The Jockey Club Releases Round Table Conference Topics

The Jockey Club announced July 19 that Thoroughbred aftercare opportunities and challenges, using data to market the sport to the public, race-tracking technology, and steps to improve the integrity of the sport will be addressed at its 69th Annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing.

The event will be held virtually for the second consecutive year. It will be streamed on The Jockey Club's website at jockeyclub.com at 10 a.m. ET, Sunday, Aug. 15, and will be aired on NYRA's YouTube channel, the FOX Sports app, and Racetrack Television Network's respective platforms. The Jockey Club chairman Stuart Janney III will preside over the conference.

Kristin Werner, senior counsel for The Jockey Club and administrator of The Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Incentive Program, will moderate an aftercare panel that will discuss issues in the current aftercare landscape and programs in development to address them. Panelists are Erin Crady, executive director of Thoroughbred Charities of America; Brian Sanfratello, executive secretary of the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association; Beverly Strauss, executive director of MidAtlantic Horse Rescue; and Dr. Emily Weiss, vice president of Equine Welfare at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Dr. Yuval Neria, professor of clinical medical psychology at Columbia University, departments of psychiatry and epidemiology, and director of trauma and PTSD at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, will talk about the Man O'War Project. The Man O'War Project, founded by Ambassador Earle Mack, was the first university-led research study to examine the effectiveness of equine-assisted therapy in treating veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Emily Lyman, founder and CEO of Branch & Bramble, a digital marketing agency used by America's Best Racing, will detail how her organization analyzes data to assess and react to public sentiment, build brand trust, and develop fans.

Will Duff Gordon, the CEO of Total Performance Data, will provide an overview of TPD's timing products, its work with Equibase Company's Gmax system, and potential opportunities for TPD in the areas of sports betting, fixed odds, and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act.

Charles Scheeler and Dr. Tessa Muir will provide an update on HISA, which was signed into law at the end of 2020. In May Scheeler was named chairman of HISA's board of directors. He is a retired partner at DLA Piper and his background includes serving as lead counsel to former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell in connection with his 20-month independent investigation of performance-enhancing substances use in Major League Baseball, which produced the Mitchell Report in 2007.

Muir, a former anti-doping manager at the British Horseracing Authority who has served as a regulatory veterinarian at Racing Victoria, joined the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in March to assist with implementation of HISA and facilitate a smooth transition to the new regulatory structure that will exist as a result of HISA.

David O'Rourke, president and CEO of the New York Racing Association, will discuss NYRA's investment in its facilities, expanded television coverage, and NYRA Bets, its national advanced deposit wagering platform.

James Gagliano, president and COO of The Jockey Club, will deliver a report on 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.