Jockey Club conference to address economic study

Officials of the Jockey Club and the consulting firm McKinsey and Company will present the results of an economic study that McKinsey recently completed at the Jockey Club’s annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing on Aug. 14 in Saratoga Springs, the Jockey Club said on Friday.

The study, which was commissioned by the Jockey Club earlier this year, focuses on the state of Thoroughbred racing and the industry’s prospects for growth. The racing industry has been undergoing a contraction for three years in which handle, foal crops, and bloodstock prices are continuing to decline, with few indications that the bottom has been reached.

The presentation of findings and recommendations for the study makes up the brunt of the Round Table program, which typically lasts for two hours. In addition, Stuart S. Janney, the Jockey Club’s vice chairman, will deliver a report on behalf of the Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Safety Committee, and Dr. Tim Parkin, an epidemiologist at the University of Glasgow, will present an analysis of the data gathered through the Equine Injury Database, a 3-year-old study that has been collecting statistics on racetrack injuries and fatalities.