STEWARDS’ ROLES AND FANTASY GAMES DISCUSSED AS SYMPOSIUM CLOSES
Photos & Editorial by Dean A. Hoffman
The final day was “fantasy day” at the 41st annual Global Symposium on Racing & Gaming in Tucson, Arizona Thursday as speakers in one session indulged in role playing to show attendees the role of the stewards on race day, while other speakers addressed the potential of fantasy games for horse racing.
Kim Sawyer, a California Horse Racing Board steward, led fellow stewards Eddie Arroyo, Dr. Scot Waterman, and Dan Fick in a re-enactment of just how complicated the daily routine can be for stewards.
It was an entertaining way to give attendees an inside glimpse of what happens in the stewards stand. It allowed the audience to hear the stewards’ running commentary during the race, then follow their logic as they reviewed a videotaped race replay and discussed two incidents of interference.
The stewards invited students from the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program, sponsor of the Symposium, to observe their operations in the mock stewards’ stand, but when it came time to discuss the disqualifications, the students were asked to leave.
The students got their chance afterwards when three of them took the stage to act as stewards while a replay of the recent GI Breeders Cup Classic was shown. Students Aaron Brukman, McLane Hendricks and Francesca LeDonne watched the replays intently as different angles were shown: the traditional pan shot, a head-on shot, and an overhead shot.
The students quickly announced that they would’ve posted the “Inquiry” sign and talked to the jockeys involved in possible interference at the start. Then Kim Sawyer walked the students through their discussions to provide guidance and to help them understand the full ramifications of their decisions.
In a concurrent session, speakers debated the potential of fantasy games for horse racing and what impact they could have on attracting younger fans to horse racing.
Hai Eng, a popular speaker at the Symposium the last two years, served as moderater for speakers Tom Dwyer, CEO of Ballr.com, and John Ford, CEO of BAM Software and Services.
Since online betting is already legal, do fantasy games have much to offer to horse racing?
Moderator Eng and the two speakers debated that question and speculated how racing can capitalize on the widespread popularity of fantasy games to appeal to new fans and attract a younger demographic.
In the final session, Dan Fick, a director-at-large of the Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP), reviewed why stewards and judges need to become familiar with and use technology.
Stewards Dr. Scot Waterman and Eddie Arroyo spoke on their experience with using technology.
“We are all set up to double-check everything from the time a horse is entered until race day,” said Arroyo. “Technology now gives you the ability to address any questions within minutes.”
The stewards also discussed the impact of the National Uniform Medication Program and Multiple Medication Violation Program (MMV) and its schedule of 26 controlled therapeutic medications.
“We have uniform rules, but different states have different caps on penalties,” said panelist Dr. Jennifer Durenberger, Director of Racing for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
She said that the racing media and participants don’t always have a complete perspective when penalties are announced.
“I don’t think our current penalty system is designed to weed out repeat offenders,” said Waterman, a steward for the Arizona Department of Racing. “Every steward at every track knows who their problem children are, and most stewards would vote to send these people as far away as possible because they cause most of your problems. The trouble occurs when penalties get outside the stewards’ control. It can be tough to make penalties stick. These rulings can be appealed and often go beyond the commission.”
The Global Symposium on Racing & Gaming concluded at noon Thursday. Next year the Symposium will move to the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona Dec. 7-10, 2015.