California fairs name secretary

The California Authority of Racing Fairs has named Tom Doutrich, the racing secretary at Bay Meadows, as the racing secretary for this summer's Northern California fair racing circuit. The appointment was made by Christopher Korby, executive director of the fairs racing authority

The 44-year-old Doutrich, who began his racing career as a rider, was the agent for jockeys Ron Warren and Francisco Duran before becoming the racing secretary at Bay Meadows and Golden Gate Fields in August of 2003. He served one year at Golden Gate Fields and has been at Bay Meadows for five years.

Doutrich will be the racing secretary at Pleasanton, Solano, Santa Rosa, Bay Meadows Fair, Cal Expo (in Sacramento), Stockton, and Fresno. The only fair where Doutrich will not serve is Ferndale, which overlaps with the Bay Meadows fair.

"We're thrilled to have for the first time a single racing secretary," said Korby. "This will bring consistency to the entire program."

Doutrich was part of a fair racing delegation, along with the Golden Gate Fields racing secretary, Sean Greely, that met last week with Turf Paradise trainers to recruit them to race in California this summer.

Doutrich has worked with Korby to develop a stakes program that will be modified in several ways, particularly with 2-year-olds, including making the Cavonnier at Santa Rosa a six-furlong race and shifting the Everett Nevin-Alameda County Futurity to a date further removed from the Pleasanton meet.

He is also working on a series of races for sprinters and routers where the top point-earners will receive special bonuses whether the points are earned sprinting or routing.