Nick Nicholson, the president of Keeneland, will take over as chairman of Equibase at the end of the year, succeeding Alan Marzelli, the chairman of the company since 1997. Nicholson has served on the management committee of Equibase since 1990, the year it was launched. Equibase, which is owned by a partnership of the Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, collects racing data at racetracks and is the data supplier for Daily Racing Form. Marzelli announced in 2009 that he would step down from the position of president and chief operating officer of the Jockey Club by the end of that year. At that time, he also announced that he would step down as chairman of Equibase by the end of 2010. “I can’t think of a more suitable candidate than Nick to serve as Equibase’s next chairman,” said Marzelli, in a release. “He has been an important part of Equibase from day one, and he has always operated with the best interests of the industry in mind.”