May 16, 2006 — The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) today announced that racing journalist Amy Owens has been hired as the RMTC Communications Coordinator. In her new position, Owens will be responsible for promoting media coverage of the RMTC programs and enhancing communications between the RMTC and its industry-wide board of directors and advisers.

Owens, who is based in Lexington, Kentucky, most recently was managing editor of Thoroughbred Times, where she was responsible for production of the weekly magazine targeted at Thoroughbred industry professionals. While she was with Thoroughbred Times, the magazine received the 2005 American Horse Publications award as best overall equine publication. Previously, Owens spent 10 years with the American Quarter Horse Association of Amarillo, Texas, where she was Director of Racing Communications and Marketing and later editor of The Quarter Racing Journal. Prior to that, she was a staff writer for The Blood-Horse in Lexington. Owens has a journalism degree from the University of Missouri.

The RMTC (www.rmtc.kinsta.cloud) consists of 23 racing industry stakeholders and organizations and was formed to develop, promote and coordinate, at the national level, policies, research, and educational programs that seek to ensure the fairness and integrity of racing and the health and welfare of racehorses and participants, and protect the interests of the betting public.

The RMTC funds the Big Event Team, which is administered by the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau. This year, teams of experienced TRPB and racing commission investigators are helping to enhance backstretch security for major racing events for Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds and American Quarter Horses in the United States and Canada. The next race on the Big Event Team schedule is the Preakness Stakes (G1) on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.

For additional information, contact:
• Dan Fick, chairman and CEO, RMTC: (859) 224-2708; e-mail: dfick@jockeyclub.com
• Dr. Scot Waterman, executive director, RMTC: (859) 422-2675; e-mail: swaterman@ntra.com
• Amy Owens, communications coordinator, RMTC: (859) 421-2566; e-mail: owens.a@insightbb.com