Letter To The Editor: Light Up Racing, What We Learned

On May 5, 2026, the Light Up Racing Board of Directors announced the organization's decision to sunset following Breeders' Cup 2026, in the absence of a long-term organizational home and sustainable funding structure for the work.

The following observations are not made from the sidelines. They come from being inside the work.

There Is No Silver Bullet

One of the most common questions we heard from leaders was simple: what is the solution?

The campaign. The message. The strategy that will finally “fix” public perception. The honest answer is that there is no single thing. But there is a clear starting point: do the right thing and be willing to change when the old way is no longer good enough.

Public scrutiny is a mirror the industry has too often been afraid to look into. If there are areas where racing is exposed–in safety, welfare, aftercare, transparency, accountability or the way decisions are explained–then the work has to begin there.

“That is how it has always been done” is not a strategy. In many cases, it is the very thinking that creates the risk.

Public trust is built through consistent, coordinated, credible engagement over time. Not in moments. Not in reaction. And not by any one organization alone.

The Industry Is Fragmented by Design

In almost every part of the work, we saw the same pattern: good people and good organizations working hard, but largely working separately with different messages, different priorities, and different levels of response.

Inside the industry, those differences feel obvious and reasonable. But the public does not experience racing that way.

To the public, racing is racing. A welfare issue in one state, a safety question at one track, or a weak response from one organization can affect confidence in the whole sport.

That gap between how the industry is organized internally and how it is judged externally remains one of racing's biggest vulnerabilities.

The Work That Matters Most Is Often the Least Resourced

The issues carrying the greatest reputational weight–public perception, safety, aftercare, and welfare–are often left to small, under-resourced nonprofit initiatives trying to solve industry-wide challenges without industry-level infrastructure.

Light Up Racing experienced this directly.

Organizations tasked with solving industry-wide challenges are expected to deliver industry-level outcomes while navigating fragmented funding structures and inconsistent support.

The result is predictable. Progress is slower than it should be. Reach is more limited than it needs to be. Relationships can become transactional when everyone is operating under pressure from limited time, limited resources, and limited certainty.

This is not a sustainable model. It is a structural limitation on impact.

When the Industry Is Brought Together, It Shows Up

Across tracks and organizations, we encountered capable communications teams who care deeply about the future of the sport. There was pride in the work being done–but also a clear desire for support, coordination, and practical guidance.

When training sessions, working groups, and shared discussions were created, people engaged.

The issue was not a lack of willingness. It was the lack of consistent spaces where people could come together, learn from one another, and build a more unified approach.

Again and again, the same lesson surfaced: the industry wants to be better connected through shared information, shared language, and shared responsibility for the future of the sport.

What is missing is the infrastructure to sustain that connection. Without structure, collaboration becomes episodic. With structure, it becomes strategy.

A Final Observation

Strong industries do not only invest in their own immediate success. They invest in the systems that allow the whole ecosystem to remain healthy.

A series of strong individual castles does not automatically create a strong kingdom.

Without shared direction, resourcing and coordination, the industry will continue to have moments of progress without the sustained impact it needs.

This is a moment for leadership. Not just to acknowledge the issues, but to participate in building what comes next.

Over the coming months, Light Up Racing will bring forward practical solutions shaped by what has been learned through this work. We also invite stakeholders across the industry to contribute their own perspective. Between now and the release of our final piece ahead of Breeders' Cup 2026, we welcome direct engagement. Click here to share your perspective or participate in solution-focused discussions.

A rising tide lifts all boats.