Turfway Park gains new racing secretary

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Florence, KY (SportsNetwork.com) - Turfway Park, home of the Spiral Stakes, has promoted Tyler Picklesimer to the position of director of racing and racing secretary. The announcement came Thursday afternoon.

"Tyler has been our assistant racing secretary for 11 years and is thoroughly familiar with our racing program and the horsemen," said Turfway Park general manager Chip Bach. "He has a great relationship with the (Kentucky Horse Racing) Commission and with the HBPA (Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association). He has a talented staff to support him, and we're excited that we could offer him this opportunity and that he has accepted."

Picklesimer graduated from Northern Kentucky University in 1994 and was hired by Turfway Park that year as a placing judge. Other positions he has held at the track are alternate association steward, clocker and paddock judge.

He serves as an association steward at Ellis Park, a position he has also filled at Keeneland and The Red Mile. He also works as an alternate association steward, paddock judge, placing judge and stakes coordinator at Keeneland and Churchill Downs.

"I have been fortunate to work some of the premier race meets and signature events in racing," said Picklesimer. "I have been even luckier to work for excellent racing secretaries who were great teachers of both the sport and the business of horse racing. I am looking forward to building upon those experiences and working with our horsemen and management team to produce a successful meet."

Picklesimer, who replaces long-time secretary Rick Leigh, will oversee Turfway's holiday and winter/spring meets, which run December through March.