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Keeneland President To Retire-Historic Transition Planned

Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason will retire the end of this year after leading the historic horse racing track for eight years.  His announcement Thursday paves the way for an historic transition with Keeneland’s legal counsel Shannon Bishop Arvin taking the reins in January.  She will become Keeneland’s eighth president and the first woman to serve in that role.

Thomason said he and his wife plan to spend more time with family, but he added he’s not going anywhere or leaving the industry.  Thomason credits the Keeneland team for providing opportunities for racing. “Whether it’s our historical racing facilities, our partnership we’ve developed with Churchill, the coalition and the cooperation we have now among major race tracks around the country, the Breeders’ Cup in 2015 that they’re still talking about around the world and another one that’s on its way,” said Thomason.

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships are scheduled to return to Keeneland this November.  But for now, the most pressing item is a non-traditional short meet in July, which begins next Wednesday. 

Shannon Bishop Arvin said the significance of becoming the first female CEO is not lost on her, adding she’s sat in board rooms where she was the only woman.  She realizes there are certain realities to face in horse racing today.  “Of course there are head winds and especially in this environment between COVID and safety and integrity concerns and growing a fan base and growing our ownership.  That will all be an important part of our plan moving forward.  We’ll address those issues head on and have the response to those that you’d expect at Keeneland,” said Bishop Arvin.

Arvin has a family history with Keeneland.  Her grandfather, W.T. “Bish” Bishop was the first general manager at the Lexington track when it opened in 1936.  And in addition, Arvin worked the switchboard at Keeneland as a teenager and grew up around the track.? 

Here's more with Keeneland CEO Bill Thomason and Shannon Bishop Arvin:

4BILLSHANNONWEB.mp3

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