Finalists Announced For 2020 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards

The finalists for six of the seven prestigious Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards have been announced. The winner of the Thoroughbred Industry Community Award, which has one first-place prize, has been decided. This year's recipient is Maria Cristina Vasquez with the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.

Three finalists in each of the six categories, along with Maria Cristina Vasquez, will be recognized at a virtual awards program to be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6, with the assistance of Studio 46 Media in Lexington, Kentucky.

The shortlist judging panel, the first of the two judging panels, collaborated on a video conference on Monday, August 24, to decide the finalists as well as the Community Award winner. The second and final stage of judging will take place in late September.

Panel Chair Susan Martin stated, “The experience of serving on the final judging committee last year was immensely rewarding so I was delighted and honored when asked to serve as chair of this year's initial shortlist panel. I think we all have an idea of how hard the behind-the-scenes individuals work in our sport, but when you have the opportunity to dig a little deeper into their amazing stories, you truly realize what an impressive group they really are.

“Like so many others during this pandemic we are having to adjust the way we communicate so we held our judging panel via a virtual teleconference. I will say this did not dampen my enthusiasm nor that of the rest of the panel. The importance of these awards is not lost on us, and we, like the final judging panel in September, take this duty to heart. And although the decisions we made in order to narrow down what is a most impressive field were difficult, I think all will see from the list of finalists that we are blessed with an incredible workforce in our industry.

“It's also so important to recognize Godolphin and Sheikh Mohammed, along with the National HBPA, TOBA, The Jockey Club and Breeders' Cup, without whose underwriting and additional support these awards would not be possible to implement. Our media partners as well – BloodHorse, TDN, Daily Racing Form, TVG, Paulick Report and Fox Sports – all deserve our heartfelt thanks.”

The shortlist panel was composed of Chair, Susan Martin, Director of Marketing, The Jockey Club Information Systems, Lexington, KY; Stephanie Brennan, industry activist; Corey Johnsen, CJ Racing Stable and former owner of Kentucky Downs; Cate Masterson, Executive Director of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Saratoga Springs, NY; and David Pope, President and Co-owner of Siena Farm.

The finalists are:

Administration Award
Lynelle Fox-Smith – Oregon Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association
Michelle Holbrook – Silver Springs Stud
Dionne Johnson – New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, Inc.

Dedication to Breeding Award
David Kyle – Fasig-Tipton Company, Inc.
Helen Otero – Coolmore America
Steve Avery – Taylor Made Sales Agency

Dedication to Racing Award
Gregory Smothers – Niall Brennan Stables
Marcelo Arenas – Leah Gyarmati Stables
Patrick “Shawn” Autry – McPeek Racing

Leadership in Breeding Award
Matt Lyons – Candy Meadows Farm
Wayn Clem – Claiborne Farm
Christy Holden – Country Life Farm

Leadership in Racing Award
Carmen McShane – D/M Racing
Cindy Hutter – George Weaver Racing
Roy Smith – Indiana Grand Racing and Casino

Newcomer Award
Robert Cole – Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association
Alexis Kolasa – Denali Stud
Aaron West – Bradley Thoroughbreds LLC

Thoroughbred Community Award Winner
Maria Cristina Vasquez – New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association

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‘We Cannot Let Our Guard Down’: BEST To Reemphasize Proper Use Of PPE At Saratoga

The Backstretch Employee Service Team (BEST) will team up with the Northeast New York Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NENY-COSH) on Aug. 24-25 to provide one-on-one demonstrations on the proper use of personal protective equipment to the essential workers of the backstretch at Saratoga Race Course. The demonstrations will re-emphasize the continued best practices that have been in place at the racetrack since early March. Each worker in attendance will receive a PPE kit including a mask with filtering respirator, gloves, and hand sanitizer. The project was made possible with the help of a grant from the Hispanics in Philanthropy Essential Fund.

PPE has been supplied, free of charge, to the horsemen and the workers since the start of the pandemic. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) and New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Assocation (NYTHA) teamed up earlier this month to distribute 25,000 masks at Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park, bringing the total number of masks and gloves donated to the backstretch community to more than 200,000.

This initiative is the most recent in the ongoing effort to protect the workers from Covid-19. BEST has been working with the NYRA, NYTHA, and the New York division of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America since early March to address the issues created by the pandemic. The organizations formed a Task Force Mar. 10 and created the “Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Plan,” developing policies regarding testing, medical care, quarantine and the mandatory use of PPE, as well as setting up a communication network with the horsemen and the workers, and organizing distribution of PPE, medical supplies, food, and clothing for those in need.

“Since the start, we have been working hard to make sure the workers have everything they need, and this is an ongoing and collective effort,” BEST Executive Director Paul Ruchames said. “We are thrilled that, as of today, we have no active positives in our backstretch community. But we will continue to be vigilant. A key component in keeping the backstretch workers safe is education. NENY-COSH will review the facts about PPE with our workers – how to wear it, how to store, when to discard it.”

The Task Force expanded its Plan and exceeded New York State requirements when Saratoga Race Course opened in July, mandating that everyone working at the upstate track produce a negative Covid-19 test before being allowed on the grounds. This policy includes jockeys, valets, NYRA employees, trainers and their staff, outside vendors, and media. As is the policy at Belmont Park, everyone licensed and approved to be on the property are required to wear a mask, practice social distancing and submit to a daily temperature check.

Signs in English and Spanish are posted across the backstretch as a daily reminder to follow these protocols, and there is a hotline to call should anyone have concerns about Covid-19.

As a result of this diligence, there are currently zero positive cases of Covid-19 at Saratoga Race Course and downstate at Belmont Park.

“NYTHA is committed to improving the lives of the workforce on the backstretch, and our mission has never been more focused than during the fight against Covid-19,” NYTHA President Joe Appelbaum said. “We want to thank NENY-COSH for providing this valuable service to the workers, and the Gaming Commission, NYRA, BEST, and the Chaplaincy for their collaboration during difficult times. We are proud of the hard work and dedication that have gone into this effort, and of our horsemen and workers for their willingness to cooperate and comply.”

Added Ruchames, “Thanks to the partnership with NYRA and NYTHA and the guidance of the New York State Gaming Commission and the Governor's Office, we have been able to contain Covid-19 at our racetracks. But we cannot let our guard down.”

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‘Champions Talk’ Event to Benefit NY Race Track Chaplaincy

With its two annual fund-raising events in Saratoga Springs cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York Race Track Chaplaincy will instead host “Champions Talk,” featuring five prominent personalities from the world of sports and horse racing, which will premiere Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. ET.

The five individuals are Hall of Fame jockeys Angel Cordero, Jr. and Ramòn Dominguez, Kentucky Derby winning owner Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds, Churchill Downs’ all-time leading trainer Dale Romans and Pro Football Hall of Fame and two-time Super Bowl winning coach and Thoroughbred owner Bill Parcells.

The legendary former New York Racing Association announcer Tom Durkin will serve as the moderator for the roundtable discussion, which will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube. The discussion will take place at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, but spectators will not be permitted to attend due to COVID-19 protocols in place.

The NY Chaplaincy will be honoring the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA) as part of the event for its longtime dedication and support of the backstretch community at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

“While it’s disappointing to cancel our immensely popular brunch at Saratoga National Golf Club and our jockeys versus horsemen basketball game, we know that racing fans all over the world will enjoy hearing some of the colorful anecdotes that these five gentlemen experienced through the years,” said Humberto Chavez, the chaplain of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy. “We are hopeful that organizations and individuals will lend their support to this event because the needs of the backstretch workers are even greater in the midst of this pandemic.”

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