Travis T. Tygart, chief executive officer of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), will deliver the keynote address Aug. 12 at The Jockey Club's 60th annual "Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing" in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
According to a release from The Jockey Club, Tygart will provide insight on the mission, policies, and practices employed by the USADA and the Partnership for Clean Competition to combat the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
The Round Table Conference, held at the Gideon Putnam Resort, will be streamed live at www.jockeyclub.com. The two-hour event begins at 10 a.m. EDT. A replay of the live video stream will be available within one hour of the conclusion of the conference and a transcript of the proceedings will be available on The Jockey Club website the following day.
"With medication and drugs dominating the headlines in the Thoroughbred industry in the past year, it will be enlightening to see and hear how other sports organizations are dealing with the issue of performance-enhancing drugs," said Ogden Mills Phipps, chairman of The Jockey Club.
Formed in 2000, USADA is recognized by Congress as the official anti-doping agency for Olympic, Pan American, and Paralympic sports in the United States. USADA's anti-doping programs include in-competition and out-of-competition testing, results management and adjudication processes, drug reference resources and therapeutic use exemption processes, scientific research initiatives, and athlete and outreach education.
Since becoming chief executive officer of USADA in September of 2007, Tygart has served as an advocate for the integrity of sport and clean athletes, testifying in front of Congress on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport, regulation of the supplement industry, and the ratification of the UNESCO international treaty against doping in sport, according to The Jockey Club. He also serves on the board of governors of the Partnership for Clean Competition that works to ensure integrity in sport by supporting anti-doping research.
The Round Table Conference program will include a report on the activities of The Jockey Club and its affiliated companies from James L. Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club.
Jason Wilson, The Jockey Club's vice president of business development, will present an overview of the various marketing and fan development initiatives The Jockey Club is undertaking in the wake of the comprehensive economic study of the sport that was presented at the 2011 Round Table Conference by representatives of McKinsey & Company.
Included in that segment will be updates and comments from Dan Singer, a director within McKinsey & Company's media & entertainment practice.
Stuart S. Janney III, vice chairman of The Jockey Club and chairman of the Thoroughbred Safety Committee, will also deliver a report on "Clean and Safe Horse Racing," along with Matt Iuliano, executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club.
