Preferring to keep its U.S. focus on the Triple Crown

Earlier this month, when horses gathered in the paddock at Belmont Park before heading to the track for the Belmont Stakes, they walked around an iconic white pine tree, thought to be a part of the estate on which the racetrack was constructed in 1905.

Estimated to be nearly 200 years old, the tree was joined in 2012 by a younger, more contemporary neighbor, a Longines clock, a symbol of the partnership between the New York Racing Association, which runs Belmont, and the venerable timepiece company established in 1867.

In 2012, Longines became the presenting partner of the Longines Just A Game Stakes on the Belmont undercard, continuing that partnership this year while becoming the official timekeeper and watch of the Belmont Stakes. Following Palace Malice’s Belmont win, Longines presented watches to the horse’s winning connections: jockey Mike Smith, trainer Todd Pletcher, and owner Cot Campbell, president of Dogwood Stable.

The event marked the beginning of a busy month of racing for Longines, whose relationship with the sport began in 1878, when it designed a chronograph (stopwatch) decorated with an image of a jockey and his mount. According to the company, the model became popular at the racetrack for use in timing equine performances.

Following the Belmont, Longines was a prominent presence at both Chantilly Racecourse and Royal Ascot, as the official partner and timekeeper for the Prix de Diane Longines and the official timekeeper, partner, and watch of Royal Ascot.

Longines has been presenting watches to racetrack winners since as far back as 1938. An article that year in the Daily Racing Form notes that the company would give wristwatches to the leading jockey and trainer at the Louisiana Jockey Club. It did the same that year at Fairmount Park in Illinois.

Partnerships and sponsorships between racetracks and non-racing entities are few and far between, except at the highest levels of the sport (The Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum!, for instance, or the Breeders’ Cup Classic, at one time Powered By Dodge, but unsponsored since 2006). Branding opportunities by breeding farms or other racing businesses offer revenue streams for the tracks and exposure to the sponsoring companies, but they do little to expand the sport’s reach beyond its niche market. Longines is one of the few non-industry companies with a long-standing and wide-ranging financial commitment to equestrian sports, and particularly horse racing.

For the first time in 2013, Longines was the official timekeeper and official watch of all three Triple Crown races; it was also a title sponsor of the Kentucky Oaks. Other title sponsorships include the Sheema Classic at the Dubai World Cup and the Longines Jockey Club Cup in Hong Kong.

Molly Brindle, sponsorship sales manager of the New York Racing Association, worked on the Belmont Park partnership with Longines and has traveled to other venues, in the U.S. and abroad, to discuss sponsorship opportunities.

“One of the appealing things about the partnership with Longines,” she said, “is that they do so much to partner with racetracks to promote them as fashionable venues. They’re emblematic of the elegance of the sport of the kings.”

“Part of the entertainment of coming to the racetrack is seeing people elegantly dressed,” she went on, “and I’ve seen first-hand how Longines links their brand with elegance. It was evident at the Preakness and at Chantilly.”

“Racing has always been a sport close to the brand’s heart,” said a representative of the company. “Our brand is all about elegance and history, and racing is kind of a natural fit.”

In its role as an arbiter of elegance, Longines sponsored a contest at Chantilly for “the most elegant lady at the racecourse” and served as a judge for the best turned out horse at Ascot.  At this year’s Kentucky Derby, Longines offered a “most elegant woman” contest, complete with on-site registration requirements, a stage, and celebrity judges. Not all its fashion events are quite so formal; at some racetracks, a photographer will move among the crowd, nominating people throughout the day, with contestants or noteworthy participants shown on a big infield screen.

If presentations at major races in three countries weren’t enough to keep the Longines representatives busy in June, the company also announced a long-term partnership with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, in which Longines became the official sponsor of the World’s Best Racehorses Rankings.

The retired, undefeated Australian mare Black Caviar ranks #1 through June 9, followed by three horses based in the United States for their racing careers: Wise Dan, Animal Kingdom, and Game On Dude.  Animal Kingdom was recently retired and will begin his stud career in Australia.

Preferring to keep its U.S. focus on the Triple Crown, Longines will have a less visible presence here during summer racing and the road to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park in November. Its international profile will be higher, at equestrian events beyond the racetrack, as the company has a 10-year, multi-million dollar agreement with the Fédération Equestre Internationale, the international governing body for all Olympic equestrian disciplines.

Despite that absence in the second half of the racing year, Longines expects to continue its participation in horse racing for the foreseeable future.

“As early as 1886,” said Juan-Carlos Capelli, Longines’ vice president and head of international marketing, via e-mail, “Longines was able to boast that its products were being used by the majority of judges at sports events. Furthermore, the world of horseracing has much to do with tradition, performance and elegance, the core values of Longines.”