NYRA Rejects Hooters Sponsorship Of Big Brown On Eve Of Belmont

NYRA Friday rejected Hooters' sponsorship of Big Brown for Saturday's Belmont Stakes and also "threatened to fine" Big Brown jockey Kent Desormeaux if he wore the Hooters logo during the race as planned, according to Steve Hummer of the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION. NYRA Senior VP/Sales & Market Development Gavin Landry said NYRA rejected the deal because it was a "conflict with one of our sponsors." Landry would not reveal which sponsor, and said, "The sponsor wanted to remain anonymous." Hooters VP/Marketing Mike McNeil: "Obviously the timing of this new sponsor is very suspicious. ... I never had heard of something like this happening" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 6/7). NYRA told Hooters that it would "announce a new sponsor before the race" (AP, 6/7). In N.Y., Christina Boyle reported the sponsorship, agreed upon separately between Desormeaux and Hooters, "was said to have upset the family-friendly sensibilities of the other sponsors, UPS and NetJets" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/7).