Stacy Griggs' horse racing picks are "successful 34% of the time, every time."
That line was included in a one-page cheat sheet that included the CEO of El Toro's bets, doled out to the Louisville-based tech company's 30-plus employees and guests in attendance at the Starting Gate Suites on Saturday. The mood in the suite, equipped with its own bar and wagering machine, was jovial.
Griggs used to consult for the horse racing industry, but now, he uses the Kentucky Derby to entertain and connect with clients. In an interview, he told me it is often difficult to get C-level executives to commit to spending a few days in Louisville, but when it comes to the "Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports," it's an automatic yes.
"It is absolutely the right way to show off our city and our state," Griggs said. "I think it's a combination of the history, the prestige and the critical mass of people that come to the Derby just for the network effect."
El Toro co-founder Sean Stafford, who had won in five out of the first eight races ahead of the Kentucky Derby, shared a similar sentiment.
"We've got a great product ... we're known for what we do, but at the end of the day, this is something that will bring people together," he said, noting connections that get made in between the races.
Louisville-based El Toro, which offers tools for targeting and measuring digital advertising, has been growing exponentially in recent years, scaling from just a few dozen employees to more than 100. As of late, it's become a tradition for the company to get a suite at the Derby, although the Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to it for a bit.
But that doesn't mean no one won in 2020. After buying a fractional share in Authentic, the winner of the Kentucky Derby 146, Stafford been buying ownership stakes in various horses, although none were in the races on Saturday.
He shared his picks, too, making some selections for me in race nine, but we ended up with a loss. It was still fun, though, to hang out with the convivial group.
For Derby, Stafford liked No. 5 Tapit Trice (5-1), No. 14 Angel of Empire (8-1) and No. 8 Mage (15-1). Griggs also liked Tapit Trice, and No. 1 Hit Show (30-1), No. 3 Two Phil's (12-1) and No. 11 Disarm. El Toro CTO Chris Porter had Angel of Empire, No. 17 Derma Sotogake (10-1), Tapit Trice, and No. 21 Cyclone Mischief (30-1).
