On April 22-23 Light Up Racing will launch its Media & Content Cohort Training Program in Lexington, Kentucky, which aims to improve the narrative of horse racing and empower changemakers by teaching skills to better promote the sport, the organization said in a release Friday.
Light Up Racing is assembling approximately 20 individuals from every aspect of the horse racing industry, across all demographics, united by their passion for positive change over two days of training.
“Our goal is to empower each participant with the confidence to share their stories and perspectives in horse racing,” said Vicky Leonard of Kick Collective. “We believe that by building these skills and generating confidence, we can collectively start shifting how the sport is perceived and talked about.”
The days are planned to equip a diverse group of participants with the tools they need to make an impact. While the first focuses on personal branding, leveraging social media and confidence in media interview techniques, day two advances into content creation and strategies for maximizing engagement.
“By the end of this program, participants will not just have skills; they'll have the confidence to use their voices and showcase the industry from their perspective,” Leonard said. “They'll also have a community supporting their journey.”
This training marks the beginning of a larger movement towards a more open and forward-thinking horse racing community, sharing the positive elements to the wider public.
“When an industry isn't talking, people assume it has something to hide,” added Leonard. “The antidote to fixing the perception and trust issues is by opening the door and inviting people in–both in person and online. Your voice matters, and together, we have the power to redefine the narrative,” said Leonard.
Additional training will soon be announced across the country, reflecting Light Up Racing's commitment to fostering a nationwide community of empowered racing advocates.
“These two days will empower the Kentucky cohort to go out into the community, both in person and online, to engage in fact-based, transparent dialogue about horse racing during a crucial time on our calendar,” said board member Christina Blacker. “We need to share the good stories and we must stop uninformed opinions from driving the narrative of our sport. I look forward to participating in the training myself when it comes to California.”
Click here for more information about the training or email hello@lightupracing.com.
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Saturday's GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland, the final stop on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, offers a path to Churchill Downs for the first Saturday in May for D. J. Stable and Robert Cotran's Hades (Awesome Slew).
Currently on the outside looking in, Hades sits in 24th place on the leaderboard with 30 points. The GI Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters. The Lexington offers 42 points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale.
With a victory, Hades would be in the top 20. A runner-up finish would put him on the bubble.
Hades upset potential Kentucky Derby favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) (third) and next-out GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Domestic Product (Practical Joke) (second) with a game victory in the GIII Holy Bull S. Feb. 3. Hades suffered his first career defeat finishing a well-beaten fifth behind Fierceness after getting bumped at the start in the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 30.
“We need the points. I'm not going to go there to be number 21 (on the also-eligible list),” trainer Joe Orseno said. “He didn't get a chance to run in the Florida Derby.”
Hades will race with first-time blinkers in the Lexington and will also receive a rider change to Jose Ortiz. Paco Lopez was aboard Hades in his first four career starts.
“I always thought he would be better with blinkers, but he kept winning and I couldn't make the change,” Orseno said. “He'll have blinkers here; little ones.”
Two other Lexington entrants could be on the Derby bubble with a victory: Encino (Nyquist) (20 points) and Liberal Arts (Arrogate) (19 points).
John Battaglia Memorial S. winner Encino, scratched from last weekend's GI Blue Grass S. in favor of this spot, tries dirt for the first time for trainer Brad Cox. Last year's GIII Street Sense S. winner Liberal Arts was an eventful sixth (disqualified and placed eighth for interference after getting rank on the first turn) in the GI Arkansas Derby Mar. 30.
The Lexington field of 10 also includes 5-2 morning-line favorite The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso), who makes his first start since finishing a very game second in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland Oct. 7.
Saturday's 11-race card at Keeneland also prominently features the GI Jenny Wiley S. Gina Romantica (Into Mischief), a two-time Grade I winner over the lawn in Lexington, held her own against the boys finishing a respectable fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile last time Nov. 4. The 3-1 morning-line favorite is one of four entered for Chad Brown, who has won five of the past six runnings of the 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares and has six Jenny Wiley victories overall.
Brown will also saddle last term's GI Matriarch S. heroine Surge Capacity (Flintshire {GB}), MGSW Fluffy Socks (Slumber {GB}) and longshot Beaute Cachee (Fr) (Literato {Fr}). “With a lot of my good grass fillies, I like to target this and I like the mile and a sixteenth to start,” Brown said.
The field of 10 also includes: Didia (Arg) (Orpen), a game winner of the GII TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational S. at Gulfstream Jan. 27; and the Charlie Appleby-trained English Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who captured the G2 Balanchine S. at Meydan last time Feb. 23.
Wet Paint (Blame), three-for-three against stakes company at Oaklawn last season, will face off against California invader Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) in the GI Apple Blossom H. in Hot Springs. Wet Paint, just up in time in last summer's GI Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga, makes her first start since finishing eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Nov. 4. Adare Manor, winner of last summer's GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar, crossed the line one spot better in seventh at the Championships and kicked off her 5-year-old campaign for Bob Baffert with a runner-up finish as the favorite in the GI Beholder Mile S. at Santa Anita Mar. 9.
Saturday's graded action is rounded out by the GIII Count Fleet H. at Oaklawn and GIII Giant's Causeway S. at Keeneland.
The post Last Chance at the Big Dance: Hades Can Punch Kentucky Derby Ticket in Lexington appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
The G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) will be held at Nakayama over 2000 metres on Sunday, and this year's edition features Group 1 winner Regaleira (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}), a winner of the Hopeful S. versus the colts over this course and distance in December.
The filly, who bears the Sunday Racing colours and will tote four pounds less than her male rivals, leaves from stall 10 under Hiroshi Kitamura. A winner against newcomers at Hakodate last July, she lost her perfect record when third in the Listed Ivy S. when attempting to closing into slow early fractions. However, she was much farther back and rallied into a fast pace for her Hopeful win, defeating several of these including the blue-blooded Group 3 winner and €2.1-million Arqana August sale-topper Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) in second and subsequent listed winner Sunrise Zipangu (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in third.
Trainer Tetsuya Kimura said, “She's come along as expected, without any problems. She's better in her left foreleg now. Once again, she has a new challenge ahead of her here.”
Shin Emperor, a full-brother to G1 Prix de l'Arc de Tromphe winner Sottsass (Fr), ran second after a stalking trip in his 3-year-old bow, the G2 Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen to Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn) (Al Ain {Jpn}) with Sirius Colt (Jpn) (Makfi {GB}) third at the beginning of March. Ryusei Sakai has been booked to ride and the duo will leave from stall 14.
Trainer Yoshito Yahagi said, “He's worked well, with a final furlong time of around 12 seconds. I hope he can run to the level expected of him.”
The other Group 1 winner in the field is Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Jantar Mantar (Jpn) (Palace Malice), winner of the Asahi Hai Futurity S. ahead of Ecoro Walz (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}). Also successful in the G2 Daily Hai Nisai S., the colt is a poster child for his recently relocated sire. He was second to the undefeated two-for-two Justin Milano (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the Feb. 11 G3 Kyodo News Hai.
Trainer Tomokazu Takano said, “He's cantered on the uphill training track and seems easier to ride now. He's developing more as well. I believe in him, and the ability he has, so I want him to show his best in this next race.”
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