Dan Waits

The final installment in the 2025 OwnerView webinar series, held on Dec. 9, covered industrywide efforts to support individuals in need. The conference is hosted by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and presented by Bessemer Trust, Keeneland, and Stoll Keenon Ogden. The panel was sponsored by Daily Racing Form. A Q&A was sponsored by West Point Thoroughbreds. Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView, moderated the panel with guests Joe Clabes, executive director of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF); Christian Countzler, chief executive officer of...

John Velazquez and Mike Smith were elected co-chairmen of The Jockeys' Guild when the organization hosted its annual assembly virtually Jan. 14. Javier Castellano, Julien Leparoux and James Flores were elected co-vice chairmen, Tyler Gaffalione as secretary and Julien Leparoux as treasurer. In addition, Joe Bravo, Drayden Van Dyke, James Graham and Rodney Prescott will serve on the Board of Directors. Senate members for the guild in 2025-2026 are: Eastern region: Joe Bravo, Kendrick Carmouche, Javier Castellano, Frankie Dettori, Reylu Gutierrez, Flavien Prat, Sheldon Russell, Drayden Van Dyke and John...

Officials at the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and the Jockeys' Guild have announced that members of the newly formed Jockey Mental Health Steering Committee and Advisory Council have been appointed. An inaugural meeting of the new groups will take place Tuesday, Oct. 3 at Columbia University in New York City. The Steering Committee, led by Ambassador Earle Mack, was created with a collective goal of driving research, programming, and resources towards jockey mental wellness initiatives. The steering committee members are as follows: Ambassador Earle Mack; Denali Stud's Craig...

Better than $50,000 worth of agricultural equipment will be available to any golfer that registers a hole-in-one during the upcoming Racetrack Chaplaincy of America Sixth Annual Golf Tournament, to be held Oct. 6 at Champions Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky, thanks to Equine Equipment. The proceeds from the event benefit RTCA National and racetrack Chaplaincies everywhere. In addition to an all-expenses-paid Hawaiian vacation, three additional prizes can be won by anyone who scores an ace. Individual holes on the course will have hole-in-one prizes of a Toro mower valued...