Odds On Racing Scholarship Applications Being Accepted

Applications for the Odds On Racing Scholarship, a four-year, full-tuition scholarship award for new and transfer students to participate in the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program beginning this coming fall.

“This is an incredible opportunity for students who may have thought that attending the University of Arizona to prepare for a career in racing was financially out of reach” said Robert Hartman, Chair of the Race Track Industry Program. “This scholarship covers all tuition costs of attending the UArizona's Race Track Industry Program.”

The scholarship is thanks to a very generous donation from racing enthusiast and horse owner Dana Parham and is named for his standardbred racing operation, Odds On Racing Stable. Parham donated the funding for the scholarship to support an industry that he's passionate about and has been involved with in a variety of areas over the years. Through this gift, he's supporting the next generation of professionals who will steward the sport into the future.

“This award allows the best and brightest students, from any financial background, who are interested in racing to attend the University of Arizona and join the list of distinguished RTIP alumni,” said Hartman. Especially appropriate is the name of the scholarship–Odds On Racing. This gift will certainly allow the recipient to be the odds-on favorite to succeed in their career goals.”

Click here for information on how to apply to the RTIP program and here for scholarship information.

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Q&A: ‘An Impact On Every Facet Of Our Industry’; New Race Track Industry Program Chair Previews Global Symposium On Racing

Robert Hartman has gone full circle, from a student in the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program to chairing a nearly 50-year-old program that has helped place graduates into a wide variety of vocations and executive positions within racing. In between, Hartman held marketing and management positions at the New York Racing Association, Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields. He also served as associate athletic director at the University of California-Berkeley and as CEO of the American Contract Bridge League.

Since accepting the University of Arizona position in June, Hartman is responsible for putting together a strong agenda for the annual Global Symposium on Racing, to be held at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson Dec. 6-8. For more information and to take advantage of the early registration discount (through Nov. 19), click here.

Hartman discussed the Race Track Industry Program and this year's Symposium in a Q&A with publisher Ray Paulick.

The RTIP and Symposium on Racing are separate but obviously intertwined. What were your short- and long-term goals for each when you became chair of the RTIP?

I see this as a rebuilding year for both the RTIP and the Global Symposium on Racing. The short-term goal for the RTIP is to increase student enrollment. The pandemic has a negative effect on college enrollment. Growing student enrollment begins with getting our message out to those who want an equine-related career.

If you were to look at the RTIP's past performances, the students who have come through the Program have made an impact in every facet of our industry.  We offer generous scholarship programs, summer internships, and the hands-on learning experience that prepare students to contribute to racing organizations on Day 1. Longer-term, we are looking to expand our curriculum to reflect changes in the industry. Students will need to understand gaming, sports wagering, and new technologies.

The Symposium lost a bit of its luster from its heyday when most industry organizations held meetings in conjunction with our event. When I was a student, all key industry stakeholders attended the conference, and the agenda focused on the key issues facing the industry. We provided a forum for meaningful debate and the students benefitted from listening to this exchange of ideas. Students and racing industry leaders also had the chance to interact, which benefited both groups. Our goal for this year's Symposium was to put together a powerful agenda with a strong lineup of speakers with the intent of reigniting that sense of debate and engagement and building anticipation for next year's Symposium. We also reached out to racing industry media to come back to cover the event. Our longer-term goal is to get the Symposium back on the map as the one key conference that industry stakeholders want to attend every year.

The agenda and speaker lineup for the Symposium is very impressive, with top executives of some of the biggest tracks participating. How did that come together and what do you see as the highlights?

I spent most of June and July reaching out to the industry. These listening sessions with stakeholders across different breeds and across different geographies served to inform me of the key issues that needed to be tackled at the Symposium. Everyone was very generous with their time, and they understand the positive impact the RTIP, and the Symposium can have on the future of the industry.

Once the topics were finalized, I went back to many of those same folks that I engaged in the listening sessions. Given their original input helped to shape the agenda, most agreed to speak without hesitation. Those who couldn't make it to Tucson used their network and found strong speakers to come aboard. Our industry has two or three “degrees of separation,” not the proverbial six degrees. So, if you use your network and the network of others, you can make a connection with anyone.

As far as highlights, I'm proud to say it's a strong program from top to bottom. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's panels will have the most important messaging for the industry given the impact their work will have on every aspect of racing. Having Shannon Arvin, Aidan Butler, David O'Rourke, and Josh Rubinstein on a panel together to talk about their vision for the industry is another panel that I'm excited about. This panel idea came directly from one of the listening sessions I had with Aidan at Gulfstream Park.

The first Symposium was in 1974. As you look back, as a former student, racing executive, and now the head of the program, how have the RTIP and symposium evolved over the nearly 50 years it's been around?

Industry consolidation has impacted the RTIP and Symposium more than anything else. There are simply fewer people working in the industry which can translate into fewer job opportunities and fewer Symposium attendees. Interestingly, the RTIP student enrollment has consolidated as well, so there are fewer students competing for jobs. There is no question that it is easier for an RTIP graduate to get a job in the industry today than when I attended the University of Arizona. One of our students who will be graduating this year already has five job offers to choose from. I was lucky to have one job offer upon graduation. The expansion of various forms of legalized wagering has also impacted us. While we are a racing program as our core, we need to be sure to stay relevant and provide students a basic understanding of gaming, including fixed odds and sports wagering. It's not an accident that we have panel sessions on these topics. In addition to our industry stakeholders learning more about these topics, these discussions will benefit our students as well.

What are some of the key things the RTIP offers to students? Why should someone consider enrolling?

The curriculum is designed to be hands-on. We hit on every aspect of the racing industry to help prepare students to be ready to contribute to an organization upon being hired. For example, each student in our racing department class is currently working on writing a condition book. We also have a thoroughbred herd at an 80-acre farm with weanlings, yearlings and broodmares. Students interested in bloodstock will help determine the matings for these mares. They will also follow the foals from birth to being raised and being prepared for auction. The hands-on learning was evident at the Breeders' Cup when a group of our students went to Del Mar to work with the Contender Cam project. Summer internships are yet another way to gain hands-on knowledge. Internships can be diverse — we had one student intern at Lane's End this past summer while another student interned at the Thoroughbred Racing and Protective Bureau (TRPB).  The Symposium also provides a one-of-a-kind experience for our students. In addition to interacting with industry leaders and listening to the panel sessions, we have a “Meet Your Mentor” lunch when students have one-on-one time with a member of the industry of their choosing. I've spoken with some of the mentors, and they truly enjoy the interaction with the student. Of course, making such a connection is invaluable to the student. Finally, thanks to generous donors, we offer a wide array of scholarships for RTIP students. Any prospective student can reach out to me directly for more information about applying – hartmanr@arizona.edu

How does the racing industry benefit from the program and what can tracks and other organizations do to support it?

Our industry is going to need the next generation of leaders and I believe our Program prepares students for that challenge. It would be hard to find any organization in racing that hasn't been impacted by an RTIP alum. Over the past five decades, the industry has been very generous with providing internships, sponsorships, and guests lecturers to speak to our students.

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NYRA Launches Elizabeth Bracken Memorial Scholarship

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the formation of the Elizabeth Bracken Memorial Scholarship to support and encourage students enrolled in the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) to secure careers in the Thoroughbred industry.

The $10,000 scholarship, to be awarded annually, will be open to juniors and seniors who have completed one full semester in the RTIP and have expressed the desire to work in the Thoroughbred racing industry.

The scholarship honors the memory of Elizabeth Bracken, an RTIP graduate who spent 16 years at NYRA before returning to RTIP as Associate Coordinator and an instructor. Bracken died in November 2019; she was 52.

“We view this scholarship as a way of attracting talented students to careers in our industry, especially in New York,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. “Liz was an inspiration to everyone who knew her. Our hope is that recipients will share the kind of creativity, vision and drive that Liz brought to everything she accomplished at NYRA and elsewhere in racing.”

Bracken had a long and distinguished career in the thoroughbred industry. A native of Providence, she served as a racing official at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Hialeah Park, Tampa Bay Downs, Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park.

Joining NYRA in 1997 as Simulcast Coordinator, Bracken advanced to Director of Simulcasting in 2002, and Vice President of Simulcasting in 2008, overseeing NYRA's off-track network and coordinating simulcast distribution of the Belmont Stakes.

In 2013, Bracken returned to RTIP, and taught classes on racing management, wagering, and racing laws and enforcement. She also assisted in the coordination of the RTIP's annual Global Symposium on Racing.

“NYRA continues to be a strong supporter of the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program, and the Elizabeth Bracken Memorial Scholarship will support current and future students seeking careers in horse racing,” said RTIP Assistant Professor of Practice Phil O'Hara. “This is a fitting honor to Liz Bracken, who contributed so much to NYRA and to the University of Arizona.”

The RTIP is the country's premier collegiate program designed to educate and train future leaders in the racing industry. It is the only program of its kind to offer a Bachelor's degree centered on the racing industry.

Students choose either a Business Path – designed for careers in management, marketing and regulation or an Equine Management Path – designed for careers in training, the bloodstock industry or farm management.

The $10,000 annual scholarship will be split into two parts – with $5,000 awarded for the fall semester and $5,000 for the spring semester. Eligibility requirements for those interested in applying for NYRA's Elizabeth Bracken Memorial Scholarship are as follows:

–Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to seeking employment in the Thoroughbred racing industry.
–The scholarship is open to RTIP students in their junior and senior years. All applicants must have already completed one full semester at the University of Arizona.
–Students who receive scholarships in their junior year will be eligible for a scholarship in their senior year, provided they have completed an internship with NYRA during the summer after their junior year.
–Students must maintain a minimum 2.5 grade-point average and have full-time status in the RTIP (If either of these requirements are not met, NYRA reserves the right to withhold from the scholarship commitment for the spring semester of 2022).
–Applicants must be RTIP students who are residents of the U.S., Canada, or Puerto Rico.

For more information, please visit: https://ua-rtip.org/sites/ua-rtip.org/files/E_Bracken_Scholarship_Application.pdf

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Robert Hartman New Chair Of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program

The University of Arizona is pleased to welcome Robert Hartman as the new Chair of the Race Track Industry Program (RTIP). Hartman, a graduate of the RTIP, brings a broad range of experience to the role. For over a decade, he held marketing and management positions at the New York Racing Association, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields. His previous experience also includes serving as the Associate Athletic Director at the University of California, Berkeley and CEO of the American Contract Bridge League.

Hartman sees new possibilities for the RTIP students going forward.

“A traditional on-campus four-year education experience may not be the right fit for some prospective RTIP students,” Hartman said. “We need to meet students where they are by developing offerings tailored to fit their needs. We will explore ideas such as additional remote learning opportunities, certificate programs, international programs and continuing education programs.

“Listening to the needs of racing industry stakeholders will be an important first step as we begin to reshape the Program,” Hartman continued. “The Global Symposium on Racing has been the premier industry gathering for the exchange of ideas and best practices. We plan to continue to build on that success.”

To learn more about the RTIP, please visit www.ua-rtip.org.

 

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