Talk to anyone who works in horse racing, whether they work directly with the horses or in the other many jobs this industry supports, you will find that many were fans of the sport long before they became a part of its workforce. This is the goal behind Fan Friday: to feature fans, the people who make this sport.
Veronica Gizuk is one of those people. An Ontario native, she grew up with horses so her transition to working with Thoroughbreds comes as no surprise. In addition to working with the racing side, she also has her own OTTB, a filly named Roo. From cheering on the horses she works with to caring for her own OTTBs, she exudes the joy and commitment we need to continue to grow this historic sport.
On this Fan Friday, meet Veronica!
Name: Veronica Gizuk
Role in racing: I currently work for trainer Mark Casse at Woodbine. Over the past few years I’ve done a variety of roles within racing from hot-walking, grooming, vet assistant & worked at a couple different breeding farms with broodmares/foals/weanlings and yearlings. I’m also a writer and owner of Gate To Wire, a horse racing blog dedicated to telling the stories in racing we don’t always hear and getting more fans involved in our sport.
Favorite moment at a racetrack: Watching my favorite filly Souper Sensational break her maiden first time out.
Turf or dirt: Dirt is my favorite!
Favorite piece of racing memorabilia: I like to collect hats from tracks, trainers, owners etc. I’m usually always wearing one if you’ve seen me around the track.
Person you’d like to meet: Mike Smith, I was lucky enough to interview him over the phone. Would be nice to meet him in person.
Horse you’d like to meet: Afleet Alex. He’s the sire of my favorite horse Skywire.
Favorite race: The Travers Stakes.
Finish this sentence: I wish I could travel the world and see all the biggest races.
How would you get new fans into racing? I’ve created a few new fans to racing by bringing friends to the track with me to watch races or to visit horses on the backside. Right now, I try to attract new fans through my writing on my blog (Gate To Wire). I try to tell peoples stories and how they first got involved in racing. I hope by people reading how others have become involved in our industry it will inspire them to join.