from Horse Player Now

Chicago, IL — USTA Executive Vice President and CEO Mike Tanner and Meadowlands Player/Media Manager Justin Horowitz will be two of the guest panelists in tonight’s Night School, the racing industry’s national online fan education program, starting at 8:30 p.m. (EST) on www.ustrotting.com.

Tonight’s second annual Racing Town Hall Meeting gathers some of the horse racing industry’s movers and shakers and will offer fans and horseplayers a chance to interact directly with the policy makers. The panel will include executives, entrepreneurs, horseplayers and journalists including:

• Mike Tanner, executive VP and CEO of the United States Trotting Association
• Justin Horowitz, player/media manager of the Meadowlands
• Michael Beychok, 2012 DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship winner and political strategist
• Jill Byrne, racing analyst and director of multimedia video content for Churchill Downs
• Tom Lamarra, news editor of The Blood-Horse
• Seth Merrow, owner of Equidaily.com and Capital OTB TV host
• Mark Midland, founder of Derbywars.com and Horseracingnation.com
• Dan Silver, director of racing operations for Penn National Race Course
• John Siscos, director of media relations for Woodbine and Mohawk
• Eric Wing, director of media relations for New York Racing Association
• Erich Zimny, director of racing for Charles Town Races

The 90-minute live chat will be moderated by Night School’s Jeremy Plonk, Joe Kristufek and Caton Bredar.

The inaugural Racing Town Hall Meeting in 2012 remains available for archive view (http://tinyurl.com/lyu449v) and included the likes of Breeders’ Cup-winning owner-breeder Satish Sanan, NTRA president Alex Waldrop, Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas and Horseplayers Association of North America president Jeff Platt, among others.

Presenting title sponsors for Night School are the United States Trotting Association, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, American Quarter Horse Association, Keeneland and Churchill Downs, Inc.

Night School is offered every Tuesday for 40 consecutive weeks through Dec. 3. Topics change weekly, and fans are eligible for prizes and rewards for registering. Registration is optional and free. There is never a charge for taking part in Night School.

This week’s Night School will be followed at 10 p.m. (EST) by the “After Night School Special,” featuring live racing from Mountaineer Park. The segment will cover the evening’s final two races in real time with free, live-streaming video. Fans wishing to take part in the Mountaineer action simply need to remain in the Night School chat after class. Complimentary past performances are available, courtesy of BRIS.