Meet Laurel Guest Handicapper Gabby Gaudet
When your last name is immediately associated with Maryland racing, it’s only natural to feel the pressure to be involved in the family business. ”My Mom and Dad have definitely been extremely influential in my life, not only in horse racing but growing up in general. When I was younger, my Mom home schooled me and my sister throughout middle school, in between the hectic demands of (horse) training. I decided to go back to (a traditional) school for 8th grade, got my exercise riders license when I was 16 to help my parents out during the weekends and summer vacation, and I continued to do that as a part-time job throughout college”, explained Gabby.
Riding horses wasn’t her only athletic talent. Gabby was quite the soccer player and received offers from multiple D-1 schools, but home was where her heart was, which opened doors to combine her college major with her love for horses. “I would say that last winter was really the turning point for me when I decided to get really involved, especially in the media side of horse racing. I began interning forMaryland Horse Radio on Tuesday nights, contributing to Maryland Horsenewsletters and participated in a lot of events throughout Preakness season”, recalled Gaudet as she reached into her memory bank of accomplishments.
Stepping out of the shadows of being Lacey’s “little sister” as well as her comfort zone (Maryland), Gabby was able to establish her own identity in New York. “This past summer I got the opportunity of a lifetime to move to Saratoga for the meet and write for The Saratoga Special newspaper. There, I made some really great racing contacts and got to experience racing from a new perspective. I had to interview trainers, owners and jockeys daily and then write articles on them (e.g. pre-stakes/post-stakes interviews, race recaps, and human interest stories). I loved every minute of it”, then added with a snicker, “When my sister (Lacey) came up to visit, people were referring to her as, Gabby’s big sister”.