America’s Best Racing (ABR), a multimedia fan development and awareness platform initiated and funded by The Jockey Club is proud to announce it has been recognized with two 2025 Stevie® Awards presented by the 2025 American Business Awards®. ABR has also been named a finalist in the 2025 Shorty Awards “Sports” category. All of the awards are for ABR’s groundbreaking campaign, A Stake in Stardom, which this week will be represented in the 2025 Kentucky Derby by social media influencer and entrepreneur Griffin Johnson.
A Stake in Stardom was launched by ABR in 2022 to modernize the perception of Thoroughbred racing by marketing the sport to a new generation of fans. Rather than engaging influencers for one-off appearances, ABR empowered them to become actual owners — placing them at the heart of the sport and allowing them to authentically share its thrills and challenges with their audiences. Participants in the program have included media powerhouses such as NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, comedian and actress Heather McMahan, and Indy Car driver Alexander Rossi.
In the first four months of this year alone, the program has generated more than 5 million video views. Much of that has been driven by Johnson, who was paired with the horse Sandman via partnership with West Point Thoroughbreds. Sandman is expected to be one of the favorites in this Saturday’s 151st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
“We are incredibly honored to receive two more awards for A Stake in Stardom and to be a finalist for another,” said Dan Tordjman, vice president of TJC Media Ventures / America’s Best Racing. “Through long-term storytelling and deeper emotional investment, A Stake in Stardom is not only reshaping how racing is marketed — it is redefining who gets to be a part of it. We want to thank our marketing agency Branch & Bramble for launching this program with us, along with our partners at West Point Thoroughbreds.”
A Closer Look: ABR Recognized with Top Honors in Global Marketing Awards
At the 2025 Stevie Awards presented by the 2025 American Business Awards, ABR won Gold in both of its nominated categories:
Marketing Campaign of the Year – Entertainment & Sports
Influencer Marketing Campaign of the Year
This marks the second time in three years that ABR has won at the Stevies, affirming the creativity, impact, and innovation behind its initiatives.
Additionally, ABR has been named a finalist in the 2025 Shorty Awards, one of the most competitive and prestigious honors in marketing, sharing the stage with Hulu, Verizon, and Nickelodeon. Winners will be announced in May, but right now fans can help ABR bring home the Audience Honors by voting once a day through April 30.
The Road to the Kentucky Derby
Sandman will become the second horse in the short history of A Stake in Stardom to run in the first leg of the American Triple Crown. In 2023, Jace’s Road made the starting gate of the Kentucky Derby and, in partnership with West Point Thoroughbreds, was partially owned by a sports-media influencer trio that featured Rapoport, Lindsay Czarniak, and Joy Taylor.
In Johnson, a mega-creator with more than 17 million followers across his platforms, horse racing has gained a powerful ambassador with the ability to attract new and younger fans. As part-owner of Sandman, Johnson has taken his followers on a journey with the colt that began well before his first race in 2024.
“I was a casual fan before my introduction to America’s Best Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds, but immediately knew partnering was the right decision once the opportunity was presented,” said Johnson. “I love to compete at a high level, and I found that horse racing was a perfect match for my adrenaline needs.”
