Keeneland To Host Fall Meet Job Fair On Sept. 18

Keeneland kicks off its Fall Meet hiring campaign to fill more than 2,000 positions with a Job Fair on Sept. 18 and a recurring series of Hiring Center events during September that invite candidates to “Share the Tradition” by joining the track's seasonal team.

Among the staffing needs for the Fall Meet, which runs Oct. 8-30, are positions in Admissions, Concessions, Culinary, Guest Services, Parking and Security, Track Maintenance and other areas.

Apply in person at the Job Fair or Hiring Center or on Keeneland.com/jobs

On-site interviews for all positions will be conducted at the Job Fair and at the Hiring Center. Because employment offers may be made on the spot, candidates are asked to bring two forms of identification to these events.

A Job Fair will be held Saturday, Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET at the Keeneland Entertainment Center. Applicants who attend will be treated to a preview of Keeneland's new Fall Meet concession offerings, including gourmet ice cream from Lexington's Sav's Restaurant and a variety of hot dogs, among them the Hawaiian Dog and the Trifecta Dog.

On-the-spot hiring is possible for those who apply in person at the Hiring Center, located on the second-floor Grandstand, where interviews will be conducted Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Sept. 7 and running through Sept. 30.

Positions also are listed on Keeneland.com/jobs for candidates to apply any time.

“Keeneland's seasonal workforce is invaluable to our race meet operations,” Keeneland Director of Human Resources John Greene said. “There are many diverse opportunities to be part of the Fall Meet fun, enjoy consistent hours, earn extra money and work with a quality hospitality and operations team.”

Keeneland's seasonal employees, who come from some 168 cities in 60 Kentucky counties and 26 states as far away as California, represent a unique Kentucky tradition. It is not uncommon for several generations of the same family to be employed during a race meet and for an exceptional employee to obtain a full-time position.

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Keeneland offers seasonal employment in a variety of areas for the Fall Meet.

Keeneland Hospitality provides food and beverage service for the entire Keeneland campus, including the Clubhouse, Grandstand, concessions and Track Kitchen, and has opportunities for people with all levels of culinary, wait staff and host experience. Candidates, who may be seeking additional income, will receive the opportunity to gain valuable culinary and dining experience while training directly under talented chefs.

The majority of positions offered during race meets are entry level and do not require any formal training or education. These jobs can be a good fit for active people who are interested in a seasonal position that can lead to other opportunities and for those who are looking for a short-term opportunity to be part of a Kentucky tradition, a fun atmosphere and earn additional income.

Team members who are employed the entire Fall Meet typically work 40 paid hours each week and will receive paid training prior to the start of the race meet. Seasonal employees are paid on a weekly basis and will receive 50 percent off meals in Grandstand concessions and a 30-percent discount on merchandise at The Keeneland Shop.

Keeneland is welcoming back racing fans at full capacity this fall while remaining committed to the safety of our employees and guests. The track continues to monitor local and national health guidelines as they pertain to COVID-19.

At a Glance: Hiring events for Keeneland's Fall Meet

Applicants asked to bring two forms of identification to these events:

  • Hiring Center – Tuesdays and Thursdays, Sept. 7-30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; second-floor race track Grandstand (take Elevator B from ground floor near Paddock).
  • Job Fair – Saturday, Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET, Keeneland Entertainment Center (enter Gate 1 on Keeneland Blvd., take first right on Entertainment Blvd.).

Candidates may apply online at any time at Keeneland.com/jobs.

In addition to outstanding seasonal employment opportunities, Keeneland is proud to support the community via its Volunteer Group program. The program enables fraternities, sororities, high school booster clubs, senior groups, charitable organizations and other certified groups that have a tax identification number to receive a contribution of $10 for every hour that one of their members works during the Fall Meet. Members of participating organizations might work in roles ranging from a server assistant in one of Keeneland's premier dining rooms to serving food and drinks at a concession stand or working as a parking attendant.

If your group is interested in applying for one of these select opportunities, please click here.

The post Keeneland To Host Fall Meet Job Fair On Sept. 18 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Turf Paradise Fall Race Dates in Jeopardy Over Safety Concerns

The upcoming fall race meet at Turf Paradise, scheduled to run Nov. 5 through May 7, hangs in the balance over equine safety concerns after another contentious Arizona Racing Commission Meeting, Thursday.

The Arizona horsemen, headed by the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (AZHBPA), currently refuse to sign the race-meet contract until a set of track maintenance upgrades, along with various other welfare and management-related requests, have been met.

These concerns spring from a 2020-2021 Turf Paradise race-meet marred by a high number of equine fatalities.

“We would like a clean and safe facility,” said AZHBPA president, Bob Hutton. Until Turf Paradise is willing to comply with its statutory safety obligations, “the HBPA does not support running a meet there this fall,” he added.

Representatives for Turf Paradise argued that the Arizona HBPA's requests cannot be met, and that some of the blame for the high equine fatality rate should rest with the horsemen.

“I don't go down the shedrow and say, 'you ought to have better horses and you wouldn't have as many breakdowns,'” said Turf Paradise owner, Jerry Simms, before adding that an agreement with the horsemen isn't necessary for the facility to conduct a race-meet this fall.

“We can run without a contract,” Simms stated.

In a July 30th letter to Turf Paradise, the Arizona HBPA listed 25 detailed safety issues and broader management concerns, the primary one being track surface quality.

“The condition that both tracks were in last year were will be unacceptable for the upcoming meet,” the letter stated, before asking that Mick Peterson, director of the Racetrack Safety Program, be brought in to examine the surfaces.

“Too many horses last year were euthanized or injured to the point they could no longer race,” the letter added.

The other 24 demands in the letter include upgrades and repairs to the backstretch, grandstand and clubhouse, along with another track veterinarian. The HBPA takes issue with current Turf Paradise veterinarian, Dr. Verlin Jones. “HBPA will pay 50% as long as it is not Dr. Jones,” the letter states.

“This racetrack last year was in the worst condition I've ever seen,” said trainer Kevin Eikleberry, at Thursday's commission meeting. “This can't happen again.”

According to Turf Paradise general manager, Vince Francia, he's listening.

A “firm” has already been hired to remove the track cushion so as to examine the limestone base, Francia said. “It's going to take a week's worth of work,” he added.

Francia also took umbridge with the horsemen for sharing on social media an assortment of damning pictures showing various parts of Turf Paradise in states of disrepair and dilapidation.

Francia argued that the 54 days between now and the scheduled start of the fall meet is sufficient to bring the track up to code.

“Guys, you're getting a little silly,” he said, urging the AZHBPA to the negotiation table. “The door to my office is open,” he said.

The commissioners chastised the stakeholders for negotiating the contract during the meeting rather than in a private forum.

“I dread every single meeting here,” lamented commissioner Chuck Coolidge, noting the contentious relationship between Turf Paradise and the horsemen's group. “One thing the commission sees often is a lot of rock-throwing by all parties.”

This isn't the first time Arizona has been under the spotlight for its equine welfare record. Rising equine fatality rates prompted the commission to conduct a report into equine safety the 2017-2018 season.

Turf Paradise doesn't make its fatality data public on the Jockey Club's Equine Injury Database.

Last week, the TDN asked the Arizona Department of Gaming for statewide equine fatality statistics beginning at the start of 2018. The request is currently being processed.

The post Turf Paradise Fall Race Dates in Jeopardy Over Safety Concerns appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Churchill September & Fall Meets to Feature 22 Stakes

Churchill Downs will feature 22 black-type races worth $7.01 million during the upcoming September and Fall Meets, the storied track announced Friday. With a new $10-million turf course currently being installed, racing will be exclusively on the main track until the Spring Meet. The September Meet, to be held Sept. 16-Oct. 3, will have 11 stakes worth a total of $3.26 million, while the Fall Meet will take place Oct. 31-Nov. 28 and will feature another 11 stakes totaling $3.75 million.

The highlight of the second half of the year at Churchill Downs is always the GI Clark H. presented by Norton Healthcare. Worth $750,000 for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles, the Clark is being run for the 147th time this year and will be held on its traditional Friday-after-Thanksgiving date, Nov. 26. Another highlight will be the start of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” and the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” series with the $300,000 GIII Iroquois S. and the $300,000 GIII Pocahontas S., both to be held Saturday, Sept. 18. Both races are also Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge events, which means the winners will receive automatic berths for their respective Breeders' Cup races on Nov. 5 at Del Mar with full entry fees and travel expenses paid.

The Churchill stable area was closed in July due to the work on the turf course. Horsemen can return to Churchill for stabling on Wednesday, Sept. 8. The main track will be open for training Thursday, Sept. 9.

The post Churchill September & Fall Meets to Feature 22 Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Santa Anita to Offer ‘Ship & Win’ in Fall

Santa Anita will continue the “Ship & Win” program this fall at the Autumn Meet, which opens Friday, Oct. 1. The program began this past May at the Arcadia track, is currently a part of Del Mar's summer meet, and will continue through the fall. “Ship & Win” provides a $3,000 bonus and a 35% increase in purse earnings for any horse that has not run in California for one year. In addition, any new out-of-state horses coming to Santa Anita which meet requirements or which have made their first start in the Del Mar “Ship & Win” program remain eligible for the same benefits in their first start at Santa Anita.

“This program has proven to be a primary driver in our efforts to bring horses to California from all over the nation,” said Santa Anita's director of racing and racing secretary, Chris Merz. “We started to see some horses coming here in May and June and Del Mar has done a tremendous job of recruiting, which we are confident is going to be of significant benefit to the entire circuit here.  Along with Del Mar, the Thoroughbred Owners of California [TOC] have been very supportive in the implementation of 'Ship & Win' and it's great to have all of us working together for the benefit of racing in California.”

More information is available through the Santa Anita Racing Office at (626) 574- 6352.

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