Jason Wilson named COO of 1/ST Content

Jason Wilson, the president and chief operating officer of Equibase for the past five years, has taken a job with 1/ST, the company formally known as The Stronach Group, as the chief operating officer of a new division at the company, 1/ST announced on Friday.

Wilson will become the COO of 1/ST Content, which is responsible for its parent company’s betting and simulcasting assets. He will report to Aidan Butler, who was made the chief executive of 1/ST Content when it was formed late last year, after several years as serving as the parent company’s director of California racing operations.

The 1/ST Content division includes the company’s account-wagering and simulcasting business, including the ADW company Xpressbet, the high-roller rebate shop Elite, the simulcast-marketing business Monarch, and the international simulcast marketing and wagering division, Global Wagering Solutions.

In his previous job, Wilson was responsible for the operations of the Thoroughbred industry’s official database, along with the handicapping and breeding products that the company produces. Prior to the Equibase position, he was the vice president of business development for The Jockey Club, and later the president of TJC Media Ventures.

"I am thrilled to have Jason, a well-known and knowledgeable industry executive who shares our vision for the future of our sport, as part of the 1/ST team," said Butler, in the release. "Jason's appointment as chief operating officer is an important next step for 1/ST Content as we continue to harness new technologies and modernize the way racing content is produced and distributed."

1/ST owns a number of racetracks, including Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park, and several of its simulcast signals are some of the most popular in the country. The simulcast-marketing arm of the company sells the signals to 1/ST tracks alongside other major racetracks as well. Pimlico Race Course, which 1/ST owns, runs the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes.

Wilson said in the statement that he was “thrilled” to join 1/ST.

"My own vision for the future of modern racing directly aligns with the 1/ST vision to reimagine racing as a competitive sports product for a new generation of customers and fans alike,” he said.

The Jockey Club, which is a co-owner of Equibase, said in a statement that the company was “honored” to have Wilson at its companies.

"Jason's passion for the sport, his insights into how to improve it, and his quality of work will be missed, and they will serve him well in his new position with 1/ST Content,” said Ian Highet, the secretary-treasurer of The Jockey Club and the chairman of Equibase.