Godolphin Flying Start Trainees Host Leadership Lexington for ‘Thoroughbred Industry Day’

[Wandering Eyes]

Though Lexington, Kentucky is commonly known as the 'Horse Capital of the World,' serving as a central hub for the Thoroughbred industry, there are many who live in the area that have no knowledge of how multi-faceted the world of horse racing truly is. In an effort to bridge that gap, first-year trainees on the Godolphin Flying Start (GFS) course—currently based in Lexington—coordinated with leaders across the greater equine industry to host a “Thoroughbred Industry Day” for the Leadership Lexington group on Thursday, May 8.

Spanning eleven months, Leadership Lexington is a leadership development program for professionals in the greater Lexington area that consists of ten informative day-sessions that help broaden perspectives and provide an increased understanding of the community, signature industries, and public issues.

May's day-session was entirely focused on the Thoroughbred industry, one of Lexington's most prominent industries with a storied history in the city. Following an outing spectating morning training at Keeneland, Leadership Lexington's group of 45 attendees sat in on a panel entitled 'Thoroughbred Industry Education, Workforce & Community Engagement.' The discussion was hosted by Greg Harbut, Ed Brown Society and Kentucky Horse Racing Commission; Kara Heissenbuttel, Keeneland; Laurie Mays, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce; Annise Montplaisir, Amplify Horse Racing; Frank Taylor, Stable Recovery; Clark Williams, Ed Brown Society; and moderated by Hallie Hardy of Horse Country.

After receiving an overview of the local Thoroughbred industry, the group ventured out to experience it firsthand as they traveled to Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, the Kentucky Horse Park and Secretariat Center, Spy Coast Farm, and Spendthrift Farm. It was during these visits that they not only witnessed the intricacies of breeding, raising, racing and safely retiring a racehorse, but also gained perspective on how vital the equine industry is as a whole to the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

With a wealth of newfound knowledge under their belts, the Leadership Lexington group returned to Keeneland's sales pavilion where they participated in a hands-on Thoroughbred sale simulation.

“As a graduate of both the Godolphin Flying Start program and Leadership Lexington, it was exciting to host the Flying Start group here at Keeneland and have them help us show the community of Lexington just what happens at the sales pavilion and the impact it has, which is broad,” said Dean Roethmeier, Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations. “We're always excited to have people out to the races, but it's really fun to open the doors here at the sales and show everybody a peek behind the curtain at just how much goes into each of these moments in the sales ring.”

Under the guidance of prominent industry members Liz Crow, Kenny McPeek, Danny Mulvihill, Gavin O'Connor, Tom Ryan, and Jonny Smyth, participants were given a brief overview of what it takes to not only host a live Thoroughbred auction, but work it through the perspective of a consignor, agent, and buyer.

“I think it's eye-opening to see all of the intricacies that go into the horse industry that you wouldn't normally see. I come to Keeneland once a season, but that's not all there is. There's so much more to it,” said David Urekew, Plant Manager of Graham Packaging and a member of the 2024-25 Leadership Lexington class.

 

As they made their way around the Keeneland sales pavilion, sale rings and surrounding barns, the participants learned about what it takes to get a horse ready for a sale, which included opportunities to pet and groom the horses while also hearing firsthand about the process behind evaluating a horse prior to bidding. Industry leaders, serving as mentors for the group, explained the basics in regards to conformation, pedigree, and reading through a pedigree page in a sale catalog.

From there, each group was given the opportunity to participate in a mock auction of six horses with the industry mentors guiding them through the fast-paced bidding process.

A group of six track ponies and retired racehorses served as stand-ins for prominent Thoroughbreds previously sold at Keeneland, though Brother in Arms (War Front)—originally sold for $2.9 million at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale—represented himself. The third foal out of 2012 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can (Proud Citizen) is now happily retired and enjoying life as a riding horse, owned by Mulvihill's daughter, Grace.

“The biggest takeaway from my experience was to see not only how invested Keeneland is in the Thoroughbred industry, but the actual surrounding community. It's amazing to know that this isn't just a racecourse generating revenue, it's all about the experience you get out of it,” said Steven Pickarski, Financial Services Manager of Kentucky League of Cities and a member of the 2024-25 Leadership Lexington class.

Working alongside GFS graduates Conrad Bandoroff, Sam Bussanich, Hallie Hardy, Dean Roethemeier, and Caroline Wilson, the group of 12 GFS trainees spent four months planning and constructing an all-encompassing experience to allow the group of Leadership Lexington participants to fully immerse themselves in the Thoroughbred industry.

“Of the four teams, we had a multimedia team, that's our team, so we were in charge of the digital side of things such as filming on the day, preparing the presentation that was shown, and covering any media aspects. There was also a stage management team that kept us all on track, and a material team that produced our catalog, along with any other information that was distributed. The fourth team handled the industry members, meaning they were in charge of reaching out to people to invite to the event, which was really successful. We were really grateful for them to all turn up and give their time to us and to Leadership Lexington as well,” explained GFS trainee Megan Bulbia.

Though a laborious process, the event itself proved more than worthwhile as another example of industry members working together, in an effort spearheaded by GFS trainees and alumni, to bridge the gap between those within horse racing and those outside of it.

“I think it's really special. It's so nice to see a fresh perspective of the industry through other people's eyes and also to explain our experience, describing what the industry actually has to offer and how important it is to the local and global economy. Seeing how people resonate with that, especially from Lexington…it was nice to be a part of that,” concluded Bulbia.

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