Host – Les Walker Salzman

Winning Races since 1984

“At the age of two, my Grandfather put me on a horse for the first time. In the 50 plus years since then, racing and horses have been a driving force in both my professional and personal life.”

TRAINING-Have trained both thoroughbred and standardbreds. The majority of the work has been within the thoroughbred side of the business. Lifetime thoroughbred winning percentage of over 18%. Won numerous stakes and have been on leading trainers list at several track. Have been licensed from New York to Florida. Currently training at Palm Meadows, Florida.

FARM MANAGEMENT-Acted as the bank or trustee appointed operations manager for several commercial breeding farms which have foaled more than 200 per year. The farms managed were primarily located in New Jersey and include Fairwinds Farm, Royal Casino Farm and Our Farm as well as serving as a consultant to several facilities in Florida. Managed both Thoroughbred and Standardbred stallions and am familiar with live cover, artificial insemination and frozen to be shipped semen procedures.

This role included all budget and reporting duties for the operations (including marketing and client relations).

CONSIGNOR/ BLOODSTOCK AGENT-Acted as consignor for as many as 70 yearlings in a season and have worked with similar numbers of broodmares, two year olds and horses of racing. Have sold in Florida, Maryland, Kentucky and New York and have purchased and sold many stakes winners for numerous well known owners in the industry.

We have arranged breedings that have sold numerous stakes winners as well as having particoated in the sale of an Eclipse Award winner.

AUCTION COMPANIES-Worked on a management level for two (thoroughbred and standardbred) auction sales companies. Duties included the full gamut of the industry (procuring consignors and inspecting, cataloguing, marketing, sale day arrangements, site negotiation etc.) as well as having worked on a contractual basis for others. Conducted the first simulcast sale and introduced several innovations currently in use today.

SYNDICATION AND PARTNERSHIPS-Syndicated and managed more than 15 equine limited partnerships including Grade winning stock. First partnerships were initiated in 1978 and crossed most ends of the industry. More than 150 investors have participated.

APPRAISALS -Certified equine appraiser having presented before several courts and tax hearings as well as estate plannings. Have appraised breeds ranging from minis to Warmbloods.

TELEVISION AND RADIO-Hosted several equine radio and television series and have appeared on Foxsports, Sirius Radio and most recently on the World Talk Radio Network.

M. Ed.—New Jersey Educational Consortium, Princeton, NJ
Licensed Real Estate and Mortgage Broker, Fl., NJ
Certified Real Estate and Equine Appraiser
Member of Numerous Community and Professional Organizations
Elected Official
Speaker on numerous television and radio showsPublished author of Professional Articles

CoHost – JJ Graci

The Michigan-based Graci has vast experience in horse racing and broadcasting. JJ has been a fixture in the Thoroughbred Horseracing Industry since 1962 as both an owner and a trainer. In fact, he still holds the record as the winningest trainer at Atlantic City Race Course; not to mention the multiple titles he’s held at Garden State Race Course.

In 1985 he made his debut on national television in a special called “NUTTIN BUT A HORSE RACE” on WNEW, New York. JJ was campaigning a horse named Irish Sur on the road to the Kentucky Derby. As a result Graci was hired as expert analyst on the NBC broadcast of The Jersey Derby.

JJ landed a similar position on “Philadelphia Park Live” the following year. A daily television show. Later he formed Equine Network Productions, a production company specializing in video concepts for the thoroughbred horseracing industry. That same year as both executive producer and host, J.J. released “AT THE RACES!” and the show immediately brought recognition to both Graci and his production company, the audience swelled from 105,000 to 2.5 million viewers. AT THE RACES was seen throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The program garnered the Cape Award for programming excellence in New Jersey for five consecutive years and received Best Sports Program, Best Sports Series, Best Single Sports Program, and Producer of the Year awards as well.

As a result of his TV prowess, WIP Sports Radio, Philadelphia sought to add him to their list of personalities by naming him co-host of AT THE RACES, the first radio program devoted to horseracing. Due to the shows initial success Graci was asked to host a daily program called “J.J. GRACI‘S CALL TO THE POST”, followed soon after by the acclaimed “IT’S POST TIME WITH J.J. GRACI”!

In 1999 JJ relocated to South Florida where he immediately made his mark by winning Calder’s 2000 Breeders Cup Handicap with the Cinderella Horse of the Year CYBIL. Cybil was a $2,200 Keeneland Sale purchase and earned almost $300,000 in her career.

Graci re-established his radio career in Florida with AT THE RACES which was aired on Fox Sports radio from 2002-2004. The advent of the internet gave Graci a new venue to increase his audience as the show was broadcasted on attheracesandbeyond.com. As the show became more popular nationally, Sirius radio saw the potential of the show and added it to it’s’ sports talk schedule. The show debuted on Sirius Satellite radio in the summer of 2005 until the XM merger in 2007. Sirius had approximately 10 million subscribers.

In 2004 JJ became the spokesperson for Team Afleet Alex, during the career of the 2005 Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner. Graci and his partner, Anita “Samm” Saint Clair, are credited for establishing the fund raising efforts between Team Afleet Alex and Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Approximately 3 million dollars was raised for children’s cancer research directly through their efforts.

In 2008 he moved to Michigan to open a new racetrack and was again drawn back to radio. He did a sports show with a local sports writer and expanded to doing a local talk show and crime show with the County prosecutor. He also started filming and broadcasting high school sports for both television and the internet on Joltlive.tv

CoHost – Anita Saint Clair aka Samm Graci

Anita’s expertise definitely lies in the business administration field however her equestrian experience makes her an important part of the team. Anita developed, produced and hosted a cable television show called “Santa Claus Live” for 4 years. The show was an instantaneous success. She also has been co-host to JJ at Fox Sports, Beasley Broadcasting and Sirius Satellite radio. During both the Afleet Alex and Brother Derek campaigns Anita wrote all the press releases and dealt with the media on the accuracy of the stories. She was the driving force behind the Alex’s Lemonade/Afleet Alex juvenile cancer research campaign.

She moved to Michigan and worked in the Public Relations and marketing department at Pinnacle Race Course and was co-host for the Eat Sports talk show as well as the Community Chat and Crime Scene shows. She is executive producer of Joltlive.tv High School Sports productions.

Read more at Bloodhorse.com

Check out Instant Racing here

At the end, you think they’ll kiss and make up? )

contact ESM for more details

Here is a video clip from the Daily Racing Form, in which owner Barry Irwin speaks of the decision to run–in the Belmont.

go to DRF for more videos

Congrats to Shackleford and his connections from EquiSports Media.