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Friday, April 23, 2021Contact: Alexa Ravit (212) 521-5307
The Jockey Club’s Academic Scholarship Recipients Announced for 2021-2022

The Jockey Club announced today the recipients of its five academic scholarships, which will be awarded for the 2021-2022 academic year. In November 2020, The Jockey Club announced the creation of three new scholarships to support individuals from diverse backgrounds who are interested in pursuing a career in the Thoroughbred industry: The Jockey Club Advancement of Women in Racing Scholarship, The Jockey Club Vision Scholarship, and The Jockey Club Benevolence Scholarship. These awards are in addition to The Jockey Club Scholarship and The Jockey Club Jack Goodman Scholarship.

Julie Corral has been selected to receive The Jockey Club Scholarship, which provides $15,000 ($7,500 per semester) to a student who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree or higher at any university and has demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in the Thoroughbred industry. Corral, a veterinary student at the University of Pennsylvania, aims to become a racetrack veterinarian.

Eric DeCoster has been selected for the second straight year for The Jockey Club Jack Goodman Scholarship ($6,000; $3,000 per semester), which is awarded annually to a student enrolled in the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP). DeCoster, a sophomore in the RTIP, is interested in pursuing a career in bloodstock.

The inaugural winner of The Jockey Club Advancement of Women in Racing Scholarship ($20,000; $10,000 per semester), which is open to women pursuing a career in the Thoroughbred industry, is Elizabeth Galletta. Galletta, a student at Midway University and farm manager of Daisy Acres, a breeding farm in Paris, Ky., intends to make her career in the reproductive sector.

Jeffrey Mitchell Jr. is the recipient of The Jockey Club Vision Scholarship ($20,000; $10,000 per semester), which is open to students from a minority racial or ethnic group who are pursuing a career in the Thoroughbred industry. Mitchell is working toward his master’s degree in veterinary science at the University of Kentucky and is a research assistant in the Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center’s Reproductive Health Laboratory. He aspires to become a veterinarian.

The Jockey Club Benevolence Scholarship ($15,000; $7,500 per semester) is a need-based award to enable a student to attend a full-time program at a college, university, or trade program and gives preference to children of backstretch and farm workers. The inaugural winner is Vanessa Sanchez, a student at Pace University in New York, who is interested in equine marketing.

“Our expanded scholarship offerings are part of The Jockey Club’s strategy to address diversity in the Thoroughbred industry, and we were heartened by the response to this initiative, with more than 150 applications submitted,” said James L. Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club. “We are proud to support these five outstanding individuals and are confident that they will make a positive impact in their areas of interest.”

Applications for the 2022-2023 academic year will open this fall.

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 founded America’s Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing, and in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, operates OwnerView (ownerview.com), the ownership resource. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.