Young named to top post
Harness racing expert picked
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Harness racing expert M. Kelly Young has been named executive director of the entity that runs the prestigious New York Sire Stakes series.
Young’s appointment was unanimously approved by the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund board of trustees.
A fifth-generation participant in harness racing, Young grew up on a leading horse breeding farm outside Goshen, where the national Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame is located.
An Albany resident, she is currently president of the Saratoga Harness Hall of Fame.
Also, most recently Young was deputy director of public policy for New York Farm Bureau where her legislative and regulatory portfolio has included dairy, forestry, aquaculture and food policy and access. She has held various positions over the past decade with Farm Bureau and has expertise in general agricultural matters, which are critical to the fund’s mission to support the state’s harness racing industry.
“I look forward to working with horse persons, breeders, tracks, fans and everyone in the industry to uphold harness racing’s important place in our state’s agricultural sector,” Young said in a statement.
Young was previously executive director of the Harness Horse Breeders of New York State, and was associate editor of The Horseman and Fair World, where she developed and wrote stories on harness racing.
“Kelly brings a fresh perspective with welcome expertise and leadership to the Fund,” said Peter Arrigenna, a standardbred breeder and Fund trustee. “She is well-respected by all facets of the industry and deservedly so. I welcome her to the fund as we continue to grow the sport and enhance our state’s racing infrastructure to get more breeders in the game.”
Young was selected for a 2013 McCloy Fellowship in Agriculture and completed the Empire State Food and Agricultural Leadership Institute (LEAD-NY) program. She received multiple awards for her writing from the American Farm Bureau Federation, the U.S. Harness Writers Association and the New York Agricultural Society.
She is currently a member of the New York State Racing Fan Advisory Council, which provides recommendations to the New York State Gaming Commission on matters related to growing the fan base of horse racing.
The Breeding Development Fund receives money from the mutual handle at licensed tracks across the state to provide purse money for the New York Sire Stakes in several major areas. They are:
• Sire Stakes Races: The most talented New York-bred 2- and 3-year-olds vie for enhanced purses at the state’s pari-mutuel tracks. Each year, the top performers compete in eight races, traditionally known as the “Night of Champions.”
• Excelsior/State Fair Series: 2- and 3-year-old New Yorkbred trotters and pacers compete in these races, including the annual State Fair race held at the Goshen Historic Track.
• County Fair Racing: The best “earn as you learn” program in Sire Stakes racing is non-betting racing that takes place at 20 agricultural fairs
throughout the state, culminating in championship races for each age and gait at the end of summer.
• Agriculture and Equine Research: The fund provides assistance to county agricultural societies to maintain and repair racing facilities and also contributes to both the 4-H program and the Dr. Harry M. Zweig Fund for Equine Research at Cornell University.