Kids
To The Cup (KTTC), the national organization designed to attract,
educate and encourage young racing fans, assumed a prominent role
in this year's America's Day at the Races at Del Mar Racetrack
on Labor Day, Sept. 3.
The group sponsored an interactive exhibit that allowed racing
fans of all ages to announce a famous race from an assortment
of Breeders' Cup moments. Over 80 fans seized the opportunity
to strap on the headsets and microphones and to announce posts
parades and racing action from the following menu of events:
- 1995
Classic-Cigar;
- 1991
Juvenile-Arazi;
- 1988
Distaff-Personal Ensign;
- 1987
Classic-Ferdinand;
- 1984
Classic-Wild Again.
Each racing fan received a free videotape of their call and
the race, compliments of Kids To The Cup.
"It
was great to see fans really getting into calling the races,"
said KTTC president and CTBA director Trudy McCaffery (picture
below left), "especially the kids. Most of these races took
place before many of them were born, but that doesn't stop their
enthusiasm. I guess a great horse race sustains its allure through
the years."
Several members of KTTC joined the activities including one
of the youngest, Christopher Bassett, eight, from nearby Oceanside,
Calif., who marched up to the KTTC exhibit, extricated his membership
card from his wallet and declared, "I'm here." He and his father,
Tom, coannounced a renewal of Arazi's immortal win.
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Katee
Whitesell, 15, and her mom made the trip from Mission Viejo
and teamed up to call a race, as did KTTC member Ali La Duke,
17, from Orange. "This is so much fun," beamed La Duke after
her turn at the microphone. "I want to go again."
Bob Feld, father of KTTC member Sean, 14, sneaked away from
his Class Racing Stable exhibit long enough to take a stab
at one of the races along with a fellow horse owner. Later,
Sean made his own video and released the eventual winner of
the afternoon's featured Del Mar Derby, Romanceishope, to
all who would listen.
Future KTTC members also joined in the fun as the exhibit
attracted a stream of youngsters who were introduced to KTTC
at the event. "I've been looking for something like this,"
said one girl from Barstow, as she showed a flyer to her mother.
Several
adults joined in the fun including Eclipse Award-winning Los
Angeles Times columnist Bill Christine, who did an awesome
job of calling the epic inaugural Breeders' Cup Classic battle
between Wild Again and Gate Dancer. "I was fine until the
end when I called Gate Dancer the winner," laughed Christine,
whose miscue added fuel to the fire that he can't pick a winner,
even after the race is finished. He then promptly made a donation
to KTTC. Maybe he does know a winner when he sees one, after
all.
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