The Amplify Horse Racing Podcast

This episode features Sean Tugel, Vice President of Bloodstock at Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. Sean's exposure to racing began early in life, as he went with his father, a seasoned veterinarian, to Finger Lakes Racetrack in Farmington, New York. Sean initially embarked on a non-equine career pathway, but early in his college journey he decided to refocus on his passion for the Thoroughbred industry by moving to Kentucky. Sean discusses how gaining and maintaining hands-on experience with horses can help you in people-facing roles, the unexpected opportunities that can only result from an industry like horse racing (including a whirlwind trip to South Korea!), and balancing a career with owning your own farm. Tune in to learn more from this experienced horseman!

Ferrin Peterson joins the Amplify Podcast as a young professional who wears a couple of big hats in the industry. As a jockey and a working veterinarian, Ferrin stays very busy, but her journey to both careers was not without hard work and a winding path. Ferrin talks about professional rejections, moving across the country, and then back again for school and work, making connections, and work-life balance. If you are interested in becoming a vet, jockey, or just diving into the industry and don’t know where to start, this episode is for you!

Ferrin Peterson joins the Amplify Podcast as a young professional who wears a couple of big hats in the industry. As a jockey and a working veterinarian, Ferrin stays very busy, but her journey to both careers was not without hard work and a winding path. Ferrin talks about professional rejections, moving across the country, and then back again for school and work, making connections, and work-life balance. If you are interested in becoming a vet, jockey, or just diving into the industry and don’t know where to start, this episode is for you!

When your family is already established in the Thoroughbred industry, is it expected of you to continue down that path? Claire and Conrad Bandoroff of Denali Stud join us on this episode of the Amplify Horse Racing Podcast to talk about their experiences in the world of racing with generational education, identifying, shifting, and pursuing goals, and taking on leadership roles as younger adults in the industry. Claire and Conrad also dive into the day-to-day activities on the farm throughout foaling and breeding season and yearling prep for sales, and the marketing that goes into hosting tours on their farm, and their unique farm Airbnb experience! Come along on this behind-the-scenes conversation about life in the industry with the Bandoroffs!

Have you ever considered starting your own business? Spearheading a transformational company isn’t easy, but a huge opportunity lies in the challenge. Pierce Dargan, CEO and founder of Equine MediRecord – a platform that digitizes and helps automate equine welfare and anti-doping compliance in the global horse racing industry – joins us from Ireland on this episode of the Amplify Podcast to talk about young entrepreneurship and the challenges of innovation in what can be described as a traditional industry. Pierce, Annise, and Kaitlin discuss the realistic ups and downs that come with launching a Thoroughbred industry startup, including listening to your customers, shifting according to industry trends and needs, and how to handle constructive criticism. Whether you’re contemplating starting a new venture, or just want to know how new industry operations such as Equine Medirecord, Amplify Horse Racing, and GSS the Marketing Agency came to be, you will definitely learn something from this podcast episode.

Whether you already ride an off-the-track Thoroughbred (OTTB), or you've been pondering what it takes to retrain a racehorse ready to move on to a second career, then you will LOVE this episode! Kristen Kovatch Bentley and Joy Orr of the Retired Racehorse Radio podcast join Amplify's Kaitlin Christopherson and Annise Montplaisir in this collaborative episode to discuss the mental and physical journey of training an OTTB, what it takes to point toward the Thoroughbred Makeover, and reflections of 2023. Hear what attracted each one to the Thoroughbred, learn from personal experiences, and jot down takeaways. This show is all about one of the ultimate horsemanship experiences: retraining Thoroughbreds for a second career.

In November, a select group of Amplify mentees traveled to Kentucky to learn more about the Thoroughbred industry, visit farms and facilities, and yes, pet some horses! Paola Castro and Sydney Patrick were two of four high-achieving Amplify mentees selected to receive travel awards to visit Kentucky during the breeding stock sales season. On this episode of the podcast, Sydney and Paola share how they became interested in horse racing (hint: there are some excellent movies out there to watch), their experiences in the Amplify Horse Racing Mentorship Program, takeaways from their trip to Kentucky, and what they hope to accomplish in the Thoroughbred industry. Tune in to hear how two young adults are using Amplify as a stepping stone to their career in horse racing, and experience the industry through these newcomers' perspectives.

Starting his career as an intern in Marketing and Publicity at Santa Anita in 2002, Nate Newby is now the racetrack's Senior Vice President and General Manager. And he's done a little bit of everything along the way, from working on the set of Seabiscuit – one of the highest grossing horse movies of all time – to organizing nine Breeders' Cups, and retraining off-track Thoroughbreds in his spare time. On this episode of the Amplify Horse Racing Podcast, we discuss how to stay engaged when working for the same company for a length of time, the logistics and planning that go into putting on the world championships of horse racing, and the story of how a Thoroughbred brought Nate and his now-wife together (couple goals!).

We bet you've never heard of "settlements" before this episode! Today you're going to learn all about how and where the gambling dollars in horse racing are handled, who processes those dollars, and the prevention of money laundering. Special guests Laurel Humbert-Stock, Racing and Wagering Finance Manager at Keeneland, and Kaitlin Fox, Chief Operating Officer at CHRIMS-PGSI, introduce listeners to their fascinating careers, explain complex terminology, and even touch on work-life balance as mothers. If you love numbers, or want to better understand the pari-mutuel system, settlements and payouts, you're going to love this episode!

Delaina Stenchever joins Amplify after completing a Bachelor of Arts in journalism with a broadcast emphasis and further specializing in sports journalism, and double minoring in biology and sports management from the University of Arizona. While in college she worked with two different radio stations in Arizona, one as an intern with an all-sports station, and the horse racing show Post Time with Aaron Vercruyss and Corey La Russo for the sports betting segment, Dialled in with Delaina. Delaina started working at Rillito Park, a small mixed breed track, for their 2022 season as a production assistant and emcee. After graduation she worked at Del Mar as the Press Box Steward and began fostering new connections for her future. From there she got her job with FanDuel as the Partner Production Supervisor for horse racing, helping manage and supervise all in-show elements from sales contracts to sportsbook and casino deliverables. She also continues working towards her on-air career as a sports reporter.

Delaina's love for sports started at a young age going to football, and baseball games and attending races at Emerald Downs in Washington State. Football stood out to her for a long time, and she worked with the University of Arizona's football sports medicine team for four years. Her love for sports continued through high school where she played different sports while also competing in equestrian sports. In college, she competed with the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) allowing her to continue to develop as a rider. Now she spends her free time riding at a Hunter/Jumper show barn when she is not preparing for an upcoming work week of deliverables or reporting.