Belmont redesign leader will keynote Jockey Club conference

The Jockey Club announced the speakers for its 72nd annual round table conference on matters pertaining to racing, which will be held at the Excelsior Springs Event Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Thursday, Aug. 1, at 10 a.m. EDT.

The conference also will be livestreamed on The Jockey Club website. Stuart S. Janney III, chairman of The Jockey Club, will preside over the conference.

This year’s keynote speaker is Todd Gralla, principal at Populous, a global design firm that focuses on sports and entertainment, from stadiums and arenas to event spaces and urban environments. Gralla will discuss cutting-edge racetrack projects around the globe. He will also provide a look into the redesign of Belmont Park, which integrates today’s technology into racetrack operations while retaining the traditions of Thoroughbred racing.

Joe Asher, the chair of the board of the Wilson Center and the former CEO of William Hill US and president of IGT’s PlaySports business, will present on the intersection of horse racing and sports betting, and Meghan Rodgers, senior vice president of public affairs of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, will give an overview of the NTRA’s Safety Runs First campaign.

In addition, to provide an overview of horse racing in California, Gary Fenton, managing partner of Little Red Feather Racing and a member of The Jockey Club, will cover the present and future of California racing. And Dionne Benson, chief veterinary officer of 1/ST Racing, will share how California has improved the safety of its athletes, including by using cutting-edge technology at the track.

The presentations will begin with an update on The Jockey Club and its companies by its president and COO, James L. Gagliano.

The full agenda and bios of speakers will be posted on jockeyclub.com in advance of the conference.

The Jockey Club Round Table Conference was first held on July 1, 1953, in The Jockey Club office in New York City. The following year, it was moved to Saratoga Springs, New York. Each year, the conference features discussions on critical industry topics, including aftercare, equine safety, marketing, and national uniformity, as well as international perspectives and viewpoints from outside the Thoroughbred industry.