Tommy Trotter, Veteran Official, Named Director of Racing at Hollywood Park

Tommy Trotter, whose 41-year career as a racing official has included stops at many of the country’s top tracks, was named director of racing at Hollywood Park Wednesday.

Trotter, 59, is currently working as racing secretary at Gulfstream Park in Miami, where the season will end March 6. He will report in time for the opening of the Hollywood season April 23.

The job of director of racing has been vacant at Hollywood Park since Frank (Jimmy) Kilroe left in 1977. Kilroe is now a senior vice president at Santa Anita.

Bob Umphrey, who has been racing secretary at Hollywood, will continue to serve in that capacity, according to Marje Everett, the track’s chief executive officer. Umphrey has also worked under Trotter at Gulfstream and Arlington.

Trotter, a native of Louisville, is the fourth generation of a racing family. He worked under Kilroe in New York, where Trotter spent 30 years at Belmont Park, Aqueduct and Saratoga.

Other tracks where Trotter has worked include Hialeah in Miami, Washington Park and Balmoral in the Chicago area, Churchill Downs in Louisville, Garden State Park in New Jersey, Delaware Park in Wilmington, the Fair Grounds in New Orleans and Turf Paradise in Phoenix.