BARN NOTES 1-17-20 – FAIR GROUNDS “INSIDER” PODCAST A MUST LISTEN FOR HORSE RACING FANS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Grant LaGrange
Racing Media Relations Coordinator
FAIR GROUNDS “INSIDER” PODCAST A MUST LISTEN FOR HORSE RACING FANS
Longtime racing fan, publicist and podcast Chad Schexnayder offers a behind the scenes look at Fair Grounds racing as well as difference-making handicapping tips
New Orleans (January 17, 2020) – Created and hosted by longtime Louisiana racing fan, bettor, publicist and insider Chad Schexnayder, the “Fair Grounds Race Course Insider Podcast” continues to pick up steam. Episode #10, which dropped earlier this week, covers Saturday’s “Road to Derby Kickoff” card like a blanket, and is a must listen for those seeking out valuable information.
“In addition to the six stakes, there are five maiden special weight races on the card and Mike (co-host Diliberto) has a ton of insight on how those horses have been training and we dig into their breeding as well,” Schexnayder said.
The former simulcast TV host at Fair Grounds, Diliberto is the long-time morning line odds maker at the track and he also serves as a clocker in the mornings.
“When you’re handicapping a race it’s all about the information you have,” Schexnayder said. “Time only means so much in a workout. We want to know how they looked, if they were in company, if they did it easily.” That’s what Mike Diliberto can really bring to this podcast. He sees how all of these horses are doing in the morning.”
“Sometimes you see a work time that looks slow but then Mike (Diliberto) will tell you that the horse was all the way in the middle of the track and was doing it really easily,” Schexnayder continued. “Sometimes he’ll notice that a horse may have been struggling in the last eighth of a mile. Mike is very honest when discussing what he sees and he was in rare form on this podcast!”
Schexnayder came up with the Insider Podcast idea over the summer, and with the help of sponsors Fair Grounds and Dixie Beer, it became a reality when the Thoroughbred season began. Now ten episodes in, the content has been a mix of handicapping and behind the scenes interviews.
“So far we’ve had Dave Johnson the legendary race caller, jockey agent Anthony Martin Jr., top trainer Al Stall Jr., and top horseplayer Patrick McGoey as guests,” Schexnayder said.
“We are trying to give the listener something different. Our goal is to have good guests with a little flavor. We want give the fans a chance to get to know them and what they do on a more personal level.”
Although he went to the racetrack a few times as a kid, Schexnayder’s love of the game grew over time.
“I went to college in Lafayette and would go to Evangeline Downs over the summer with (retired NFL quarterback) Jake Delhomme,” Schexnayder recalls. “My degree was in communications and a spot at Fair Grounds opened up in the publicity department so I got the chance to move back home.”
He worked for the Krantz family for 3 ½ years in the late 90’s. It was a time of change, and Schexnayder tried to stay ahead of it.
“It was right around the whole internet boom,” Schexnayder recalled. I did notes that we posted to the internet. We used to bring trainers and jockeys up to the press box, interview them on a mini-recorder, and then post it to the website. Mr. Krantz was very forward thinking with all of that stuff. Now we are in the podcast era and it’s so much easier.”
Where to find the Fair Grounds Insider Podcast
https://www.fairgroundsracecourse.com/fair-grounds-race-course-insider-podcast/
Subscribe at: Itunes, Buzzsprout or Spotify.
Twitter: @fgracingpodcast
Facebook: Louisiana Horse Racing Fan Page
-30-
About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots: Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, LA, Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global
Select Market: CHDN); it also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 13 off-track betting parlors throughout southeast Louisiana. The 148th Thoroughbred Racing Season – highlighted by the 107 th running of the Louisiana Derby – will run from November 28, 2019 through March 29, 2020. More information can be found online at www.FairGroundsRaceCourse.com.
Information set forth in this press release contains various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) provides certain “safe harbor” provisions for forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are made pursuant to the Act. The reader is cautioned that such forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time and/or management’s good faith belief with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently.
Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the following: the effect of economic conditions on our consumers’ confidence and discretionary spending or our access to credit; additional or increased taxes and fees; public perceptions or lack of confidence in the integrity of our business; loss of key or highly skilled personnel; restrictions in our debt facilities limiting our flexibility to operate our business; general risks related to real estate ownership, including fluctuations in market values and environmental regulations; catastrophic events and system failures disrupting our operations, including the impact of natural and other disasters on our operations and our ability to obtain insurance recoveries in respect of such losses; inability to identify and complete acquisition, expansion or divestiture projects, on time, on budget or as planned; difficulty in integrating recent or future acquisitions into our operations; legalization of online real money gaming and sports wagering in the United States, and our ability to capitalize on and predict such legalization; the number of people attending and wagering on live horse races; inability to respond to rapid technological changes in a timely manner; inadvertent infringement of the intellectual property of others; inability to protect our own intellectual property rights; security breaches and other security risks related to our technology, personal information, source code and other proprietary information, including failure to comply with regulations and other legal obligations relating to receiving, processing, storing and using personal information; payment- related risks, such as chargebacks for fraudulent credit card use; compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or applicable money-laundering regulations; compliance with payment processing and payment transmission regulations; work stoppages and labor issues; difficulty in attracting a sufficient number of horses and trainers for full field horseraces; inability to negotiate agreements with industry constituents, including horsemen and other racetracks; personal injury litigation related to injuries occurring at our racetracks; the inability of our totalisator company, United Tote, to maintain its processes accurately, keep its technology current or maintain its significant customers; weather conditions affecting our ability to conduct live racing; increased competition in the horseracing business; changes in the regulatory environment of our racing operations; declining popularity in horseracing; seasonal fluctuations in our horseracing business due to geographic concentration of our operations; increased competition in our casino business; changes in regulatory environment of our casino business; the cost and possibility for delay, cost overruns and other uncertainties associated with the develop.m.ent and expansion of casinos; concentration and evolution of slot machine manufacturing and other technology conditions that could impose additional costs; impact of further legislation prohibiting tobacco smoking; geographic concentration of our casino business; changes in regulatory environment for our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; increase in competition in the advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; inability to retain current customers or attract new customers to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; uncertainty and changes in the legal landscape relating to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; and failure to comply with laws requiring us to block access to certain individuals could result in penalties or impairment in our ability to offer advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming.
