Annise Montplaisir

How did we get hooked on this sport? We all have stories about how our love affair developed and blossomed. The TDN will be reaching out to numerous notable people in the industry to get their stories to find out how they got hooked and stayed hooked on the sport. Annise Montplaisir, Executive Director, Amplify I became hooked on racing when I was 12 years old, after watching the 2007 movie "Ruffian." I already loved horses and was avidly involved in the 4-H horse project, but growing up on the...

When Amplify Horse Racing was founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2020, our goal was to engage youth with the Thoroughbred industry. As 2024 draws to a close, I reflect with immense pride on how Amplify isn't just engaging youth with the Thoroughbred industry-we have become the national youth arm of the U.S. industry. By the end of the year, Amplify will have directly reached over 28,000 individuals through classroom lessons, events, interactive activations, and conference presentations. We recently wrapped up one of our busiest programming weekends of the year,...

Amplify Horse Racing has launched its new Impact Campaign, an initiative aimed at raising $1 million to engage youth across the nation with horse racing, the organization said in a press release on Wednesday. The campaign will extend Amplify's reach and impact as the national youth arm of the Thoroughbred industry. Campaign goals include enhancing educational programs through curriculum creation and implementation, and the development of a mobile education unit, just to name a few. "Amplify is doing hugely important work for the industry by cultivating youth and young adult...

by Sara Gordon and Katie Petrunyak How do we guarantee a future for horse racing? Many will offer answers such as increased equine and track safety, improved wagering opportunities, and modernizing and embracing technological advancements. And though those are all extremely important, it will all be for naught if there is no incoming generation to grow the fan base and ultimately, hopefully, join the industry's workforce. That's where Amplify Horse Racing comes in. Founded in 2019 by Annise Montplaisir, now the Executive Director, and Madison Scott, a member of the...

Horse owner Brent Malmstrom told Wednesday's opening session of the annual National HBPA Conference that he has spent more than $620,000 "with no end in sight" on fighting the two-year suspension handed trainer Jonathon Wong after one of Wong's horses became the first to test positive in a post-race sample for the widely prescribed diabetes medication Metformin under the HISA era. The comments came during the opening session of the four-day National HBPA Conference at Prairie Meadows. While Malmstrom doesn't own the horse at the center of the case, he...

Amplify Horse Racing has been named the official mentoring partner of the Horse Racing Women's Summit. The announcement of the partnership coincides with release of "The Amplify Horse Racing Guide to Mentorship," which is designed as a resource to support HRWS members and followers on their own journeys as mentors, mentees, and the pursuit of personal and professional development. "We believe that engaging, elevating and investing in women will transform horse racing," said Jordyn Egan, HRWS Executive Committee member and Amplify Horse Racing board member. "Our official partnership with Amplify...

Cicero, Illinois is a suburb that hugs the west side of Chicago, and is home to Hawthorne Race Course. It's also the headquarters of Morton High School District 201, which serves approximately 8,000 students from Cicero and surrounding communities. Near the top of the Hawthorne stretch is a Golden Corral parking lot. From this vantage point you can clearly see horses on the track during training or racing. One morning while watching training from here, trainer Chris Block saw a group of Morton High School students gathered by a fence...

The 11th Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit will be held June 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Longship Room at Kroger Field on the campus of the University of Kentucky. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be co-hosted by the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and The Jockey Club. Annise Montplaisir, equine education coordinator of the Kentucky Equine Education Project Foundation and president of Amplify Horse Racing, will emcee the event, which will be livestreamed....

"Breeders' Cup En Vivo," an all-Spanish digital series covering five Breeders' Cup Challenge Series 'Win and You're In' races will will air live on the Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channels of the Breeders' Cup. The Kentucky Turf Cup and Keeneland broadcasts will be produced in partnership with DRF en Espanol. The "Breeders' Cup En Vivo" team will be comprised of co-hosts Claudia Spadaro, Darwin Vizcaya, Roberto Rodriguez, and Annise Montplaisir--who also produces the show. The 2023 "Breeders' Cup En Vivo" schedule includes: the Aug. 12 GI Fourstardave S. which offers...

The Godolphin Flying Start programme celebrated its 20th anniversary with an alumni award ceremony and conference at the Legacy Suite at the K Club on June 29. The conference, "Impact and Influence", attracted over 100 graduates from around the world. During the prelude, the focus was on His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and Godolphin Charitable Initiatives led by Godolphin Flying Start Chair Joe Osborne. Diana Cooper, Godolphin's Strategic Adviser for Charities was also among the speakers, as was Lisa Jane Graffard (Class of 2005). Class of 2008 alum Gina Bryce hosted...

Applications for the spring 2023 intake of the Amplify Horse Racing Mentorship Program are now open through Friday, Feb. 3. The program connects youth and young adults interested in the Thoroughbred industry with experienced industry professionals who can offer career guidance. Mentee candidates should demonstrate a desire to learn and an interest in working in the equine industry. The suggested age range is 15-25, with no restrictions based on academic achievement. Since its launch in 2021, the Amplify Horse Racing Mentorship Program has produced nearly 30 graduates, and propelled its...

Amplify Horse Racing, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to education, mentorship and career opportunities in the Thoroughbred industry for youth and young adults, has announced the appointment of Annise Montplaisir as executive director. Guided by a goal to develop a platform for youth in horse racing, Montplaisir co-founded Amplify with Madison Scott in 2019, and has served as the organization's president since its incorporation in 2020. Scott remains on the board of directors alongside Price Bell, Jordyn Egan, Hallie Hardy, Laurel Humbert-Stock, Katie LaMonica, and Cate Masterson. Originally from Fargo, North...