BY HISA PRESS OFFICE

LEXINGTON, KY— The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has established a Racing Office Advisory Group comprised of senior racing officials from racetracks across the country.

The Racing Office Advisory Group will provide feedback to HISA’s executive team and Standing Committees on rules, processes and operational practices affecting Thoroughbred racing officials nationwide. The group will serve as a forum for dialogue between racing offices and HISA, ensuring that the perspectives of those responsible for daily racing operations are represented as HISA continues to strengthen safety and integrity standards.

“Racing offices are integral to the successful implementation of HISA safety and integrity rules,” HISA Director of Racetrack Safety Ann McGovern said. “By establishing this group, we are making a direct channel available for racing office professionals to share their expertise. We are very fortunate to have some of the industry’s most experienced professionals collaborating with us.”

The Racing Office Advisory Group will meet monthly and maintain an on-call advisory role to provide feedback on HISA rules and any racing office related issues.

Inaugural members of the Racing Office Advisory Group are:

• Amber Carlisle is the senior manager of racing operations at Canterbury Park, where she also serves as assistant racing secretary. Starting in the industry as a hot walker more than 20 years ago through the Kids to the Cup Program, Carlisle has worked at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and Colonial Downs. She is an accredited racing official through the Racing Officials Accreditation Program and is recognized for her dedication to efficient and fair race day operations.
• Keith Doleshel, the senior director of racing for the New York Racing Association, has held several key racing official positions including racing secretary and assistant racing secretary. A graduate of the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program, Doleshel’s career includes early internships at Santa Anita Park and NYRA, sparking a lifelong commitment to racing operations. He currently serves on the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel and the North American Rating Committee.
• Jason Egan is the director of racing and racing secretary at Santa Anita Park. A graduate of the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program, Egan began his career working in the stable area before becoming a trainer and later transitioning to racing office leadership. He has played a key role in stakes planning and racing operations, bringing hands-on horsemanship and administrative expertise to the group.
• Georganne Hale is a trailblazer for women in racing. Currently the senior vice president of racing at the Maryland Jockey Club, Hale has over four decades of experience shaping the future of horse racing in Maryland and beyond. She became the first female racing secretary at a major North American racetrack and played a pivotal role in growing iconic events such as the Preakness Stakes and Maryland Million. Hale also launched successful aftercare initiatives and philanthropic programs, mentoring women in the industry and advocating for retired Thoroughbred care.
• Rick Hammerle has spent more than 35 years as a senior racing official and executive at racetracks across the United States. He directed racing operations at Santa Anita Park for 16 years, including hosting a record seven Breeders’ Cup events, and currently serves as director of racing at Kentucky Downs while consulting for 1/ST Racing. Hammerle is a long-standing member of the North American Graded Stakes Committee.
• Eric Johnston, director of racing at Penn National Race Course, has more than four decades of experience in racing operations, having served as vice president of racing operations at Sam Houston Race Park, racing secretary at both Sam Houston and Fort Erie and a racing official with the Maryland Jockey Club. He began his career at Penn National in 1983 and played a key role in launching Sam Houston in 1994. Johnston also served as a consultant for a Quarter Horse pilot project at Fort Erie and returned there as racing secretary from 2011 to 2013. He rejoined Penn National as director of racing in 2014, where he continues to serve today.
• Mike Lakow, vice president of racing operations at Gulfstream Park, has more than four decades of leadership and racing office experience, having served as racing secretary for NYRA, racing director at Santa Anita Park and general manager at Hill ’n’ Dale Farms. He also has been a steward in Florida and Dubai, CEO of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and a jockey agent for Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano. Lakow currently sits on the Breeders’ Cup Selection Committee and North American Rating Committee.
• John Lies, who has more than 25 years of industry experience, has served as a racing secretary, announcer and simulcast host. He oversees racing operations as racing secretary at Will Rogers Downs and Fair Meadows in Tulsa while also calling races and setting morning line odds for multiple tracks. Lies began his career working for prominent trainers before becoming an active race caller across Southern California.
• Tyler Picklesimer is the director of racing and racing secretary at Turfway Park and Kentucky Downs. He has served as a Steward at Churchill Downs, Keeneland and Ellis Park and has officiated Thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious events including the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Picklesimer holds a Bachelor of Arts from Northern Kentucky University and is an accredited steward.
• Jillian Tullock has dedicated 35 years to racing and has worked in nearly every role in the racing office, from patrol judge and horse identifier to her current role as racing secretary for the Maryland Jockey Club. She is an accredited steward and has officiated at both Laurel Park and Pimlico, bringing deep knowledge of race officiating and operations. A Saratoga Springs native, Tullock was a nationally accomplished junior rider and holds a degree in Sports Management from Ithaca College.

A full list of HISA’s Committees and Advisory Groups can be found here. For more information about HISA and its efforts to enhance safety and integrity in Thoroughbred racing, please visit www.hisaus.org.

Return to the August 6 issue of Wire to Wire