ron mack | Horse Racing Free Tips

Legacy Equine Academy Exposes New Generation to Racing

Growing up near Third Street in Lexington, Ron Mack spent much of his childhood playing football with friends on what was once the infield of the Kentucky Association racetrack, but he didn't realize that they were throwing a football on hallowed ground until years later. After playing football for the University of Kentucky and then building a career in commercial banking in Atlanta, Mack returned to Lexington in 2014 and began digging into the history of horse racing and the Kentucky Association.

What Mack learned through his research led to him founding Legacy Equine Academy (LEA)–an organization dedicated to bridging the contributions African America horsemen have made to racing throughout history to the future of the industry by introducing middle and high school students from a diverse background to the sport. Launched in 2016, the non-profit has partnered with the Fayette County public school system to introduce students to career opportunities in equine and agricultural industries and provide a pipeline for higher education and future job opportunities.

“I created the Legacy brand because we want to develop a legacy as far as our mission is concerned to pay homage to the legacy of the Black jockeys and horsemen who have been so instrumental to forming today's standards in the Thoroughbred industry,” Mack explained. “There's no shortage of books in the library, but I learned that people don't really know the history. Through that process, I founded the Legacy Equine Academy.”

LEA organizes field trips aimed to expose their students to various aspects of the equine industry. The group regularly hosts trips to the Kentucky Horse Park and the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs, often with 50 to 100 students in attendance. They have also taken students to Keeneland during the September Yearling Sale and to various breeding farms in Lexington including Taylor Made Farm. LEA has partnered with Spy Coast Farm, which specialized in breeding and development of performance horses, for the use of their breeding, development and education center for hands-on activities and career training.

One of the organization's main focuses is to make sure students have the opportunity to meet individuals from all aspects of the industry, from bloodstock agents and veterinarians to farm managers and racetrack officials. Mack said that one of the most important aspects of their outings is when students network with these industry professionals and get the chance to visualize themselves in a similar career one day.

“We have in-class sessions with the kids to give professionals in the industry an opportunity to talk about their career and what their career path has been,” he said. “The kids absolutely love it. You're exposing a new audience to the equine agriculture community and their questions are great. They're coming from a perspective of where they just don't know. The enthusiasm around our activities and our tours is just so rewarding to see that you're really changing a mindset when they realize those opportunities are out there.”

In the early days of the academy, trips were held during school hours, but during COVID they began running after-hour and weekend activities. This proved to be beneficial when it increased parent involvement and participation.

LEA provides scholarship opportunities for their students through the Legacy Foundation and also coordinates apprenticeship positions for students interested in certain aspects of the industry. Mack proudly shared the story of one student who joined LEA in the seventh grade. She soon became interested in agriculture and, with the help of a scholarship from the Legacy Foundation, is now majoring in Agricultural Science at Western Kentucky University.

Mack is quick to point out that LEA is only possible with the help of industry organizations. He named Keeneland, the Kentucky Horse Park and Spy Coast Farm as a few of their biggest supporters.

“We've had a great deal of support from the equine community and the corporate community,” he explained. “Part of our pipeline is developing and leveraging those relationships and resources. Through that, we're able to have the kids travel and get hands-on activities to expose them to all things equine. We are very proud of the alliances that we have created here over the last several years to grow what we do.”

LEA activities are also made possible through their annual Legacy Ball, a high-end charity event featuring food, live music and bourbon. Proceeds from the event benefit LEA and the many scholarships that the Legacy organization puts together every year.

Mack explained that the idea for the Legacy Ball actually developed before Legacy Equine Academy came about. When he was first learning about the history of racing, he came up with the idea of the Legacy Ball in hopes of educating the community about the historical accomplishments of African American horsemen. He organized a meeting with Claiborne's Seth Hancock to pitch his idea.

“I will never forget Seth's response,” Mack recalled. “Seth said they would support the Legacy Ball and that he thought it was a great idea, but he wanted to talk more about the industry at large as far as the racial makeup of the industry. After that conversation is when I created the Legacy Equine Academy because there was an opportunity to better educate young people and give them exposure and access to the professional opportunities in the industry.”

While the Legacy Ball could not be held in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID, it will return for it's fourth year on Saturday, April 30 at Fasig-Tipton. The event will be hosted by University of Kentucky basketball legend Jack Givens.

“We're offering the public an opportunity to help us support the mission that we're on to educate our young people,” Mack said. “This is our main fundraising mechanism to grow and get more resource for what we do. We want to have a very diversified group of folks come out and enjoy the event–whether they're industry folks, politicians or educators.”

As LEA continues to grow, they are working to broaden their reach geographically by expanding into Scott County outside of Lexington and into the Louisville area.

“This is where the corporate industry and the Thoroughbred industry can hop on board with us and support us, and we have already received a great deal of support from many organizations in the industry,” Mack said. “With the growth of what we do, we continue to need transportation for the organization and we continue to need funding to offer a broader, bigger footprint.”

To learn more about the Legacy Ball and Legacy Equine Academy, click here.

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UOFL Equine Industry Series in Person in ’21

The University of Louisville Equine Industry Program (EIP), in conjunction with Horse Racing Nation, released its free Fall 2021 speaker series, which will be held in person this year on the UofL campus. The series includes panel discussions on the “Super Card” trend in racing and growing racing through diversity and inclusion.

The final event in the series will be an interview with Houston business owner, philanthropist and horse owner Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale. The events will be held from 5:30-6:45p.m., and will be broadcast live on the Horse Racing Nation Facebook page.

This year's series features:

Sept. 14 – “Examining Horse Racing's 'Super Card' Trend,” Horn Auditorium – UofL College of Business

Eric Halstrom – vice president and general manager of racing, Indiana Grand Racetrack & Casino
Ben Huffman – vice president, racing and racing secretary, Churchill Downs and Keeneland
Jon Moss – executive director, Iowa HBPA Inc.

Panel moderated by Jude Feld, racing analyst and contributor, Horse Racing Radio Network.

Oct. 12 – “How Racing Can Grow Through Diversity and Inclusion,” UofL Student Activities Center

Jason Wilson – chief operating officer, 1/ST Content
Greg Harbut – founder and president, Harbut Bloodstock
Ron Mack – executive director, Legacy Equine Academy

Panel moderated by Alicia Hughes – digital content editor, TVG/FanDuel.

Nov. 9 – “An Evening with “MATTRESS MACK,” aka Jim McIngvale,” UofL Student Activities Center

The series concludes with an entertaining evening with Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, known in racing circles for his strong opinions on the sport, horses running medication free and supporting the ecosystem of horse racing by placing wagers at the racetrack instead of advance-deposit wagering accounts.

Tickets are required for the free events. For more information and tickets, contact Kimberly Spear at kimberly.spear@louisville.edu or 502-852-7727.

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Second Episode Of ‘Truth To Power’ Series Provides Action Points For Those Who Care About Racing Diversity

The second installment of The Racing Biz panel series titled 'Truth To Power' aired Wednesday with a focus on practical suggestions for those in the racing community to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. The panel series aims to define and address the issues racing faces with diversity among its workforce and fan base.

See a recap of the first installment and watch a replay here.

The second panel included expertise from Renee Hess, founder and executive director of Black Girl Hockey Club, Ron Mack, founder of the Legacy Equine Academy, and Leon Nichols, CEO and founder of the Project to Preserve African American Turf History. The panel was moderated by The Racing Biz founder Frank Vespe, freelance journalist Teresa Genaro, and NTRA Director of Communications Alicia Hughes.

A few key takeaways from the discussion, with a full replay below:

Panelists believe the rich history of standout Black jockeys from the early days of American racing like Jimmy Winkfield and Isaac Murphy provides a great basis for bringing Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) back to the sport.
“Ironically, Thoroughbred racing can really be called the first sport to demonstrate equity and inclusion,” said Mack. “The jockeys I mentioned earlier were not only jockeys, but they were trainers, they were owners. They held power and influence in the culture of Thoroughbred racing, even in the late 1800s. As we honor and celebrate the glory of the past, at the Legacy Equine Academy we're training and cultivating our kids for the future of the sport.”
Hess's model with Black Girl Hockey Club was really to provide a sense of community to the comparatively few Black fans and participants in ice hockey, though she points out you don't have to be either Black or female to join — you just have to support the mission of including more diverse participation in the sport. Originally, the club began as a fan club and has grown to become a nonprofit that provides scholarships to girls who play in travel teams around the world. Not only is that helping diversify the sport's players, it's bringing fandom to people outside the United States who may not have become familiar with ice hockey otherwise.
The first step in improving diversity and inclusion, Hess said, is to talk about it. Businesses and organizations within an industry will prioritize something if they believe their consumers value it.
“Once we utilize our voices and let these organizations know that this is something the masses want to see, I think we'll be able to make these changes and drag these industries kicking and screaming because it is a financially sound decision,” she said. “Because this is the direction other sports are moving into. Our sports need to do the same if they want to remain relevant. We talk about 'growing the game' in hockey, and what better way to grow the game than to include the Black community, the LGBTQ community?”
Nichols hopes that his project can also grow racing by showing a new community of people that they have heroes in the sport, too. He is part of a group workshopping a screenplay based around part of Isaac Murphy's career, specifically about the famous match race in which he piloted Salvatore against Tenny, which was one of the greatest rivalries in American sports at the time.
“Reading Isaac's story, one thing you'll learn about him is … he was so inspired to set an example as an African American male in the 19th Century that it drove him to try and rove his equalness and Black excellence,” said Nichols. “Out of that came the match of the century.”
Mack is hoping to continue building a pipeline from school to racing industry jobs through the Legacy Equine Academy, but said he's not just preparing the students to be grooms or hotwalkers — he's encouraging them and preparing them to become racehorse owners and corporate executives. Not only should it be possible for those students, it should be desirable for racing to see better representation at the higher levels of administration.
If diversity is important to you but you don't sit at the top of the totem pole in your workplace, Hess said you probably have some influence you can use to prioritize equity. Do you hire interns? Consider looking for them at historically black colleges in addition to the programs you already correspond with. Do you manage your company's newsletter content? There's a chance to acknowledge achievement or history of the company or industry through the work of diverse trailblazers. Another thing she encourages: Keep having conversations about these topics — even though they're probably going to make you uncomfortable sometimes.
“I do think that when you are a non-Black, non BIPOC person, talking about race can be a little bit uncomfortable,” said Hess, who launched a campaign called Get Uncomfortable to encourage these dialogues. “I'm not 100% on that because I'm Black, but I get the gist that could be the feeling. But it's all about having these uncomfortable conversations … Change is uncomfortable.”

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