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Wednesday, August 03, 2022Contact: Alexa Ravit (212) 521-5307
Speakers Announced for 70th Round Table; Agenda to Focus on Regulation and Industry Trends

The Jockey Club announced today the agenda for its Annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing, which will be held as an in-person event this year for the first time since 2019 and hosted for the first time at the Saratoga Springs City Center in Saratoga Springs, New York. Scheduled for Sunday, August 14, at 10 a.m. ET, the conference will also be streamed on The Jockey Club’s website, jockeyclub.com, and Facebook page, facebook.com/USJockeyClub. Chairman Stuart S. Janney III will preside over the conference.

As the keynote speaker, Lisa Lazarus, chief executive officer of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, will provide an update on the first six weeks of enforcement of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), which went into effect on July 1. She will also discuss future plans for the authority and the status of rules for the Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program, which goes into effect January 1, 2023.  

Lazarus’ appearance will be complemented by Senate Majority Leader Charles E. “Chuck” Schumer (D-NY), a key supporter of HISA, who will offer his perspective on the significance of the passage of HISA to the Thoroughbred industry.

John Penza, a director of International Investigations at 5 Stones Intelligence and a former special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, will be interviewed by James L. Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club, in a discussion about his experiences as an investigator and the impact of the March 2020 arrests of more than two dozen individuals who participated in an operation involving the systematic and covert administration of illegal performance-enhancing drugs to racehorses.

Tom Rooney, president and chief executive officer of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), will talk about the NTRA’s work in Washington, D.C., to benefit all industry stakeholders. The NTRA opened its D.C. office in June.

Dennis Madsen, head of racing for the Swedish Horseracing Authority, will present on Sweden’s new crop rule, which prohibits the use of the crop for encouragement and only allows it to be used for safety purposes. The rule went into effect this year.

Dr. Lauren Stiroh, managing director of NERA Economic Consulting, will review her findings from an analysis of economic trends in Thoroughbred racing and breeding.

Shannon Kelly, executive director of The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation, will talk about issues facing the industry’s workforce and how the foundation assists those in need.

Carl Hamilton, president of The Jockey Club Information Systems and chairman of BloodHorse, will deliver the activities of The Jockey Club.

The full agenda and bios of all speakers will be posted on jockeyclub.com in advance of the conference.

The Jockey Club Round Table Conference was first held on July 1, 1953, in The Jockey Club office in New York City. The following year, it was moved to Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The conference has featured discussions on myriad critical industry topics, including aftercare, equine safety, marketing, and national uniformity, as well as international perspectives and viewpoints from outside the Thoroughbred industry.

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.