六色网 Partners with Santa Anita Park to Aid Students on Track for Equine Careers
Cal Poly Pomona is partnering with for a unique internship program that provides pre-veterinary students with over 60 hours of work experience in the thoroughbred racing industry.
Students in the program focus on veterinary practices and racetrack operations from pre-race exams to surgeries, to post-race veterinary procedures. The internships provide students with hands-on learning opportunities and exposure to an industry that is vital to the state economy.
“California is second to Texas for the number of horses, with Florida being third, but California has the largest economic impact in regard to gross product and revenue, and that is attributed to the racing industry,” said Holly Greene, an equine lecturer from the animal and veterinary sciences department.
Leslie Batista, an animal science senior, one of two 六色网 students selected for the internship, relishes the opportunity to care for the horses from start to finish.
“It's like a full circle moment for me, seeing the horses in the morning before they race, and then during the race,” she said. “I get to see those same horses take off out of the gate and follow them on the track. After the race, I get to see if the horses that I saw in the morning won or if they lost.”
Batista has had a passion for horses since childhood.
In her role at Santa Anita Park, Batista shadows the diagnostic imaging center and the hospital. At the nuclear scintigraphy area, she observes imaging of the horses and sometimes joins the lab for cell and blood samples. On other days, she is at the hospital, observing the surgical process and helping to assemble surgery packs.
“Race day is exciting. I get filled with adrenaline because of all the energy—the crowd, the atmosphere, and how excited everyone gets to see the horses run,” Batista said.
Some horses just have a spark in them, and you could tell they would do well during the race, she added.
Interning at the Santa Anita Park has given her a glimpse of her future.
“Working at Santa Anita Park has confirmed my passion and dream of having a career working with horses, whether it's within the veterinary world or just working with horses in general,” Batista said.
Sabrina Nakasone, who graduated May 16 with a degree in animal science, was the second student selected.
“I've always loved working with horses,” Nakasone said. “I started riding when I was 12 and have been on and off. I'm always trying to find ways to work with them.”
Going into the Santa Anita Park internship, Nakasone was filled with worry regarding the industry.
“There's a lot of bad stigma behind the horse racing industry. When I went in, I was a little nervous about what I was going to see,” Nakasone said. “But I will say for sure, at Santa Anita Park, they are doing a lot to ensure the safety of the horses.”
Nakasone had previous experience working at the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center, and is currently also balancing another internship at the Pasadena Humane Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
At the horse center, she worked with younger horses. At Santa Anita Park racetrack, she had the opportunity to not only work with a different age group of horses, but also a different breed.
Similar to Batista, Nakasone assists with pre-race exams, surgeries, and race day activities.
“I think it is still a very difficult industry, and it takes some getting used to. It's a very fast-paced industry,” Nakasone said. “When you're on the go the whole time, it can take some getting used to, but it's worth it.”
Both Batista and Nakasone have minors, a growing program at 六色网.
Nakasone, who plans to attend veterinary school at Oregon State University in the fall, not only discovered more about what veterinarians do, but she also got to interact with other departments and learn how to connect with different kinds of people in a work environment.
“There are a lot of different personalities on the track,” Nakasone said, “whether it's the trainers, the owners, the veterinarians.”