Meet the Staff

A lifelong resident of Monmouth County, NJ, Jessica graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the College of St. Elizabeth in Convent Station, NJ. A love of writing and of horses led her to the publicity department of Monmouth Park racetrack where she spent two summers before joining the TDN staff in 1995.

Away from the office, she enjoys distance running and world travel, with Tibet and Romania among her favorite destinations.

Born and raised in suburban Chicago, Alan joined the TDN staff in September 1998. After receiving an advanced degree in German from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, he held various jobs outside the industry before pursuing his “dream job” in horse racing. A fan of the game ever since cashing a $17.80 show ticket on Tolomeo in the 1983 Budweiser (Arlington) Million, Alan would frequently attend morning workouts and rarely missed a weekend at the races. A resident of the Jersey Shore since 2005, Alan is the proud “Papa” to two beautiful teenage girls, Dad to a feisty 13-year-old boy (gulp) and is a dime on the dollar to be found tweeting about racing from all parts of the world at ungodly hours. Chicago Cubs and U of I fans cordially invited.

Steve Sherack joined TDN's editorial staff in May 2003, just a year after graduating from St. John's University with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. The native New Yorker caught the racing bug at an early age following frequent trips to Belmont Park and Aqueduct, and family vacations to Saratoga Racecourse. Steve began his career in the industry as a handicapper and editor at American Turf Magazine. A sports fanatic, he rarely misses a season without catching a road game of his beloved New York Mets or a trip to the World's Most Famous Arena to root on the Red Storm in the Big East Tournament. Steve resides in nearby Sea Bright, just furlongs away from the 'Shore's Greatest Stretch,' Monmouth Park.

A native of Wethersfield, CT, Brian DiDonato joined the TDN staff in April 2010. He is a 2009 graduate of Connecticut College, where he majored in Philosophy and minored in English. Brian was first introduced to horse racing as a child during summer trips to Saratoga with his father. In the beginning, he had no interest in the racing, but as he got older he became fascinated with the races, the horses, and especially the art of handicapping. His hobby developed into an obsession during his freshman year of college and Brian soon decided to pursue a career in racing.

In addition to his role at TDN, he is managing partner of Franklin Ave. Equine, which organizes affordable racing/pinhooking partnerships and provides various consultation services.

The native of Montreal, Canada, Christina–a full-time writer and editor for the Thoroughbred Daily News for over 14 years–traveled all over the world to cover the sport's most prestigious races and sales. A racing enthusiast from a young age, she has parlayed this knowledge into a successful media career which has spanned two decades. Among her accomplishments, she served as an on-air host/handicapper during Gulfstream Park's Championship meeting; was a regular guest on the national horseracing network's HRTV; and a member of TVG's East Coast roster of racing analysts for three seasons. She has also made guest appearances on Fox and The Travel Channel networks. The former director of TOBA's hospitality initiative, the Owners Concierge, Christina recently served as a member of XBTV's East Coast on-air and production team. She now adds author to her list of accomplishments, having joined forces with her lifelong idol, D. Wayne Lukas, to co-author the only authorized published material by the Hall of Fame trainer, Sermon on the Mount. A longtime fan of horse racing and its history, Christina also finds time to enjoy other passions, including travel, literature and opera.

Heather's love of horses, Thoroughbreds especially, originated from summers spent visiting her grandfather in Ohio, who bred American Quarter Horses. During college at the University of Wyoming, she completed an internship at Peterson and Smith Equine Reproduction Center in Summerfield, FL. This fueled her decision to enter the Thoroughbred industry after obtaining her degree. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science in late 2009 and participated in the Kentucky Equine Management Internship (KEMI) in Lexington, KY from January to June 2010 for the breeding and foaling season. Heather joined the TDN in December 2013.

Heather spends her free time studying pedigrees, running in 5ks and enjoying the great outdoors with her husband and young daughter, as well as herding her two cats, Stella and Pixel. In 2017, she marked racehorse ownership off her bucket list and was a co-owner of a winning Florida-bred filly.

 

Patrycja Szpyra is the proud child of Polish immigrants to America. She's lived in several different places before settling in the Lexington area including the country of Greece and the states of New York, Colorado, and North Carolina. With no family in racing, she put her foot in the industry door through her early, and continued, work with Pocket Aces Racing LLC as well as her experiences at Denali Stud. Occasionally, she can be found at the farm taking pictures and bemoaning her insistence at getting up so early to do so. She currently has one fur child, a husky/pitt-bull mix named Sierra, locally famous for her not-brilliant life choices but loved all the same.

Once forced to take time off, Patrycja can be found at home being a homebody. She's a manipulative fiction novelist under a penname in her downtime, travels when she can, and does the occasional digital artwork piece when she really has too much time on her hands.

A native of Central Virginia, Stefanie was born and raised north of Charlottesville and started riding (and occasionally falling from) hunter/jumpers at the age of ten. She went on to represent Christopher Newport University as a four-year member of the IHSA Equestrian Team and graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor's Degree in English with a Writing Concentration. She currently lives in Virginia Beach, VA with her two cats, Rosie and Jodie. Stefanie enjoys spending time with her family, long walks on the beach (long walks anywhere really), naps, obsessing over fictional television characters, and also considers herself an amateur meteorologist. She's a member of her local chapter of the LPGA Amateur Association and is a National Weather Service-trained Storm Spotter and proud CoCoRAHS reporter. Stefanie finally combined her lifelong passions for writing and horses and joined the TDN team in March 2022.

J.N. Campbell is a race writing member of National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB), where he is currently serving a two-year term as a Director. A caster of ballots for the Eclipse Awards, NTRA, Jockey of the Week, and the National Racing Hall of Fame, he also serves as the media lead for the Organization of Racing Investigators. Campbell has contributed pieces to a number of racing websites and print publications. He first fell for horse racing at Keeneland while receiving an M.A. in History from the University of Kentucky. He lives in the heart of racing's Southwest Circuit.

Hooked on horses from an early age, Jill finagled her first pony at just four. Some of her best childhood memories came on horseback, including a 10-day trail ride through the Black Hills of South Dakota. Although her cowboy father held the opinion Secretariat was the only Thoroughbred possibly worthy of his highest honor–donning a Western saddle–Jill gravitated to racing in college thanks to Cigar and quickly upended her life to pursue the passion. A week after graduating from Arizona State University with a business degree, she moved to Kentucky, where she had the privilege of working in various facets of the industry. She's committed to being a lifelong student of the game with a particular love for the breeding side. Although Jill currently lives in California with her husband and four kids, she's always plotting to move back to the Bluegrass. She's been with TDN since 2018.

It was with great sadness that the TDN family announced the passing Friday, Nov. 1, 2019 of Ben Massam, the TDN's News and Features editor, after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 31 years old.

Massam is survived by his parents, Brad and Barbara.

Massam joined the TDN team in 2014 as an assistant editor, and was promoted to News and Features editor in 2017, where he was responsible for overseeing the TDN's editorial content and managing the contributions from freelance writers.

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Having started out on a local newspaper in her hometown of Windsor, Emma eventually found a way to turn her lifelong passion for horses into her job. Over the last few decades she has worked in horseracing as deputy editor of Pacemaker magazine, deputy editor and racing editor of Horse & Hound, and bloodstock editor of Thoroughbred Owner Breeder. A Newmarket resident since 2003, she also completed a stint for Darley at Dalham Hall Stud for three years before setting up Collings Berry Media. She joined the TDN team in 2015 and is married to Newmarket trainer John Berry, who is also a TDN contributor. A small owner-breeder, She has broodmares in England and France.

Emma is a member of the BHA's Flat Pattern Committee, a trustee of the British European Breeders' Fund, and a British Horseracing Hall of Fame panellist.

Neither nature nor nurture can obviously account for Chris McGrath's interest in the Thoroughbred, which continues to puzzle and dismay his ageing parents. Wherever things went wrong, genetically it must trace somewhere beyond the number of generations typically accommodated by a catalog page. (But then that's often true of horses, too.) Though born and raised in England, his page is chiefly Irish and German. Nonetheless his principal allegiance nowadays is to Italy: he has been going to one particular valley there, at least once a year, for more than half his life. Here he tunes out with a good hike, a good book, and a beer of whatever standard comes to hand. A graduate of Oxford University, Chris was supposed to become a lawyer but was instead seduced by the penury and insecurity of life as a sportswriter. During his time on The Independent, in particular, he covered many international events beyond the Turf. But while he still enjoys some other sports, notably the soccer purveyed with varying degrees of competence by Torino FC, he has become increasingly specialised with time. Chris has been named the UK's Racing Writer of the Year three times, most recently in 2017; and his social history of the Thoroughbred, Mr Darley's Arabian, was shortlisted in 2016 for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year.

Based in Dublin, Ireland, Brian Sheerin joined the TDN Europe team in May 2022. He had spent the previous six years working for the Racing Post in Ireland, where he mainly covered feature and news angles and reported at some of the biggest National Hunt and Flat meetings in Britain and Ireland. He was also nominated for the HWPA Emerging Talent Award in 2021. Brian's family are not involved in racing but he cut his teeth in the industry during school and university holidays by working for local National Hunt trainer in County Westmeath, Martin Lynch. Prior to joining the Racing Post, he held freelance roles with the Racing TV editorial team, The Irish Field newspaper and spent two years working with Boylesports as a studio broadcaster.

From an Irish family steeped in horseracing, Newmarket-born Sean Cronin spent part of his early years at the Lillingston Family's Mount Coote Stud in Kilmallock, Co. Limerick. His first racing memory was Red Rum's dramatic defeat of Crisp in the 1973 Grand National and from that moment his passion for the sport was ignited.

Having initially trained as an accountant, Sean joined the accounts department of the British Bloodstock Agency in 1988 before taking a role at Martin Pearce's World Racing Network in 1997. He has run CafeRacing alongside Tom Frary since 2000 and currently resides in the picturesque county of Norfolk, England (a long stone's throw from The Queen's Royal Studs).

Alongside Red Rum's first Aintree success, his fondest memories include The Minstrel's 1977 Derby, El Gran Senor's 1984 2000 Guineas, Dancing Brave's 1986 Arc de Triomphe, Royal Academy's 1990 Breeders' Cup Mile, Motivator's 2005 Derby and all three of Istabraq's Champion Hurdle wins. An avid fan of the West Ham United soccer team and the Limerick hurling team, Sean is the eldest son of the late Johnny Cronin-a former member of the Tattersalls groundstaff-and the father of Thomas, Benjamin, Jessica, Róisín and Daisy.

Alycia has been with the TDN since 1993, starting as a member of the editorial staff before taking charge of the advertising division in 1996. A native New Yorker, she graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Radio, Television and Film before earning her Masters in Screenwriting from New York University.

After a short stint as an intern at Thoroughbred Racing Communications, she joined the TDN and has been a staple ever since. Her role includes creating and managing TDN advertising and working daily with farms and agencies on developing marketing ads.

Lia joined the TDN advertising staff in 2004 after receiving her B.A. from Monmouth University where she studied both Graphic Design and Marketing. She has since received a Master's degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from West Virginia University. Lia is a lifelong Jersey Shore native who has never lived further than a mile away from the beach, residing now with her husband Tim and their shiba inu Yoshi. Hiking through the woods with her dog is her happy place, but Lia also enjoys all things food, cooking and dogs (she's not opposed to cats, horses and goats either).

Amanda was born in Red Bank, NJ and raised in nearby Middletown, NJ. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design in May 2010 from Arcadia University, a top-ranked private university with the #1 study abroad program in the nation. She spent several spring breaks abroad and studied at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia spring semester of her junior year. Crelin's travel bucket list is a mile long, and her life motto is “your money will return, your time won't.” Along with traveling, she enjoys the beach, attending concerts (music soothes her soul), all things Wizard of Oz and Dr. Pepper.

Crelin grew up surrounded by a family of horse racing enthusiasts and has been an avid fan of Monmouth Park for as long as she can remember. She joined the TDN in April 2011. In addition to working at the TDN, Crelin has a passion for designing invitations and other event stationery and also does occasional freelance work for the East Coast Hockey League, a mid-level professional ice hockey league.

A Jersey Shore native and lifelong horse lover, it was only a matter of time before Amie discovered Monmouth Park and became fascinated with the world of Thoroughbred horse racing. She graduated from Georgian Court University in 2015 with a B.F.A in Graphic Design and Multimedia Studies and is thrilled to have found a position that combines her passion for design and horses. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, reading, working out, and spending time with her husband, their cat, Mac, and their dog Butters.

Kristen comes to the Thoroughbred Daily News following nearly a decade working in the racing industry as an assistant trainer, breeder, and owner. Kristen now resides in Pennsylvania after living the gypsy racing life in New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, and Kentucky. In 2019, she completed a B.A. in Social Science from Thomas Edison State University. When not working at the TDN, Kristen enjoys spending time with her husband, practicing yoga, reading, and vegan cooking.

Liz was born and raised in Chicago but now calls Kentucky home. Her life-long love of horses lead her to the “Horse Capitol of the World” where she likes to spend her time volunteering for the Kentucky Horse Park's Mounted Police unit and the United States Eventing Association. She graduated with a degree in Multimedia and Graphic Design and went on to freelance, specializing in branding and social media. Liz loves hanging out with her husband, son and their two Boston Terriers, exploring the outdoors. She is thrilled to be working for the TDN as an Advertising Assistant, where she can combine her passion for horses and graphic design!

Alayna Cullen is from Co. Kildare in Ireland. She grew up surrounded by horses and attributes her passion for horse racing to her grandparents and aunts who own Middlelane Farm, a successful breeding farm. Having completed a degree in Equine Science from the University College Dublin, Alayna was accepted onto the prestigious Godolphin Flying Start program where she spent two years traversing the world, learning all she could about the horse racing industry. Upon graduation from the course, in 2017, Alayna joined the TDN team and is based in Europe for us.

Aside from horse racing, Alayna is mad about dogs and good coffee. Although moving some 20 miles away from the family home to start Godolphin Flying Start was a bit tramautic for Alayna, she has now settled into life just outside Newmarket with her partner Ross and their working cocker spaniel Maisie.

Sarah grew up in Howell, NJ and received her B.A. in English from Rutgers University. After a seven-year stint in the world of finance, her lifelong love of horse racing led her to the Thoroughbred Daily News in 2007.

Since 2003, Sarah has honed her skills as an equine photographer and worked side by side with the top shooters in the sport. Her award-winning photography is displayed in galleries and has been printed internationally in countless books and publications.

As a volunteer, Sarah has documented over 5,000 horses in need at rescues and auctions, as well as in emergency horse aid efforts. Her Horses and Hope Calendar Project raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for equine charities, and was a massive success across the equine community.

An avid equestrian since childhood, Sarah currently hits the trails and local schooling shows with her Thoroughbred, Wizard (Jockey Club name Doctor's Secret). When not riding or shooting at the racetrack, you can find her photographing local and national rock and roll acts, including her husband Jonathan's latest band.

Patty's days off look a lot like her days at work: she carries a camera and talks constantly about light.

Patty began her career in production more than 30 years ago at ABC Network Television. She's worked for Good Morning America and ABC Sports — covering Olympics, Super Bowls, Triple Crown Horse Racing and loads of other stuff on Wide World of Sports. She produced stage shows for Kathie Lee Gifford and a Christmas Special for CBS. She was the first woman at ABC Sports to direct a football game. Patty was producer and co-owner of the Jim Thorpe Pro Sports Awards, the first pro sports awards show on television from 1992-1995. In addition to producing, she helped establish the elite panel of voters, presenters, and advertisers. Dedication to her career in network television earned her three Sports Emmy Awards and one Directors Guild of America recognition.

In her short tenure at the TDN, Patty has already won two Eclipse Awards, with Christie DeBernardis in 2018 for a video on Zenyatta's first foal, Cozmic One, and in 2020, with Joe Bianca on “To Hell and Back; Belmont Marks a Deserved Triumph for New York City.”

Patty passionately contributes to the non-profit community. In addition to producing features for Autism Speaks, Association to Benefit Children, Women's Sports Foundation, Preferred Behavioral Health, 180 Turning Lives Around, The Center for Discovery and more, she served on several boards.

When she's not producing video shoots or capturing moments on camera, you can find her cooking up big group meals, running after her dogs in the garden or traveling to see her two children. You'll probably still find she is holding a camera.

Patty contributes to the TDN as an independent contractor. As managing director of Patty Wolfe Media Group (PWMG), Patty finds herself alongside young talent and innovation every day. Patty says her work at the Thoroughbred Daily News is particularly gratifying as it brings her back to the sport she always loved most.

A lifelong horse lover and equestrian, Katie moved from Ohio to attend the University of Kentucky located in the Horse Capital of the World. She soon became fascinated with Thoroughbred racing and decided to pursue a career in the industry. Over her four years of college, she worked in various aspects of the industry including office administration at Millennium Farms, yearling sales at Lane's End, marketing at Ashford Stud, and client relations with West Point Thoroughbreds. Katie graduated summa cum laude in 2020 with a Bachelor's Degree in Equine Science and Management with minors in Business and Animal Science.

Katie interned with the TDN during her senior year of college and became a full-time team member upon graduation.

 

Customer Service

Vicki Forbes is a native of Frostburg, Maryland. She got her start in racing freelance riding at farms in the Baltimore area. She galloped horses at Pimlico for trainer Frank Bonsal before marrying trainer John Forbes and taking almost two decades off to raise a family. Acting on a tip from bloodstock agent Eddie Rosen, the Thoroughbred Daily News lured her out of retirement in 1997 for what they claimed would be a temporary project…and never let her go. She has risen to the position of Director of Customer Services, where she serves as the TDN's primary (and invaluable) interface with clients.

Forbes has three children, including son John T. Forbes, the Director of Operations at Monmouth Park; two grandchildren; and too many four-legged friends.

Ray Villa is a 1994 graduate of Maryland's Salisbury University. The son of two immigrants who fled Castro's Cuba during the revolution, he grew up in West Long Branch, New Jersey. Prior to joining the TDN, he was a co-owner of LaunchFax, one of the country's largest fax broadcast providers whose clients included the TDN. Villa came aboard as the TDN's IT Director, but has since broadened his responsibilities to include the oversight of all financial matters. Fluent in Spanish, he lives in Middletown, New Jersey, with his wife, Claudia, a former German national youth table tennis champion, their two children and two rescue dogs.