“Mr Keeneland” writes autobiography Audio Interview

“Mr Keeneland” writes autobiography Audio Interview

Charlie Compton, WEKU News

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/weku/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1492658

When Ted Bassett came to Keeneland in 1968, he knew relatively little about thoroughbred racing. Today, some people refer to the octogenarian as “Mr. Keeneland”. Bassett’s four decades managing the historic Lexington, Kentucky race course feature prominently in his new autobiography, “Keeneland’s Ted Bassett: My Life”.

A year after coming to Keeneland, Bassett accepted the presidency, but with some reservation. Bassett said others had their doubts as well.

“After my first six months here, I’d go into the lavatory and look at myself in the mirror and say what the hell am I doing here?’,” he said.

Bassett said his strongest asset was administrative experience. He held the office until 1986, when he became Chairman of the Board.

In the 1950s, Bassett ran the Kentucky State Police. Besides improving their training facilities, Bassett also worked to racially integrate the force.

Bassett’s co-author is sports writer Bill Mooney, who has twice won the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s Eclipse Award. Mooney agreed Bassett’s welcome to Keeneland was not a warm one.

In 1967, the track’s staff was divided between the people who managed the horse race and employees who ran the horse auctions, Mooney said.

“Keeneland, for all intents and purposes, was actually two separate companies,” he said.

According to Mooney, one of the first things Bassett did was merge the two divisions.

“[That was] an idea a lot of people who worked here were opposed to,” Mooney said.

Keeneland was founded during the Great Depression and was already well-established by the time Bassett arrived. So, Bassett walked a line between track traditions, and enacting much-needed changes.

Among his ideas was Equibase, which gives fans easy access to racing statistics. With Bassett at the helm, Keeneland became an innovative venue, Mooney said.

“If you want to survive in just about any business nowadays in America or worldwide, you have to innovate. You cannot cling to tradition like some stubborn goat. Tradition is great, but there is room for other things as well,” Mooney said.

At first, Bassett opposed slot-machines at Keeneland. He told the Kentucky General Assembly the track didn’t need them.

“We made that decision fifteen years ago. Times have changed. The [gambling] boats have arrived. There are 26 states that have casino gambling now, and they’re on our borders. We have to get in a competitive position,” Basset said.

Bassett’s autobiography also has a section about royalty. In 1984, as Keeneland’s president, he hosted Queen Elizabeth’s visit to the race track. He’s also dealt with horse racing royalty: people like jockey Pat Day, and trainers D. Wayne Lukas and Nick Zito.

Then, there were the horses. In 1970, Bassett watched as Dust Commander won the Bluegrass Stakes. He was there when Alydar won in 1978, and a year later, when the Bluegrass Stakes hosted Spectacular Bid, who then won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.

Ted Bassett, as he put it, goes a long way back.

“The background of the book covers a fascinating period of the history of this country, ranging from the Great Depression, through World War II, the explosion of racing we had in the post war period, and the contraction we’re going through now,” Bassett said.

Keeneland’s Ted Bassett: My Life was co-authored by Bassett and sports writer Bill Mooney. It was published by University Press of Kentucky.