BY TAMPA BAY DOWNS PRESS OFFICE
OLDSMAR, FL. – Joelyn Rigione and Brook Hawkins have been hired as association stewards at Tampa Bay Downs, joining state steward Reese Howard in the judges’ booth.
Rigione worked last season as a racing official and alternate steward and has been at Tampa Bay Downs since 2009. She is a state steward at Delaware Park during the summer.
Hawkins has been a steward for 23 years, previously working in Louisiana at Evangeline Downs and Fair Grounds, where he also worked as a stakes coordinator. He was an association steward for the New York Racing Association from 2019-24.
Hawkins has also been a steward at the Far Hills steeplechase races in New Jersey, where Howard is the director of racing. He was a steeplechase jockey from 1966-1976 and trained horses before becoming a racing official.
Howard is beginning his second season at Tampa Bay Downs, which is set to celebrate Opening Day of the 2024-25 meet on Wednesday.
“Part of our job is to create a culture where the horse comes first,” said Howard said. “When the horses come first and stay sound, the riders will [be safer], the trainers will make more money, potential owners will decide they want to get in the game and, most importantly, fans will become more interested in coming to the racetrack and betting on the races.”
Other “new faces in high places” at Tampa Bay Downs are Teena Appleby and Allan Rupert.
Appleby is the new director of safety/safety steward, replacing Patrick Bovenzi in that position. Bovenzi remains as the horse identifier.
Appleby, who worked previously for the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau in Fair Hill, Md., as manager of technician operations and investigations, will monitor all backside activities relating to the equine population and file reports with the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit, which is the independent enforcement agency of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program.
Rupert is the track’s new director of food and beverage, replacing Patrick Murphy, who remains as the director of poker. Rupert previously worked 12 years as executive chef and director of food and beverage at Penn National Race Course and Mahoning Valley Race Course. His innovations for the upcoming meet include the “Grab & Go” enclosure on the first floor of the Grandstand, a mini-mart of sorts featuring a full selection of Anheuser-Busch beers, Pepsi products, Gatorade, Starbucks drinks, Celsius Energy Drinks, snacks and ice cream novelties.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Swarzman, the assistant to Vice President of Marketing and Publicity Margo Flynn, has been named the track’s director of admissions, replacing Melissa Wirth, who retired after last season. Swarzman, who has been at the track for 14 years, also manages the Tampa Bay Downs Gift Shop.
Also, Richard Gamble has been named the track’s director of broadcasting, taking on additional duties since the track’s television production moved in-house after a long association with Sport View Technologies. Gamble has been at Tampa Bay Downs since the 2010-2011 meet.
Each of the track’s new and reassigned employees are committed to the ongoing success of Tampa Bay Downs, and in the case of the three stewards and Appleby, are horse lovers with long associations with the sport.
