Inaugural Women's Summit Hosts Overflow Crowd

"It's very likely going to be a 'fasten your seatbelts' type of day," promised Stephanie Hronis to an overflow crowd at the inaugural Horse Racing Women's Summit, held at Santa Anita Park Sept. 29.

Hronis, chair of the summit and the driving force behind its creation, noted that the summit's speakers and attendees have "a lot of great energy, incredible brainpower, and incredible synergy." 

On the final panel of the day, titled "Industry Integrity—a Brighter Future," Lisa Lazarus, the CEO of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, addressed the group via a recorded message.

"At the end of the day, HISA's mission is to make horse racing better through the lens of safety and integrity," Lazarus said. "It occurred to me when reading the summit's goals that we are partners in this mission in making horse racing better."

Lazarus noted that HISA has several female executives; in the many zoom calls she participates in, the amount of women is sometimes a fractional percentage.

"I'm really committed—and I know we can do it together—to really grow our zoom boxes on these meetings," she said. "Seeing how you all carry yourselves in this industry, especially as the sport remains primarily led by men, has made me feel welcome and included. And I have no doubt that we can work together to welcome even more women into our industry."

Susan Packard, the first woman to join the Churchill Downs board of directors, began the day as the keynote speaker. She encouraged the more than 150 people in Santa Anita's FrontRunner to believe in the power of hope and the importance of trust.

The first panel, titled "Thriving Through Challenge," also emphasized the importance of trust. Dr. Dionne Benson, the chief veterinary officer of 1/ST Racing, discussed the many safety measures Santa Anita instituted in the wake of the 2019 fatalities.

"It was about building trust with people in the industry," Benson said. "We made these changes, and now I feel there is a level of trust. This has been a really good opportunity to grow relationships and earn respect."

Panelists often mentioned the difficulty of breaking into the racing world professionally. Christa Marrilla, vice president and chief marketing officer of Keeneland, told of how long she persisted in trying to get hired. At the time Keeneland's rules required female employees to wear closed-toed shoes, pantyhose, and skirts, rules that are no longer in place.

Panelist Rikki Tanenbaum comes from the gaming industry and was recently appointed chief commercial officer and president of gaming for the newly introduced 1/ST Racing & Gaming. She noted the racing industry's learning curve.

"I don't know any of the words," she said, drawing a big laugh from the crowd. "Aiden Butler (of 1/ST) would give me pages of notes every day. At first, I would spend nights before my computer trying to understand you all."

Panelists discussed how women must juggle their many responsibilities.

"It's something I struggle with every single day," said Marrilla. "But we also have to give ourselves a little bit of grace."

She told how she makes a big, elaborate meal for her family before a Keeneland meet begins and then tells them, "I'll see you in a month."

Dora Delgado, executive vice president and chief racing officer of Breeders' Cup, advised attendees to "believe in yourself and your ideas. Claim credit for your ideas but also claim credit for your mistakes."

At the luncheon, the summit honored Jane Goldstein, the retired director of publicity at Santa Anita and the first woman to head a track publicity department in this country. Goldstein was a mentor to Amy Zimmerman, senior vice president and executive producer at Santa Anita, who introduced Goldstein to a standing ovation.

Goldstein relayed several anecdotes that demonstrated the difficulties women once faced when working in the racing industry. At one track she wasn't allowed in the press box, and at another she had to leave by noon, before the male sportswriters arrived.

The second panel, titled "Looking Ahead—Opportunities for the Industry," including a discussion about marketing the sport. Shona Rotondo, head of marketing at MyRacehorse US, pointed out how quickly someone can become an owner today.

"Before, you had to know somebody who knew somebody," said Rotondo.

MyRacehorse initially marketed to racing enthusiasts, but "now we're really focused on people outside of our ecosystem—your lawyers, your teachers, your mailman. We want to sell everyone on the emotion of the game."

Rotondo said that a MyRacehorse study showed that 52% of people who have bought MyRacehorse microshares now watch more racing on TV and 21% are wagering more frequently.

The final panel included Bo Derek, who sits on the Del Mar board of directors. Her work in trying to stop horse slaughter for human consumption overseas led to a position on the California Horse Racing Board.

Derek recalled the 2009 Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita, when she watched her favorite horse, Zenyatta , win the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).

"I was trying to learn about the industry, and she was my horse, from the first day I saw her in the paddock," Derek said.

Many people asked her for her choice in the race, and she always answered Zenyatta. She remembered several men saying, "Oh that's because you're a girl." After Zenyatta won, Derek felt vindicated.

"And I was probably a little obnoxious about it," she admitted with a smile.