Alan Balch - Turning Point

Article by Alan Balch

November 1, 1986, is the date the Breeders’ Cup was assured of a viable future.  The first one at Santa Anita.  This year at Del Mar will be the 42nd edition.

Its founding visionary, John R. Gaines, had repeatedly emphasized the importance and potential of the Breeders’ Cup for marketing racing: to stimulate its massively increased sporting awareness through the televised spectacle of our championships.  

Yet, mysteriously, its early leaders had chosen two of the least telegenic tracks in America for the first editions:  Hollywood Park and Aqueduct.

I’m one of the few still left in racing (or even alive) who was in the midst of that mystery at the time.  In fact, it was my responsibility at Oak Tree Racing Association and Santa Anita to prepare and lead the presentations of our proposals for the site selectors, prior to 1984, and again for 1986.

That committee (which included several Thoroughbred paragons including Nelson Bunker Hunt and John Nerud) had locations across the entire nation to consider.  But California tracks in those days were perennial leaders in attendance and handle and – most important – reliably nice November weather.  Most everyone thought the inaugural choice came down to the southland rivals, Hollywood Park and Santa Anita.

So, in 1982 and early 1983, Oak Tree emphasized both our statistical superiority and Santa Anita’s pending hosting of the 1984 Olympic Games Equestrian Sport:  the potential worldwide double of exceptional excellence for that year which would be provided for its launch.   And I vividly remember Oak Tree President Clement Hirsch proclaiming to the selectors, “it has never rained on that weekend at Santa Anita,” which was true, but tempted fate.  It did rain that weekend, in 1983, the year before the first one.  (It has at least once since then, too.)

Hollywood Park emphasized . . . well, Hollywood . . . with Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant, and their fellow stars, along with the 20th Century movie lot.  Plus, a pile of cash in earnest to assist the fledgling effort. It was chosen for the premier.

Naturally, we the losers were chagrined.  Even angry.  Oak Tree’s brass at the time privately suggested “never again.”  Personally, and not for the last time, through the cloudy experience of bitter disappointment, I dimly saw some advantages of not being “first” at such an undertaking.  Those few of us still around who witnessed that day at Hollywood Park will remember what I mean, particularly in terms of “operational challenges,” to put it much more politely than deserved.

Ultimately, and with far more reluctance than anyone would now admit, Oak Tree’s leadership decided to try again in 1985, to receive “the honor” of hosting in 1986.  Breeders’ Cup administration in those days was nothing like the independent behemoth it has grown to become.  Then, it relied very heavily on existing host track management, the track’s own marketing, operations, and racing expertise.  It had no choice but so to do.  But with that reliance came plenty of tension, most of it healthy, as the host track not only wanted to protect its own prerogatives, but also the interests of local fans, owners, and trainers.  Breeders’ Cup, quite rightly, insisted on proper accommodations and recognition of all those who put up the multi-million-dollar purses – the breeders and their constituencies. 

As part of our effort to win that year, Oak Tree sent me to meet with Mr. Hunt at his Texas spread, the famous Circle T, not far from DFW airport.  That was an early morning I’ll never forget.  “Bunker” arrived by himself to pick me up at the airport curb, driving his (old) Cadillac.  “Son, I hope you’re not hungry, because we’re going to the farm first to see my horses.”  He wasn’t exactly lithe, you know, but he gave me my own workout that day:  we walked back and forth with each set, he describing their individual quirks and pedigrees in detail, watching them gallop or work.  It was all in his head, without pause:  he loved the game, he loved those horses, and knew both deeply.  I was a “suit” in those days, but I saw the essence of racing in a new way.  At the elbow of one of its greatest advocates.  I learned way, way more than I had ever expected.

Then, onto the local greasy spoon for grits and whatever, with Bunker and his local mates yucking it up . . . that was the atmosphere for my pitch.

I can’t remember now if we had any real competition . . . we were coming off not just a highly successful Olympic Games effort, but also our Fiftieth Anniversary season where we drew our single-day record crowd of over 85,000, averaging nearly 33,000 per racing day.

If you look back now at the videos of the races that first Santa Anita Breeders’ Cup Day [https://breederscup.com/results/1986?tab=results], you can see what those truly mammoth crowds looked like.  Official attendance was just under 70,000, easily a new record, as was the handle.  Unlike today, however, official crowd numbers significantly understated attendance . . . since only those passing through a turnstile were counted, leaving out large numbers of backstretch personnel, as well as all the kids.   The television spectacle that only Santa Anita can offer was in full, crystal-clear view.

The financial future of Breeders’ Cup was finally assured.