Brothers hired as strategic advisor for Thoroughbred Safety Coalition

Donna Brothers, the former jockey and NBC reporter, has been hired by the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition as a strategic advisor, the organization announced on Monday.

The hiring of Brothers was announced four days after the coalition’s steering committee held its first meeting since the organization was formed in November of last year to devise strategies to reduce injuries at racetracks. According to the announcement, Brothers will “bring decades of rich experience in multiple facets of the industry” to the coalition’s efforts.

Brothers, who is also the chief operating officer of Starlight Racing, a racing partnership group, drew widespread attention late last year when she posted a long piece on her blog describing the industry’s treatment of horses, which she said had been misrepresented by anti-racing groups in the wake of a spate of deaths early last year at Santa Anita Park. She also opined in the piece about the strategies racing must use to improve horse care and counter critics’ arguments.

“I’m honored to play a role in the coalition’s efforts as we work together to make racing safer for all involved,” Brothers said, in a prepared statement.

The coalition includes large racing companies such as Churchill Downs Inc., the New York Racing Association, The Stronach Group, Keeneland, Del Mar, and Breeders’ Cup. Its founders have said that its mission will be to “serve as an advocate and trusted voice of horse racing as we work to address safety concerns, increase accountability and transparency, and adapt our sport to benefit all for generations to come.”

The steering committee’s first meeting was held on Friday. At that meeting, the steering committee said it would focus on “outlining a formal process to evaluate and implement future reforms in racing,” and it said that it has begun meeting with other racing stakeholders about its plans.

Also in the announcement, the coalition said that four other organizations have joined the group: the American Association of Equine Practitioners, Dixiana Farm, Mt. Brilliant Farm, and Stonestreet Farm, which will all be represented on the steering committee.

The next meeting of the steering committee will take place in February, the group said.