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Keeneland’s Eclipse Award-Winning Director Of Broadcast Services G.D. Hieronymus Retires

G.D. Hieronymus, who has served as Keeneland's Eclipse Award-winning Director of Broadcast Services since 2000, has announced his retirement effective Feb. 1, 2021. Hieronymus will continue to work during Keeneland's Spring and Fall race meets and on special projects for the track and its industry and philanthropic partners.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve this institution for the past 20 years,” Hieronymus said. “Keeneland's Broadcast Services is synonymous with excellence. We have raised the bar for our industry and I am proud of this legacy. I'm grateful to my amazing crew and the countless relationships I have made throughout my career and I'm excited to continue my work with the Keeneland team while also expanding my work in the industry.”

“On behalf of the entire Keeneland family, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to G.D. for his leadership, passion and commitment to Keeneland and the Thoroughbred industry,” Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason said. “While G.D. has always celebrated the rich history of our sport, he continues to pave the way for innovations that strengthen racing. We wish G.D. all the best in his retirement and look forward to his continued collaborations with Keeneland.”

Hieronymus began his career in the Thoroughbred industry in Lexington in 1981 at Hammond Communications, where he served for 19 years and was instrumental in the company's growth and success. After leaving his position as Vice President of Production at Hammond, Hieronymus joined the Keeneland team in July 2000 as the Director of Broadcast Services.

During his time at Keeneland, Hieronymus celebrated many groundbreaking achievements and award-winning productions, including:

o Development of the first high definition control room at a Thoroughbred race track in North America;

o Seven-time recipient of the International Simulcast Award;

o 2004 Eclipse Award recipient for Local Television Achievement;

o Directing award-winning commercials and features for Keeneland, Thoroughbred farms and other industry partners;

o Serving as director of photography for the Kentucky Derby Museum film “The Greatest Race,” which continues to be featured today; and

o Winner of the 2012 Charles W. Engelhard Award from the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association for outstanding service and coverage in media for the Thoroughbred industry.

“While G.D. has and always will be a member of the Keeneland family, his talents have benefited the entire Thoroughbred industry,” Keeneland President-Elect Shannon Arvin said. “Keeneland is committed to continuing our support of these events and programs that mean so much to our sport.”

True to Keeneland's mission, Hieronymus has devoted his time and talents to benefit the Central Kentucky community and the broader Thoroughbred industry. He is currently a Trustee of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Under his leadership, Keeneland Broadcast Services annually provides direction and production support for such events as the NTRA Eclipse Awards, KTA-KTOB Kentucky Derby Trainers Dinner, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation's Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit at Keeneland, Thoroughbred Club of America's Honored Guest Dinner, the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony many more.

Hieronymus' community engagement includes work with the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association, where he was named Volunteer of the Year in 2013, as well as previous involvement with the Transylvania University Parent Council, LexArts, SummerFest at Woodland Park and the Kentucky Film Commission.

In addition to his continued collaboration with Keeneland, G.D. looks forward to spending more time with his wife, Laura, and daughters, Kelly and Lindsay.

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Lots Of New Faces At Turfway Park This Winter; New Tapeta Surface Getting Rave Reviews

Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. is set to open for live racing on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Racing will be conducted Wednesday through Saturday until Jan. 3, 2021, after which the schedule will shift to Thursday through Saturday from Jan. 7 through March 28.

First post is scheduled for 6:15 p.m., Eastern time.

Several new trainers highlight the 2020 – 2021 racing season including Brad Cox, winner of four Breeders' Cup World Championship races at Keeneland this year, and Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. Other new notable trainers that will have stalls on the Turfway backside include Mike Tomlinson, Ray Handal, Jonathan Thomas and Eddie Kenneally. Returning Turfway mainstays who will again be stabled on the grounds include 2019 – 2020 leading trainer Mike Maker, Wesley Ward, Jeff Greenhill and Kim Hammond.

“I am really looking forward to having horses stabled at Turfway Park this winter,” Brad Cox said. “It will be the first time I have had horses stabled at Turfway since 2008 and this allows me the opportunity to race year round in Kentucky. Our horses have been training for a few weeks over the new Tapeta track and it appears to be an excellent racing surface. We are excited to be there and are looking forward to the race meet.”

Several new jockeys will be calling Turfway home this winter including Chris Landeros, who will stay in his home base of Kentucky for the winter, and Reylu Gutierrez, who has spent previous winters in New York. Other new faces that will ride at Turfway for the first time this winter include Rocco Bowen, Declan Cannon, and Jermaine Bridgmohan.

Last year's leading jockey Albin Jimenez as well as other Turfway Park regulars John McKee, Malcolm Franklin, Rodney Prescott and Gerardo Corrales will be back for the 2020 – 2021 race meet.

Turfway Park will be closed to only essential personnel and licensed thoroughbred owners with horses racing on the evening for the 2020 – 2021 race meet. Racing fans in the Northern Kentucky area are encouraged to visit Newport Racing and Gaming to watch and wager on races from Turfway Park, while fans from outside the area are encouraged to wager on Twinspires.com.

The Wagering Menu will consist of a $.50 Pick 5 on races 1-5 as well as the popular $.20 Single Six Jackpot wager on races 3-8, both of which offer a low 15 percent takeout. Pick 4 wagers will be offered on races 2-5 and races 5-8. Traditional win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, daily double and Pick 3 wagers will also be available.

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International Museum Of The Horse Adds Online Component To Black Horsemen Exhibit

The International Museum of the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park announced the launch of the Chronicle of African Americans in the Horse Industry, a new website designed to increase awareness, education, and access to African American history. The site builds upon information discovered for the museum's permanent exhibit, Black Horsemen of the Kentucky Turf.

Through a collaborative effort between individuals, organizations, and communities, the goal of this digital history platform is to uncover, collect, document, and make accessible the history of African Americans in the horse industry. The Chronicle relies on researchers finding archival materials, as well as family members sharing their stories, photos, documents and memorabilia. The International Museum of the Horse invites African Americans who currently work or have worked with horses, in any discipline, anywhere throughout the U.S. to contribute their history to this remarkable historical collection. The digital archive allows contributors to tell their personal stories without letting go of family treasures. Oral histories are archived at the museum's partner repository, the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky.

In 2018, the museum began website development with input from the community on what content should be included and how to make the content accessible to the public. With the support of Phoenix Rising Lex, a grassroots organization that promotes the cultural history of Lexington's early horse racing industry, contributions for the website began in the spring of 2019 with the museum hosting History Harvests at the Lyric Theatre in Lexington, Ky. The mission of the International Museum of the Horse is to provide education on the relationship between humans and horses throughout history. Ten teacher representatives were selected to work with the museum to create educational modules based on the website's content. These modules include American history from the perspective of men and women who have worked with horses across eras that span from 1619 to the present day.

Funding for the website was provided by the Institute for Museum and Library Services, Museums for America, Learning Experiences grant and the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation. Additional funding was allotted from the Kentucky Foundation for Women Art Meets Activism Grant to assist the museum with the hiring of five African-American women to write narratives for the website.

To learn more about the contributing writers and teacher representatives, visit the International Museum of the Horse website at http://imh.org/.

To preview the website, visit https://youtu.be/B_ul2_lnIEg for an introductory video.

For more information about the Kentucky Horse Park, visit kyhorsepark.com.

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‘I Got Away With It For Far Too Long’: Previously Suspended Jockey Calls For Stricter Cocaine Testing

Recent British jockey suspensions due to cocaine positives have encouraged Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) chief executive Paul Struthers to call for increased testing and penalties, reports the Racing Post.

Jockey Nathan Evans was banned six months last week after testing positive for cocaine, and champion British jockey Oisin Murphy received a three-month ban from France Galop after a positive he claimed was due to contamination from a sexual partner.

Kieren Shoemark, 24, made his way back from a cocaine positive and six-month suspension issued in 2018, and is now adding to the voices calling for additional testing. The young rider explained that cocaine has become an increasingly serious problem among jockeys, and that current protocols don't do enough to ensure detection of the drug.

“People being caught taking drugs is not a good thing for the sport; it's giving it a bad name,” Shoemark told the Racing Post. “If people know there's zero tolerance, they're going to take notice as they know they're going to get caught. I don't use 'cheat the system' lightly, but a lot of people are getting away with it — I got away with it for far too long. Hair sampling has to be the way forward.”