Hallie Hardy has been named executive director of Horse Country, Inc., replacing Anne Sabatino Hardy (unrelated), who has led the nonprofit since its founding in 2015.

“Horse Country is proud to announce Hallie as its new executive director,” explained Gathan Borden, president of the Horse Country board of directors. “She brings not only a necessary skill set and diverse experience, but also sincere enthusiasm for the organization's mission and the desire to continue the growth of this critical fan development initiative. We are grateful to Anne and the foundation of success she leaves behind for Horse Country. The Board looks forward to working with Hallie and our members to build upon that foundation as the organization steps into this next phase.”

Departing executive director, Sabatino Hardy agreed. “I have appreciated the opportunity to be a part of this effort and am grateful for the relationships and shared accomplishments–I can't wait to see what's next,” said Hardy. “Hallie brings a unique set of skills and experiences that make her ideal to lead the organization. Having worked for Horse Country member locations she's seen firsthand the impact experiences have on fan development. Her relationships, vision and passion for the mission will inspire the next phase.”

A native of Frankfort, Hardy held an internship at WinStar Farm while an undergraduate in the University of Kentucky's Equine Program, leading its public and private tours. Following graduation, she joined America's Best Racing (ABR) as one of six brand ambassadors who traveled the country to promote the sport's biggest race days. After ABR, Hardy was accepted to the Irish National Stud Breeding Course and then Godolphin Flying Start.

Since completing Flying Start, Hardy has worked for trainer Graham Motion and again at WinStar Farm. She most recently worked for Godolphin as part of the nomination sales and marketing teams, as well as assisting with several charitable initiatives and Godolphin's tour experience.

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“The equine industry is vital to the tourism infrastructure of Lexington and Central Kentucky tourism,” said Gathan Borden, Vice President of VisitLEX and Visit Horse Country Board Chair. “[Hardy] has been a tremendous asset in helping develop and grow Horse Country to where it is today. As we embark on this next chapter, the board looks forward to building upon her leadership and success to take Horse Country into the future.”

Horse Country members have hosted more than 180,000 guests and fans since a group of industry participants conceived the idea of a collaborative industry initiative focused on outreach in 2014. Horse Country enables guests to be a part of equine experiences in the heart of the Thoroughbred industry, with documented positive perception change for the sport as well as national and international recognition in press and awards.

“Building Horse Country with the members, board, sponsors, and supporters over these last seven years has been a beautiful challenge and I treasure the relationships I've built through this work as well as the accomplishments we've shared together,” said Hardy. “I look forward to seeing the next vision of Horse Country. I was drawn to this work as someone outside of the industry who was inspired by the members' unified vision of providing engaging access to the horse, land, and people and I still firmly believe in how this outreach prioritizes the guest and fan above all as a way to help them fall in love with the horse, the sport, and Kentucky.”

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Bell, along with father Headley, Brutus Clay, and Dr. Luke Fallon, termed themselves the “mule team,” as they worked in the early days to form and shepherd the industry initiative that would become Visit Horse Country. Each has served roles on the board with Dr. Fallon recently rejoining; Bell, Jr. has maintained the leadership position through the foundational days.

“No doubt the organization would not be what it is, or at all, without Price's generous dedication of time, contribution of boundless energy, and sheer will,” said Executive Director Anne Sabatino Hardy. “He's been a mentor and a tremendous leader. His fingerprints are all over the initiative, which has opened the gates to completely new fans over these last years.”

Borden, the Vice President of Marketing for VisitLEX, Lexington's convention and visitor's bureau, is a 14-year veteran of the tourism industry, sought-after speaker on marketing topics and trends, and was selected in 2021 as one of the “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization” by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI). Borden has served on the board since 2019.

“As we move into the next era of Visit Horse Country, Gathan's marketing prowess, vision and strategic approach is the perfect fit for this position,” said Bell, Jr. “He's an expert in the tourism field and as we seek to attract new fans to our sport, he lends invaluable perspective on how to leverage our experiences to the leisure traveler.”

“Visit Horse Country has been a game-changer for the Lexington tourism product,” said Borden. “The outreach from the horse industry into the community has been powerful and has allowed us to truly share the Bluegrass in a way we never could before. I'm excited to be a part of helping Horse Country continue to develop fans of the industry and further cement Lexington as the Horse Capital of the World.”

Along with the change in leadership, Visit Horse Country board members Heather Higgins, VP Corporate Partnerships for Breeders' Cup, and Harold Palmer, President, The Jockey Club Technology Services, were unanimously elected to service during the organization's annual meeting, held virtually in December 2020.

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“Visit Horse Country has been a game-changer for the Lexington tourism product,” said Borden. “The outreach from the horse industry into the community has been powerful and has allowed us to truly share the Bluegrass in a way we never could before. I'm excited to be a part of helping Horse Country continue to develop fans of the industry and further cement Lexington as the Horse Capital of the World.”

Borden is a 14-year veteran of the tourism industry and has served on the Horse Country board since 2019. Borden, who was selected in 2021 as one of the “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization” by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), is a sought-after speaker on marketing topics and trends.

Bell, Jr. worked alongside his father, Headley, and with Brutus Clay and Dr. Luke Fallon to form the industry initiative that would grow into Visit Horse Country. All have been on the board with Dr. Fallon recently rejoining.

“No doubt the organization would not be what it is, or at all, without Price's generous dedication of time, contribution of boundless energy, and sheer will,” said Executive Director Anne Sabatino Hardy. “He's been a mentor and a tremendous leader. His fingerprints are all over the initiative, which has opened the gates to completely new fans over these last years.”

In handing over the reins, Bell, Jr. said, “As we move into the next era of Visit Horse Country, Gathan's marketing prowess, vision, and strategic approach is the perfect fit for this position. He's an expert in the tourism field and, as we seek to attract new fans to our sport, he lends invaluable perspective on how to leverage our experiences to the leisure traveler.”

In additional Horse Country news, Heather Higgins, VP of corporate partnerships for Breeders' Cup, and Harold Palmer, president of The Jockey Club Technology Services, were unanimously elected as board members.

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Friday is opening day of the Fall Meet, which runs through Saturday, Oct. 24. The season will be closed to the public because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“This community and Keeneland's passionate fan base are what make the Keeneland race meets so special,” Keeneland Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Christa Marrillia said. “Whether you are watching and wagering from home or enjoying the meet from a Keeneland watch party, we are grateful to our fans and tourism partners who are celebrating with us in new ways.”

Keeneland at Home Presented by UK HealthCare

Back by popular demand, Keeneland at Home debuted during the Summer Meet in July and now offers fans a variety of tools to celebrate the Fall Meet and carry on their race-day traditions from the comfort of their own homes. Visit the Keeneland at Home website for links to the livestream of Keeneland races, free race-day digital programs, food and drink recipes, activities for kids and more.

During the Fall Meet, fans are invited to tag @Keeneland and use the hashtag #KeenelandatHome to share their at-home tailgates and viewing parties.

On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, fans can begin their race days with “Keeneland at Home Presented UK HealthCare.” This 30-minute “pre-game show” will air at 12:15 p.m. ET on Facebook Live, Keeneland's YouTube page and on Twitter @KeenelandRacing. Hosted by Christina Blacker and featuring handicapping and daily picks from Ellis Starr, the program will preview the day's card as well as offer lessons in BETology, cocktail recipes from Buffalo Trace, a preview of the Breeders' Cup World Championships and more.

“Horse racing is synonymous with fall in Kentucky” said Dr. Mark Newman, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs of UK HealthCare. “UK HealthCare is excited to take part in Keeneland at Home and celebrate our community's traditions in new ways that fans can enjoy safely from the comfort of their homes.”

UK HealthCare sponsors the $350,000 First Lady (G1), a 1-mile turf race for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, which is part of the prestigious Fall Stars Weekend and will be run Saturday, Oct. 3. UK HealthCare also is the presenting sponsor of the Keeneland Kids Club.

Official Keeneland Watch Parties

Expanding on the Keeneland at Home model, Keeneland, VisitLEX and the Bluegrass Hospitality Association (BHA) are providing restaurants, bars, hotels and Central Kentucky businesses with tools to safely and responsibly host an Official Keeneland Watch Party.

Interested businesses may register at Keeneland.com/watchparties, download the free toolkit and follow the step-by-step guide to host an Official Watch Party. The toolkit includes cocktail recipes, décor ideas, printable fliers, table tents with QR codes for free digital programs and more. Businesses also may purchase souvenir programs for their guests, obtain Watch Party kits and book Keeneland BETologists for the ultimate Watch Party experience.

“The pandemic and cancellation of countless events like the Keeneland Spring Meet drastically impacted our local tourism community,” VisitLEX Vice President of Marketing Gathan Borden said. “Finding ways to support our tourism partners and celebrate the Fall Meet in a safe and responsible way is a perfect fit for VisitLEX.”

“Blue Grass Hospitality Association is excited to share the Keeneland Watch Party concept with our member hotels, restaurants, bars, attractions and tourism partners” BHA President Pam Avery said. “So many of our members count on the Keeneland race meetings to drive business in April and October. The track's Official Watch Parties will allow our tourism community to capture some of this business in a creative new way.”

Keeneland at Home and Official Keeneland Watch Party offerings include:

Programs: Complimentary race-day programs can be downloaded on Keeneland at Home or through the Keeneland Race Day App. Click here for a list of locations that are selling Keeneland programs.

Keeneland at Home Kits: The Keeneland Shop is offering a selection of Keeneland at Home Kits, which fans can customize. Kits, which include branded drinkware, apparel and accessories, are available in Pick 2, Pick 3 and Pick 4 versions via The Keeneland Shop online store.

Recipes for Keeneland favorites: Make your own Maker's Mark Bread Pudding, Keeneland Burgoo, Buffalo Bow Tie and Keeneland Breeze just as if you were at the track. Click here to download recipes.

Keeneland Select offer: Keeneland Select is an online wagering platform with a rewards program and philanthropic component. Sign up for a new account with Keeneland Select and receive a special $50 back after you wager $100 on Keeneland racing in October with the promo code FALL20. This is on top of Keeneland Select's lucrative sign-up bonus that will earn a player $100 after he or she wagers $300 in the first 30 days.

Keeneland Kids Club in Partnership with UK HealthCare Kentucky Children's Hospital: Young fans are invited to join the popular organization to learn more about Keeneland and the horse industry and participate in its philanthropic element. Also download free Keeneland Coloring Sheets.

TV, online options for viewing Fall Meet racing

Racing during the Fall Meet will begin each day at 1:05 p.m. ET, and fans can watch pre-race action and every race on TVs, on phones and on computers.

Programming will start at 11:30 a.m. with “Today at Keeneland,” a 30-minute preview show with handicapping picks and discussion of horses of interest. Racing analysts Gabby Gaudet and Scott Hazelton host “Today at Keeneland,” which airs live on TVG2, The CW Lexington and WKYT.com and is streamed live on Keeneland.com, Keeneland Select and Keeneland's YouTube page.

NBC and NBCSN will provide live coverage of several of Keeneland's Breeders' Cup Challenge races as part of its “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, presented by America's Best Racing.” Air times are Oct. 2 (4-6 p.m. on NBCSN), Oct. 3 (NBC will include coverage from Keeneland during its Preakness-G1 broadcast), Oct. 4 (4:30-6 p.m. on NBCSN) and Oct. 7 (4-5 p.m. on NBCSN).

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