Gary contessa biography

Contessa began his career with Stanley Hough at Harbor View Farm before going to work for Hall of Fame trainer Frank “Pancho” Martin on the New York circuit.

Last week, the U. Thoroughbred racing industry lost a major figure when Gary Contessa announced he was discontinuing his training business after 35 years. During that time, he was the leading trainer at 17 of its meetings, was a three-time NYRA trainer of the year , and set a record for most wins in a year at NYRA in I spoke to Contessa about his many contributions to the industry and to learn more about his plans to stay involved in the racing industry.

CEH: Gary, I know you have had a long involvement with our sport and a passion for the Thoroughbred racing industry. What were the major factors behind your decision to stop training?

Contessa (October 13, in Merrick, New York) [1] is an.

GC: Since , I have had a burning passion to bring my expertise, my ideas and work ethic to the management side of racing. I see things that other people do not see. Through my many positive interactions with my owners, I believe I can help build programs for track management that will provide better customer experiences for a day at the track. I think racetracks have to embrace the fact that they are sports and entertainment venues.

A racetrack is not just a place where people come to gamble. Quite the opposite, it is a place where people come to be entertained. I aspire to have the opportunity to work for a racetrack and use my background to enhance the customer experience as well as the experience for our owners, trainers and jockeys. I have proven ideas about equine safety, and a strategy for developing programs to reach out to the local communities around the tracks to bring people to the racetrack.

As for my decision to leave training, the creation of super trainers has made it very difficult for smaller trainers to make a living. With the H2B visa limitations, the cost of securing good labor has soared, while following the regulations set forth by the Department of Labor is difficult and arbitrary.