At today’s breakneck pace, the gender gap is closing in a meaningful way, it will take women more than 250 years to reach the same level of occupation as men – just two and a half short centuries, for block thinkers.
It is the staggering statistic that sets the stage for the kick-off of the inaugural Women’s Summit in Santa Anita on Thursday, a two-day event designed to nurture the abilities of young women. Women have entered the sport and created new talents to follow the current wave of the sport of female leaders.
And what is the lesson beyond the arc? Greater mutual support among female sport participants and foster a culture of mentorship among male leaders over their female counterparts.
In a panel titled “Overcoming Challenges,” Dora Delgado, Breeders’ Cup executive vice president and racing director, described the business she entered in 1983 as a lot of men. He was wearing a khaki jacket and a blue jacket sitting around the conference table. resistance to change.
“And that hasn’t changed much since then,” Delgado said, adding that, despite her degree – last year she was anointed on the prestigious “game changer” list. Sports Business Journal credit – she still feels the need to prove her qualifications “Over and over and over again.”
She and others say part of the problem is nepotism.
Delgado said of the Kentucky Blueblood aristocracy, it “runs very deep”. “If you’re not born to do it, it takes a bit of work to be accepted.” That cycle needs to be interrupted, she added.
“’This guy is really cool – I play golf with him. He has a son who needs a job. Where can we match him? ”
Dora’s reaction? “Nowhere.”
Christa Marrillia, vice president and chief marketing officer at Keeneland, detailed the dress code for female staff at the track when she first joined in 2003, excluding open-toed shoes and pants.
While those restrictions have been lifted, it has become more difficult to change the workplace culture for women in the sport, she said.
Marrillia explains: “I would sleep with my cell phone and describe myself as a workaholic, never resting – a common habit among presenters, all describing the challenges awareness in maintaining a healthy life balance between work and family, especially those with families and children.
What changed Marrillia’s attitude, she said, was watching her behavior affect her team, some of them young mothers. “I said, ‘wow, I’m making a terrible mistake here. “
She says that since then, she has changed the culture for her employees at Keeneland, for the better. “I really feel like we’re at a pivotal moment,” she added, about the role of women in the game.
“I’m still really good at my job, but I won’t miss the birthday parties. I’m going to bed,” she said. “I won’t be replying to emails at two in the morning.”
Dionne Benson, veterinary director at 1/ST RACING, discussed the importance of higher male athletes in the sport to championing their female counterparts.
Benson tells the story of how, on a work call, two men berated her for mistakenly thinking they were muted.
“Then Aidan found out about it and called all their bosses,” she said, referring to Aidan Butler, the chief executive officer of 1/ST RACING.
There is also the honey-pot approach.
“What my boss finds interesting, I find interesting,” jokes Rikki Tanenbaum, chief commercial officer and newly minted president of 1/ST GAMING.
The afternoon was divided into two panels, the latter of which directed their gazes toward issues of integrity — or what Del Mar Thoroughbred Club board member Marie Moretti called “intent integrity.” .
One major area of focus appears to be the Equestrian Safety and Integrity Act (HISA), which is designed to provide parity in the measurement of violations, among many other things. .
“You’ll know what you’re going to get,” said Moretti, “in favor of the Act’s uniform rules, if not just to improve public perception of the sport. “Perception is reality in the modern world.”
Optics is a popular topic. “I couldn’t even get my riding girlfriends to race — they thought it was a cruel sport,” says Bo Derek when she took on the role of commissioner. As a member of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), the industry is in a state of flux due to problems related to drug abuse, whip abuse, and the ill-fated transition to synths. fit.
“I am really encouraged. Derek talks about the current state of the racing industry in California.
“I don’t think it’s something where we can be silent about widespread human involvement in sport,” said Shannon Kelly, executive director of the Jockey Club Safety Net. this.
“What other industry must have a charity for its workers in times of need?” Kelly said, highlighting the number of food distribution centers providing for the nation’s hardships.
All panelists advocated financial self-sustainability to fund every aspect of the industry, from racehorse care to the permanently disabled Jockey Foundation.
“If you’re into the sport,” says Kelly, “you should be aware of the costs associated with being “in the program.”
The previous panel looked outward, each of the four speakers tasked with marketing and developing the sport to a world not trained on the racing machines of races.
“We all have a goal, but we all achieve it in different ways,” says Jodie Vella Gregory, innovation office director at 1/ST RACING.
“Everybody here has an idea,” she added. “We should all work together.”
Aiming to target horse racing’s natural impulse to quickly come up with new ideas if they don’t work out right away, she praises the virtues of perseverance, pointing to Pegasus’ growth. World Cup — what started a major attraction at first, but morphed into something of a person who holds a place on the social calendar.
That, and “we need to expand beyond the confines of our community,” says Vella Gregory.
Running on that theme, NBC Sports senior producer Lindsay Schanzer warned of another bad habit of motorsport: Diving into its more confusing, complicated ethos, sometimes having to bid with potential new fans.
That’s why NBC Sports has focused on the storytelling aspects of its race day coverage, Schanzer said, pointing to their recent favorite look at things like jockey cams’.
“We really wanted to get everyone on horseback as best we could,” says Schanzer. “If you ever have stories that we don’t know about, please contact us.”
Two other panelists discussed the role of newer projects, like FanDuel, as a means of infusing new blood to racing.
“It’s never been this way before — it’s never been this easy,” said Shona Rotondo, chief marketing officer for My Racehorse US. , about the accessibility of the racehorse ownership program, with a quick online registration process. “We wanted to sell everyone on the feelings of the game.”
Given the conference’s secrecy, it seemed only fitting that the event’s first leadership award was given to a longtime industry pillar, Jane Goldstein.
“A brave outerwear, Jane threw open the door to the male bastion of the race at a time when women could, and would be denied the right to keep credit cards, or even enter restaurants if they were to. dare to wear an outfit,” said Amy Zimmerman, when introducing the award. “She found opportunities into the sport she loved through the public offices of several racecourses. She is always the first to finish her work. It’s not that she’s too fast, but you see, women aren’t allowed in the press box after 12. Yes, that’s also true. During the race, the press box was exclusively for men.
“After nearly four decades,” Zimmerman said, “I still often ask the ridiculous question: ` `How do women race? ‘ When I was hired, I never thought about it, because Jane Goldstein was the one who hired me. Jane was the one who answered that question. The one who waged that battle to open the door. And then she held it open with the class, so we could all go through it. It was her courage, endurance, and excellence that forever changed the landscape for every woman in today’s racing.”
Goldstein received a standing ovation.
