create found it easy to give horse racing a Stakes champion, and we need to do change to a brand with a famous skip, The Belmont Stakes is creating more to enhance that. So, we’re right history? a new breed of must-see racing now building a legacy as the best day events that will be hard to ignore for of horse racing in America, whether The most important thing is to be generations to come. we have a Triple Crown or not. open to every idea. What I’ve tried to do since I’ve been here is to look In the 1980s, the horse racing at other sports and how they’ve industry created the Breeder’s succeeded for inspiration. And Cup, a two-day event—Friday and then I’ve had to ask, okay, what else Saturday affair—where theoretically works? Because my brand is also a the best horses from around the form of entertainment, what works world compete. In 2014, we created in the world of entertainment? our own Breeder’s Cup at Belmont Because my brand is also a gaming Park. Some call our event the Spring brand, what works in the world Breeder’s Cup. Others call it Breed- of casino gaming? I’ve had to find er’s Cup East Coast Style. In 2014, those things that work elsewhere I was at the Breeder’s Cup where and apply them to my sport, my they maybe had 35,000 people on brand that heretofore has not been the first day and 45,000 to 50,000 receptive to too much change. on the second day. There was no- And as we have been catching up where near the excitement that we with the times, I’m now beginning had in our building. This year, we had to have a wider purview too. I’m BY MARK MILLER the same high level of excitement, beginning to ask, ‘What can we do Mark Miller is the Chief Strategy Officer at except ours was sustained over a that no other sport, entertainment Team One, an ad agency with global expertise three-day event. We had a large or gaming brand is doing?’ and proprietary research into premium categories and aspirational consumers.

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