'Taste of the World' Part of BC's 'Enhanced Experience' Master Plan

For decades, horsemen-oriented hospitality at major racing events was fairly generic. Prior to a big race, there would be the standard post position draw luncheon and press conference. Afterward, if you were lucky enough to win, you might be invited by track management up to the turf club or directors' room for a flute of champagne.

For fans, televised sightings of celebrities at major racing events were also different. A knowledgeable producer or director might instruct camera operators to pan the box seats with the hope of giving viewers a glimpse of famous faces enjoying the races, because their presence served as an implicit A-list endorsement for the sport.

That's all changed. Through continual fine-tuning, the intertwined concepts of luxury hospitality and the poised placement of “celebrity ambassadors” who attend racing's marquee events have evolved more in the past five years than in the previous five decades.

Monday, the Breeders' Cup will announce the culinary and musical lineups for its 5th annual Taste of the World, a “star-studded evening with world-class entertainment and dining” that the organization bills as “one of the most highly anticipated social events for the Thoroughbred world.”

Hosted this year in lavish, tented fashion on the grounds of WinStar Farm not far from Keeneland Race Course, the invite-only extravaganza for participating jockeys, trainers, owners, and breeders on Thursday, Oct. 29, will serve as the gala kickoff for the sport's two-day championships. The 2015 BC is expected to be highlighted by Triple Crown champion American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile)'s expected pursuit of the first-ever “Grand Slam” title, which the colt would accomplish with a win in the GI Classic.

Celebrity chef and horse owner Bobby Flay will oversee the event, which features renowned culinary dignitaries representing 15 nations who will prepare dishes inspired by their country's cuisine (click here for the roster of participating chefs).

And while the culinary diversity of Taste of the World is designed to mirror the international flavor of the BC itself, there is no mistaking that the event's headline musician-three-time Grammy Award-winning superstar Tim McGraw-represents host state Kentucky's distinctively country vibe.

“The key lifestyle and entertainment elements of the BC World Championships continue to evolve as we focus more acutely on providing our key participants with not only the best in horse racing, but the best in the overall hospitality and entertainment,” said Craig Fravel, president and chief executive officer of the BC.

“To be able to showcase our farm to over a thousand VIPs is a privilege,” said WinStar president and chief executive officer Elliott Walden. “We look forward to entertaining at our newly renovated foaling barn, and it is going to be an unforgettable evening and a monumental moment in WinStar's legacy.”

Peter Rotondo, the vice president of media and entertainment for the BC, said Taste of the World is unique among food-focused events at major sporting events because it gives participants a chance to “break bread together before we go to war” on the racetrack.

“The idea is, let's get everybody together in a really special environment,” Rotondo said. “Not a loud party, so to speak. You can actually hear yourself and have conversations, and really experience the international flavor of the BC.”

Rotondo traced the genesis for Taste of the World to Flay's winning the 2010 GII BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs.

He said Flay had celebrated More Than Real's victory with friends and family in his box seats. Reflecting on the experience long after the race was over, Flay suggested to BC officials that it would have been a nice perk to have a private, exclusive area to go to after the winner's circle ceremony.

That idea led to the formation of the Enhanced Experience Committee (EEC), and after brainstorming ways to infuse luxe elements into the BC, Rotondo said “we literally started a whole new program of events.”

One of them was the Champions Terrace, which Rotondo said debuted in 2011.

“As soon as you win your race, you're whisked away to this private area where you can watch the replay with your family as many times as you want and have a champagne toast,” Rotondo said. “Basically, the way we look at it is it's the happiest place on Earth. It's a revolving 30-minute party, and then the next [winning owners] move in. We're thinking of putting a camera in there, because everyone is so happy when they win.”

Taste of the World also evolved out of the EEC that same year.

“Our parties were more for the fans-the kickoff, the press party. The audiences were not exactly hitting the target [demographic],” Rotondo said. Flay's involvement led to the natural decision of putting food at the forefront of the annual evening-before-the-races gala.

In 2014, Fortune magazine reported that “what has changed increasingly over the last few years are the rebranding efforts to make the BC a more fan- and owner-friendly affair, including serving better food, adding on more races over a longer span of time, and providing perks for horse owners to keep making the trek each year.”

Along the way, the EEC also came up with the idea of pairing morning training with high-end hospitality.

“We said, 'What about breakfast?' Rotondo explained. “The morning workouts are a huge part of racing. In the past, there wasn't much there. You would congregate, have your coffee from the track kitchen or whatever, and that would be it. So we started the Trackside Breakfast Marquee. You can avoid the elements if necessary, mix and mingle with other owners, trainers, and breeders, and the breakfast is great.”

Rotondo continued: “Champions Terrace, Taste of the World, and Trackside Breakfast Marquee were the three big enhancements that came out of the EEC. There were countless others, but that really changed the dynamic of Breeders' Cup, that committee and what came out of there.”

Another EEC initiative was the Purple Carpet concept, which Rotondo said dovetails with the Celebrity Ambassador Program that puts entertainment and sports luminaries front and center at BC events.

“There's no doubt, being in California five out of the last seven years, in the backyard of Hollywood, it was just natural” to ramp up the celebrity presence, Rotondo said.

Rotondo explained that the BC works with an entertainment agency to recruit influencers, offering tickets and transportation in exchange for exposure and promotion.

But he said it is important for the stars to have a genuinely “organic” interest in racing, so that their inclusion does not seem forced or-worse-“like just another photo op” for the ambassadors.

“We went and found these celebrities who love horse racing, and were fans, like [actresses] Elizabeth Banks or Bo Derek, or they own horses, like [basketball coaches] Avery Johnson or Rick Pitino. We've worked with them to help promote the BC in the month leading up to it, and if they're in town, they come to the races.

“You look at like, a Rob Drydek,” Rotondo continued. “He's a skateboarder; two, three shows on MTV; millions of followers on Instagram and Twitter. And he's at every BC, betting with both hands, and promoting it while he's there.

“It's part of the plan now, no doubt. It's not just enough for them to come. What we ask them to do is really promote that they're coming. If you're a big sporting event, a major event, you want those types of folks to be interested. And with the BC, it's more authentic, because a lot of them who come actually love the game.”

Rotondo contrasted the Celebrity Ambassadors program to the way entertainers often appear courtside at high-profile basketball games, where the protocol seems to be to leave once they've been assured of some face time on camera.

“With our guys, they might show up fashionably late, but of course they all stay through the Classic,” Rotondo said. “And sometimes, we can't get them out of there. The races are long over, and they still want to hang out.”