Women's Summit Slated for Sept. 28-30 at Santa Anita

The days surrounding Flightline 's magnificent performance in the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) would dominate the lives of most owners lucky enough to have that kind of horse. And while Stephanie Hronis thoroughly enjoyed that journey, she also spent much of that time organizing the upcoming Horse Racing Women's Summit.

The summit, scheduled for Sept. 28-30 at Santa Anita Park, evolved out of Hronis' work on the Thoroughbred Owners of California board. She had organized luncheons for women at Del Mar in 2021 and 2022, and there she witnessed people who wanted to network with others to learn about the industry. Hronis' experience as an educator and counselor set her on a course to do her own networking with women racing executives to construct the inaugural summit.

Hronis is chair of the summit and is organizing it with a dedicated group that includes Shona Rotondo, head of marketing with MyRacehorse and co-founder of Grand Slam Social, and Jodie Vella-Gregory, director of the office of innovation at 1/ST Racing. With FanDuel TV, 1/ST Racing is a presenting sponsor of the summit, and all activities are being held at Santa Anita, a 1/ST Racing track.

"Our mission is to engage and empower women from within the industry," Hronis said. "Outside of the industry, I see it as an opportunity for professional development."

Though it is billed as a women's summit, with a long list of female speakers, the topics will appeal to anyone in the industry and all are welcome.

"This was envisioned to be inclusive and make sure that we're touching all aspects of the industry," said Vella-Gregory. "But it's for leaders currently in the industry, future leaders, people who are interested in horse racing. It's about coming together as an industry and talking about solutions to go forward."

Susan Packard, the first woman to join the Churchill Downs board of directors, will be the summit's keynote speaker. She will kick off the day of panels Sept. 29 following a welcome reception Sept. 28 in Santa Anita's 100-1 Club. Christina Blacker of FanDuel TV will give a handicapping seminar the morning of Sept. 30, opening day of the Santa Anita fall meeting.

The $475 fee for the summit includes all of the activities and meals. Attendees will also have the opportunity to go to the races from Sept. 30-Oct. 2, sitting in a reserved section of the Santa Anita grandstand, and will receive a $50 discount to the Fashionable Fillies Luncheon. That luncheon will be held Sept. 30 in the Chandelier Room at Santa Anita. It honors Samantha Siegel and benefits The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation.

Rotondo is not only helping to organize the summit, as an employer and department head based on the East Coast, she evaluated the summit from that perspective.

"I had to decide who to invest in and who to send because I understand it's an investment from an employer's standpoint," Rotondo said. "The people I chose to send out there and support live on the East Coast. I look for people in the company who manage departments and have a lot of responsibility on their plate."

In planning the summit, Rotondo said they kept it linear and are providing time for attendees to network with panelists and with each other. Panelists include Del Mar board members Bo Derek and Marie Moretti; Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinary officer of 1/ST Racing; Shannon Kelly, executive director of The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation; Dora Delgado, executive vice president and chief racing officer of Breeders' Cup; and Christa Marrillia, vice president and chief marketing officer of Keeneland.

"We'll be talking about challenges that people have faced and how they've overcome those things," said Vella-Gregory. "The panels are touching on topics that are very industry-specific and coming from a woman's perspective. I think these panelists are going to stimulate a different discussion on topics that haven't been talked about. It's giving people who are attending an opportunity to hear different voices and be inspired and empowered."

Hronis and her team built a database of about 200 women in the industry nationwide and surveyed them to discover what they wanted to hear at such a summit. Topics include thriving through challenges, opportunities for the industry, and industry integrity.

"There was a huge response," Hronis said. "We got anecdotal responses like 'this is a long time coming' and 'we definitely need to do this.' That's what connected us with powerhouse women who said they wanted to be a part of this."

The organizers hope that this inaugural summit will be the starting point for many more activities to help women in racing. Rotondo said they are planning a pop-up meeting at Keeneland during the fall race meeting, perhaps even during Breeders' Cup week.

Further information on the inaugural Horse Racing's Women's Summit can be found at www.womeninracingsummit.com.