New employees as Delaware Park prepares for launch of meet

Posted: April 13, 2019

There are several new employees in the regulatory and racing areas as Delaware Park prepares to begin its 2019 meet on May 4.

Tony Langford, a Level 1 steward and racing official with a national racing background having worked in Florida and Texas, will serve as Associate State Steward. The Safety Steward position was awarded to Eric Coatrieux, a former trainer and racing official in Maryland.

Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission Executive Director John Wayne said Langford’s resume displayed a broad spectrum of positions he has held, with his latest being a Level 1 steward for the Texas Racing Commission. DTRC Chairman Duncan Patterson said Langford would be a good fit to work alongside Chief State Steward Fritz Burkhardt and Cynthia Smith.

Of the hiring of Coatrieux, Patterson said: “He brings to the table a trainer’s perspective and should do well in this new role.

Meanwhile, Tom Creel, has been getting acclimated as Racing Secretary at Delaware Park. Creel, hired in January, was Assistant Racing Secretary at Parx Racing. He succeeds Jerome “Jed” Doro, who took the job as Director of Racing at Oaklawn Park after the close of the 2018 Delaware Park meet.

“He has a thorough knowledge of Mid-Atlantic racing and he will attract new horsemen to Delaware Park because of his many years of experience in the industry,” said John Mooney, Executive Director of Racing at Delaware Park. “The entire staff is excited and looking forward to supporting him in his new role.”

The Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association said there has been a spike in interest in the upcoming meet compared with last year, and that the number of horses on the grounds could be 40%-50% higher.

“I enjoyed my time at Parx, but this was a really good opportunity with new career challenges,” Creel said. “I am looking forward to working with the Delaware Park staff and horsemen to provide exciting and attractive racing for the fans at a racetrack with so much history and tradition.”

The meet, which will span 85 days through Oct. 5, will begin with racing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays through May, with Thursdays added in June.

(Delaware Park photo by Tom LaMarra)