Agenda

MONDAY,  December 5

Pre-conference Industry Meetings & Workshops:

8:00 am  |  Coronado
Registration Opens

10:00 am-Noon  |  Executive Boardroom
ARCI Model Rules Winter Committee Meeting

10:00-11:30 am  |  Catalina Ballroom (Salon J&K) 
Track Surface Regulation Requirements
Dr. Mick Peterson, Professor and Executive Director of the non-profit Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory, will lead a discussion of pre-meet or seasonal inspection of track surfaces and daily testing and reporting for racetrack maintenance data. The test results, combined with the daily monitoring, will meet new requirements for racetracks. Reports, daily tests, weather and racetrack maintenance information can make use of a free database for racetrack operators to facilitate reporting to HISA. Data from pre-meet or seasonal inspections can be documented in this database as well as required daily track conditions including track moisture content, weather, and maintenance data required by safety regulations. Information about automated population data and new measurement tools can also help tracks reduce labor required for reporting.

1:00-3:30 pm  |  Executive Boardroom  
ARCI Board of Directors Winter Meeting (Open to Board members only)

1:00-4:00 pm  |  Catalina Ballroom (Salon J&K)  
2nd Annual Racing Secretary Summit
Join Keith Doleshel (NYRA), Mike Lakow (Gulfstream Park), Elizabeth Rogers (Mahoning Valley), and Tyler Picklsimer (Turfway Park) in a series of interactive conversations regarding Racing Office Rules and Operations, moderated by Rick Hammerle (Oaklawn Park). Sponsored by InCompass Solutions, Equibase and the Race Track Industry Program, this year’s summit will be in discussion group format and certain portions of the program may be closed to non-racing office personnel.

3:00-5:00 pm  |  Catalina Ballroom (Salon L)
NHC Handicapping Contest Workshop
The NTRA is hosting an NHC Handicapping Contest Workshop for tournament directors as well as racetrack GMs, marketing directors, and ADW executives. The two-hour session will cover contest formats, marketing tactics, insurance bonus programs and other factors that can help drive contest participation and revenue. The workshop is free to registered Symposium attendees who will also receive $500 off a 2023 NHC seat.

5:00-6:00 pm   |  Exhibit Area
Opening Reception

 

TUESDAY,  December 6

7:00-8:00 am  |  Catalina Ballroom
Complimentary Breakfast

8:00 am  |  Coronado
Registration Opens

8:00-8:30 am  |  Salon A&B
Welcome & Keynote Address

  • Mike Mulvihill, Executive Vice President, Head of Strategy and Analytics, FOX Sports

8:30-9:00 am  |  Salon A&B
HISA's 2023 Outlook

  • Lisa Lazarus, CEO, HISA

9:15-10:30 am  |  Salon A&B
Capitalizing on Racing’s Global Footprint
International broadcasts of the world’s racing events have become commonplace across the major racing nations. This media exposure has built both familiarity and trust between our industry’s key stakeholders. Racing executives from around the globe will share their perspectives on developing a global brand for your races to take advantage of this burgeoning market. You will hear messages on understanding the impact of world pools and the steps required to conduct this type of event. The growth of the international movement of horses will also be covered, including the role that new HISA regulations can play in its future acceleration.

  • Bill Nader, President and CEO, Thoroughbred Owners of California
  • Simon Fraser, Senior Vice President of International, 1/ST Content
  • Dean McKenzie, Managing Director, McKenzie Sport International Ltd.
  • Tallulah Wilson, Head of International Partnerships, UK Tote
  • Moderator: James L. Gagliano, President & COO, The Jockey Club

10:45-11:45 am  |  Salon A&B
Advancing Equine Safety Through Technology
The collection and evaluation of data now drives key decisions made by most major sports and businesses. You will hear different approaches to collecting data from our equine athletes using wearable biometric technology. Learn the various metrics are being used to measure the performance of the horse’s exercise as well as its physical integrity under stress. Panelists will also share how this data is being presented to horsemen to aid in training decisions and prevent the risk of future injury.

  • Dr. Warwick Bayly, Professor, Washington State University
  • Dr. Will Farmer, Equine Medical Director, Churchill Downs, Inc.
  • Dr. David Lambert, CEO, StrideSafe
  • Valentin Rapin, Managing Director, Arioneo
  • Moderator: Dr. Jennifer Durenberger, Principal, Racing Matters

11:45 am-1:00 pm  |  Kiva Ballroom
Awards Luncheon & Awards

1:15-2:30 pm  |  Salon A&B
Storytellers of the Game – Racing’s Legendary Announcers
Join legendary track announcers Dave Johnson & Tom Durkin, alongside RTIP alum and current Gulfstream Park announcer Pete Aiello, for an in-depth discussion of the art of announcing horse races. Learn from the trailblazers themselves about the evolution of the craft over the past 50 years. From fair circuits to nationally televised races, from Spectacular Bid to Cigar, from the Hambletonian to the Triple Crown, hear the stories as only the storytelling icons can tell! A panel not to be missed.

  • Tom Durkin, Announcing Legend
  • Dave Johnson, Announcing Legend
  • Moderator: Pete Aiello, Announcer, Gulfstream Park

1:30-3:30 pm  |  Executive Boardroom
International Tote Protocol Meeting

2:30-3:30 pm  |  Salon A&B
Life After the Track - Second Careers & Retirement
Over the past decade, the horse racing industry has ramped up efforts to retrain, rehome, and responsibly retire our equine athletes. This panel will discuss aftercare programs across the three racing breeds to examine areas of success and where improvement is still needed. Learn from model state programs about how farms, trainers, and organizations work as partners in the aftercare effort. Rather than being retired, more horses are now finding second and third careers through these programs. Newer initiatives such as the Standardbred Incentive Program are shaping what the coming decades will bring.

  • Joell Dunlap, Executive Director, Square Peg Foundation
  • Jessica Hammond, Executive Director, Beyond the Wire
  • Mike Tanner, Chief Executive Officer, USTA
  • Natalie Voss, Editor-in-Chief, Paulick Report
  • CJ Wilson, Founder/Lead Trainer, Win Place Home, Inc

  • Moderator: Janet VanBebber, Chief Racing Officer, AQHA

3:45-4:45 pm |  Salon A&B
Integrating Horse Racing into the US Sports Betting Environment 
As sports betting continues to explode across the United States, the horse racing industry is working to identify how their sport fits within this ecosystem. Some believe that pari-mutuel wagering should be directly accessible by sportsbook customers, while others look to fully integrate horse racing as a fixed odds wagering product similar to how other sports are offered. Horse racing is a popular bookmaker/sportsbook product throughout the world, but how does the US landscape compare? On this panel, sportsbook operators discuss their opinions of the optimal integration, what factors will attract US sports bettors to horse racing, and the path to get there.

  • Richard Ames, Chief Executive Officer, SIS Content Services, Inc.
  • Matt Cosgriff, Director of Retail Wagering and Customer Analysis, BetMGM
  • Paul Hannon, SVP, Corporate Development, PointsBet
  • Andrew Moore, Director of Horse Racing Commercial, Fanduel
  • Christian Stuart, CEO - North America, BetMakers Technology Group 
  • Moderator: Michele Fischer, Consultant / VP, SIS Content Services, Inc.

5:00-6:00 pm  |  Exhibit Area
Evening Networking Reception

6:30-8:30 pm  |  Mountain Oyster Club
RTIP Alumni Event (by invitation)

 

WEDNESDAY,  December 7

7:00-8:00 am  |  Catalina Ballroom
Complimentary Breakfast

8:00 am  |  Coronado
Registration Opens

8:00-8:15 am  |  Salon A&B
RTIP Senior Capstone Presentations

  • Kamryn Koutras
  • Michael Sandulli
  • Hailey Shiffer

8:15-8:45 am  |  Salon A&B
2023 Legislative Outlook

  • Tom Rooney, President & CEO, National Thoroughbred Racing Association

8:45-9:45 am  |  Salon A&B
Racing’s Success Stories  - The Year In Review
This panel will celebrate 2022’s positive developments by highlighting areas where the racing industry has excelled over the past year – rigorous efforts have resulted in record safety statistics in California, historical horse racing fueled an expansion of racing opportunities and industry support, positive reforms for the horseplayer have been enacted through legislative efforts in Kentucky, the unprecedented cooperation between NYRA and the New York’s horsemen has led to shared success among all NY stakeholders..

  • Joe Applebaum, President, New York Thoroughbred Horseman's Association
  • Dr. Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer, 1/ST Racing
  • Rep. Adam Koenig, Kentucky State Representative 69th District, State of Kentucky
  • Ted Nicholson, Vice President of Racing, Kentucky Downs
  • Moderator: Jim Mulvihill, Interim Executive Director, Colorado Horsemen's Association

10:00-11:00 am  |  Salon A&B
Expanding Racing’s Reach: Strategies for Diversity and Inclusion
This panel will focus on steps the racing industry can take to proactively encourage and embrace diversity in our management ranks, among our owners/trainers/jockeys, backstretch employees, and with our fans. What are the challenges the current diverse group of existing stakeholders face? How should those voices be included in the narrative of welcoming new audiences critical to racing’s growth? We will discuss what initiatives currently exist to promote diverse participation and what steps can be taken going forward.

  • Ray Daniels, Co-Founder, Ed Brown Society & Living The Dream Racing
  • Dora Delgado, Executive Vice President & Chief Racing Officer, Breeders’ Cup
  • Naomi Howgate, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, British Horseracing Authority
  • Moderator: Amy Zimmerman, Senior Vice President, Santa Anita Park

11:00 am-12:00 pm  |  Salon A&B
Illegal Betting’s Threat to the Racing Industry
This year’s landmark report “The State of Illegal Betting” conducted by the Asian Racing Federation exposed the proliferation of unlicensed and unregulated online horse racing and sports wagering companies. The report found the global demand for online wagering is increasing faster than industry's ability to react. Closer to home, suspicious betting patterns have also been regularly detected in North American pools, which may have a connection to non-pari-mutuel bookmaking. This panel, critical to racetrack operators and regulators, will outline these major threats and discuss what action can be taken to address this activity going forward, plus what may be required for international cooperation & coordination.

  • Pat Cummings, Executive Director, Thoroughbred Idea Foundation
  • Matt Fowler, Director of Integrity, International Betting Integrity Association
  • Martin Purbrick, Chairman of the Asian Racing Federation’s Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Financial Crime
  • Moderator: J. Curtis Linnell, Executive Vice President, TRPB

11:45 am-1:15 pm  |  Ventana Room
Mentor Luncheon (by invitation)

1:30-2:30 pm  |  Salon A&B
TPA Mark Kaufman Workshop – What the Hashtag? Exploring the Importance of Social Media in Horse Racing
Whatever feelings you have toward social media, there is no denying its power on society. This panel will explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of social media as it pertains to horse racing and gaming. Can social media generate a positive return on investment for your company? Why is Twitter a hotbed of negative activity? Does your organization need a Tik Tok? We’ll put these questions and more to our panel of social media experts.

  • Hayley Amoss, Communications & Social Media Manager for the Breeders’ Cup
  • Claire Crawford, Director of Digital Media, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
  • Dan Tordjman, Manager of Partnerships & Sponsorships, America’s Best Racing
  • Rachael Zilboorg, Social Media & Marketing Coordinator, Fasig-Tipton
  • Moderator: Kaitlin Christopherson, COO and Head of Operations, Grand Slam Social

2:30-3:30 pm  |  Salon A&B
Horseplayer Roundtable: What Does the Core Customer Really Want?
The Horseplayers’ Roundtable will discuss the impact the current racing product has on the core customer, what strategies can be implemented to better the horseplayer experience, and explore realistic ways these strategies can be executed. As tracks continue to add wagering product lines like HHR, slots and sports betting, has track management diverted their attention away from horseplayers? Track managers will gain valuable insight by listening to and learning from their core customers.

  • Peter T. Fornatale, Co-Founder, In the Money Media Network
  • Dr. Marshall Gramm, Professor of Economics, Rhodes College
  • Moderator: Jessica Paquette, Announcer, Parx Racing 

3:45-4:45 pm  |  Salon A&B
HISA – Racetrack Safety Program Implementation and Preparing for the Launch of the Anti-Doping & Medication Control Program
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) is composed of two programs: the Racetrack Safety Program and the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program. The Racetrack Safety Program went into effect July 1 of this year, and Ann McGovern, who oversees that program, and Racetrack Safety Committee Chairwoman Dr. Sue Stover will discuss successes and challenges thus far in its implementation. The ADMC Program goes into effect on January 1, 2023, and it will be enforced by the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU), a newly established division of Drug Free Sport International, a worldwide leader in sport drug testing. Members of the HIWU team will provide an update on their preparations for the ADMC Program’s implementation and share what industry stakeholders need to know ahead of the rollout.

  • Ann McGovern, Director of Racetrack Safety, Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority
  • Kate Mittelstadt, Chief of Operations, Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit
  • Ben Mosier, Executive Director, Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit
  • Dr. Mary Scollay, Chief of Science, Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit
  • Dr. Susan Stover, Chair, Racetrack Safety Standing Committee, Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority

5:00-6:00 pm  |  Exhibit Area
Closing Reception

*Times subject to change