As successful as he has been in the technology industry, creating CNET, an Internet service that provides news and information about technological products, he is not widely known in horse racing.
He does count Bill Farish IV, owner of Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Ky., and George Bolton, a former part-owner of Preakness winner Curlin, among his best friends. The three have known each other since their days at the University of Virginia, and Farish and Bolton both said they "would never bet against Halsey" when he sets out to do something.
"He thinks big and usually achieves what he sets out to do," Bolton said. "He's incredibly forward-thinking."
Magna Entertainment Corp. owner Frank Stronach is also considered forward-thinking, but he draws much of Minor's ire. Magna operates or manages 10 tracks around the country, including Pimlico Race Course, Laurel Park, Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park.
"I'm actually very angry that so much of racing has fallen into his hands," Minor said. "You can't blame one person for racing's ills, but ... Stronach is an object lesson in what shouldn't be done. He has been about anything but racing - slots, movie theaters, shopping malls."
Minor's formula for racing is the same as the one he used to build his technology business.
"I ran my company, CNET [a Nasdaq 100 technology news site] during the 2002 bubble [when many .coms dot-coms crashed]," he said. "It was a crazy, tumultuous time. But I told everybody, our primary principles are No. 1, we care about our users [clients], our advertisers and Wall Street in that order. There are people who reverse that order and they might make immediate money, but they build nothing with longevity. I recently sold CNET for $1.8 billion to CBS."
Stronach is in Austria, and his office did not respond to an interview request. But Ron Charles, president of Santa Anita Park and a member of the Executive Management Committee of Magna since 2004, takes issue with Minor's criticism.
"I think Frank Stronach has individually invested more money and time than anyone in America in trying to improve and better the horse racing industry," Charles said. "He understands the importance of technology and the need to make it convenient for the horse fan to use at home. But I know I speak for Frank when I say he also understands the only way to create a horse fan is to get him to the racetrack, and we've been working hard at doing that, too."
Even Minor's friend Farish notes that slots have helped the industry.
"This sport attracts a lot of very, very successful people," Farish said. "I would applaud his acquisition of Hialeah and its restoration. But the real key is what things he implements that are effective."
Minor said when he spoke to Brunetti, 76, he was eager to enter the discussion.
"I don't think Mr. Brunetti wants to see the icon of thoroughbred racing bulldozed," Minor said. "I don't think he wants his legacy to be bulldozers moving through the stands. And I'm patient enough and care enough to take the financial risk that I can make it work."
sandra.mckee@baltsun.com
