Breeders' Cup elects nine new board members

Nine new members have been elected to fill open seats on the 39-member Breeders' Cup Board of Members and Trustees, including the television personality and horse owner Bobby Flay, according to voting results released by the organization on Wednesday.

The nine new members and four reelected members were selected from a slate of 28 candidates competing for 13 seats. In recent years, Breeders' Cup elections have been more closely watched and more competitively contested because of dissatisfaction among some stallion and foal nominators over the direction taken by the organization and financial difficulties that have been exacerbated by the recession and collapse of the breeding market.

The Board of Members and Trustees selects 13 of its members to serve on the organization's board of directors. This year, seven open seats are available on the board. The directors will be selected at a July 16 meeting of the members and trustees.

In addition to Flay, the new members are: Niall Brennan, the Florida-based pinhooker and consignor who operates Niall Brennan Stables; Case Clay, the president of Three Chimneys Farm in Central Kentucky; Jerry Crawford, the founder of Donegal Racing and Derby Dreams Partnership; Bret Jones, a director of bloodstock services for Airdrie Stud in Central Kentucky; Micheal T. Levy, the owner of Bluewater Farm in Central Kentucky; Garrett O'Rourke, the farm manager of Khalid Abdullah's Kentucky division of Juddmonte Farm; Robert Trussell Jr., the co-owner of Walmac Farm in Central Kentucky; and David Willmot, the owner of Kinghaven Farm in Canada and the chairman of Woodbine Entertainment Group.

Four members were re-elected: Antony Beck, the president of Gainesway Farm in Central Kentucky; G. Watts Humphrey, the owner of Shawnee Farm in Kentucky and a director of Churchill Downs Inc.; Roy Jackson, the owner of Lael Stables; and Satish K. Sanan, the owner of Padua Stables.