News Releases

Friday, March 11, 2016Contact: Bob Curran Jr. (212) 521-5326
Next Pan American Conference Scheduled for May 2017 in Washington, D.C.

The Jockey Club, the breed registry for Thoroughbreds in North America, and the Latin American Racing Channel, a distribution company that consolidates horse racing simulcasts in the United States, Europe, Australia and Latin America, will host the second Pan American Conference, and this one will take place in Washington, D.C., May 17 - 20, 2017, in the days leading up to the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

The announcement was made jointly on Friday at the Longines Gran Premio Latinomericano in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by James L. Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club, Horacio Esposito and Pablo Kavulakian, president and director, respectively, of the Latin American Racing Channel.

The organization and agenda for the conference will fall under the same team of the first Pan American Conference at the direction of Esposito, Kavulakian, and Gagliano. The Stronach Group will also play a major role in support of the conference, especially on Preakness day.

Among the prospective topics are simulcasting, illegal betting, medication, harmonization of rules, international ratings and classifications, marketing, stud book issues, the importing and exporting of bloodstock, and Thoroughbred ownership.

The 2017 Pan American Conference, like the one held in New York, will also include several premier social events at prominent landmarks around the Washington, D.C., area, concluding with a trip to Baltimore on Saturday, May 20, for the Preakness Stakes. Attendees at the 2015 Pan American Conference witnessed American Pharoah’s Belmont Stakes victory when he became Thoroughbred racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner.

“The Jockey Club continues to be an active member of the international community, and we take pride in welcoming international guests,” said Gagliano. “Those who attended the Pan Am Conference in New York found it to be an informative, first-class experience in every regard, and we are confident they will feel the same way when this one is over.”

“Thoroughbreds from South American countries continue to enhance their reputation in the breeding shed and on the racetrack and they compete successfully throughout the world,” said Esposito. “This conference will be educational not only for our various Latin and South American constituents but also for the numerous delegates who attend from other parts of the world.”

“Collaboration of racing and breeding for the American continents has been our main goal since the inception of our company 10 years ago. We foresee this second conference as an active forum to exchange knowledge, experience, and a vision for the future of racing,” said Kavulakian.

“The Stronach Group realizes the importance of industry collaboration, domestically and internationally, and we are proud to lend our support to yet another industry conference,” said Mike Rogers, president of The Stronach Group’s Racing and Gaming Division. “We are equally excited to have these delegates experience the second leg of Thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown.”

Information about the 2017 Pan American Conference is available at panamdc2017.com and additional details will be announced in the coming months.

The Latin American Racing Channel broadcasts the most important horse races from Latin America to the world and offers racetrack maintenance and consulting services to a wide range of industry organizations. Additional information is available at larchannel.com.

The Stronach Group is one of the world’s leading horse racetrack operators and suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering technology. Its racetracks are Santa Anita Park, Pimlico Race Course, Gulfstream Park, Golden Gates Fields, Portland Meadows and Laurel Park. It is also a leading producer and distributor of televised horse racing programming.

The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It is the sole funding source for America’s Best Racing, the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing. You can follow America’s Best Racing at americasbestracing.net. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.