Arlington’s ‘Racehorse’ video series focuses on owners and
their horses
Following the success of last year’s web series “Behind the
Silks,” a weekly show chronicling the life of Arlington jockey Tim Thornton, Arlington racing analyst Jessica Pacheco is back as the
producer of a new series for the 2013 season entitled “Racehorse.”
“Racehorse” will follow five different Thoroughbreds
throughout the Arlington meet with special attention paid to their owners and
the relationships between owner and horse. Pacheco took a different angle with
this year’s series, but a common theme remains.
“After doing the show with Tim last year, it was all about
getting people invested in him as a person, not just as a rider,” Pacheco said.
“I wanted to do the same thing with these horses, because they’re so much more
than just names on paper. From eating hay, working out, and heading to the gate
for a race, there is so much more to these horses — and there is something very
special in the relationship between horse and owner.
“Trainers have a barn full
of horses, jockeys ride for multiple trainers and owners, but it’s these owners
who can’t sleep the night before a race. That’s a special attachment, and I
wanted to share that with people.”
The human and equine cast members of “Racehorse” are a
diverse group, offering multiple perspectives on ownership and racing. The cast
includes: Workin for Hops, owned in a family affair by Red Rabbit Racing, best
known locally for campaigning 17-time winner General Charley; Magna Fortuna,
Rescue Me Racing’s only racehorse, also a main subject of a well-publicized
rescue story; Sugar Kate, a homebred racing in the colors of Steven Connolly’s
Crown and Thistle Stables, and a recent maiden winner over Arlington’s turf course; Broken Bow, racing for Homer Schafer
Stables, owned by 35-year veteran owner Homer Schafer; and Givenchi, owned and
trained by Alnaz Ali, racing under the moniker Ali’s Racing Stable.
Pacheco said the intent of the series was to bring fans
closer to the game.
“I wanted people to be able to know who these owners are, to
be invested in them and in the horses, and to share this journey through the
meet with them. I am thrilled with the cast we’ve got, because we have such a
wide array of perspectives. We’ve got ownership groups like Red Rabbit Racing
and Rescue Me Racing, the breeder/owner perspective of Crown and Thistle
Stables, the owner/trainer perspective of Ali’s Racing Stable, and the longtime
horse owner who started in the harness game in Homer Schafer.
“We’re going to see where these horses and their owners
take us throughout the meet. This isn’t the kind of show that can be scripted,
and our entire cast has been great for allowing us to tag along for the ride
with them. I think we’re all excited to see what happens!”
Episode 1 of “Racehorse” is currently available for viewing from either
Arlington’s site or
YouTube.
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