The seventh installment in the 2025 OwnerView webinar series was held September 2 and covered women in Thoroughbred racing.
The conference is hosted by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and presented by Bessemer Trust, Keeneland, and Stoll Keenon Ogden. The panel was sponsored by Lady Sheila Stable and MyRacehorse.
A Q&A was sponsored by West Point Thoroughbreds, and attendees were able to ask questions through a Q&A link.
Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView, moderated the panel with guests Stephanie Hronis, co-owner of Hronis Racing and chief executive officer of the Women's Horse Racing Association; Maggi Moss, Thoroughbred owner and trial lawyer specializing in Equine Law; Sheila Rosenblum, owner of Lady Sheila Stable; and Caitlin Ward, director of Strategic Partnerships, MyRacehorse.
The conference began with a discussion on how the panelists started their journeys as Thoroughbred owners and then touched on different women's organizations.
Hronis discussed the Horse Racing Women's Association, an organization dedicated and focused solely on women in racing. "Ultimately, we really want to be a constructive part of the sport. We want to be a part of what helps to move the individuals and ultimately the sport forward in a constructive way," Hronis said. "We've really strived to be something for every woman in our sport, whether they're a leader or they're someone who supports the leader or they're striving to be a leader."
Moss explained how she managed to juggle her other interests with owning Thoroughbreds.
"It's a passion, so I probably spend five to six to seven hours a day now, even with a smaller stable," she said. "Having that passion and love for horses and taking the time to want to learn everything as an owner, I believe you need to learn, is probably one of the most rewarding experiences. It keeps me alive, it keeps me healthy, it keeps me vibrant."
When highlighting the importance of aftercare for Thoroughbreds whose racing careers are coming to an end, Rosenblum said, "I had no knowledge of racing before I got into this and a major part of it was wondering what I would do when their careers were over.... Aftercare is the best way for me to go and to have the horse either in a pasture or being retrained for someone who doesn't need to race it anymore."
Another discussion revolved around what could be done to bring more owners, especially women, into the sport.
"I think for me, one thing that we've always really tried to do with MyRacehorse is build what we like to call 'emotional equity' in the horses. So, through our owner updates, we try and show their personality. We try and build the connection that, you know, the groom has with the horse," Ward said. "When they see how much time and care and love and emotion and, you know, everything that really does go into it in the behind the scenes, I think that really could interest people."
The replay of Tuesday's Thoroughbred Owner Conference panel is available online.
Three additional Thoroughbred Owner Conference virtual panels are scheduled for 2025. The next session, "Trainers Adjusting to New HIWU Rules," will be held October 14 at 2 p.m. ET. A full schedule can be found here.
There is no registration fee for the 2025 virtual conference series, but registration is required. For more information about the owner conference series, including the schedule and registration page, please visit ownerview.com/event/conference or contact Gary Falter at 859.224.2803 or gfalter@jockeyclub.com.
