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Gabby
An intimate Q & A with one of racing’s classiest on-air talents. interview and photo by CLAUDIA L. RUIZ
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he daughter of one of Maryland’s most wellregarded racing families, Gabby Gaudet has been around horses her entire life. She knows her way around a barn, has galloped plenty of racehorses and is one of the sport’s most respected on-air analysts. I first met Gabby in the spring of 2016, during the championship meet at Gulfstream Park, where I got to spend some time with her on set. Being the daughter of two trainers, one would presume she had planned to follow in their footsteps. In fact, she tells me she never thought of pursuing a career in racing or broadcasting, and despite what people may think, it was actually very difficult for her to get used to being on camera. During a visit to Claiborne Farm we chat about her childhood, the recent loss of her father, the sport’s future, and what it’s like to have an ‘on air’ career.
CLAUDIA RUIZ: Where were you born and raised? GABBY GAUDET: I was born and raised in Upper Marlboro, MD, which is about 15-20 minutes from Annapolis. My parents had a hundred acre farm, which we still have, though it’s not a hundred acres anymore. CR: You come from a racing family, but what made you want to get involved in the sport? GG: It was something that I originally never thought I would be in because of the dynamic of my family. Not only were my mom and dad trainers, my sister was at the barn almost every day, I had aunts that were jockeys and uncles that were farriers and owners. Every holiday, every dinner, every event the conversation was always about racing, and for a very short period of time I kind of resented it. But then I started college and started galloping and I really liked that side of the industry. When the opportunity came up to try out for the racing analyst position at Pimlico, I initially thought it would just be something to do before I graduated. I never thought I would end up pursuing a career in it. I thought I was going to be in graphic design. CR: what other types of riding have you done? GG: I was on a pony before I could walk and have so many pictures of me plopping around on a pony and my dad holding the reins. I ride Western and English, but I never did show-jumping or anything like that, just small shows when I was younger. Whether I tacked up a horse and went out to jump things in the field or was galloping horses at the track in the mornings, there was nothing really formal about it. I just loved to ride.
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Thoroughbred Today
CR: So it’s safe to say that horses are like big dogs to you? GG: Yeah, I guess they were kind of ubiquitous, they were just always around. Growing up on the farm we had horses, dogs, donkeys and Shetland ponies. It was an awesome way to grow up and that’s a great way to phrase it. CR: When we first met, you mentioned the process of becoming an analyst was not easy for you. Can you tell me what it was like? GG: I started at Laurel in 2013. Mike Gathagan, who is in charge of the communications department at the Maryland Jockey Club, was hiring someone to replace their analyst at the time. He decided to have tryouts between four people and I was one of them. I remember I woke up physically ill that day, I was so nervous to be on camera. Growing up, I was that kid in the back of the classroom that never raised their hand and was insecure about public speaking. Anyway, I was super nervous but tried out and decided to go last because I wanted to see what everybody did before me. I got a call a few weeks later that I had gotten the position. The first couple of months were difficult because I am naturally pretty shy and I wasn’t fully confident in my ability to handicap. I knew my way around a barn and a horse, but I wasn’t good at handicapping and doing it on camera. I remember Sean Clancy, who I worked for at the Saratoga Special and consider one of my mentors, he said, ‘Just look at the camera and pretend like you’re talking to your mom.’ So I started to do that and things got easier. But it was one of those things that took a lot of time and practice. CR: What’s your favorite part of the job? GG: Oh, there are so many different aspects. I would say interviewing and talking to people about their story or the horse’s story. My favorite thing about racing is that you get people from so many different backgrounds and there are so many different stories about how they got here or how their horse got to run in a certain race. A perfect morning for me is waking up, going to Saratoga, kicking around someone’s barn and doing an interview with them, hopefully leading to an interesting story. CR: What are some things fans learning to handicap should pay attention to when looking at past performances? GG: First and foremost, I think you have to watch replays. That’s where I’ve learned the most. Watching how successful races are run is really important to becoming a good handicapper. Aside from that, it depends on the race. I’m big on pedigree and like to look at it to get a better idea of how a horse fits the conditions. Continued on page 13