Light Up Racing To Shut Down; Here's What We Learned

Light Up Racing, a program launched in 2024 meant to address issues in the sport head on through conversation, will cease operations following this year's Breeders' Cup at Keeneland, the organization announced Tuesday.

In a letter submitted by Light Up Racing's interim executive director Amy Brin, the program reflects back on what was built and how messaging can be disseminated in the future, saying, “From the beginning, the work was based on a simple principle: confidence in the sport cannot be manufactured through messaging; it has to be earned through honesty, transparency and proof.”

But Brin noted that a lack of funding and 'alignment' continued to be an issue for Light Up Racing.

“There is broad agreement that racing needs this kind of communication, that public trust matters, and that misinformation, silence and fragmented responses are damaging,” the letter reads. “What has not yet been solved is how the industry funds this work properly. As initial support began to lessen, and following consistent feedback from industry leaders about the need for greater consolidation and alignment with existing organizations, the Board explored a number of possible long-term options. These efforts included direct outreach, merger proposals, integrated budgets with operational modeling, and multiple rounds of discussion to explore how this work could be sustained within existing industry structures. Despite those worthwhile efforts and shared agreement that the work needs to continue, a sustainable path forward was not secured. The need for the work remains clear. The alignment required to act on it was not.”

Light Up Racing will remain intact through the Breeders' Cup, with the program “continuing in a focused capacity, delivering content, supporting partners and contributing to the industry's efforts to strengthen public trust.”