More than 300 representatives from 27 countries will converge on New York City June 4-5 for business presentations focusing on the sport of Thoroughbred racing as part of the Pan American Conference.
The conference, co-hosted by The Jockey Club, the breed registry for Thoroughbreds in North America, and the Latin American Racing Channel, begins June 3, with a welcome dinner at the United Nations and concludes June 6 with the 147th running of the Belmont Stakes (gr. I), in which American Pharoah will attempt to become racing's 12th Triple Crown winner.
The conference will begin with an address from Christopher Kay, president and chief executive officer of the New York Racing Association.
All business presentations will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The lineup of speakers includes David Howman, director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency; Louis Romanet, chairman of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities; David J. Stern, commissioner emeritus of the National Basketball Association; and Frank Stronach, founder and honorary chairman of The Stronach Group.
A full list of topics and speakers is available at panamnyc2015.com.
"Thoroughbred racing is a global sport and we can all benefit by hearing and seeing what racing officials in other parts of the world are doing to grow the sport," said James Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club. "Beyond the diverse lineup of speakers from Thoroughbred racing and other sports entities, our attendees will also have the opportunity on Saturday afternoon to watch American Pharoah's attempt to become the sport's 12th Triple Crown winner."
"The Pan Am Conference will not only showcase South America's Thoroughbred breeding and racing, but it will also update the rest of the racing world about our successful and ongoing efforts to harmonize our rules with our international jurisdictions," said Horacio Esposito, president of LARC.
The conference will focus on many key international areas across the two days of the business program, including globalization of Thoroughbred breeding and the Importance of the North American and South American regions; the Pattern System; delivering international racing and content to bettors and fans; new technologies in racing and sports; enhancing the customer experience; global measures for racing integrity; and reforming medication rules in South America.
