The New York Racing Association\u2019s Christopher Kay and P.J. Campo, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, renowned trainer Linda Rice, and esteemed journalist Michael Veitch of The Saratogian will be the panelists for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame\u2019s annual Saratoga Preview on Wednesday, July 17. The event, which will take place at 7 p.m. in the Museum\u2019s Hall of Fame Gallery, will feature an audience-driven discussion with the panelists, is open to the public free of charge.<\/p>\n
Kay was named President and Chief Operating Officer of NYRA June 18 and started his job with the organization July 1. Prior to joining NYRA, Kay served as the Chief Operating Officer for The Trust for Public Land, where he oversaw the operations of the land conservation organization\u2019s headquarters and 37 field offices. Prior to that, Kay was a consultant to Universal Parks & Resorts, serving as its managing Director of International Business Development. From 2001 through 2006, he served as the Chief Operating Officer for Toys \u2018R\u2019 Us, a Fortune 200 international company, and prior to that he was the retailer\u2019s Executive Vice President and General Counsel.<\/p>\n
Campo, the son of former trainer John Campo, is a NYRA Vice President and the Director of Racing. He was appointed to the top position in the NYRA race office in 2005, succeeding Mike Lakow as the head of the department. Campo joined NYRA in 1996. He has also served as clerk\/racing official and Assistant Racing Secretary with the organization.<\/p>\n
Velazquez, as of July 10, has won 5,011 career races with purse earnings in excess of $288 million. A 2012 Hall of Fame inductee, Velazquez has won the Kentucky Derby and two editions of the Belmont Stakes, as well as 12 Breeders\u2019 Cup races. Velazquez has won 26 riding titles in New York, including four at Saratoga, and is a two-time Eclipse Award winner. He ranks behind only fellow Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey in career wins at Saratoga.<\/p>\n
Rice, as of July 10, has won 1,148 career races with purse earnings of more than $38 million. A licensed trainer since 1987, Rice made history in 2009 when she became the first woman to win a training championship at a major American racetrack when she topped the Saratoga standings with 20 victories. Rice has also won two training titles at Aqueduct and one at Belmont Park. A native of Wisconsin, Rice recorded her 1,000th career victory in 2011 with a horse owned by her father, Clyde. She was presented the Fourstardave Award for Outstanding Achievement at Saratoga in 2000 by the New York Turf Writers.<\/p>\n
Veitch has been covering horse racing for The Saratogian and its racing supplement, The Pink Sheet, since 1979. A member of the Saratoga 150 Committee, Veitch is a trustee of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and serves on the Museum\u2019s Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, Historic Review Committee, and Pillars of the Turf Committee. He is a former host of \u201cDown the Stretch\u201d on the Capital OTB television network and his writing has appeared in a variety of media outlets, including Daily Racing Form. Veitch is the author of \u201cFoundations of Fame: Nineteenth Century Thoroughbred Racing in Saratoga Springs\u201d and the recently published \u201cSummit of Champions: Thoroughbred Racing in Saratoga Springs 1901-1955.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additionally, there will be drawings for giveaways from the Museum\u2019s gift shop and each attendee will receive a complimentary copy of the Museum\u2019s 2013-14 Hall of Fame Guide, which features an extensive coverage of Saratoga\u2019s racing history. Brien Bouyea, the Museum\u2019s Communications Officer, will moderate the event.<\/p>\n