Nicoletti Gets the Boot

By Jude T. Feld

For over a decade, Ron Nicoletti has had the monumental task of making races for low-level maidens and jaded claiming horses running at Calder Race Course sound interesting. The handicapper for the Miami Herald has literally been the “face” of the Florida racing emporium as their television paddock host and analyst.

He was fired by Churchill Downs, Inc. the parent company of Calder, at the end of the 2007 meeting.

“Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Nicoletti’s paddock reports have always been insightful and his predictions accurate roughly 34% of the time – no easy task while handicapping every race every day during one of the most arduous racemeets in North America. But picking winners is not the biggest value of having him in the paddock; it is Nicoletti’s infectious love of the game that helps create new fans – racing’s biggest challenge.

I have been Calder’s cheerleader since my visit to the 2007 Summit of Speed. It was my first face-to-face meeting with Nicoletti, and part of the reason I was so taken with the place was him.

Just listening to him talk about horses and racing was re-energizing to me. The guy loves our sport, as do most of the people in the Calder pressbox, so there is the same palpable buzz about the crummy Thursday card as there is when the stakes horses compete on Saturday.

It made me remember why I fell in love with the game – those conversations/arguments about trips and speed figures and bad rides between Nicoletti, America’s Handicapper Toby Callet and Daily Racing Form’s Jack Wilson – so reminiscent of the discussions my Dad, my brothers and I would have during an afternoon of sport at Santa Anita.

Saturday afternoon, Nicoletti was joined in the paddock by Francine Walder, the alluring wife of trainer Peter, and their banter was fabulous. It was like having Jack and Jackie Kennedy doing paddock commentary – adding a touch of class to Summit of Speed day.

Evidently, Churchill Downs, Inc. thinks that Calder can do without paddock commentary. The Poinciana trees are beautiful and all, but silent post parades went away when Keeneland hired Kurt Becker. People in today’s instant entertainment age can’t walk to the rest room without their iPods. Even cars have DVD players and televisions in them now. What makes CDI think quiet will make Calder’s racing more fascinating and increase handle?

If CDI covets a bigger number on the bottom line, wouldn’t it behoove them to “sell” Nicoletti’s wagers a la TVG?

“Here’s Ron’s Pick Four ticket. You can join him in the cashier’s line for a mere $48.”

I can’t imagine his notoriously cheap former employers payed Nicoletti more than he generated in handle and goodwill, so where is their savings?

Racing needs to promote their human stars because their equine ones are so fleeting, especially at tracks like Calder, who depend on transient stakes horses to be their weekend draws. Nicoletti is the kind of star racing needs – knowledgeable, enthusiastic and handsome to boot.

Too bad that’s what CDI gave him.

(You can still catch Nicoletti on Gulfstream’s simo-feed, talking about the races with his sidekick, Rolly Hoyt, the pair now known as “The Odds Couple”.)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 8th, 2008 at 12:23 pm and is filed under Featured Articles. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.