Penny Chenery, who owned 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, and Laura Hillenbrand, the author of the best-selling book “Seabiscuit: An American Legend,” are both planning to participate in the discussion and talk about the feature films that depicted the careers of those two Thoroughbreds.
“Penny and Laura are both planning to be here, and we couldn’t be more excited,” said Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView. “Their willingness to travel to Los Angeles from Colorado and Oregon, respectively, speaks volumes about their ongoing dedication to our sport.”
Clooney, a distinguished journalist and author (as well as a former hot walker), served as on-air host for AMC (American Movie Classics) for five years and wrote a book called: “The Movies That Changed Us: Reflections on the Screen.”
The “Racehorses in Hollywood” session, scheduled for late Tuesday afternoon, November 1, may also include a couple of additional producers, directors, or actors from other movies with horse-racing themes.
Falter has detected a special enthusiasm for the third Thoroughbred Owner Conference and believes the tie-in to the Breeders’ Cup is a big part of it.
“We have owners and prospective owners from 22 states and Canada registered, and virtually all of them will be staying for the entire week so that they can experience and enjoy the Breeders’ Cup,” he said. “They all seem to be looking forward to visiting Santa Anita and seeing those two days of championship racing at the end of the conference.”
The Thoroughbred Owner Conference agenda includes panels featuring various business considerations for racehorse ownership as well as Breeders’ Cup-winning owners, jockeys, and trainers. NBC Sports horse racing and hockey analyst Eddie Olczyk will deliver the keynote address.
The social events for the owner conference include the Breeders’ Cup post-position draw and reception, a conference dinner and reception, tour opportunities at the Rose Bowl stadium and Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, an afternoon of lunch and live racing at Santa Anita Park, and reserved seating for both days of Breeders’ Cup championship racing.
Additional information about the Thoroughbred Owner Conference, including online registration, is available at ownerview.com.
The first two Thoroughbred owner conferences were held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., and Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
OwnerView is a joint effort spearheaded by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to encourage ownership of Thoroughbreds and provide accurate information on trainers, public racing syndicates, the process of purchasing and owning a Thoroughbred, racehorse retirement, and owner licensing.
