Hastings: Racing official Pete Hodge dead at age 67

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Longtime Hastings employee Pete Hodge died at Langley Memorial Hospital Monday. Hodge had been fighting cancer for the past 18 months.

Hodge, 67, was the clerk of the scales and stall superintendent at Hastings. His first job at Hastings in 1981 was on the starting gate and he also did a stint as the custodian of the jockeys’ room.

Hodge’s first exposure to horses was at Willies Riding Farm in the suburbs of Montreal. He gravitated to Ontario where he worked on the starting gate at Woodbine and Fort Erie before moving to Vancouver.

"I can’t say enough about him," said jockey Frank Fuentes. "He was fair and went out of his way to help everybody. We knew he was suffering but he never complained and he never lost his sense of humor. All the riders at Hastings are going to miss him."

"He was really dedicated to his work," said Raj Mutti, general manager at Hastings. "He was the kind of guy that would show up early and leave late. It’s a big loss to the industry."

Hodge is survived by his wife Chrystal, mother Lillian, and brothers Robert, Gary, and Arnold.

No service will be held as per his request. A celebration of his life will be held in the near future.