Panels focusing on televised coverage of horse racing, the South American breeding and racing industry, and international integrity efforts will highlight the business sessions at the second Pan American Conference, to be held May 17 – 20 in Washington, D.C.

The Jockey Club, the breed registry for Thoroughbreds in North America, and the Latin American Racing Channel (LARC), are co-hosting the conference, which culminates with the running of the 142nd Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 20, 2017 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

“The agenda for this conference is designed to educate a diverse group of attendees,” said Horacio Esposito, the director of the LARC.  “We will cover a wide range of topics over the course of two days and we have a prestigious group of moderators, panelists and speakers to share their thoughts and their experiences.”

The television panel will feature Jon Miller, president, Programming, NBC Sports, in a discussion with Evan Hammonds, managing editor of BloodHorse . Miller will discuss the network’s ever expanding coverage of Thoroughbred racing and how it differs from other major sports, like the NFL, the Olympics or soccer that the network televises.

Esposito will moderate a panel reviewing the past, present, and future of the South American Thoroughbred industry. Among the topics to be covered are betting volume, the market for South American bloodstock, doping control, racehorse ratings, movement of horses, aftercare, and the welfare of jockeys.

That panel will include South American industry leaders such as Carlo Rossi, president of OSAF (the Latin American Organization for the Promotion of Thoroughbreds) and of Valparaiso Sporting Club; Hernan Ceriani, owner of his family farm, Haras La Quebrada; and Guillermo Liberman, Thoroughbred breeder and founder and partner of LARC.

The use of performance-enhancing drugs, the lack of harmony in medication rules, the need for expanded out-of-competition testing, and the proficiency of drug testing are all major concerns for Thoroughbred industry regulators all over the world and those topics will be addressed in a panel entitled, “Ensuring the Integrity of Racing.”  

Conference attendees will hear insights from Dr. Larry Bowers, the chief science officer of the United States Anti-Doping Association; Mayra Frederico, superintendent, Associação Brasileira de Criadores de Criadores e Proprietários de Cavalos de Corrida (the Brazilian association of racehorse owners and breeders); and Louis Romanet, the chairman of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

Joe Gorajec, the former, longtime executive director of the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, will lead the discussion, which will also cover proactive security, enhanced drug testing, and the adoption of proposed federal legislation in the United States.

Among the other topics sprinkled throughout the two-day conference are panels devoted to international handicapping, racetrack and facility design, and marketing the racetrack experience.

A detailed list of topics and speakers, as well as registration information (registration fees increase April 16) and further details are available at panamdc2017.com. Additional speakers are expected to be announced in the near future.

The conference sponsors include Longines, The Stronach Group, LARC, Betfred, Jockey Club del Peru, Keeneland, OSAF, Jockey Club Argentina, Samuel & Guillermo Liberman, P.M.U.,  The Jockey Club, The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc., InCompass, Equibase Company, America’s Best Racing and The Jockey Club Technology Services Inc.

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 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.