Last week, the Breeders’ Cup announced that for the first time since 2007, its headline race for fillies and mares will once again be called the Distaff, rightly consigning to the rubbish bin the Ladies’ Classic. It’s unfortunate that there will be five winners of the race who will forever be saddled with that name in their past performances.

But even as the Breeders’ Cup was coming to its senses, the dismaying role of women in racing has been all too prominent—if something absent can be prominent—at industry meetings in Saratoga this summer.

The Association of Racetrack Commissioners International, The Jockey Club, and Albany’s Law School’s Government Law Center have all held major meetings here, to discuss and present on industry issues ranging from medication to marketing to international racing. A grand total of two women sat the table, literally and figuratively, in these meetings.

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