Bennett Liebman, government lawyer in residence and an adjunct professor of law at the Albany Law School, will be the keynote luncheon speaker at the Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP) Conference on Officiating Horse Racing Monday, Dec. 5, in conjunction with the University of Arizona Global Symposium on Racing & Gaming at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson.
Mr. Liebman will be speaking on "Assessing and Updating the Rules of the Race." His discussion will include looking at the appeal process in horse racing and other major league sports.
During his 40 years of service in government and academia, Mr. Liebman served as a member of the New York State Racing and Wagering Board for more than a decade and also served in the governor's office as the deputy secretary for gaming and racing. In non-gambling related positions, he worked as a special deputy counsel to New York Governor Mario M. Cuomo and as an assistant commissioner for legal affairs at the New York State Department.
At Albany Law School, he worked at the Government Law Center as the coordinator of its Program on Racing and Wagering Law and as the Law Center's executive director. In 2016, he came out of retirement to serve as the interim director of the Government Law Center.
Mr. Liebman has written hundreds of articles on horse racing, gambling, and New York state government. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Union College and a cum laude graduate of New York University School of Law. In 2010, he was the recipient of the Excellence in Public Service Award from the New York State Bar Association.
ROAP Chairman Hugh Gallagher remarked, "We are excited to have been able to secure Bennett Liebman as our keynote speaker. He brings a tremendous background in the regulation of horse racing to a topic the stewards and judges of our sport have long been asking questions and seeking solutions."
ROAP has assembled two outstanding panels for the race officiating conference.
The morning panel, entitled "High-Tech Resources for Horse Racing Stewards & Judges," begins at 8:30 a.m. and will feature presentations by:
• Chris Dobbins - Vice President Business Development, InCompass Solutions
• Joe Gordon - Executive Vice President, International Sound
• Curtis Linnell - Executive Vice President, Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau
• Ed Martin - President, Association of Racing Commissioners International
• Cathy O'Meara - Industry Initiatives Coordinator, The Jockey Club
• Tom Roentz - Track & Field Manager, Equibase
• Eric Smith - Assistant to the President, ARCI
• Alex Waldrop - Chairman, Racing Medication & Testing Consortium
The afternoon panel, entitled "The Role of Stewards and Judges in Horse Racing," will be moderated by Ray Paulick, publisher of the Paulick Report. This panel, beginning at 1:00 p.m., will include racing industry stakeholders:
• William "Buff" Bradley - Kentucky-Based Leading Trainer
• Marc Guifoil - Executive Director, Kentucky Horse Racing Commission
• Darrel McHargue - Chief Steward, California Horse Racing Board
• Richard Migliore - Eclipse Award Winning Jockey & NYRA TV Analyst
• Tom Sage - Executive Director, Nebraska State Racing Commission
• Dr. Mary Scollay - Equine Medical Director, Kentucky Horse Racing Commission
• Chaplain John Shumaker - President, Race Track Chaplaincy of America
• David Siegel - President, TrackMaster, & 2007 USTA Amateur Driver of the Year
• Janet Van Bebber - Chief Racing Officer, American Quarter Horse Association
• Judy Wagner - Champion, 2001 Daily Racing Form National Handicapping Contest
• Scott Wells - President, Remington Park & Lone Star Park
Remington Park and Lone Star Park will sponsor a working luncheon from 11:30-1:00. The topic for discussion is the potential for horse racing to consider implementation of the technologies major league sports use to train, certify, monitor, and evaluate umpires and referees, including instant replay analysis.
The cost of the conference is $75. This conference will qualify for eight hours of ROAP continuing education credits for accredited stewards and judges. Those also attending the University of Arizona Global Symposium on Racing & Gaming will receive a $50 discount on the symposium registration fee. Stewards and judges attending the University of Arizona Global Symposium on Racing & Gaming will receive an additional eight hours of ROAP continuing education credits. Those wishing to attend can register online at horseracingofficials.com/2016ROAPConference.
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