Maggie Wolfendale-Morley and Gabby Gaudet: Expert Analysts for Saratoga Live

Millions of people will hear the voices of two women, Maggie Wolfendale-Morley and Gabby Gaudet, on NYRA Television during the 2017 Saratoga Race Course Meet. Suffice it to say, both women probably were lulled to sleep even before they were born by horses’ gentle neighing and rumble of galloping, as each was raised in a true horse-loving family.

Maggie has a passion for her job as paddock analyst for NYRA TV, and she’s now in her seventh year. It’s no wonder that she is revered as one of the top analysts in thoroughbred racing, as she goes about her days offering expert advice to handicappers of the renowned races on the New York circuit, notably Saratoga Race Course. This is because she is a proud third-generation horsewoman. Her paternal grandfather owned and trained racehorses at Waterford Park near Newell, West Virginia, and her maternal grandfather also served in many areas of the horse world, including as a rider of show horses.

Her dad, Howard Wolfendale, is a multiple-stakes-winning trainer in Maryland, and her mom, Tammy, grew up galloping horses. Maggie grew up in Columbia, Maryland, near Laurel Race Track, working for her dad, and as an only child, she was immersed head to toe. She earned her degree in mass communication and broadcasting from Towson University in Maryland.

She married the love of her life, horse trainer Tom Morley, in 2015, and the two have an eight-month-old daughter, Grace. Tom is now a multiple-stakes-winning trainer. “Grace comes to work with me at my husband’s barn, and she already loves horses,” Maggie noted. “Tom and I met at Saratoga in 2011 when I was doing my current job and he was assistant trainer to Eddie Kenneally. I did take some time off when I was pregnant, but now I am retraining my off-the-track thoroughbred, Yeager. I also galloped horses in New Orleans, where Tom keeps his horses in the winter. I like that we get to work together during the day and are together in the evenings. I love Saratoga because I can have my husband, baby, dog and horses with me!”

Maggie is assistant to him in the mornings before she changes into her role as NYRA TV analyst for the public. Her days are long but the challenge is something she relishes. She is inspired daily by her family and love and passion for horses. “My favorite part of my job comes from the fact that I love horses! And for me to be able to make a living around them is a dream come true,” she smiled. “I find it rewarding to be able to look at a horse and determine if they are ready to run a winning race. Also connecting with the horsemen, horse players and fans on a personal level makes my job one of the best jobs. At NYRA, we have a great team assembled for our live shows, and I enjoy working with Gabby. This is a male-dominated sport and working with other women is awesome.”

Gabby Gaudet also has horse racing firmly implanted in her being, which makes her an expert racing analyst for NYRA TV. This is her second summer in this role, and as the daughter of thoroughbred trainers, she knows her stuff.

“My parents, Eddie and Linda Gaudet, trained horses, and my sister, Lacey Gaudet, is a trainer. My aunts were jockeys; they’ve since retired. My uncle was a farrier and my cousin is currently a farrier, so I can relate to a lot of the horse people,” Gabby smiled. “I began as a racing analyst and paddock reporter for the Maryland Jockey Club in spring 2013.”

In addition to working at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, she has since covered racing nationally at Arlington Park, the Breeders’ Cup and Gulfstream Park. She joined NYRA for the first time for the 2016 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course.

Gabby also earned her degree from Towson University, in mass communication and graphic design. “I went to school there and in the morning, and as a part time job to earn some money, I would gallop. I worked for several different barns with Timothy Keefe Racing Stables, then went to class in the afternoon,” she explained. “My junior year I was commuting, and that is when Frank Carulli took me under his wing. He had been the handicapper at Maryland Jockey Club and reached out to me to let me know he’d be retiring soon and see if I was interested in the job. He mentored me and helped me along.”

During her senior year, she tried out for the position and was victorious. She notes that this was a very interesting time in her life. At that time, there was no racing at Maryland in the summer, so she went to work in Chicago at the Arlington Race Course during the summer of 2014, then worked during the winter at Hallandale Beach in South Florida in 2015.

“Maryland is my home track and where my roots are, so in the spring I always worked the Preakness,” she mused. “I’ve been pretty fortunate to travel with my work by way of South Florida, Chicago, Maryland, Upstate New York and the West coast in California.”

What inspires her daily? Gabby noted, “Horses do so much for us, and this industry has done so much for me. It really is in my blood. That motivates me to be the best I possibly can be and make everybody proud. I love the sport and I want to showcase it well to different demographics. I have had people come up to me of all ages, from a 70-year-old gentleman to girls in their teens. You get characters from all over the world, and to me, this industry is one big family. I love hearing and telling their stories.”

When asked advice she would give other women wishing to follow their dreams, Maggie responded, “Have confidence and believe in yourself! Then you will accomplish your dreams and goals.”

Gabby responded in somewhat the same manner. “I would say work hard; ask questions even though you may be intimidated when you’re first stepping onto a career and life path. Have confidence in yourself! Boost yourself up, ask questions, network, build a support system around you. My advice to any young female moving forward is to pay attention to your surroundings. If you do that, it gives you a little bit of an advantage.” ■

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NYRA launched the critically acclaimed racing television broadcast Saratoga Live in 2016. It originated right from the track and reached more than 65 million households each and every day on MSG Plus, Fox Sports 2 and Altitude Sports.

Saratoga Live was highly touted by television and media critics throughout the industry. NYRA’s carriage agreement with Fox Sports 2 represented the most extensive horse racing television deal in history and resulted in more programming hours of horse racing than all other television networks in the United States combined.

In 2017, NYRA will expand its partnership with Fox Sports, and Saratoga Live will be broadcast on additional Fox Regional Sports networks in the Los Angeles, San Diego, Ohio and Kentucky areas. They anticipate even greater coverage, including coverage in places such as Kentucky, which truly value all that is great about horseracing. Soon they will broadcast in 75 million homes.

Maggie and Gabby will head this ground-breaking broadcast in 2017, and they will provide key analysis to horseplayers and fans every day of the meet on Fox Sports 2, the aforementioned Fox Sports affiliates, as well as MSG Plus and Altitude Sports. Fans can tune in from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 pm to hear their reports.