News Releases

Friday, July 30, 2010Contact: Bob Curran Jr. (212) 521-5326
Round Table Conference Will Spotlight Industry Trends,
Progress on Safety and Integrity Measures

The current state of the Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry and its collective and substantial progress on issues of welfare, safety and integrity will be spotlighted when The Jockey Club’s 58th annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing convenes at the Gideon Putnam Resort in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Sunday, August 22, 2010.

For the first time, The Jockey Club will provide live video streaming of the entire Round Table Conference. The two-hour conference begins at 10 a.m. EDT and can be viewed at jockeyclub.com.

A segment focused on conditions within the industry will begin with an analysis of recent trends in Thoroughbred breeding and racing by Jim Gagliano, president and COO of The Jockey Club. He will be followed by four executives who will share how their respective organizations are adapting to the changing landscape.

The speakers will be Nick Eaves, president and CEO of Woodbine Entertainment Group; Nick Nicholson, president and CEO of Keeneland Association; Dennis Robinson, president and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority; and C. Steven Duncker, chairman of the New York Racing Association.

Another segment will focus on the industry’s collaborative progress on medication and safety issues.

During this portion, Dr. Rick Arthur, equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board, and Alan Foreman, the chairman and CEO of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Associations Inc., will provide updates on the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium and its five-part Drug Testing Initiative, respectively.

Alex Waldrop, the president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), will discuss the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance, and Vince Gabbert, executive assistant to the president of Keeneland Association, will provide some insights into the Interstate Racing Regulatory Compact initiative.

Stuart S. Janney III, chairman of The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Safety Committee, will then finish the segment with a report on the activities of the committee.

The conference will also include a report on the activities of The Jockey Club, presented by Matt Iuliano, the organization’s executive vice president and executive director.

A transcript of the Round Table Conference will be available on The Jockey Club’s website a few days after the event. The website is located at jockeyclub.com.

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., where it has been held every August since.