Jamie Haydon, the president of the Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation, has been given additional duties at The Jockey Club as the organization’s new deputy executive director, The Jockey Club announced on Wednesday.
In the new position, Haydon “will engage with the industry on initiatives of the company and foster collaboration among industry organizations,” The Jockey Club said. Haydon will also “seek feedback from customers of The Jockey Club’s commercial subsidiaries,” according to the organization. He will report to Matt Iuliano, The Jockey Club’s executive vice president and executive director.
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Haydon’s appointment to the new position comes at a time when Mike Repole, the influential owner, has created an organization that is attempting to foster discussion among industry organizations and seek significant changes in how racing is conducted throughout the U.S. Repole has been highly critical of the role and influence of The Jockey Club in the past six months.
Haydon was first hired at The Jockey Club as its manager of industry initiatives. He was made president of the Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation, which awards grants funds for studies into issues affecting horse health and safety, in 2019.
“Jamie has engaged with people from every facet of the sport,” said James Gagliano, the president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club, in a release. “He will be an excellent advocate for The Jockey Club and for racing as a whole, and we look forward to furthering The Jockey Club’s engagement with other stakeholders through his efforts.”
On Tuesday, The Jockey Club announced that it would begin publishing an annual report detailing its initiatives and their progress. The first report was released that day and stated that the organization in 2024 would “invest at least $7 million to support initiatives ranging from equine safety and aftercare to industry promotion and national and international collaboration.”
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