By Bloodhorse.com
Jane Goldstein will be recognized with a special award at the inaugural edition of the Horse Racing Women’s Summit (HRWS) at its luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 29. The presentation will honor Goldstein for her role as a groundbreaking leader and inspirational example to women in racing.
The HRWS, which takes place at Santa Anita Park Sept. 28-30, will feature speakers and networking opportunities for women currently engaged in the Thoroughbred horse racing industry and those that wish to be.
A native of New Orleans, Goldstein had an early introduction to the racetrack. Her father, legendary writer and reporter with the Times-Picayune newspaper, first took her to the races at the Fair Grounds when she was a young girl. Already a horse lover, she immediately fell in love with horse racing.
She attended the University of Kentucky and Louisiana State University (where she was editor of the student newspaper). Following graduation, she was able to combine her loves of horse racing and writing when she was hired to work in the publicity department at the Fair Grounds. She recalls that at the Fair Grounds she had to leave the press box at noon, when women were no longer allowed there. She later worked in the publicity departments at Laurel, Pimlico, Monmouth Park, Hialeah, and Keeneland racetracks, as well as serving on the special Kentucky Derby “notes team” at Churchill Downs from 1970 to 1976. She also wrote freelance articles for various racing publications.
In 1972, Goldstein met Alan Balch, who was then director of public relations at Santa Anita Park. In 1975, Balch hired her as assistant news director at Santa Anita, promoting her to director of publicity in 1976. The first woman in the country to head a track publicity department, she continued to run the publicity and communications arm of Santa Anita until her retirement in 1998.
“Since Jane first joined Santa Anita, what has stood out most to me is her commitment to excellence in all things, both journalistically and in the sport,” said Balch. “Her unceasingly high standards serve as an exemplar for all of us.”
In 1984, Goldstein was named the venue press chief for the equestrian sports of the Olympics Games at Santa Anita and Fairbanks Ranch. She was also the first woman to serve on the selection committee of the Thoroughbred Racing Association’s Grantland Rice Memorial Scholarship at Vanderbilt University, granted to a young man or woman interested in sports journalism. In 1985 she was inducted into the Fair Grounds press box hall of fame. Goldstein currently serves as a trustee of the California Thoroughbred Foundation, a non-profit corporation dedicated to the advancement of equine research and education.
The inaugural award will be presented by Amy Zimmerman, Santa Anita senior vice president and executive producer. Zimmerman, who has known Goldstein for 40 years, said:
“Just about every woman who works to promote racing—whether in the press box, on camera, in marketing or in management—owes a debt of gratitude to Jane Goldstein, whether they know her or not. I certainly do, but not because she hired me. Jane was the first of us. She opened the door with perseverance, professionalism, and class. It is fitting that she is the inaugural honoree at the Horse Racing Women’s Summit.”