American Horse Racing Industry Faces Labor Enforcement Push

As immigration enforcement efforts ramp up, the American horse racing industry is under increasing strain, and there are questions about how it will impact a labor force that is core to day-to-day operations. With federal agencies expected to ramp up checks at their worksite, trainers and stable owners around the country are raising concerns about the potential fallout for a sport where immigrant labor is essential.

While the public often associates American horse racing with refined fashion, high stakes, and expensive cocktails, those scenes only represent one side of the industry. Behind the scenes, the picture is starkly different. Every day begins well before dawn, when stable workers, most of them immigrants, report to racetracks and training facilities to feed, clean, and prepare thoroughbreds for competition.

“If we couldn’t have an immigrant workforce on the backside, I don’t know how American horse racing exists,” said Dale Romans, a veteran trainer in Kentucky. “We can’t send them home and ask them to come back. There’s nobody to do the work when they’re gone.”

The American Horse Racing Council reported that in 2023, the horse racing industry contributed approximately $36 billion to the U.S. economy and supported nearly half a million jobs. Many of these positions are in racetrack backstretch areas and private farms, places where the work is hands-on, consistent, and physically demanding.

Trainers and stable managers say the jobs are difficult to fill with domestic workers, even when they offer competitive wages and full-time hours. The job involves managing animals in a tense circumstance, often starting in the middle of the night, and including weekends and holidays.

Temporary visa programs are intended to attract seasonal workers; yet many in the industry consider them inefficient and restrictive. To name some, application processing times can take months, and there is a cap on the number of H-2B visas that can be granted annually, which does not always correspond to the timing or scope of the industry’s need for labor in any given year.

“It’s not that we haven’t tried to use legal programs,” said an American horse racing operations manager. “We file the paperwork, we go through the process, but it’s slow, expensive, and unpredictable. We end up short-staffed at the worst possible times.”

The looming threat of immigration enforcement has led some employers to begin planning for potential workforce shortages. Some American horse racing are reaching out to equine training programs and community colleges to find students willing to step into roles traditionally filled by immigrant workers. Others are cross-training existing staff or looking at automation options, though few believe machines can match the attention and knowledge skilled groomers bring to their work.

Industry leaders say any significant disruption to the labor force could affect not only day-to-day horse care but also racing schedules, breeding operations, and revenue. Thoroughbred horses often represent millions in investment between training, veterinary care, and transportation. When stable operations are under strain, owners can face delays and financial setbacks that affect entire racing circuits.

In response to these concerns, trade organizations are urging lawmakers to consider adjustments to current visa in immigration policies and to create more flexible pathways for existing workers to remain in the U.S. legally.

“This workforce didn’t just show up last week,” said a breeding farm owner. “They’ve been here for years, some even decades, and they know these horses better than anyone. We’re not asking for special treatment, we’re asking for practical solutions.”

As immigration policies continue to be discussed and immigration enforcement increases, those involved in the day-to-day work of racing are bracing for uncertainty. They say the industry’s future depends on the people behind the scenes, people whose jobs and residency status are increasingly at risk.

While the horses continue their training and the American horse racing carries on, the workforce that powers it all may soon face changes that could alter the structure of the sport.