mental health and racing

Sponsored by 1/ST Racing    The TDN's 'Let's Talk'--a podcast series featuring TDN's Christina Bossinakis and TVG's on-air analyst Gabby Gaudet, offers candid discussion on personal, and sometimes difficult, topics that are often uncomfortable for many to speak about in an open forum.    The latest edition presents a trio of successful jockeys--Journeyman John Velazquez and retired Ramon Dominguez--both in the Hall of Fame--in addition to retired rider Richie Migliore, currently serving as a NYRA and FOX Sports on-air analyst. Few will dispute the fact that jockeys are the iron...

While racing seems to be scrambling for any piece of positive public perception it comes across, Sally Jane Mixon has a vision. She wants to save the lives of people across the country, and she wants to do it by bringing them to the backsides of racetracks to work with retired racehorses. "Mental health is a huge crisis right now everywhere you go," Mixon said. "The hope is to bring people who maybe have a bad taste in their mouth for racing and they'll come and work with off-track Thoroughbreds...

The broadmindedness of Kelsey Riley's piece on mental health during the age of COVID-19 and within the polarizing aspects of the Thoroughbred industry in Monday's TDN was refreshingly progressive. Both she and Mr. Hamelback spoke of realities that were too hard for many people to divulge in years past. As a 'field researcher' and advocate with significant knowledge on this topic, I was pleased to see the subject conveyed through an industry media platform. The bubble that is the Thoroughbred industry breeds a roller coaster of polarizing emotions that walk...