Sports
Santa Anita is using music acts, including Shaboozey, in the hopes of attracting new fans
The California Horse Racing Board met last week in Sacramento to decide the immediate future of horse racing in the northern part of the state. There was tension, confrontation and a sense of desperation from all the proponents in the room looking for a lifeline to run a short three-month meeting in Pleasanton to show that they can do it.
The meeting had everything but power. No, not the kind of power that politicians wield with impunity. Actual honest-to-goodness electrical power, the stuff of Edison and Tesla that drives microphones, lighting and the internet.
It might have been the first time this sort of thing has happened in more than 20 years but the difficulties were emblematic of the current state of California horse racing, a sport that is closer to circling the drain than stopping the bleeding.
So, how does California’s largest race track deal with the current state of the business? Why throw a party, of course.
On Saturday, Santa Anita is hosting the California Crown, a first-year event that is supposed to entice people to experience horse racing by offering healthy sides of musical entertainment, an elevated food experience and the belief the sport can provide more than hoof beats and tote boards.
Some see this as a new version of the apocryphal story of Nero fiddling while Rome burns. Others see it as the Stronach Group, owner of Santa Anita, believing so much in the sport that this type of event will energize the populace and bring much-needed new fans to the sport.
“I know they want this to be a day that mirrors the Pegasus at Gulfstream Park in Florida,” said Bill Nader, president and chief executive of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. “So, we’ll see how it goes. It’s a very competitive landscape in Southern California this time of year with USC and UCLA football both being at home, and possibly before sellout crowds. [TSG] is putting its money up and taking its best shot.
“Regardless, if someone says it’s the right use of money, it’s their company, it’s their race track, it’s their call. But we’ll get behind it.”
The day starts at 12:30 p.m. with the first of 10 races. The big races start about 3:30 p.m. with the $750,000 John Henry Turf Championship going 1 ¼ miles, followed by the $750,000 Eddie D Stakes for horses going about 6 ½ furlongs on the downhill turf course.
The big event was supposed to be the $1-million California Crown at 4:30 p.m., with a less than hoped for group of six horses going 1 1/8 miles on the dirt. The race was formerly known as the Awesome Again Stakes, when it paid only $300,000.
The California Crown race is part of a bonus program with a $5-million bonus to any horse that won the Preakness Stakes, California Crown and Pegasus. However, that became meaningless when Preakness winner Seize the Grey elected to skip the California Crown and instead run in the Pennsylvania Derby last week, which he won. There are also bonuses tied to the turf races.
The music will start after the first race is over with Siobhan followed by Amika (1:11 p.m.), the McLarens (1:45 p.m.), Elan Bia (3:42 p.m.), Shaboozey (4:13 p.m.), Zack Bia (5:21 p.m.), Lil Yachty and Zack Bia (5:30 p.m.), Frank Walker (5:51 p.m.) and Gryffin (6:40 p.m.)
Shaboozey is probably the hottest name right now based on a few hits on the country music charts. His set, like most, will last about 20 minutes. The stage is trackside, in the Delila VIP area, just past the finish line. General admission, which was free Friday, is $27.30 on Saturday. General parking is free.
The Delilah trackside box seats, the highest ticket prices, cost $1,372.50 a seat.
“Some concerts work, some concerts don’t work,” said Robert Hartman, who worked in marketing at Santa Anita before becoming general manager at Golden Gate Fields. He is currently the director of the Race Track Industry Program at the University of Arizona.
“We had two types of musical groups,” Hartman said. “One was groups that were just getting started. They were hot but only had maybe one hit. The hope was by the time you booked them they had two, three, four, five hits.
“Or they were the opposite, they had a brand name but their brand has faded. One that comes to mind is Frankie Valli. He had the brand and people still wanted to see him because he was Frankie Valli. The Beach Boys would be another example.”
Hartman remembers when No Doubt, fronted by Gwen Stefani, played at Santa Anita. “We probably had 25,000 to see No Doubt,” Hartman said. “They got more and more popular between the time we booked them and the time they performed. We almost had to shut the admissions gates. And they were relatively inexpensive.”
The real goal of these types of promotions is to collect data about those who are new to racing so they can be the target of direct marketing.
While Hartman believes it’s best to intersperse the music between races, it’s not the only way to do things.
“Del Mar’s now discontinued concerts were apparently very successful, especially their innovation of having the concerts after the races,” said Alan Balch a longtime Santa Anita marketing and public relations executive who is the executive director of the California Thoroughbred Trainers.
“It enabled concertgoers to come to the races earlier, at the regular low track admission price, but then have to pay a much higher admission to come to the concert alone. To any regular racing fan attending those days, it was a win-win — large numbers of new fans being introduced to the races, with the attendant buzz in the crowd. The after-race concerts did not disturb any racing activities. This is the very definition of successful market development, provided the concert cost-benefit analysis indicated break-even or better.”
Aidan Butler is the chief executive over TSG’s ever-shrinking racing empire. The company closed Golden Gate Fields this year and gave Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore to the state so it didn’t have to pay for a massive rebuild of the ancient facility.
“The criticism of California is that no one markets anymore and we take that as a fair criticism,” Butler said. “How do you get visibility for a racetrack that is in a very highly populated area that is Hollywood? I’m just trying to get visibility to a newer audience. And you can’t do that with just horse racing.”
California racing has been in decline for several years. The state has some of the lowest purses compared with the racing circuits in Kentucky and New York. The difference is those states get supplemental income from casino gambling, something California does not. Kentucky purses have reached ridiculously high levels since the introduction of Historical Horse Racing, marketed as a game of skill using old horse races as content but is really little more than a slot machine.
Purses are paid through a percentage of money bet on the races and managed by the TOC. If there is not enough revenue by virtue of reduced mutuel handle, the TOC enters what’s counterintuitively known as an overpayment. The shortfall is paid by the track with the fantastical notion that it will one day be paid back.
During the six-month winter-spring meeting at Santa Anita, there was a shortfall of $5 million, which Santa Anita is carrying. At Del Mar, the track picked up $1 million in purses.
TSG is picking up the tab for Saturday’s racing, which amounts to about $3.1 million.
“Some ask why don’t they take that money and put it into overnight [daily] purses or to pay down the overpayment, but in the end, it’s their money, their race track and if they elect to go for the big bang marketing effort then who are we to object,” Nader said.
“We have to respect their strategic investment if they believe that this is a better approach and it’s going to help. Either effort would benefit horse owners but … we have to respect their position. I could make an argument for either side. If they were to come and offer that money for overnights, I’d be in favor of that too.”
Hartman points out that even if Saturday is a huge success, you need a strategy beyond that one day.
“On the negative side, we would get people on a big day like that and they had a good time and they come back on a Thursday and the experience wasn’t quite as energetic,” Hartman said. “It was always my concern when their second visit didn’t live up to the excitement of the first visit with live music. Would that then turn them off?”
Balch says all tracks need to look beyond the next big weekend.
“Any marketing, advertising, sales promotion efforts must be part of a plan which enables measuring effectiveness,” Balch said. “All ‘proper’ marketing is for profit, either short or long-term, and must be subject to analysis of cost vs. benefit.”
If Saturday’s card is a success as an experience — it’s highly unlikely it will be a financial success — Butler understands the tightrope that must be walked between regular and new race-goers.
“We really do give a lot of thought into customers that are here day in and day out,” Butler said. “The elevation of the experience is to attract new customers. But we still want to show the love to customers who come day in and day out. And you’ve got the ADW [advance deposit wagering] crowd and the people who bet from home. I’m hoping from a betting standpoint there will be a great card to wager on.”
It will take time to assess if this grand experiment will make a difference or if one day Shaboozey will be the answer to a trivia question as to who played a significant role in saving California racing.
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Earlier this month, Michigan defeated UConn in the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game.
Shortly after the Wolverines captured the program’s first title since 1989, Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. announced he would enter the NBA Draft.
Despite declaring for the NBA Draft, Johnson has maintained his NCAA eligibility throughout the process. However, he has until May 27 to withdraw if he plans to return for his junior season.
Johnson played for Illinois during the 2024-25 season before transferring to Michigan last offseason.
Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. walks on the court against UConn at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated)
After joining Michigan, Johnson quickly emerged as a key contributor, averaging the second-most points on the team. He also led the Wolverines in rebounding, averaging 7.3 per game.
Michigan head coach Dusty May eventually dubbed Johnson “The Enforcer” and “Junkyard Dog,” a nod to his tenacity on the defensive end. Johnson was named to the Big Ten’s All-Defensive Team.
RANKING THE TOP 20 PLAYERS IN THE MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TRANSFER PORTAL
But Johnson’s offensive prowess didn’t take a back seat to his defensive strengths. His shooting from beyond the 3-point line showed improvement as the season progressed.
Morez Johnson Jr. of the Michigan Wolverines cuts down the net after defeating the UConn Huskies 69-63 in the 2026 NCAA national championship game in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Many early NBA projections gave Johnson a first-round grade. It’s unclear how much name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation he would command if he returns to Michigan or transfers elsewhere.
Johnson has been active on social media, interacting with teammates as they consider returning to Michigan for another championship push.
Morez Johnson Jr. of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates after scoring in the second half against the UConn Huskies during the 2026 NCAA national championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
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Michigan added a key piece this week, with Jalen Reed transferring from LSU, On3 reported. Reed was limited during the 2025-26 season by an Achilles injury.
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Quarterback Ty Simpson arrived in Los Angeles on Friday — and the Rams’ first-round draft pick sounded as if he couldn’t wait to start learning from coach Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford.
“The best head coach in the league, the best quarterback in the league, the best … franchise in the league — it’s a perfect situation,” Simpson said during a news conference at the Rams’ draft headquarters in Inglewood.
How the situation plays out — short and long term — remains to be seen.
Stafford, 38, will enter his 18th NFL season as the reigning NFL most valuable player.
With free agent Jimmy Garoppolo mulling retirement, McVay said Thursday night that Simpson would compete with Stetson Bennett to be Stafford’s backup.
The Rams used the 13th pick to select Simpson, 23, who started 15 games for Alabama.
McVay said that he had informed Stafford that the Rams would select Simpson.
“He was great,” McVay said of Stafford’s reaction. “He’s a stud. He’s always first class in every sense of the word.”
But McVay and general manager Les Snead were not their typically ebullient selves when discussing Simpson during their Thursday night news conference. Some observers perceived that as a break in what is regarded as one of the NFL’s best coach-general manager partnerships.
On Friday, Snead said in an interview with ESPN radio that he and McVay work “in lockstep.”
So their muted reactions Thursday might have been out of sensitivity, warranted or not, to not upset Stafford after drafting his heir apparent in the first round. McVay took pains to remind that the Rams are Stafford’s team, seemingly to not offend the Rams’ most important player.
After last year’s draft-day trade with the Atlanta Falcons, the Rams went into the offseason with two first-round picks — their own at No. 29 and the one acquired from the Falcons at 13.
Ty Simpson poses for a photo with his family during a news conference in Inglewood on Friday.
(Caroline Brehman / Associated Press)
In March, the Rams used the 29th pick in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, so perhaps the 13th pick was regarded as a luxury.
They spent it on a player who was at Alabama for four seasons, but started only one.
Snead acknowledged that as Simpson pondered whether to remain at Alabama or make himself available for the draft, Snead spoke with Simpson’s father, Jason, who like Snead played college football in the Southeastern Conference and is now the coach at Tennessee Martin. Snead said it was in the role similar to the NFL’s College Advisory Committee, which evaluates prospects and lets them know in what round, if any, that they might be selected. Snead reportedly told Jason Simpson his son was first-round caliber.
“You try to get across it’s not about where you get drafted,” Snead said Thursday night. “It’s more about where you go and what situation you go and what you do with that opportunity after.”
A few months later, the Rams drafted Simpson, who was upbeat as he met with reporters, while his parents and his brother and sister sat nearby.
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The Rams drafted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft in Pittsburgh.
Simpson, who passed for 28 touchdowns, with five interceptions last season, was in Southern California last January when Alabama lost to Indiana in the Rose Bowl. The Crimson Tide did a walkthrough at SoFi Stadium.
Now he will begin his NFL career there.
“I’m, I guess, like a redneck in Southern California,” he joked. “So we’ll see how that goes. But I’m super excited to be here. This is a great place, with great people and I can’t wait to get started.”
Simpson said that Rams safety Quentin Lake had texted him. He also received a social media message from Stafford’s wife, Kelly, inviting him and his family to reach out if they need anything.
“Can’t wait to talk to Matthew,” said Simpson, who characterized the veteran as “an assassin” on the field. “I’m super excited because I just want to pick his brain about everything.”
Simpson met with McVay on Friday.
“He’s got the juice, man,” Simpson said, “like that dude … he’s a fireball.”
Simpson said he benefited from the years he spent at Alabama before he got his opportunity to play last season.
“The years that I sat were … probably more important,” he said, “because I had to learn how to practice. I had to learn how to study when I wasn’t playing because I didn’t know when that time was going to come.
“And so whenever that time did come — it was this year — I made the most of it.”
Now he is ready for the next phase of his career.
He said his faith was his foundation, and that he aspires to be “not only be the best football player I can be,” but also a better teammate and person.
“I want people to come into the locker room and smile, knowing that ‘Hey, Ty’s here,’” he said. “I want to lead, influence people and I think at the quarterback position that’s what you need to do.”
His immediate goal is modest.
“My plan is just to get better each and every day,” he said, “so, eventually, I have a long career like Matthew.”
Sports
Olympic legend Kaillie Humphries signs with activist sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics amid political rise
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The most accomplished Olympic women’s bobsledder in history is now an official brand ambassador in the movement to “save women’s sports”.
Olympic bobsled legend Kaillie Humphries has signed with the activist sportswear company XX-XY Athletics, becoming the latest medal-winning Olympian to represent the brand.
“Being able to partner with a brand that believes in the same things I do, that’s willing to stand up and actively work on protecting the women’s space and women’s sports is huge,” Humphries told Fox News Digital.
Humphries first spoke out about her support for protecting women’s sports from biological male trans athletes in a Fox News Interview that went viral after the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
Humphries had just returned after winning bronze in women’s bobsled, marking her sixth career Olympic medal. She later revealed that she received backlash for coming out as a Republican with other conservative stances in that interview, but didn’t back down.
Humphries went on to be honored at a White House Women’s History Month event by President Donald Trump in March, and gave her Order of Ikkos medal to Trump, citing his actions to protect women’s sports.
“Being able to come back to the USA after the Olympics and then be able to make connections and meet some people, I was able to, when I went to the White House, I was able to meet people that were connected obviously in working with XX-XY and that’s how the conversation started,” Humphries said.
Humphries, who is originally from Canada and competed in her first three Olympics for Canada, moved to the U.S. in 2016 and then competed for Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
FEMALE ATHLETES ANXIOUSLY AWAIT SUPREME COURT DECISION TO TAKE UP TRANSGENDER PARTICIPATION IN WOMEN’S SPORTS
Kaillie Humphries, U.S. Olympic bronze medalist bobsled athlete, presents the Order of Ikkos to President Donald Trump during a Women’s History Month event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 12, 2026. (Al Drago/Bloomberg)
Just months after that, America was rocked by the news that male transgender swimmer Lia Thomas was winning championships for UPenn’s women’s swim team.
Humphries, who was following the story in the news, found it startling.
Now, as a California resident and the mother of a newborn son, she is energized to help combat the wave of trans athletes in girls’ sports in the state, as California has become the nation’s biggest hotbed for the issue.
XX-XY Athletics co-founder and former U.S. gymnast Jennifer previously told Fox News Digital one of her biggest goals for the brand was to land high-profile superstar women’s athletes as brand ambassadors, especially Olympic medalists.
Now, with Humphries, the brand has a three-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time Olympic podium finisher across her stints for Canada and the U.S.
Humphries joins Olympic silver medalist gymnast MyKayla Skinner and gold medal swimmer Nancy Hogshead on XX-XY Athletics’ growing roster of Olympians.
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USA’s Kaillie Humphries holds a USA flag after winning bronze in the bobsleigh women’s monobob heat 4 at Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Feb. 16, 2026. (Marco Bertorello/AFP)
“Kaillie is the GOAT of her sport. She is the only Olympian to win gold for two different countries. She is an elite athlete and a courageous, fierce woman who has fought for female athletes to have equal opportunities in sport.” Sey told Fox News Digital.
“The women’s monobob event exists because of Kaillie’s leadership, and she has gold-medal proof that women have the skill, strength, and speed to compete at the highest level. She has driven meaningful change and expanded opportunities for women at the Olympic level — more female athletes represent Team USA because of Kaillie. And that’s exactly why we’re leading with her as we grow in how we support female athletes.”
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