March 11, 2026–The Horse Racing Women’s Association (HRWA) kicked off the 2026 season with the first in-person event of the year, held Friday, March 6 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
Hosting 45 attendees, the event was highlighted by a panel of women in the local horse racing community, along with networking opportunities, a handicapping contest, and an afternoon at the races. Entitled ‘HerWay: Women in Racing,’ the panel’s inspiring lineup of speakers included Aggie Ordonez, Graded Stakes Winning Trainer; Zoe Metz, Photographer; Samantha Siegel, Owner, JayEmEss Stable; Michelle Yu Hanson, Host, Reporter & Analyst, 1/ST TV; with Hronis Racing’s Stephanie Hronis, a member of the HRWA Executive Committee, serving as moderator.
Each speaker, representing a different avenue of the industry, shared the stories of their careers, what motivates them, and how each pathway they traveled was fueled by their love of horses.
“Women weave threads of passion and love into the fabric of horse racing and because of it, the sport is better. The HRWA event at Santa Anita gave me an opportunity to hear about the journeys so many strong, smart women have taken to reach their goals and leave their mark on our sport and I am grateful to each of the ladies that shared their story,” said Ordonez. “When a group of women walk into a room to share ideas, we all walk out of the room stronger and this was no exception.
Every afternoon spent enjoying the races at Santa Anita is great, but this one in particular left me inspired and proud to be a part of this incredible group of women in horse racing. Kudos to the HRWA for creating a platform to empower women and celebrate our contributions to our sport and of course to Santa Anita for hosting us at their iconic venue.”
Attendees were also given the opportunity to learn more about handicapping through a seminar hosted by handicapping expert Millie Ball, followed by an opportunity to test their skills in an on-site handicapping contest.
The HRWA will return to the West Coast for its next event Thursday, July 23 at Del Mar Racing in Del Mar, Calif. To learn more and purchase tickets, click here.
The HRWA Annual Conference will return to Lexington, Ky., in October. Stay tuned for event details to be announced soon. To visit the HRWA Events page, click here.