New B.C. board elected; now they're cookin'

So, 13 people have been elected to the board of trustees of The Breeders' Cup, and once again, I'm not among them.

Jokes aside, I'm pretty pleased to see one name in particular on this list.

Thoroughbred Daily News reports that among the baker's dozen of board members is "Iron Chef" Bobby Flay, a restauranteur and Food Network personality.

The elections Flay and 12 others are expected to be ratified by the current Breeders' Cup Board of Members and Trustees at a meeting on July 16. The "others" include Roy Jackson of Lael Stables, breeder (among others) of the great and ill-fated Barbaro and a board member since 2008. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Jackson and his wife, Gretchen, as well.

Rounding out the list are: Antony Beck of Gainesway Farm; Niall Brennan, one of the nation's top sales consigners of 2-year-olds; Case Clay of Three Chimneys; Jerry Crawford of Donegal Racing/Derby Dreams Partnership; G. Watts Humphrey Jr. of Shawnee Farm; Bret Jones of Airdrie Bloodstock; Michael T. Levy of Bluewater Farm; Garrett O'Rourke of Juddmonte Farms; Satish Sanan of Padua Stables; Robert Trussell Jr. of Walmac Farm; and David Willmot of Kinghaven Farms.

Beck, Humphrey, Jones and Sanan join Jackson as members re-elected to new terms on the board. Not re-elected to the board were Reynolds Bell Jr., Thomas Gaines, R.D. Hubbard, J. Michael O'Farrell Jr., and Christopher Young.

My choosing to single out Flay doesn't mean I have any ill will or opposition to anyone else on the new board. But Flay's inclusion on this governing panel gives me a bit more hope for the immediate and long-term future of both Breeders' Cup and the sport.

To promote the Breeders' Cup, and horse racing itself, the sport's exposure must be increased; its image updated and polished. It isn't that the people at the highest levels of the sport aren't classy -- they are, sometimes almost to a fault. But for every Jerry Moss (recognizable as the co-founder of A&M Records, etc.) there are 10 owners who are often wildly successful in their industries, but invisible to the public.

Not so with Flay, who is a high-profile figure not only on Food Network, but on CBS' "The Early Show," as host of the forthcoming "America's Next Great Restaurant" on NBC, and on Sirius XM radio. His face and name are also slapped all over American print media and advertising.

Pretty good for a guy who dropped out of high school.

And yet, little has been done to fully exploit the fame of Flay and other celebrities as ambassadors for the sport. I'd wager that the vast majority of Flay's fans from Food Network have no idea about his involvement in horse racing. And check out his Wikipedia page; horse racing isn't even mentioned in passing.

The recognizable, charismatic Flay should quickly become a key face for Breeders' Cup over the next couple of seasons. Take part in as many public announcements and events as possible. Draw cameras and the attention of casual- or non-race-fans to Breeders' Cup and to the sport that nobody else's name on that list would attract.

Racing would like to entice celebrities back as fans, and has tried to promote the sport with ads such as the "Who Do You Like?" campaign, featuring the likes of actor Jerry O'Connell (a big fan), football standout Jerome Bettis, musician Kid Rock and others. That clip also features Flay and others who own race horses (like basketball coach Rick Pitino) -- along with many celebs who didn't -- making no differentiation between the two. For all the ill-informed viewer knew, each of those individuals was just showing up at the track on Kentucky Derby Day (or some other, major race-date) because it's a place to be seen, not because they've actually invested time, thought, money and energy into the sport on a year-round basis. ... Not because they love it and live it.

So that's what I hope Bobby Flay can bring to the Breeders' Cup -- star-power in a position of some authority.

I think he'll do a credible job as an equal member of the board when decisions are made. But Flay's truest and longest-lasting value to Breeders' Cup could come by standing him up in front of the other 12 members when it comes time for public relations.

Farewell to a favorite: Rahy pensioned

Just a quick chance today to say "goodbye," to the stud career, at least, of the little stallion who could, Rahy, who was announced as pensioned by Three Chimneys Farm at the age of 24.

I've never stood next to the fellow, but I've been told by those who have that "small" isn't the word for him. He's listed in the Stallion Register at 15.1 hands, but one woman compared his height to that of her show pony back home, and placed them almost on even terms.

Where Rahy stood tall was in the shed: A dozen millionaires; more than a dozen Grade 1 winners. As of this writing, progeny earnings of $85,707,354 from 554 winners and 84 stakes winners.

The names of his better get are unforgettable to race fans:

-- Fantastic Light, a dozen Grade or Group 1 wins and multiple championships, he earned nearly $8.5 million and was "Horse of the World."

-- Serena's Song, winner of 17 graded stakes races from 18 victories, twice beating colts including the Haskell Invitational-G1 and Jim Beam S.-G2 over colts, more than $3.2 million earned, champion 3-year-old filly.

-- Dreaming of Anna, graded-stakes winner on dirt and turf, victor of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, 2-year-old champion. And, of course, her full brother, G2-winning track record-setter Lewis Michael, who now is at stud at Three Chimneys.

-- Hawksley Hill, a rugged gelding with a mercurial temperament who was a multiple Grade 2 winner and earned $1.7 million from 45 races without ever winning a Grade 1.

-- Tranquility Lake, a multiple-G1 filly who earned $1.6 million.

-- Noverre, Irish-born millionaire son who won the Group 1 Sussex Stakes in the U.K. and at stud has already sired his own Group 1 winner in Le Harve (Prix du Jockey Club).

-- Tates Creek, filly who won 11 races and more than $1 million, including the Gamely H.-G1.

-- Early Pioneer, another of his gelded sons, millionaire winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup-G1.

-- Designed For Luck, 10 wins including the Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile-G1. 

-- Exotic Wood, three-times a G1 winner (Go For Wand, Santa Monica, Santa Maria handicaps).

Rahy got winners on dirt, turf and poly. He got winners going short, including Bop, whose six turf sprint stakes wins included three track records and his Pennsylvania Governor's Cup Handicap time of 0:54 3/5 was a world record for 5 furlongs on grass when set. He got winners going long, namely many of those raced in Europe and, at home, the likes of Dancing Forever, winner of the 10-furlong Manhattan H.-G1 at Belmont and the mile and a half Elkhorn S.-G2 at Keeneland.

And, he's earned an excellent reputation as a broodmare sire. His daughters have produced Grade 1 or Group 1 winners including: Giant's Causeway (out of G2 winner Mariah's Storm, who has produced four other blacktype foals); Sophisticat (one of five blacktype foals out of Serena's Song, who also produced G2 winners Harlington and Grand Reward); After Market (son of Tranquility Lake); and Del Mar Oaks-G1 winner Rutherienne (out of Firecracker Handicap-winner Ruthian).

And I'm probably missing many sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters who are worth mentioning.

"Rahy is one of the most important stallions we've had," said Case Clay, president of Three Chimneys.

I'd say he's one of the most important stallions anyone has had in the last 25 years. And I do mean "anyone."