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Amplify Reopens Mentorship Program Application

Edited Press Release

Amplify Horse Racing, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit promoting education and careers in the Thoroughbred industry to youth and young adults, has reopened its mentorship program application for 2022. The program formalizes the process of pairing young adults interested in pursuing a Thoroughbred industry career, with experienced industry professionals who can offer guidance.

The initial pilot program, launched in 2021, matched 12 individuals from eight different states with industry mentors. The pairs worked together for three months to develop their knowledge of the Thoroughbred industry, and create an educational plan that included tailoring resumes to be applicable to the industry, shadowing mentors at industry events, and applying for jobs and training programs.

Nearly all mentees from 2021 have since taken steps toward pursuing a career in the industry by enrolling in college equine programs, being hired for industry internships and jobs, or targeting vet school.

The objectives of the program are:

Improve accessibility of the Thoroughbred industry
Develop newcomers' understanding of the industry by leveraging the passion, knowledge and experience of industry professionals
Facilitate meaningful conversations between young adults and industry professionals about employment expectations
Create a pathway to employment by connecting education and workforce

Mentee candidates should demonstrate a strong interest to learn and desire to work in the Thoroughbred industry. The suggested age range is 18-25, and there are no restrictions based on academic achievement. Amplify prioritizes applicants with little to no industry work experience, and they must be residents of the United States or Canada. The 2022 program application timeline is Jan. 10 through Aug. 12, and the program duration for each mentor-mentee pair is three months, as determined by acceptance and start date. Eligible mentors can apply at any time.

Amplify Horse Racing is driven by Annise Montplaisir, the organization's Co-Founder and President, and Equine Education Coordinator for the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) Foundation.

“I am pumped for Amplify Horse Racing to resume offering this mentorship program,” said Montplaisir. “It is an amazing inlet for young adults to take their first steps into the industry with the guidance of someone who has already navigated that path. Additionally, it's a great way for industry employers to positively educate about the sport, the jobs that are in high demand, and the best way to prepare for a career.”

“The Amplify Mentorship Program is a fantastic way for students with an interest in exploring careers in the Thoroughbred industry to make connections and develop a professional network,” said Jen Roytz, who served as a mentor in 2021. “Amplify does a fantastic job of laying out a framework for the mentors and mentees to follow, allowing students to gain an appreciation for the array of career opportunities that may be complementary to their college major, work experience, strengths and interests.”

“The Amplify Horse Racing Mentorship is an amazing way to make connections and network within the industry,” said Trisha Smith, a 2021 mentee. “I do not come from an industry background, and feel that programs like this are crucial to help new people get into the sport. Everyone I met as a result of the program was so helpful during my job search. [Program coordinator] Annise Montplaisir was very supportive throughout the program, and because of various job posts she sent me, I am now living my dream and working in the Thoroughbred industry.”

To learn more about the program and apply today, visit amplifyhorseracing.org/mentorship, and contact info@amplifyhorseracing.org for more information.

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Court Orders Gargan To Pay $132K After Alleged Labor Laws Violations

A federal court has ruled that New York-based trainer Danny Gargan must pay $132,631 in back wages and damages to 52 employees. According to a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, Gargan failed to pay his workers overtime wages they had earned.

The fine includes an assessment of $37,368 in civil money penalties for what the Department of Labor is calling a “willful wage theft and for falsifying records in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.”

“The defendants took advantage of their employees by underpaying them and then tried to hide this illegal behavior by falsifying their payroll records,” Wage and Hour Division District Director David An said in a statement. “Gargan Stables Corp. and Danny Gargan have learned that disregard for federal labor laws and their employees' rights have costly consequences. We suggest other employers review their own pay practices to prevent violations. The Wage and Hour Division has many tools to assist employers and workers in understanding the law.”

Gargan is just one of many New York trainers fined by the Department of Labor for similar violations. The list includes Chad Brown, Kiaran McLaughlin, Linda Rice, Jimmy Jerkens, Steve Asmussen, Leo O'Brien and George Weaver.

Gargan said he decided to settle with the Labor Department after years of contesting the charges.

“You can't fight them and I fought them for three years and that's why they are mad at me,” he said. “Obviously, I'm not the first guy this has happened to. At some point, you have to settle with them. It weighs on you. Kiaran McLaughlin retired over this. It's a hard thing to be part of.”

The Department of Labor charged that Gargan paid certain employees a fee per horse handled and not per hour as stated in their payroll records. The division also determined that he falsified payroll records to give the appearance that employees were paid by the hour when they were not.

Gargan said the latter charge was not true and that the problem boiled down to his failure to use a time clock.

“We didn't falsify anything,” he said. “We just had time sheets. That's the way we were told to do it. It turns out you have to have an actual time clock. It's not like we lied or anything. They got their overtime. But they don't accept the time sheets and anyone who doesn't have a time clock in New York is going to get a big fine. Believe me, I pay my help.”

As per the court's ruling, Gargan will be required to hire a compliance monitor to review payroll and record keeping practices and to install an electric timekeeping system to record the amount of hours an employee has worked. He must also train employees in a language they will understand about the proper use of the timekeeping system and post and provide employees with information and documents in English and Spanish informing them of their rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

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Preakness Art Competition Announced

Edited Press Release

1/ST and the Maryland Jockey Club have partnered with the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) to launch The Art of Racing, a unique art competition to honor the second jewel of the Triple Crown Series and its impact on Baltimore. Established more than four decades ago, the relationship between the Maryland Jockey Club and MICA takes a step forward with this community-wide call for entries of original, two-dimensional visual art that depicts the unique elements of Thoroughbred horse racing and the GI Preakness S.

From now until the submission deadline of Mar. 1, 2022, artists may submit their entries here, after which all submissions will be available for public viewing. From Mar. 2 through Mar. 20, visitors to the The Art of Racing website can cast their vote for their favorite work of art. The top 10 vote-getters will then be entered into the finalist category, with the winning piece selected by an esteemed panel of judges representing the artistic, business, philanthropic and political communities that allow Park Heights to thrive as the home of Preakness 147.

The winning artist of the inaugural competition will receive a $4,000 stipend and two tickets to Preakness 147 on May 21, 2022. In addition, their work will be reproduced on Preakness 147 merchandise with the Park Heights Renaissance as the beneficiary of all sales proceeds, which will be used to support the activities of the non-profit organization as it pursues affordable housing for families and provides employment opportunities for members of the Park Heights community.

The Art of Racing is part of the ongoing partnership between 1/ST and the Park Heights Renaissance that included honoring the late community advocate George E. Mitchell through the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan S. and the George E. Mitchell Park Heights Community Fellowship Grant. The Art of Racing builds upon the legacy of these initiatives by recognizing and honoring individuals who, much like Mitchell himself, demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to the Park Heights community.

“The visual elements behind the Preakness Stakes captivate the imagination both on race day and year-round,” said David Wilson, Chief Marketing Officer, 1/ST. “The Art of Racing commemorates and celebrates one of the most iconic sporting events in Maryland, and nationwide. It also represents the opportunity for a modern visual interpretation of the Preakness Stakes as we redefine the sport to connect with a new generation of fans.”

“The Preakness is one of the most esteemed public events for Maryland and this inaugural competition celebrates its importance in a unique way,” said Dr. Leslie King-Hammond, the founding director of the Center for Race and Culture at MICA and a member of the judging panel for The Art of Racing.

There is a long history between MICA and the Preakness that began in the 1970s when then-MICA professor Raoul Middleman led his classes in painting murals of Pimlico Race Course. The seven murals Middleman created with his students, which live in perpetuity behind the course's grandstand, provide an intimate look at a tradition defined by history and character.

“Raoul Middleman enriched the lives of his students by giving them the hands-on opportunity to experience commercial artmaking,” said Dr. Tiffany Holmes, MICA's Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. “The Art of Racing builds upon Professor Middleman's legacy by commissioning artists from MICA and across Maryland to provide their interpretations of Maryland's time-honored tradition of Thoroughbred racing.”

For more information on The Art of Racing, please visit www.preakness.com/the-art-of-racing or follow @PreaknessStakes and #Preakness on social media.

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Letruska to Make ’22 Debut in Royal Delta

Letruska (Super Saver), who will be named 2021's champion older mare next month, will kick off her 6-year-old campaign in the Feb. 26 GIII Royal Delta S. at Gulfstream, reports trainer Fausto Gutierrez. The race will serve as a prep for the Apr. 23

GI Apple Blossom H. at Oaklawn.

The winner of last year's Apple Blossom, Letruska will attempt to become the first horse to win back-to-back runnings of that event since Azeri, who won it in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Letruska is currently stabled at Palm Meadows.

“The Royal Delta is here at home at a mile-and-a- sixteenth. It's a perfect race for her to come back in,” Gutierrez said.

Letruska will have her first work of 2022 this Sunday at Palm Meadows.

“She's in good form and never lost condition,” the trainer said. “She's ready to have her first workout. It will be three furlongs.”

Gutierrez did not have any races picked out for Letruska after the Apple Blossom, but said he is interested in running her at Churchill Downs and at Keeneland since she will be stabled at Keeneland after leaving Florida. He ruled out a start against males.

Among the more popular horses in the sport, Letruska, who began her career in Mexico, started eight times last year at seven different racetracks. Her season began in January with the GIII Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston and concluded in November in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar.

“She had a spectacular year,” Gutierrez said. “She ran from January to November. She never stopped. She traveled around all over the country. She won at six different tracks and won four Grade I's. When she was in the best form I tried to go to the most prestigious races with her.”

Letruska finished 10th in the Distaff, where she was done in by a vicious early speed duel.

“There was a lot of speed in the Breeders' Cup,” Gutierrez said. “But that is part of racing. Every race is different and the Grade I's are never easy. I didn't expect her to have an easy race and gallop alone in front.”

After the Breeders' Cup, Gutierrez and owner-breeder German Larrea Mota-Velasco decided to bring her back for another go as a 6-year-old. Gutierrez said Letruska will have a lighter schedule in 2022 than she had last year.

“She is in good form and I think she will have another very good year,” he said. “I need to come up with a calendar with fewer races. She might have six races this year. The Breeders' Cup is in Kentucky at Keeneland, which will be good for her. I prefer that since it means she won't have to travel.”

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