Jason Wilson | Horse Racing Free Tips

1/ST Partners With Ed Brown Society On Internship Program For African American Students

In advance of the 2022 Pegasus World Cup, 1/ST announces a multi-year partnership with the Ed Brown Society that will include a paid internship program for African American students.

Founded by Living the Dream Racing and Stables and led by respected industry connections Greg Harbut and Ray Daniels, the Ed Brown Society celebrates the rich history of African Americans in the equine industry and creates opportunities for young people of color to gain industry exposure, training and experience through internships and scholarships.

The multi-year commitment of $150,000 made by 1/ST will cover all costs associated with the paid internship program which will enable the Ed Brown Society to identify, recruit and place qualified minority students from both historically black colleges and universities and predominantly white institutions. Chosen interns will be compensated and will have all housing and travel expenses covered as part of the program. The Ed Brown Society will provide ongoing direction to the interns as they progress toward permanent professional placements.

The first two interns will begin their placement this spring at 1/ST Racing's Gulfstream Park. This collaborative internship program will offer African American students the opportunity to learn more about the Thoroughbred horse racing industry as they work alongside members of the experienced 1/ST team.

“1/ST is pleased to be the first industry partner of the Ed Brown Society. We are impressed with the commitment of the organization and Living the Dream Stables to racing as a whole and increasing diversity in particular. We are looking forward to working with Ray, Greg and the rest of their team in the years to come,” said Jason Wilson, Chief Operating Officer, 1/ST Content.

“As a third-generation horseman, and one of the few African American professionals in the industry, I am extremely excited about the work of the Ed Brown Society, and I am delighted that 1/ST has joined us to advance our mission,” said Ed Brown Society Chairman Greg Harbut, whose great-grandfather was the groom of world-renowned Thoroughbred Man O' War.

The introductions of the first interns and acknowledgement of the partnership between 1/ST and the Ed Brown Society will be made as part of the 2022 Pegasus World Cup Kick-Off Celebration taking place on Thursday, January 27th at the Historic Ward Room House and Red Rooster in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami featuring D-Nice, Darin Atwater and the Soulful Symphony.

In addition to the internship program, 1/ST will collaborate with the Ed Brown Society to host “Ed Brown Race Days” across 1/ST Racing venues in California, Florida and Maryland to further support and promote diversity and inclusivity in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing, including for the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In at Santa Anita.

The Ed Brown Society is named in honor of Edward Dudley Brown. Born into slavery in Lexington, Ky., Dudley Brown went on to become one of the most accomplished horsemen in the history of Thoroughbred horse racing. Founded by Living The Dream Racing and Stables, Greg Harbut and Ray Daniels also furthered the cause of minority participation in the industry through their respective ownership interests in the 2020 Kentucky Derby runner, Necker Island.

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Letter To The Editor: Glenn Petty

I write today after reading the thoughtful letter from Jason Wilson regarding diversity in the Keeneland Sales ring.

I'm reminded of a question I first asked sometime during the early 1980's: Why aren't grooms included in the Hall of Fame? This came to mind when I noticed that a yearling my employer (EMO Stables) had pinhooked at the time–Secretary General (by Foolish Pleasure out of Sippican, by Stage Door Johnny)–was running in the first-ever Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 1984. That race was won by Chief's Crown, trained by Roger Laurin and his groom was the great Eddie Sweat, who had provided the same service for Roger's father, Lucien, and the great Secretariat.

While, owners, trainers, jockeys and, of course, horses are included in the HOF, it only seems logical that the industry should include one more very important variable in the success equation: grooms. If so, I would think rubbing a Triple Crown winner and a Breeders' Cup winner would qualify one for such and honor if presented. My guess is, on further review, that there might be other grooms with a similar entry on his/her resume.

Seems like a good step forward on diversity would be to include grooms, many of which are women, or African American or Hispanic men.

The post Letter To The Editor: Glenn Petty appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Letter to the Editor: Jason Wilson

I am writing with respect to the September 22, 2021 article New Face in the Keeneland Sales Ring. The article invoked the same feelings that I had the first time I went to one of the sales. In the days leading up to this first foray, my colleagues talked up the sales and the good times that they had watching horses sell for more than seven figures and attending the ancillary events that were part of the experience. I went into the arena on that day with high expectations, but immediately felt that something was not right. It took me awhile to figure it out and then it hit me–all of the humans in the auction ring were black and all of the auctioneers and attendees were white. I did not stay long.

I understand this is a complicated issue. On the one hand, I congratulate Ms. Hobgood on her new role at Keeneland. It is always good to see people in places where they have historically been denied roles. On the other hand, it is incredible that Keeneland has traditionally had a team of African American men as ringmen. Horse racing fosters interaction between people from all types of backgrounds, but it is remarkable how segregated the jobs are. It would seem by design that certain roles go to people from certain backgrounds. Now that the ringmen (and women) are no longer exclusively African American, I hope that African Americans gain opportunities in other roles at the sales company.

I am looking forward to the day when hiring decisions such as these are not newsworthy. To that end, I've been working with the Ed Brown Society to help develop connections between racing organizations and African American communities to foster more diversity in the sport. It is my sincere belief (based on research from leading workforce experts such as McKinsey & Co.) that the sport will not be able to grow without an intentional approach to attracting a more diverse fan base and workforce. It is also incumbent upon us to provide environments where people are comfortable and foster advancement for people from different backgrounds.

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Gregg Colvin Named CEO Of 1/ST Content

1/ST Content, the innovative operating group for 1/ST's media and content companies, announced the appointment of senior media executive Gregg Colvin as chief executive officer.

As CEO of 1/ST Content, Gregg Colvin will work with chief operating officer Jason Wilson to further develop and support the ongoing transformation of the 1/ST Content brands into a modern and cohesive entity to attract and retain a new group of consumers.

Colvin will collaborate with Craig Fravel, Aidan Butler and the 1/ST Racing team along with Paul Williams and the 1/ST Technology team on an integrated strategy to produce and deliver new content offerings, enhanced quality of production and new simulcast distribution platforms for the company's Thoroughbred horse racing and wagering products while continuing to build competitive platforms to service customers in dynamic new ways.

“Gregg Colvin's announcement as chief executive officer of the 1/ST Content group reflects our company's on-going commitment to build forward-thinking, innovative and successful sports-anchored digital, wagering, media and entertainment companies,” said Belinda Stronach, chairman, chief executive officer and president, 1/ST. “Gregg's passion for entrepreneurship, media, commerce and technology, along with his wealth of experience in managing day-to-day operations for billion-dollar media companies and directing media strategy for Fortune 100 companies, will bring deep expertise to strengthen our content offerings as we solidify our position as North America's premier Thoroughbred horse racing content company.”

Colvin is a respected senior media executive who has served in leadership roles at leading global companies such as Fox and Universal McCann. Most recently, he served as Chief Executive Officer of 421 Media, an innovative social media firm that owns and operates hundreds of channels across Instagram and TikTok with a global audience of more than 275 million viewers. Colvin has executed ground-breaking streaming deals and led omni-channel innovations for consumer-focused brands like Sony and Fox.

Aidan Butler, who previously served as president of the 1/ST Content business unit, will continue to be involved to drive and support the synchronization and alignment of the company's horse racing and content platforms in collaboration with Colvin.

“To have Gregg, a seasoned and accomplished media executive who shares our vision for growth and innovation, as part of the 1/ST team is a huge advantage,” said Aidan Butler, chief operating officer, 1/ST Racing. “I see significant opportunities ahead and look forward to working closely with Gregg and the 1/ST Content team to reenergize our existing Thoroughbred horse racing platforms and develop the content assets of the future.”

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“I am thrilled to work with Belinda Stronach, Aidan Butler and the entire 1/ST team to establish the 1/ST Content division as the future of content platforms for Thoroughbred horse racing,” said Colvin. “This amazing team shares my passion for innovation; I'm excited to build on the company's forward-thinking approach to sports-anchored entertainment and to reimagine our content offerings as a competitive sports product for a new generation of customers and fans.”

In addition, Colvin will collaborate with Jimmy Vargas and the 1/ST Experience team to support the broadcast production and strategic execution for 1/ST's marquee events, including the Preakness Stakes and the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series.

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