Mary Eddy's career path was determined by geography. Growing up in the small town of Wilton, just outside of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Eddy was an animal lover of all sorts.
At 13, she began searching for opportunities to volunteer in a setting that centered around animals. Because of her age, she was turned down at the local animal shelter, but did find a warm welcome at Old Friends at Cabin Creek, a popular Thoroughbred retirement farm in Greenfield Centre, which is a hamlet about 10 miles west of Saratoga Race Course.
"Horses are one of a million animals that I love," Eddy said. "I always say that I would have started at Old Friends even if it had been a retirement home for frogs."
Now 27, Eddy is still advocating for retired Thoroughbreds through her writing as a member of the New York Racing Association's communications department, where she also covers all aspects of racing.
And this year, she can proudly add author to her CV after joining an esteemed group of racing writers that contributed to "The Racetracks of America: From the Pre-Civil War Days to the 21st Century," a 440-page coffee table book published by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Eddy's answers are edited for clarity and space:
BloodHorse: Tell me about your experience at Old Friends?
Mary Eddy: There I was leading tours my first day, which was terrifying as a 13-year-old. I was talking to the public about horses that I had just met. I had a vague idea of horse racing, but I didn't know all the terminology and I didn't know the types of races--I didn't know any of that stuff. I would be asked a question about something, and I would say, 'Well, I don't really know. Let me look that up.' I would go home, and I would research our retirees. I would pour over everything I could find on Equibase, and then I would discover new websites. I just read everything I could. It grew from there. Made me want to absorb everything.
I did everything at Old Friends that they would let me do. I held horses for the farrier. I would muck the paddocks. I helped with backend office stuff--the newsletter and website. Working in the gift shop, you name it, anything that I could do to help.
BH: What was your first introduction to writing about horse racing?
ME: My friend Connie Bush, who I met at Old Friends, was a photographer for The Saratoga Special. She told me they had an editorial internship and that I should apply for it. I applied in January or February 2020, and sat down with (managing editor) Tom Law. Then the pandemic happened. I didn't forget about it, but I just assumed, OK, this internship is not happening, the world has stopped. But a week before the races started, I got an email asking if I wanted to help out the publication remotely. I wrote three feature pieces for them that summer—the first time I ever did anything like that. I couldn't even sleep the night before I had to do my interviews.
I was asked the next year if I wanted to have the full experience (at The Saratoga Special) and do the actual internship. And I did, and it was like a crash course. It was years of education on the spot in two months. It was just crazy. I just loved it. I was out there every day, running around, hustling, grabbing quotes, and writing these notes and features. At the end of that summer, the position I currently have at NYRA was open, and I applied, and here I am.
BH: What was the experience like being a first-time contributing author for "The Racetracks of America: From the Pre-Civil War Days to the 21st Century?"
ME: It was fun, it was challenging, it was rewarding. I'm a tiny part of a large dedicated group of people to put this together. I feel very honored to see my name amongst that list of writers. They are a Who's Who (of racing writers).
BH: What racetracks did you write about and what was your research process like?
ME: Ellis Park and Laurel Park. I really love old media. I love old newspapers, because they give you a sense of the culture of the area. You can have a national publication that tells you about how much a track handles (in wagering), what races they run, and the horses who won those races. But when you look at those local newspapers and local reports, you get a sense of what the environment is like, and how it relates to the towns around it.
BH: With the closing of Aqueduct Racetrack on the horizon, are you feeling nostalgic?
ME: My first day with NYRA was Cigar Mile day (at Aqueduct) in 2021. Aqueduct has just been a tremendous place for someone like me (to learn). Aqueduct is the quieter season with one stakes race a week, compared to stakes every day at Saratoga. For someone who was new to the (communications) department and to this type of a job, having Aqueduct as that starting point helped me ease into it and to learn the ropes. I don't know if I would have been as successful getting started in this job if it wasn't for Aqueduct. It will always have a very special place in my heart.
BH: Are you in your dream job?
ME: Yes, because I don't feel like I'm working most of the time. And I think that's the dream for everybody. This was not my expected career. I did not ever expect myself to be in a writing capacity professionally. I'm not necessarily directly involved with animals, but I'm around them all the time, and I'm very (fortunate) to be able to visit stables and see horses up close and just observe and learn—have a front row seat to the greatest racing in the country. You can't even buy an opportunity like this.
Being able to promote aftercare through my writing at NYRA and keeping it in the conversation is important. I appreciate what NYRA does for aftercare, as well as the New York horsemen and their contributions to aftercare. It feels good when you work for a company that aligns with your values.
