Tag: People

With Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver, B.C., having rounded the turn for its stretch run to the completion of the 2023 Thoroughbred campaign, a major addition to the BC racing scene becomes official with the appointment of Dawn Lupul as manager of racing and communications effective on Aug. 28.

“We are thrilled to have Dawn join the team,” said Matthew Ruhlman, chief operating officer of BC Racebook.  “She is a highly respected professional in the industry, uniquely talented with both breeds and we are excited to bring her fresh perspective to BC as we continue to grow the business.”

Lupul will be overseeing numerous key elements of the live racing operations at both Hastings Racecourse and Fraser Downs when the Standardbred season opens Sept. 14 with a revamped broadcast in high definition.

“I am beyond excited for the challenges this new role brings,” stated Lupul. “It is an opportunity to use every facet of my career to help promote the long and storied history of horse racing in BC.”

Born in Edmonton, her career includes decades of experience as an owner, breeder and trainer in both Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing that led to becoming a respected analyst and broadcaster. Dawn was the voice of Woodbine's simulcast broadcasting for 10 years and has appeared in many network television specials, including having been invited to call races at Ascot Racecourse in Perth, Australia.

In her role with BC Racebook, Lupul will apply her vast experience in corporate communications and stakeholder relations in promoting and showcasing live racing at Hastings and Fraser Downs to help elevate both brands.

Hastings Racecourse hosts the third leg of the Western Canadian Triple Crown on Sept. 16 with the $125,000 BC Derby. It follows the $125,000 Manitoba Derby at Assiniboia Downs (Aug. 7) and $200,000 Canadian Derby at Century Mile in Edmonton (Aug. 26).

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Outstanding riding achievements on opposite coasts at the nation's premier summer meets by Umberto Rispoli at Del Mar and Joel Rosario at Saratoga lead to a tie for Jockey of the Week August 14 through August 20. The panel of racing experts could not separate Rispoli's win in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and Rosario's two stakes victories including the G1 Alabama.

The award recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1,050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

On Saturday at Del Mar, Rispoli was aboard Anisette for the second time for trainer Leonard Powell in the G1 Del Mar Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on the turf. Off as the favorite in the field of 10, Anisette trailed by as many as a dozen lengths but Rispoli didn't seem concerned. Turning for home, Anisette and Rispoli began weaving through horses when a seam opened on the rail. With an impressive turn of foot, the pair went on to a 2 3/4-length win for 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.15.

“I knew I was on the best filly and that helped me ride her the way I did,” said Rispoli. “I thought about going outside and I knew the pace was not in my favor, but then things opened a bit inside and I went. They tell me I ride like (new Hall of Famer) Fernando Toro did. I know what that means. It's a great honor.”

Rosario started the race week on Wednesday at Saratoga on Silver Skillet for trainer Christophe Clement in the Suzie O'Cain Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies. Off as the 3-1 second choice, Silver Skillet raced in sixth, then on the far turn took control and rolled to win with authority in 1:41.67 for the 1 1/16-mile turf test.

Riding for four-time Eclipse Award trainer Chad Brown, Rosario was aboard Randomized in the G1 Alabama, Saratoga's premier race for 3-year-old fillies. Off as the fifth choice in the field of 10, Randomized broke on top and made every pole a winning one for a four length victory in 2:03.07 for 1 1/4 miles, defeating Grade 1 winners Wet Paint and Defining Purpose.

“She was moving so well, nice and easy all around, she's just a nice filly, but a mile and one-quarter is a long ways, so you have something for the end,” said Rosario who won his second Alabama. “It looked like she did it real easy. I asked her turning for home and it looked like she would just start running, so that was a really good performance.”

Rispoli and Rosario out-polled Axel Concepcion who won a stakes race at Laurel and posted 10 wins to lead all jockeys for the week, Flavien Prat with a graded stakes win at Saratoga, and Irad Ortiz, Jr. with two stakes wins at Saratoga.

Special mention goes to Abel Lezcano who showed incredible athleticism at Hawthorne on Sunday to stay on his mount, Christmas Present after his right stirrup broke. Undeterred by the scary incident, Lezcano rode the next four races on the card and won the day's finale.

The post Umberto Rispoli, Joel Rosario Tied In Jockey Of The Week Voting appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Today, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) announced that Terri Mazur, Esq. has been selected to join HISA's Board of Directors. Mazur will replace Ellen McClain, who will step down from her position to fulfill increasing professional obligations.

As determined by Congress, HISA's Board of Directors consists of nine individuals, five from outside of the equine industry (independent directors), and four selected to represent various equine constituencies (industry directors). Mazur will fill one of the independent director seats on the Board.

“Terri's legal and business expertise, as well as her life-long commitment to horses make her a natural fit for HISA's Board,” said HISA Board of Directors Chair Charles Scheeler. “We thank Ellen for her considerable contributions to HISA, and I look forward to working with Terri as we seek to expand on the critical work HISA is doing to protect horses and riders.”

Mazur is an experienced trial lawyer with more than 30 years of experience across the federal securities and financial services industry. She previously served as Partner at Mayer Brown LLP and Arnold Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, and was most recently a Shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP. Mazur is the Immediate Past Chair of the New York State Bar Association's (NYSBA) Women in Law Section, serves on the Executive Committee of NYSBA's Antitrust Section and the Task Force on Racism, Social Equity and the Law, and sits on the Antitrust and Trade Regulation Committee of the New York City Bar Association.

“I am honored to have been appointed to the Board by this outstanding group of independent and industry experts,” said Mazur. “As a life-long competitive equestrian who has owned retired Thoroughbred racehorses, I have a deep concern for the health and wellbeing of racehorses. It is a privilege to be part of HISA's work to make racing safer for horses, and to make Thoroughbred racing fair and clean.”

Mazur is an avid equestrian and has a long history in show jumping at both the intercollegiate level and in the junior and adult amateur jumper divisions on the national level. She will replace Ellen McClain, who is stepping down from her position on HISA's Board of Directors due to increasing professional responsibilities.

“It has been a great honor to support the formation of HISA and the important work being done to ensure the long-term success of Thoroughbred racing,” said McClain. “I have no doubt that HISA will continue to thrive under the leadership of my fellow Board members, Lisa, and the strong, dedicated team she has assembled.”

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Two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee and New York Times reporter Sarah Maslin Nir and co-author Raymond White, Jr. will unveil their new book, The Jockey & Her Horse, Inspired by the True Story of the First Black female Jockey, Cheryl White, on Saturday, Sept. 2 at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

This special event, which features a book signing and reading, begins at 9 a.m. Free copies of the book will be provided for attendees under the age of 18 years old, while supplies last. At 10:30 a.m., the authors will read from the book, which has a target audience of ages 8-12. Organizations participating in the event virtually include the Ed Brown Society, the Compton Cowboys, Ebony Horsewoman, and Legacy Equine Academy.

In the follow-up to her book The Flying Horse, Maslin Nir has teamed up with White — the brother of the book's main character — to tell the remarkable story inspired by the journey of Cheryl White, the first Black female jockey, and her horse, Jetolara. 

Synopsis: Cheryl loves horses. She's been studying thoroughbreds at her family's horse-racing stables since she was old enough to ride on the shoulders of her father, a famous horse trainer. Cheryl wants to be a jockey. One problem — she is a girl, and there has never been a Black female jockey in history!

Jetolara is a young thoroughbred finding his place in the herd. When Cheryl literally falls onto his back and Jeto sprints off across the pasture, Cheryl discovers that she doesn't just want to be a jockey, she is a jockey — and she and Jeto were born to race. Together, girl and horse make history and show everyone that once you learn to love yourself, the world is yours.

Review: “Sarah Maslin Nir has drawn on a life in love with horses to craft this wonderful novel based on the girlhood of the first Black woman jockey, Cheryl White. Like White, Nir knows the exhilaration of pounding hooves as well as the profound connection that can form between a horse and rider. This is the kind of history we all should know: a moving story of courage and resilience.” — Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner

About the Authors: Sarah Maslin Nir is a New York Times reporter, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, and the author of Horse Crazy: The Story of a Woman and a World in Love with an Animal and The Flying Horse, published by Cameron Kids. She lives and works in New York City.

Ohio-based Raymond White, Jr. hails from a family of racehorse professionals and has held almost every job there is in the racing world — jockey agent, exercise rider, assistant trainer, groom — except for jockey, like his sister, Cheryl, because he was too tall! The Jockey & Her Horse is his first book.

About the artist: The book is illustrated by Laylie Frazier, a fine artist and illustrator inspired by the natural world. She lives in Houston.

The book launch, reading, and complimentary copies is sponsored and hosted by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA). The event at the Museum runs concurrently with the Museum's Saturday Morning Social series, which is geared toward kids and sponsored by the Belmont Child Care Association. The Saturday Morning Social will also feature interactive experiences and activities for kids of all ages from a number of our local partners, including Amplify Horse Racing, Caffe Lena School of Music, Hop On Home Rabbit Sanctuary, and Saratoga Performing Arts Center. There will also be an appearance by Upset, the miniature horse, courtesy of Impressions of Saratoga.

There will be an additional book giveaway and signing from noon to 1 p.m. at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame's satellite pavilion at Saratoga Race Course, sponsored by NYRA. There will also be a special named race and trophy presentation in the winner's circle honoring Cheryl White on the Saturday card at Saratoga. 

Inquiries about this event may be sent to museum educator Matt Reichel at mreichel@racingmuseum.net or (518) 584-0400 ext. 118.

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