gabby gaudet | Horse Racing Free Tips

New Face in Keeneland Sales Ring

When Ashley Hobgood made her debut in the Keeneland September Sales ring on Sunday, it marked not only another sign of change for the sales company, but a sign of growing diversity as well. Not only did Hopgood's entrance into the ring come while announcer Gabby Gaudet was on the stand, quite possibly marking the first time that a majority of women were manning the fort, but also the first time that the job of ringman was handled by a non-African American female.

Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said that Hobgood was from Texas, and had worked at Quarter Horse sales in Texas and Louisiana, and was originally supposed to start work at the Keeneland November sale when an opportunity arose in September.

“We were looking to expand the team, and Justin Holmberg recommended her as an excellent horseperson and felt she would be a good candidate,” said Lacy. “This has been a trial period for her, and she is also scheduled to work the entire November sale, but it has been great to work her into the September sale so she could gain experience and see how it works. She has been incredibly cooperative, is an excellent horsewoman and has been extremely delighted at how she has fit in with the team.”

Keeneland has traditionally had a six-man team of ringmen led by Ron Hill, all of whom are African American. “They are a great group of guys and what we want to be able to do is to look for roles that can be more inclusive across the company,” said Lacy. “We're very cognizant of the fact that we need to be inclusive. I spoke to Ron about it, we're very much on the same page, and this allows us to move forward and we needed to expand the team outside of what it was.”

Hobgood said that while she didn't want to focus only on the barrier-breaking aspect of her role, she understood why people were talking about it.

“I knew that there had been one other woman, and I understood I was the first white female,” she said. “These gentlemen have been the best I've ever worked with. (Ron Hill) is just a wonderful teacher, and everyone on my team has been very kind. I'd go to bat for those guys. They've been so kind to me that I would bend over backwards to help them out. I don't want to make a big deal about it, but I know it is. I'm very honored, but I'm just another individual trying to fit in with a team of horsemen. But I don't want to diminish it because I know it's such an honor. I'm still on cloud nine.”

The post New Face in Keeneland Sales Ring appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Keeneland CEO Shannon Arvin Talks September Sale On Writers’ Room

The early returns have been strong at Keeneland's marquee September Sale, both in the numbers on the board and the overall vibe on the grounds, and Wednesday morning, the company's president and chief executive officer Shannon Arvin joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland to talk about her first September Sale officially running the show, the return of some normalcy to the auction environment, what to expect at the upcoming Keeneland Fall Meet and more.

“The word we keep saying is electric,” said Arvin, calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, about the atmosphere on the grounds. “We've worked really hard to try to create the right environment that Book 1 deserves. So we've got a lot of flowers, we've got cocktails, we've got brunch. The barns are full of people, domestic buyers, international buyers. There were a lot of people sitting in that pavilion and really excited to be here. The electricity is palpable and we really do have that hustle and bustle back, which is what we want at a public auction.”

Arvin has Keeneland in her blood, as a Lexington native and the third generation of Keeneland management. She was asked about her early memories of Keeneland and spoke to her reverence for what the company means to racing as well as the Lexington community.

“It's funny, since I've been in this position, a lot of people say, 'Well, of course you were going to be president of Keeneland.' Nobody ever knows they're going to be president of Keeneland,” she said. “There are so many people that revere this institution, and what it means to racing, what it means to the Thoroughbred industry, what it means to our community. I definitely am one of those. My grandfather was the first general manager and he was here from 1936 until 1971. My dad grew up on these grounds and was lawyer to Keeneland and was one of our three trustees when he passed away in 2008. My early memories are from working here. I answered the switchboard and I worked in the sales office. They had Dough Daddy donuts every Saturday, and graham crackers and peanut butter in the break room … We are a company that was formed by horsemen for horsemen. In order to fulfill our mission to be a model racetrack, and promote the best in Thoroughbred racing and industry world leading sales company, we have to have horsemen on our team that understand what our customers are going through. So I think that's helped me really have strong ideas about who we need to have here.”

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by Spendthrift Farm, West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Thoroughbreds and Legacy Bloodstock, Joe Bianca and Bill Finley were joined by guest cohost Gabby Gaudet to discuss a smashing Kentucky Downs meet, the declining foal crop numbers and Churchill Downs's announcement that horses in the barns of suspended trainers will not be awarded Road to the Kentucky Derby points. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

The post Keeneland CEO Shannon Arvin Talks September Sale On Writers’ Room appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

TDN’s ‘Let’s Talk’ Debuts

The TDN kicks off 'Let's Talk'–a new podcast series featuring TDN's Christina Bossinakis and TVG's on-air analyst Gabby Gaudet. The series offers candid discussion on personal, and sometimes difficult, topics that are often uncomfortable for many to speak about in an open forum.

The inaugural edition presents a trio of successful horsewomen who have made a name for themselves in the game, while simultaneously starting and raising families–TVG Host and Racing Analyst Christina Blacker; principal partner in BSW/Crow Bloodstock and co-owner of Elite Sales Liz Crow; and Anna Seitz Ciannello, Fasig-Tipton's client development and public relations manager.

Long considered a male-dominated industry, horse racing has seen that change through recent times. In fact, many of the sport's highest offices are now occupied by women, and while that is certainly something to celebrate, it all poses challenges to those that aim to have a dynamic career while still trying to start and build a family.

“Both of my sisters don't work, and they stay at home with their children and my mother did not work when we were growing up. I'm the first woman in my immediate family to have a career, and it's definitely been trying,” offered Seitz, who cut her teeth at her family's Brookdale Farm in Versailles, Kentucky growing up and later spent several years as a member of Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher's team. “I didn't really know where I fit in. I love being a mom but I also love working. When the kids are really little, it's hard and you feel like something has to give in your career because you can't do everything. You can't be super focused at work when you haven't slept.”

And while 'having babies' is a tale as old as time, many women still find themselves put under an increased scrutiny and all to often face judgement for trying to 'have it all.'

“I always say our industry is a little behind the rest of the world,” said recent first-time mother, Liz Crow. “I feel like in this next generation, there are a lot more women coming up through the ranks right now so I think having a kid will be a little more normalized.”

There is no doubt that the hurdles can be high, and sometimes precarious, for many women trying to find the delicate balance of having a family and continuing to pursue their dreams in racing, however, women continue to do what they have done throughout history, finding the path that works best for them and for their own individual lifestyle and family.

“Having kids was always a non-negotiable,” asserted Blacker, also a mother of three daughters. “I was going to be a mother. Children and being a mom [has always been] one of my major goals in life. And it's never perfect–it's not easy. I cry about it all the time because I feel like I'm failing at something. I either end the day and feel like I've been a great mom or I've been a really good employee. Sometimes I feel like I've done both.”

And despite many of the challenges faced by women in the industry along the way, women continue to forge a way to create a profitable career while simultaneously offering their families stable and nurturing environments to flourish.

“The horse business is such a family…everybody does just really pitch in and help out,” added Blacker. “As hard as it is with the travel, I cry when the plane takes off every time, and you also can't get rid of that morbid fear of what if something happens now and now I'm going on this trip. But once they can start coming with you, it's something that a lot of other kids can't experience. People can't take their children into the office but our office is so exciting. They can be there and participate and watch and enjoy what we do as much as we do.”

To listen to the audio only version of 'Let's Talk,' click here.

The post TDN’s ‘Let’s Talk’ Debuts appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Family Ties Run Deep In Racing For Hall Of Famer Casse

Friday will be a capstone day for Mark Casse and his family when the trainer is inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in a morning ceremony prior to the afternoon races across the street at Saratoga race course. His son Norman, who was his top assistant before going out on his own, and daughter-in-law and TVG analyst Gabby Gaudet could not be prouder.

“It's very exciting. I know this has been one of Dad's biggest goals his entire life so I'm sure he's nervous and excited and we're proud to be a part of that,” said Norm Casse.

Mark Casse was elected in 2020 but his induction ceremony, along with the rest of last year's class, had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the 2020 and 2021 classes will be honored in a combined ceremony, which will be held in the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET

Mark Casse, the 13-time Sovereign Award winner as Canada's Outstanding Trainer who became a member of the Canadian Thoroughbred Hall of Fame in 2016, is only the fourth trainer to be a dual member of both Halls of Fame. He joins Horatio Luro, Lucien Laurin, and Roger Attfield.

“That's pretty good company to be in,” his son said. “Overall, this is an exciting day and it's a really cool group of people and horses being inducted. It's a very special moment.”

The 2020 class includes horses Tom Bowling and Wise Dan, jockey Darrel McHargue, and Pillars of the Turf Alice Headley Chandler, J. Keene Daingerfield, Jr., and George Widener, Jr. The 2021 class is comprised of trainers Todd Pletcher and Jack Fisher and 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Norm Casse is a third-generation horseman and the grandson of the late noted horseman Norman Casse. There will likely be a fourth generation as Norm and his wife, Gabby Gaudet, will be welcoming their first child. Fittingly, the baby is due on the 2021 Breeders' Cup weekend.

“This has all been a whirlwind. There's no other word to describe it,” said Gaudet, who was a member of the NYRA broadcast team as an on-air reporter and racing analyst before moving on to a similar role with TVG. “It's been really busy for Norm and for me with all the traveling we've both been doing.”

Gaudet also has strong bloodlines in the sport. She's the daughter of trainers Linda and the late Eddie Gaudet and the sister of trainer Lacey Gaudet. Her family has been a mainstay on the Mid-Atlantic circuit for decades.

“Both of our families are very excited. We're just lucky that we have so much support behind us,” said Gabby. “Unfortunately, my family won't be able to come to the ceremony tomorrow as my Mom is stuck in Maryland and my sister is stuck in Delaware. But we will be there supporting Mark and it will be such an exciting day for him. It's such a big moment. There was so much uncertainty last year and you don't want a moment like that to fall a little flat. I'm happy they're incorporating this year and last year's inductees. This deserves to have its own moment. Luckily, we'll be here for it.”

Mark Casse will look to capture a unique double on Friday when he follows up on his induction by saddling Easy Time in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in Race 7 at Saratoga.

The post Family Ties Run Deep In Racing For Hall Of Famer Casse appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post