The Making of Equestricon II (Cont
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018 THE MAKING OF COOPERATION DRIVES MID-ATLANTIC=S RENEWED REGIONAL STRATEGY EQUESTRICON II The Week in Review, by T.D. Thornton No one is ever going to confuse the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships (MATCH) series with the Triple Crown in terms of widespread appeal and star-infused marketing power. But last week=s announcement that the May-through-September regional schedule of stakes races has been put back together after having disintegrated more than a decade and a half ago is a pretty remarkable feat for a key region of United States racing that had been on unsteady footing not too long ago. Make no mistake: The Maryland Jockey Club (Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park), Monmouth Park, Delaware Park, Penn National, Parx, and Presque Isle Downs are all competitors from a business perspective. Cont. p9 (click here) Equestricon I in Saratoga Springs | Eclipse Sportswire IN TDN EUROPE TODAY by T.D. Thornton TED DURCAN: RETIRING ON HIS TERMS Lower admission prices, a doubling in size of the event space IrishmanTed Durcan retired recently. Chris McGrath speaks footprint, and more opportunities for fans to engage personally with the two-time British Classic winning rider. Click or tap with Thoroughbred racing=s biggest international celebrities are here to go straight to TDN Europe. among the tweaks in the works for the second annual Equestricon convention. The two-day, fan-centric celebration of the sport, which debuted at Saratoga last summer and is the grass-roots brainchild of a trio of Thoroughbred entrepreneurs, is shifting venues to dovetail with the Breeders= Cup in Louisville for 2018. The trade show=s founders--Kathryn Sharp, Justin Nicholson, and Dan Tordjman--announced back in January that Equestricon would partner with the Breeders= Cup this year, kicking off the week of championship racing with Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 29 and 30) festivities at the Kentucky International Convention Center, which is a straight shot four miles north of host track Churchill Downs. With those scheduling details now locked into place, the Equestricon team is busy behind the scenes trying to improve upon last year=s extravaganza, which ended up being one of the more pleasant surprises of the Saratoga meet and was generally hailed as a unique and successful endeavor because of its focus on inclusivity and positive vibes. Cont. p3 PRESIDENT & CO-PUBLISHER Barry Weisbord @barryweisbord [email protected] SR. V.P. & CO-PUBLISHER Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] V.P., INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected] Monday, February 26, 2018 Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Senior Editor Steve Sherack @SteveSherackTDN Racing Editor Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN News and Features Editor Ben Massam @BMassamTDN Associate Editors Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Joe Bianca @JBiancaTDN Assistant Editor Bobby Klatt ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Lia Best Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin Advertising Assistants Alexa Reisfield Michelle Benson Photo Editor/Dir. of Distribution Emotional victory. Javier Castellano, aboard Imaginary Stables’ Nothins Free (Flat Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew [email protected] Out), embraces his brother, Abel Castellano, Jr., on the way to the winner’s circle after Sunday’s third race at Gulfstream Park. The win marked the first victory for the team Social Media Strategist Justina Severni as jockey and trainer.“This is very special. We started here in South Florida 20 years ago. We’ve both won a lot of races here,” Javier said. “I’m proud of my brother to have Director of Customer Service Vicki Forbes success as a trainer. He’s worked very hard. I feel a lot of pressure – don’t get me wrong [email protected] – riding for him. It’s very special to ride for him. Thank God for this winner. Hopefully, there will be many more.” | Lauren King Marketing Manager Alayna Cullen @AlaynaCullen RESCUED HORSE STILL GOING STRONG AT AGE 38 7 Director of Information Technology In 2002, Marla Walther was told by a horse broker that if she didn't Ray Villa [email protected] buy Roxie’s Ringer, he would be sent to a slaughter auction. In 2018, at the age of 38, he’s still going strong in a remarkable story of survival Bookkeeper and longevity. Terry May [email protected] RISING STAR WINS MINE THAT BIRD DERBY RR WORLDWIDE INFORMATION ‘TDN Rising Star’ Reride (Candy Ride {Arg}) captured Sunland Park’s International Editor Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN Mine That Bird Derby Sunday for trainer Steve Asmussen. [email protected] European Editor 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 10 • THETDN.COM MONDAY • FEBRUARY 26, 2018 The Making of Equestricon II (cont. from p1) describe or codify. But that was our biggest success coming out of it, just knowing how much people enjoyed celebrating the Specific details about panels, workshops, celebrity sport.@ appearances and ticketing will be announced over the next six It took only a relatively quick 18 months for the initial weeks. But co-founder Sharp Equestricon to grow from the disclosed some of the changes in Awhat if@ concept to the hosting the works in an interview with of the actual event. This time TDN. around, the time frame is AWe=re an independent shorter, but the team has the organization. It=s just the three benefit of relying on extensive of us. We=re kind of a small and exit survey feedback from nimble group, not beholden to attendees as it plans for year anyone, so we get to make a lot number two. of decisions ourselves,@ Sharp The inaugural Equestricon said. attracted more than 1,500 fans, AWe=ve only done this for one horseplayers, and prospective year, but you definitely learn racehorse owners from 34 states and figure out things you can and seven countries, and change to make it better,@ Sharp featured appearances by explained. AThe first Equestricon Kathryn Sharp and Justin Nicholson with the Kentucky Derby hundreds of racing personalities, was kind of like a big focus trophy | Eclipse Sportswire industry leaders, and major group--we threw everything we organizations. could at it, and tried to see what would stick. I think we were AFans were really engaged,@ Sharp said after sifting through able to communicate racing in a fun way, and I think that came the survey data. AThey wanted to tell us what they liked and through at the convention. The energy was kind of hard to TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 10 • THETDN.COM MONDAY • FEBRUARY 26, 2018 didn=t like. Fortunately, most of them liked much of the with are celebrities to our fans. We sometimes underestimate experience. But I think on the programming front there was a bit the value of that in our sport.@ of frustration@ over conflicting events, such as a panel discussion Sharp said the celebrity access aspect underscores one of the overlapping with an autograph session, meaning attendees had plusses of moving the event to Breeders= Cup week, because she to choose one or the other. expects far more international AWe had 24 different panels human stars--present and past-- over two days, which was a lot. to be in Louisville at the same So we probably time as Equestricon. over-programmed the event, AFans can expect to see a lot of and I think this year we=re really those really big names going to try and focus on participating in a way that reducing some of that maybe they didn=t see last year,@ programming to keep it a little Sharp said. bit more targeted and open to a Ticket prices, which last year larger audience,@ Sharp said. ranged from $25 general AWe=ll also be doing a lot more admission to a $450 VIP dedicated >meet and greets= this package, are being revised year to give people downward for 2018. opportunities to meet the AWe=re reducing ticket prices people they admire in the sport Jockey Rajiv Maragh and Jane Motion, daughter of trainer Graham this year to try to keep access to and actually speak to them and Motion, practice Avirtual racing@ at Equestricon | Eclipse Sportswire workshops and panel discussions ask questions,@ Sharp said. AIt open to as many people as will be a lot more interactive. I think some of us who work in the possible,@ Sharp said. AThe goal is not to subsidize the event industry take for granted that the people we know and work through ticket sales. We=re hoping the industry will support it so TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 5 OF 10 • THETDN.COM MONDAY • FEBRUARY 26, 2018 Louisville will play host to Equestricon and the Breeders= Cup this autumn | Go To Louisville that it can be as successful as possible for the fans.@ But that drawing-people-to-Louisville aspect could prove to be Sharp said the newly official partnership with the Breeders= the biggest challenge for Equestricon in its second go-round. Cup evolved from a close working relationship the two entities Saratoga in the summer is a pilgrimage for many racegoers, had in 2017. not just because of the racing, but because it=s a popular AThey were one of our biggest supporters,@ Sharp said. AAnd I vacation-taking time when the weather is sunny and warm. think we kind of always envisioned Equestricon being something Louisville in late October could be a tougher sell. But Sharp that would fit naturally with the Breeders= Cup.