Diversity in Racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

Diversity in Racing: Anthony Manganaro

Co-Owner, Siena Farm, Paris, KY

Since the beginning of time, humans have pigeonholed each other by race, religion, gender and wealth, which has resulted in discrimination. There are many pathways that can and must be taken to reduce systemic racism and prejudice. But I see no pathway to eliminate latent discrimination; humans will always pigeonhole.

There continues to be systemic racism in all sports and in American society. Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans and Muslims continue to bear the brunt of latent discrimination and prejudice.

In the early days of our sport every ethnicity, gender and skin color succeeded at the highest level of the sport–jockeys, trainers, breeders and owners. Ironically, our sport is less diverse today than it was in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Diversity is important. It goes hand and hand with the American Dream’s set of ideals that “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.” Diversity allows everyone an equal chance to live a life of dignity and hope. My life experiences make this fight for diversity very personal.

My dad came from Catania, Sicily. He was an intelligent, hard-working plasterer, but most importantly, he was a family man. He and my mom raised six kids in a two-bedroom flat in a blue-collar town outside Boston. I get emotional every time I think about the obstacles and indignities my parents suffered so their kids could have a better life.

My mom did her shopping at Filene’s Basement. Until I was 18, I thought “Imperfect” was a brand name.

My dog Duke and I walked to school each morning with my friends. My attendance was very spotty, but upon graduation Duke was given a perfect attendance award. I only got into Northeastern University because my high-school principal, Mr. Collins, pulled some strings. He thought I was “a diamond in the rough.” It certainly wasn’t because of my attendance record. That simple act of kindness changed my life.

I was a subway commuter, two hours each way. Yet when I graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering, I couldn’t get a good engineering job. Was it because of discrimination, or were other candidates better than me? It didn’t matter. I had to adapt and move on, first as a math teacher at $3,600 a year, then joining my brothers in starting a construction company.

As we grew, I delved into other opportunities. But when I approached one of the biggest banks in Baltimore for a loan, I was turned down. Too blue-collar and ethnic.

I found alternative financing. Years later, I was that bank’s biggest customer. I hadn’t suddenly become less “blue collar and ethnic.” Rather, the bankers understood that if they wanted to keep market share, they had to deal with me. You’ve got to scramble and find work-arounds when prejudice blocks your path.

After a while I started looking for a new challenge. My dad and his buddies were regulars at Suffolk Downs and I caught the racing bug early.

So I flew out to Lexington–the epicenter of Thoroughbred racing. Thanks to Tom Biederman, I spotted a rundown, 225-acre cattle farm in Paris, KY, and re-built the place into Siena Farm.

At Siena Farm, my partners David Pope (Polish-American), Nacho Patino (Mexican-American) and I (Italian-American), understand from our life experiences how important it is to give employees and their families hope and dignity. We’re fighting the diversity issue from the bottom up.

David’s immigrant grandparents worked in coal mines, on railroads and bottling plant lines. His dad joined the Air Force, then took factory night jobs while his mom worked at a credit union. They made sure their kids were well cared-for and well-educated. Today, his siblings earn their living as a cartographer, a teacher and an advertising/media buyer. David worked his way through the University of Akron, earning an accounting degree. He started his racing career with Airdrie Stud in Midway, KY, and has set high goals for Siena Farm.

Nacho came from Mexico, where he helped in the fields as a kid in exchange for vegetables to feed his parents and seven siblings. Their mode of transportation: horses. He slept on the floor until he was 15. The next year, Nacho set off for the U.S., and after a harrowing journey crossed the Rio Grande. Eventually, he joined his uncle in Kentucky, who got him a job on a horse farm.

Nacho started as a groom. He eventually ran a boarding and sales prep business, then served as assistant farm manager for Stonerside Farm. In 2008, he joined Siena Farm as farm manager. Within a year, he was promoted to co-owner and general manager.

All three of us are living the American Dream.

So are others on the farm. Our employees are a melting pot of hardworking men and women intent on providing a secure future for their families and raising healthy, confident children who can succeed in school, college and life. Of the seven college-age children on the farm, six are undergraduates and the seventh received a full scholarship to Eastern Kentucky University but decided to join the Navy.

Education is an important tool in the fight for diversity. Back at my alma mater, to pay back Mr. Collins’s simple act of kindness Michele and I started The Torch Scholar program which gives full scholarships to first-generation college students. Torch Scholars are “diamonds in the rough,” who come from families living on the edge. Most are minorities…African-American, Asian and Hispanic.

During the interview process, applicants are asked how they would react when, inevitably, they face discrimination, be it racial, sexual, religious or ethnic bias. We want to see if they understand that prejudice isn’t going to disappear. What counts is how you handle those uncomfortable, cringe-worthy moments. Don’t let it get you down or destroy your ambitions. Find ways to navigate around them. “Keep your eye on the prize.” Always move toward your goal.

The effects of diversity go well beyond the people directly helped. There is a ripple effect that radiates out and affects other people. Siena Farm “kids” and Torch Scholars are prime examples.
Opportunities in the equine industry are endless. As we expand diversity in our sport, the success of people drawn to our sport will be solely dependent on their tenacity, adaptability and skills. If we wait for racists to change their minds, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives. In the end, determination, smarts and peak performance are what will make all the difference in racing.

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Diversity in Racing: Jonathon Kinchen

Horseplayer, NYRA/Fox Analyst, Co-creator In The Money Media

What if one of racing’s biggest moments had a Black person at the center?

Other sports have had such moments, from Doug Williams winning the Super Bowl to Tiger Woods’s first Masters victory to Venus Williams winning Wimbledon. These moments made these sports more appealing to Black people because they saw people who looked like them achieving success at the highest levels.

Racing in the modern era is still waiting for that moment. And for a sport that’s been so traditionally white, that’s been a barrier to Black people becoming fans and feeling welcome, even though we’re 20 years into the 21st Century.

I don’t believe that people in horse racing are plotting to keep Black people out. But what they are doing–relying on networks of people they already know–means keeping mostly white people in the game, particularly at its highest levels. Horse racing needs to change, from the top to the bottom, and it’s racing’s job to do the hard work of stretching beyond its usual networks to recruit Black talent and to create an environment where Black people feel welcome.

How does this happen? With many, many small changes and many, many tough conversations.

In the last year of his presidency, President Obama was on WTF with Marc Maron (a podcast just slightly more successful than JK + 1). He likened the process of change to the steering of an ocean liner and said that the real work “is to make incremental improvements or try to steer the ocean liner two degrees north or south so that, 10 years from now, suddenly we’re in a very different place than we were. At the moment, people may feel like we need a 50-degree turn; we don’t need a two-degree turn. And you say, ‘Well, if I turn 50 degrees, the whole ship turns over.'”

There are ways that racing can change right now, but in the big picture, the type of incremental change described above is also needed. The idea that EVERYTHING needs to change RIGHT NOW isn’t just impractical, it’s impossible. I am much more interested in pursuing real world solutions than I am at screaming into the void.

How do we actually accomplish change? Let’s start by creating a more welcoming environment for people of color. One part of this has to be marketing. Major international brands like McDonald’s, Sprite, and the NBA have figured out ways to tailor their marketing to Black people in a way that is cool but not patronizing. This idea has been around since the 1960s and there’s no reason racing can’t make a concerted effort to invest in this type of plan in a non-cynical way today.

I’ve seen racing do a great job marketing to local colleges in both Lexington and the Capitol region, and I know these efforts have created fans. Why not put some promotional muscle at targeting Black communities, whether via historically Black colleges or other institutions that have significant Black populations. Smart group sales initiatives aimed at such groups can draw Black fans AND help them feel welcome at the track, and not like the only Black face in the crowd.

Other sports have done a great job of celebrating Black success in their sports–Major League Baseball’s various tributes to Jackie Robinson come to mind–and I don’t think we’ve done enough of that in racing. With all respect to the listed sprint stakes at Aqueduct in January, Jimmy Winkfield is a major historical figure in racing, the last Black jock to win the Derby before the sport was segregated. There should be a race at Churchill Downs named for him on the first Saturday in May. That’s the day when the most eyes are watching and therefore the most Black eyes are trained on the sport as well–let’s show all those viewers that the Black contributions to this game are appreciated.

And what about other historical figures like Isaac Murphy or Oliver Lewis? Or even a much more recent figure who experienced terrifying prejudice because of the color of his skin, like Angel Cordero, Jr? Let’s name races for them and spend a lot more time celebrating their stories and openly acknowledging the role that black and brown people have always played and continue to play in the game. There’s a lot more that can be done to honor the past while welcoming the future.

I am a big believer in industry-sponsored scholarships to programs like RTIP in Arizona or the University of Louisville equine business program or the University Kentucky equine sciences program. Today’s students are tomorrow’s executives and Grade I winning trainers. Something that well-meaning people at the highest levels of the game can do right away is to create scholarship initiatives like these–they could change the game forever. And while we’re at it, why aren’t we doing more to recruit young people to industry positions via historically Black colleges?

Last but not least, I want to get down to the everyday of what can be done to make Black patrons feel more welcome. I know that Black people stand out at the track. I’m not the only one who has gotten to play America’s least-fun game: “Is that dude looking at me because he likes my shirt, or because I’m Black?” And I have personally been asked to have my ticket seen approximately 2.7 times as often as my white friends. There needs to be sensitivity training in this area, for ticket takers and ushers. Marketing can help here too by disseminating fan images that include plenty of Black faces.

And, on an individual level, encourage your Black friends to come to the track for a day of socializing and drinking and betting. If you’re an owner, invite your Black friends and acquaintances to get involved in the new filly you bought.

I understand that there is a thin line between being condescending and inclusive, but I challenge people to walk that line. If you see a Black person at the track, say hello, ask him who he likes in the Double. Horseplayers are a special community and anyone can be a part of that.

I think we need more open and honest discourse on these issues from all people–and I highly recommend that it doesn’t take place on Twitter. Horse racing Twitter can be a strange place, fueled by outrage. Throw race into the mix and it’s like lighting a fuse on a powder keg. Let’s have these conversations in the rooms where decisions are made and marketing budgets are set, and in the stands where we’d usually argue over whether or not to include that 20-1 first-time starter with the sneaky work in the Pick 5.

We need fewer statements and more conversations. Between Black people. Between white people. And of course between Black and white people. They won’t always be the most comfortable conversations but that’s OK. It’s only through honest discourse that we can redirect this big, old ship and make the moment I wish for above possible.

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Diversity in Racing: The British Experience

For a window on the diversity of the British Turf, you’ve probably come to the right place. White, male, middle-aged, straight: all boxes checked there, I think.

But if that is very much the stereotype, then at least the authorities here have acknowledged as much; and there is a corporate determination to do something about it. Nor is this merely some perfunctory response to the incendiary confluence, around the world, of a looming economic recession and the protests triggered by the killing of George Floyd.

Even in 2017, admittedly, action was probably long overdue. It was then that the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) established a Diversity in Racing Steering Group. The following summer, its members–comprising volunteers drawn from across the industry–published an action plan. The most immediate and concrete outcome was the appointment as Head of Diversity and Inclusion of Rose Grissell, who now hopes to harness the heightened political energies of the moment to extend the spectrum of engagement with the sport: whether in terms of participation, leadership or fanbase.

Grissell was heartened, then, when the first female to chair the BHA recently identified diversity as the keynote to racing’s prosperity in a post-pandemic world. “We’ll be judged by what we all do, not by what we say, and we must do more,” Annamarie Phelps declared in the Racing Post last week.

“Racing’s recovery is not about turning the clock back to Mar. 17. It’s about seizing the moment to move forward.”

Grissell notes that Phelps, a former Olympic oarswoman who served for five years as chair of British Rowing, brought a useful breadth of perspective.

“Having been in other sports as well, she has seen the difference it can make,” Grissell says. “So I was absolutely delighted to see her setting out how important all this is, for the sustainability of racing. Because the more that people understand the business case, the better.”

For Grissell stresses that she is not just pushing a moral agenda; not just trying to educate people out of prejudice, vital as that is. She argues that if racing professionals want to stay in business, in the long term, they have no choice but to adapt; no choice but to reflect more scrupulously the make-up of society, with all its shades of ethnic, sexual and other differences.

“The Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) population of the U.K. is now around 14%, and in London it’s more like 40%,” Grissell remarks. “And those numbers are growing. This is our future workforce. These are our future customers. If we’re not actually engaging them, getting them interested and asking them to be involved, then how is racing going to survive as a sport? At the time I was recruited, much of the information wasn’t necessarily known, but it was acknowledged that we could definitely be doing a lot better in certain areas. And I do think there was also a recognition of the business case around all this, as well as being the right thing to do.

“We tried to whittle down the action plan to areas where we could make the most immediate difference. But we soon realized there was a lack of understanding across the industry. When you’re trying to change attitudes, change a whole culture, that’s not going to happen overnight. We need as many people on board as possible, so one of our key objectives has been to try and raise awareness of why diversity and inclusion are essential for the sustainability of our sport.”

The conundrum is how to convert the sweeping language of strategy into the detail of tactics. Resources are limited, and must somehow address challenges to some degree endemic in society beyond the sport. So do you target the grassroots, or the leaders and participants who can inspire by example?

“I think you need a bit of both, really,” Grissell argues. “It’s the same across all sports, all businesses: nobody has the perfect answer. But obviously some sports have different challenges. So, for example, we’re in a good place as a sport where, uniquely, all genders can compete on equal terms; and some individuals with certain disabilities are not affected in their ability to ride. That’s something we can really celebrate. We also have a very good gender ratio in our attendances, at around 40-60 [female-to-male], which is much better than many other sports. Again, that’s really positive. But then you see the other side, when you look at our senior representation, at board level; or at our participation. There are definitely areas we can improve on.”

And it is a short step from where the sport performs best to some of its most manifest failings. The complexion of the labor force is commendably balanced. Grissell notes that the gender representation, in racing stables, is virtually 50-50; and it is familiar nowadays to see grooms and riders imported from all around the world, notably from the Asian subcontinent, Eastern Europe and South America. Yet while a three-time champion jockey did emerge from Brazil, in Silvestre de Sousa, neither indigenous nor immigrant workforces have been able to add much diversity among those who have managed to break through the ranks.

“Obviously not all jockeys and trainers come through that pathway, but some do,” Grissell says. “And when we look at participation levels, ethnic minorities would be represented by a handful–if that. We have to address why that is. We have to ask why some people are able to get these opportunities, and other people can’t.”

Since generic, societal problems may take a generation to resolve, it makes sense for Grissell and her colleagues to focus on specific challenges. For example, they have sought to relieve the LGBT+ community from a perceived hostility–reflected in the number of jockeys to have “come out” while still riding. (That number being… one!)

This is one area where Grissell feels racing has been able to profit from example elsewhere. “We’ve seen many sports achieve growing awareness through a campaign called Rainbow Laces, run by the Stonewall charity,” she explains. “So we’ve been learning where we can from them, and had gotten to the stage where we were ready to launch a campaign of our own in June. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, that had to be delayed. But we are now sharing the e-learning module, which went out last week and was really well received.”

Perhaps the best statistical handle available to measure progress, or otherwise, relates the opportunity afforded to female riders. There have been a series of landmark achievements in recent years, both over jumps and on the flat, but Grissell is clear that much still needs to be done.

“Of all the diversity conversations, this is probably the one that has been in the forefront the longest,” she remarks. “As I said, it should be a real positive for the sport that all genders can compete on equal terms and equal pay. However if you look at the detail, female jockeys are not getting the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Obviously there are lots of different theories as to why that might be, and other jurisdictions have been doing different things to address the problem. In France, for instance, they brought in a weight allowance.”

What has heartened Grissell is the traction achieved, in the wider media, by such breakthroughs as have been made. None was more startling, perhaps, than the heartwarming tale of Khadijah Mellah. Yes, the race she won at Goodwood last summer was a charity event and not part of the main program. But the exposure the teenager gained for the sport, as a hijab-wearing novice rider from a deprived London neighborhood, was of Frankel proportions.

“That was a huge story for racing, that went far beyond anyone’s imagination,” Grissell recalls. “It reached different communities all round the world. And, in fact, throughout last year we had some really positive stories hitting the front pages, outside the racing bubble, and the majority celebrated our diverse participants. We had [jockey] Bryony Frost and [trainer] Emma Lavelle, with Andrew Gemmell [Paisley Park’s owner, who was born blind], winning in that ‘golden hour’ at Cheltenham Festival. We had Hollie Doyle breaking the record [for most British winners ridden by a female in a year]. And we’ve just had Hayley Turner winning at Royal Ascot again, and Hollie too.

“In the current climate, we know that women’s sport is growing faster than ever and racing has a story to tell as part of that. Of course, we hope there will come a time when it won’t be a story anymore. That’s where we want to get to, but at the moment it’s an opportunity that must not be missed.”

But there are twin fronts to fight here: in terms of both internal and external perceptions. The BHA diversity mission statement is emphatic: “Racing is for everyone. We want all individuals to feel free to be themselves without fear of discrimination or harassment.” But there’s a slight chicken-and-egg quality to these wholesome intentions. Only when that becomes axiomatically the case will it become, well, axiomatically the case.

Inevitably, Grissell has experienced setbacks. But there have been uplifting moments, also, when she feels that the message is really getting through. Prejudice works both ways, after all. The whole point is not to make up your mind about people in advance. Sure enough, Grissell has sometimes been pleasantly surprised by the receptivity of people who might be presumed reactionary; albeit occasionally the reverse has, of course, also been true.

“People will surprise you,” Grissell says. “I’ve had many conversations with people you might put in a certain box and they haven’t needed persuading at all. Though sometimes I can’t believe the things that come out of someone’s mouth! We should remember that everyone’s different, and everyone’s experience is different. The most encouraging thing is to receive emails from people in the sport saying how fantastic it is, that the industry is waking up to this; that they can now really feel included in their workplace. Because the things we’re talking about, to individuals, can be genuinely life-changing.

“The most discouraging thing, on the other hand, is if we try and share something and it gets stalled; gets put in the ‘too difficult’ pile. But that’s part of our role: to change attitudes, to share the understanding why this is so important for racing. Especially now, obviously. As with all sports, and all industries, this is a very difficult time for many. And we have to do everything we can to help.”

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Diversity in Racing: Deshawn Parker

He grew up on the racetrack, mainly at the old Latonia, spending many a morning and afternoon there with his father Daryl, who worked as a jockey agent, an exercise rider and a racing official. And everywhere he went, Deshawn Parker saw people just like him. Young, Black and eager to make a name for themselves in the sport. It was the ’70s and the ’80s and at whatever track you went to, the majority of backstretch workers were African Americans. Today, they make up a small fraction of a workforce that is dominated by Hispanics.

It’s shocking,” he said. “It went from being mainly all black and now there aren’t many black people back there at all. Honestly, I have no clue why that is. I look at it and think about it every day, but I don’t have an answer for you.”

While he can’t answer why the demographics have changed so much, he is convinced that the absence of Blacks on the backstretch is a reason why there are so few African American jockeys today.

“I grew up on the racetrack and on the backside and that’s why I became a jockey,” said the 49-year-old veteran. “There were a lot of people back there who wanted to be a jockey and the backstretch is where they got their start. Now you don’t have a lot of Black families on the backside anymore, so you don’t have Blacks who want to be a jockey. You don’t get many people who didn’t grow up in racing who decide they want to be jockeys.”

The history of Black riders in this country is well known. They dominated the sport in the 19th century. In the first Kentucky Derby, in 1875, 13 of the 15 riders in the field were Black. Since 1922, only two Blacks have had mounts in the race, Marlon St. Julien in 2000 and Kevin Krigger in 2013.

Today, there are other African American jockeys who have tasted success, but not many. Kendrick Carmouche won numerous riding titles at Parx and can usually be found in the top 10 in the standings at the NYRA tracks. C.J. McMahon rides first call for Karl Broberg at Evangeline Downs and Delta Downs, where he was the second leading rider at the 2019-2020 meet. Parker would like to see ain influx of new Black riders, but he doesn’t see that happening.

But, if a young African American were to come around, they couldn’t find a better role model than Parker or his father.

In 1986, Daryl Parker became a steward, the first African American in U.S. racing history to achieve that position. Deshawn was 16 at the time and, at 5-11, appeared to be too tall to be a jockey. But his father told him that if he finished high school he had his permission to be a rider.

The elder Parker has had to take some time off while battling cancer, but his son said he’s doing well and should return to the stewards’ stand soon. He works in Ohio at Thistledown and Mahoning Valley.

“I idolized him and always tried to learn from the way he did things,” Parker said of his father.

Parker struggled, winning just 60 races total over his first five years of riding. But he kept improving and by the late ’90s was an unstoppable force at Mountaineer Park. In 2010, he led all riders in the nation with 377 wins, becoming the first Black jockey to hold that title since 1895, when James “Soup” Perkins was the leading rider in the nation. He was again the leading rider in the nation in 2011. When Mountaineer cut back on its scheduled and lowered purses, Parker left in 2016.

He’s currently the leading rider at Indiana Grand. Entering Tuesday’s card there, he had won 5,728 races from 34,379 mounts. He’s 22nd among all jockeys in lifetime wins and seventh among active riders.

He has become far more than just the best Black jockey in America.

“While it’s an honor to be the all-time leading Black jockey, you definitely want people to look at you as a good jockey, period.” he said. “You don’t want to be categorized by your color or as just a good Black jockey. It’s the same with a female or a Hispanic, most people just want to be known as a good jockey, period.”

Does he feel that he might have done even better or made it to a top circuit if not for the fact that he is Black?

“Sometimes I think the color of my skin has held me back,” he said. “I’ve never had anyone say anything racist to me to my face. I don’t know what they are saying about me behind my back. But I’m not one to make excuses or find something to blame. If things aren’t working out what I do is just try harder.”

He is a popular veteran, well-liked in the jocks room.

“I might be blind to a lot of things, but what I do is treat everybody with respect,” he said. “When I treat people with respect I expect the same in return. I always try to be polite and treat people the way I would like to be treated.”

Though he has several more good years to come, Parker has already set his goal for when he does retire. He wants to be a steward and envisions some day working alongside his father. If that happens, he will again be a rarity, an African American steward. He wishes there were dozens of Black stewards, but understands why that isn’t the case.

“[African Americans] are not around the track as much as we used to be and I can’t understand why,” Parker said. “Back in the day, it was all Blacks back there, working hard and busting their butts and looking to move up. Now, it’s mainly Hispanic people. I don’t know what happened or where all the Black people went. But when you don’t have Blacks working in racing at any level, who is going to move up the ranks? You just don’t have many Blacks on the backside or anywhere around the track anymore. It’s a shame.”

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