NBC News's Steve Kornacki, a national political correspondent who covers horse racing, including this year's Triple Crown, will provide the keynote address for the first half of the two-part Annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing, which will be held at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga Springs, New York, on Thursday, July 31, at 10 a.m. ET.
Everett Dobson, chair-elect of The Jockey Club, will be the second-half keynote speaker, and will discuss his plans for the organization and The Jockey Club's ongoing plans to help grow the sport.
Other speakers and events for the Round Table Conference will include:
- Shawn Smeallie, founder of ACG Advocacy, who will discuss the state of horse racing in Washington, D.C.
- A presentation examining scheduling data will be given by John Stewart, CEO, and Chris Groer, CPO, Fastbreak AI. Fastbreak AI helps optimize the business of sports through AI-driven scheduling, operations, and sponsorship solutions.
- Griffin Johnson, a social media influencer with more than 14 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and X, will discuss his journey and the role influencers can play in promoting horse racing with Shannon Kelly, director, Industry Relations, The Jockey Club.
- A panel featuring Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, environmental science advisor, New York Yankees, and Glen Kozak, executive vice president, Operations and Capital Projects, New York Racing Association Inc., will examine how sports and racing adapt to changes in weather. The panel will be moderated by James L. Gagliano, president and COO, The Jockey Club.
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