bloodhorse.com
Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who
offered advertising on his jockey pants legs and his collar for sale on
the auction Web site eBay, received one winning bid for $15,000 from an
offshore casino and will begin wearing the ads during Wednesday's card
at Santa Anita.
Winning
bidder Betcris.com is an online sports/race book, casino and poker
website that offers wagering on everything from horses and sports to
entertainment and politics.
"My
girlfriend, Jennifer, and I were watching all these news reports about
people who offer their foreheads or their stomachs or their breasts for
advertising," Valenzuela said. "So we thought, 'Why not have a sponsor
for me for racing?'"
According
to Valenzuela, the contract with Betcris will last for the next two
months with the option to extend the agreement further. He said the
$15,000 fee is a starting point and is hopeful for more lucrative
options in the future.
"(The
price) depends on the company and also who's interested," Valenzuela
said. "I priced it reasonably cheaper because it's a testing ground, a
trial effort. The last time I did it with (car dealer and horse owner)
Steve Taub and No Fear, it was very successful. The public sees it a
lot; I ride six, seven eight races a day."
Valenzuela
said that advertising is something that jockeys need to pursue more
actively and that racing is missing the boat on capitalizing on
corporate sponsorships, which are prominent in most other sports.
"It's
really important for jockeys to get sponsors," Valenzuela said. "So
many athletes we've never even really heard of in other sports have
sponsors. There are a handful of jockeys who ride big races and who
produce big winners who could attract media attention. Hopefully
advertising deals like this one will open more doors for more jockeys.
"I'm
looking forward to working with betcris.com over the next few months
and am hoping to make a difference in bringing exposure to their
company and in return showing them what the value a jockey can be as
far as advertising their product."
