HORSE RACING
SITUATION
Race Track Management symposium was about track management not horses.
Sought to share vision & outline the industry’s most pressing needs BUT
Included presentations of advocacy efforts for horse racing in Washington DC
Goal was to provide tools needed to be better ambassadors to market sport
SIGNIFICANCE:
Symposium agenda did not seem to focus on real problems for Racing industry.
Track leaders continued to circle back to equine & track safety.
Driven by the provisions of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act.
Cultural changes have improved safety & transparency to protect the horses.
SEZ:
“Spin doesn’t work like it used to. Let’s face it, you can’t paint dead in a good color; it doesn’t exist. So we’ve got to do everything we possibly can to make our racetrack as safe as possible, make our game have as much integrity as possible, and make sure that it’s policed by people who have an independent perspective on how that should be done.” — Craig Fravel, CEO of 1/ST Racing
SOLUTIONS::
Seek to chart a Path Forward – Industry Leaders Share Three-Year Plan
Outline what it will take for the industry to thrive in the near term.
Consult, observe, examine horses before works & before starts as opposed to simply dispensing medication
Symposium Lead Panel consisted of:
Craig Fravel, CEO of 1/ST Racing;
Shannon Arvin, president and CEO of Keeneland;
Josh Rubinstein, president of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club;
David O’Rourke, president and CEO of the New York Racing Association.
Moderator Charlie Hayward, publisher of Thoroughbred Racing Commentary
PEOPLE Participating in the Symposium:
US Congressman Thomas (Tom) Rooney [Former]
Head of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA).
Dr. Susan Stover, Chair, Racetrack Safety Committee
Ann McGovern, Director, Racetrack Safety Committee
Adolpho Birch, Chair, Anti-Doping & Medication Control Committee
Jim Gates, Director, Anti-Doping and Medication Control Committee
Michael Wrona
Najja Thompson, Exec Dir, NY Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB)
Chip Tuttle, Marketing, CTP Boston
Amy Zimmerman, Executive VP & Exec Producer, Santa Anita Park
Shannon Arvin, Aidan Butler
David O’Rourke
Charlie Hayward, President & Publisher, Thoroughbred Racing
Shannon Arvin, President & CEO, Keeneland
Craig Fravel, CEO, 1/ST Racing
David O’Rourke, President & CEO, New York Racing Association
Josh Rubinstein, President, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
Track Executives Look to Future of Racing –
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/255440/track-executives-look-to-future-of-racing
