A native of the United Kingdom, Millie Ball is an integral member of XBTV’s on-air team. She is currently simulcast host at XBTV and was on air/ presenter at the recent 45thAnnual Eclipse Awards. Ball worked as a host at HRTV from 2003 until 2015. In 2012, Ball worked for the NBC Sports Network in covering the Spiral Stakes from Turfway Park, and the West Virginia Derby from Mountaineer Park for Fox Sports Net. In 2007-08, she was on-site for the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs for CBS's coverage of the event. Ball has always been heavily involved in equestrian sports, riding competitively through Pony Club, and was on the junior National 3-Day Event team, then switched gears and began steeplechasing.
Ball owns the distinction of being the only woman to win the Marlborough Cup Timber race. She worked for trainers Ian Balding (England) and John Hammond (France), who both were instrumental in transitioning her into flat racing. Her love of Thoroughbred racing began at that point, and she proceeded to race on the "flat" in England and France. In 1995, Ball arrived in California and began galloping horses for trainer Ian Jory, and over the next decade worked for three Hall Of Fame trainers: Bobby Frankel, Bob Baffert and Richard Mandella. Galloping horses for some of the sport's premier conditioners took Ball across the country to many of racing's greatest venues, including Saratoga, Fair Grounds, Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Belmont Park, Arlington Park, Gulfstream Park, and even to Hong Kong. She reprised that role this past summer, galloping and working horses for her husband, noted trainer Tim Yakteen.
Aside for her extensive racing experience, Ball has also worked as a stunt woman (occasionally involving horses) for 10 years in national commercials, and prominent shows like CSI NY, CSI Miami, Mad Men, and Crank. In 2013, she worked with famed actress Bo Derek as a stunt double on an episode of CSI Miami entitled "The Last Straw." She also had a small role in a movie about a losing Thoroughbred trainer called "And They're Off," which was released in October, 2012. They have two boys, Sam and Ben, and reside in Monrovia, CA.
