Bowman named new Jockey Club steward at NYRA

Trish Bowman, who has served as a racing official at several tracks in recent years, has been named The Jockey Club steward for the New York Racing Association tracks effective Wednesday, The Jockey Club announced Tuesday in a press release.

Saratoga opens for live racing on Friday.

Bowman replaces Cody Watkins, who had served as The Jockey Club steward since early 2025 as part of an international exchange program. Watkins had to return to Europe in early June due to an inability to extend his visa to work in the U.S.

Bowman, 34, served as the associate state steward at the Indiana Horse Racing Commission from 2022-25. She has also worked as a racing official at Aqueduct and the Maryland Jockey Club, and as the safety steward at Oaklawn Park. She has been on the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit’s Internal Adjudication Panel since 2023.

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“Trish brings a strong combination of regulatory experience, industry knowledge, and sound judgment to this role,” Everett Dobson, chair of The Jockey Club, said in a press release. “Her background as a racing official across multiple racing jurisdictions and her work with the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit will be invaluable in maintaining the integrity and safety of racing in New York.”

Bowman received her accreditation as a racing official from the Racing Officials Accreditation Program in 2020, earning a Level 1 accreditation. She has a master’s certificate in Thoroughbred management from Godolphin Flying Start and a bachelor’s degree in media communications from Holy Family University.

Bowman will work alongside Victor Escobar, the New York Racing Association steward, and Braulio Baeza Jr., the New York State Gaming Commission steward.

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