Drew Fleming takes over as new CEO at Breeders' Cup Ltd.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Drew Fleming, the chief operating officer at Breeders’ Cup Ltd., will replace the departing Craig Fravel as the organization’s chief executive officer, Breeders’ Cup announced on Tuesday.

Fleming, who has worked at Breeders’ Cup since 2016 and who was promoted to COO early this year, was approved for the position through a unanimous vote of the Breeders’ Cup board on Thursday, the organization said. Several months ago, Fravel, the chief executive at Breeders’ Cup for the past eight years, accepted a position with the racing company The Stronach Group to become its chief executive of racing operations, effective with the wrap-up of the Breeders’ Cup’s two-day event last weekend.

In a release, Breeders’ Cup said that Fleming’s former duties as chief operating officer included “general day-to-day operations, including host track relations, long-term planning and growth, finance, sponsorships, marketing and legal.” The release also said that Fleming “has worked extensively in strategic planning and business negotiations to better position Breeders’ Cup and the Thoroughbred industry for continued success and longevity.”

Fred Hertrich III, the chairman of Breeders’ Cup’s board, said that Fleming’s previous work at the organization prepared him well to take the top job.

“Drew’s track record at the Breeders’ Cup speaks for itself,” Hertrich said in a release. “He has already played an indispensable role in our work to promote and improve the industry, which he knows inside and out.”

Fleming has a law degree from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, where he resides and where Breeders’ Cup has its headquarters. Prior to joining the organization as vice president of development and administration in 2016, Fleming worked at Stoll Keenon Ogden, a law firm in Lexington that performs extensive work for the Thoroughbred industry.