President and Chief Executive Officer of Breeders’ Cup Limited

Drew Fleming is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Breeders’ Cup Limited, which owns and operates the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s year-end international Championships. Under his leadership, the company has achieved unprecedented growth in revenue, global participation and content distribution, domestic and international wagering, and strategic partnerships.

Elected in 2019 as the youngest CEO in the history of the Breeders’ Cup and just months before the COVID-19 pandemic, Drew spearheads general day-to-day operations at the Breeders’ Cup, including long-term strategic planning and business growth, finance, sponsorships, marketing, and host track relations. He was instrumental in the creation of the Breeders’ Cup Global Pool that has attracted record common and separate pool wagering from 39 countries, in addition to record international fixed-odds wagering. Drew is also responsible for the significant international expansion of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In to five continents and 15 countries with recent new footholds in Asia and the Middle East and the signing of a landmark extension with NBC as the broadcast home of the World Championships as part of multi-platform media strategy that extends the World Championships’ global reach to 170 countries, leveraging linear television, digital platforms, and social media channels. Drew’s strong vision for the company’s product has led to a reimagining of the on-site patron experience at the World Championships, marked by world-class hospitality and exceptional entertainment to compete with best-in-class sporting and entertainment events.

Breeders’ Cup Limited also serves as an industry leader in a new era of safety and integrity, working closely with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (“HISA”) to integrate cutting-edge technologies, through new partners such as AWS and Palantir, as part of an unwavering commitment to all human and equine athletes participating in the World Championships.

Drew works extensively in strategic planning and business negotiations in order to better position both the Breeders’ Cup and the Thoroughbred industry for future success. He serves on the Board and Executive Council of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, the Board of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and as Chair of its Governance Committee, and was instrumental in the formation of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition. Drew also served on the White House COVID-19 Task Force Sports Committee and was named to the 2022 class of Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40.

Prior to joining Breeders’ Cup Limited, Drew practiced law with a national law firm focusing on corporate transactions. He has represented domestic and foreign clients in mergers and acquisitions and venture capital ranging in size from several million dollars to several billion dollars in a variety of industries including sports and entertainment, energy, manufacturing, and banking. He also represented both domestic and foreign equine clients, including horse farms, sales companies, racetracks, Thoroughbred owners, and trainers on a variety of legal issues including the purchase, sale, and syndication of Thoroughbreds, the acquisition of Thoroughbred farms, equine lending, and the corporate structuring of racing syndicates and private placements.

Drew holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Washington and Lee University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky. He resides in Lexington, Kentucky with his wife and son. Outside of the office, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing golf.