Huffman, Halstrom, Moss Discuss 'Super Card' Trend

Speaking during the University of Louisville Equine Industry Program's Fall Speaker Series kick-off Sept. 14, a pair of track executives and a horsemen's group leader supported the practice of combining multiple stakes on a given day.

The first of the speaker series, titled "Examining Racing's 'Super Card' Trend," was hosted by Mark Midland, co-founder and CEO of Horse Racing Nation, which presented the event with the university. HRN streamed it online.

Ben Huffman, racing secretary at Keeneland and vice president of racing and racing secretary at Churchill Downs, said he was pleased with its results of adding a third primary day of stakes races during its spring meet. The addition was made possible by the track pushing the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) later in its spring-meet calendar to accommodate a day of prep races in late May.

"Both (post-Derby) days were tremendously successful," Huffman said, noting handle of approximately $14 million on the day of preps and about $17 million on Stephen Foster Day.

Eric Halstrom, vice president and general manager of racing at Indiana Grand, noted that track's adjusted schedules—not by adding a day, but by moving its major stakes day. For the past two years amid COVID-19, the Indiana Derby (G3) and supporting stakes have been run on a Wednesday, not on a Saturday, giving it more exposure in the simulcast marketplace.

Running it midweek and not on the weekend further allowed the track to staff more efficiently. Indiana Grand, like businesses such as restaurants, has experienced staffing challenges during the pandemic.

Halstrom said they twice handled in excess of $6 million on those days, surpassing its figure of around $4 million on Saturday in 2019.

Jon Moss, executive director of the Iowa Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, noted that racing environment differs in Iowa at Prairie Meadows compared to Kentucky and Indiana. The track does not have as sizable of an outside pool of horses from which to draw. Most of its participants are stabled at Prairie Meadows, though the track did lure Knicks Go , currently one of the leading contenders for this fall's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), to Prairie Meadows this summer. He won the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) by 10 1/4 lengths July 2 for owner Korea Racing Authority and trainer Brad Cox.

Moss suggested next year's race and other stakes could be moved into June, shortly before the scheduled implementation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act in July, when Lasix-free racing will become standard across the country. He said three prominent trainers told the Prairie Meadows stakes coordinator this year that they were sending horses this year to Iowa to run in stakes to be able to race on Lasix.

The diuretic, used to control respiratory bleeding in horses, is prohibited in stakes this year in Kentucky amid a phase-out of race-day medication. New York Racing Association tracks, Gulfstream Park, and tracks in California also prohibit Lasix for all or most of their stakes.

"We're probably going to move it up a little bit (next year) so that everybody can use (Prairie Meadows) for at least one more shot," Moss said.

Should Arlington international Racecourse close after this year, its trio of grade 1s, including the Mr. D. Stakes (G1T), formerly the Arlington Million, could also leave a void on the stakes calendar if not run. Huffman said what happens to those stakes is to be determined. Churchill Downs Inc. owns Arlington, though the track is up for sale for development. Having solicited bids, CDI has said they will announce a buyer this fall. 

"But yes, we definitely want to protect those stakes races one way or another, whether they stay in Chicago or potentially some other scenario. But until that plays out all the way, not a lot we can cover there," Huffman said.

Asked by Midland what other tracks had managed their big-day cards well, Huffman praised NYRA's newly created turf series, while Halstrom mentioned Colonial Downs, which like Indiana Grand, raced during the early part of the week this summer.

When Indiana Grand, Colonial, and other tracks offer appealing wagering products when most of the top tracks go dark, it creates "the (betting) behavior of playing seven days a week, which benefits everyone," Midland said.

Sean Beirne, director of the equine program at the University of Louisville, acknowledged a common critique of big days in the closing minutes of the seminar, asking the panel if big-day programs cause some supporting races to lose emphasis, potentially sacrificing tradition. He mentioned stakes races at Churchill Downs that might have stood out more on a regular weekend.

"I think all of us up here—we all try to be traditionalists as much as possible. I love the history of all of our races at Churchill Downs," replied Huffman. "You know, things change. The businesses change, unfortunately. We don't sometimes like all the changes."

Halstrom, noting that Indiana Grand had been in existence for 18 years, doesn't have history casting as large a shadow.

"We're trying to build that now," he said of tradition.