NZRB Turnover and News

With his third-place finish in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) Feb. 14, Wathnan Racing's Tumbarumba became the leading Louisiana-bred earner of all-time.View the full article

sigh, by  me! 

Recently, while reviewing board elections for several major organizations in our industry, I noticed something that gave me serious pause; there are very, very few women at the highest levels of policy and decision-making on those boards. My initial reaction was the typical frustration I have felt for decades, but I must have matured enough at some point to realize that frustration alone does not move an industry forward. I wanted to try to figure out why this is and consider what opportunities we might be missing. I serve on several boards and committees across the Thoroughbred world and have sat on others in past. Interestingly, many of our aftercare and charitable organizations are heavily represented by women. The communication on these boards is strong. The collaboration is constant. The sense of shared purpose is tangible. Their dedication to the horse is unwavering. There is a sense of compassion, kindness and understanding over shared goals and that culture of collaboration has produced real progress. In my experience, most women working in breeding, racing, and training are not here because it is easy or lucrative. They are here because they are deeply invested in the animals and the long-term health of the sport. My dear friend Katie Taylor, Vice President of Operations at Taylor Made, said it best to me when we were talking about it this week. Women are not title-driven; we are difference-driven. We want to apply our energies, time and passion in places where we truly feel we can make an impact. I was so taken by her comments that I actually named one of the two-year-olds we are going to race with our trainer Michelle Elliott `Difference Driven.' Katie and I started the Thoroughbred Ladies Cocktail Club wanting to make connections easier in the lives of those young women coming down the pipeline; to have an outlet to meet and have access to the already successful women in our industry. The TLCC has been a huge hit with a Facebook outreach page and many in-person events last year and this year, with more on the schedule. A simple example of what women bring to the table: walk into the Keeneland dining area today. The transformation from a stark, cafeteria-type feel of years past to a welcome, home-away-from-home with fireplaces and comfy couches, reflects the vision of Morgan Richardson and her team. Yesterday I had lunch with colleagues Jen Roytz, with whom I serve on the USHJA Thoroughbred task force; Kristin Werner, who runs the T.I.P program at The Jockey Club; and Emily Dresen with the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) to discuss an initiative that I and others have been working on aimed at creating opportunities for Thoroughbreds in the sport horse world in an effort to increase their value and the demand for them at the conclusion of their racing careers. What struck me was the level of coordination, aligning programs, ideas connecting, communication, and also friendship. There is long-term strategy being built  collaboratively so that the 2026 Thoroughbred hunter classes and beyond work symbiotically rather than competitively. That is what effective leadership looks like. I'll admit something personal: I did not run for the Breeders' Cup board the last time I could have because I doubted whether I would receive the necessary votes from the stallion farm owners. That hesitation says more about culture than capability. It is something I regret and also something really sad, considering what our farm and horses have accomplished. Leadership choices shape culture and culture shapes experience. The Thoroughbred industry faces serious challenges: communication gaps, public perception, aftercare funding/programs and more, all of which threaten our long-term sustainability. Expanding representation at the highest levels, including more women who are already deeply embedded in every aspect of this business, is not symbolic; it is strategic. The women I know in this industry are operators, managers, trainers, owners, breeders, executives, program directors, grooms, farriers, etc. Many of them manage teams, budgets, families, crises and horses every single day. The question is not whether women are capable of leadership, the question is whether we are fully utilizing the leadership already present within our ranks. Let's increase the presence of accomplished women on our most influential boards. We deserve to have seats at the table and I believe the industry that we all love and cheer for would be far stronger for it. Editor's Note: Have an opinion for publication on why there aren't more women on industry boards? Email suefinley@thetdn.com. The post Letter to the Editor: Women in the Thoroughbred Industry Deserve Seats at the Table appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tentyris stamped himself as the most exciting sprinter in Australia and took a large step towards living up to Anthony Freedman's huge assessment of him with a breathtaking win in the Feb. 14 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (G1) at Flemington.View the full article

The Feb. 16 special holiday racing program at Santa Anita Park will be postponed due to the declining weather forecast. A three-day storm is slated to hit after the conclusion of the Feb. 15 races.View the full article