Our last show! We’ve got Hamelback, McGee, Lukas highlights

Mar 3, 2022 Jennie Rees No Comments

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Thursday, March 3, 2022) — The Kentucky Racing Spotlight radio program ends its 12-week run this Friday with an emphasis on the National HBPA Conference at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. One theme of the assembly is the importance of individual horse-racing participants serving as advocates and ambassadors for the industry in these challenging times.

The show’s featured guests will be Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National Horsemen’s Benevolence & Protective Association, and Marty McGee, Kentucky correspondent for Daily Racing Form who has been at Gulfstream Park for most of the winter.

Hamelback will provide an overview of the HBPA conference, which aims to spotlight the pressing issues facing racehorse owners and trainers while working toward practical solutions. McGee will offer his take on Saturday’s four Kentucky Derby points races: Gulfstream Park’s Fountain of Youth, Santa Anita’s San Felipe, Aqueduct’s Gotham and Turfway Park’s John Battaglia Memorial.

The show also will air highlights from iconic trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ keynote speech Wednesday at the HBPA conference. Lukas, a winner of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks four times apiece, has a contender for both races in last Saturday’s Rebel runner-up Ethereal Road and the romping Honey Bee winner Secret Oath. Lukas hasn’t discounted running that filly against boys in the Arkansas Derby with a potential eye on the Kentucky Derby.

Lukas also is a believer in the importance of one-on-one contact in creating new racing fans, including his long tradition of inviting little kids into the winner’s circle whenever one of his horses win.

Kentucky Racing Spotlight will be streamed live at espnlouisville.com, on the ESPN 680 app and the TuneIn and iHeart apps. The replay will be available on espnlouisville.com under the podcasts tab. All shows also are archived at davisinnovation.com/kyracing.

In addition to the Kentucky HBPA, Kentucky Racing Spotlight is sponsored by Davis Innovation marketing, the Louisville Thoroughbred Society, NKYTribune.com and Equine Equipment manufacturers discounts.

Check out Kentucky Racing Spotlight’s Facebook page and @KyRacingSptlght on Twitter.

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Jennie Rees
Jennie Rees is a communications and advocacy specialist in the horse industry who spent 32 years covering horse racing for The (Louisville) Courier-Journal before taking a corporate buyout. In addition to handling communications for the Kentucky HBPA, Rees is Kentucky Downs’ publicity director, manages in-season racing publicity for Ellis Park and serves as a consultant to the National HBPA. Other projects include the Preakness Stakes, Indiana Grand’s Indiana Derby Week and work for various HBPA affiliates and horsemen’s associations.