Chaney named executive director of California Horse Racing Board

Scott Chaney, an attorney with an extensive background in racing as an assistant trainer and steward at Southern California tracks, has been named the executive director of the California Horse Racing Board, the regulatory body announced in a statement on Thursday afternoon.

Chaney replaces Rick Baedeker, who last fall announced his intention to leave the position after a successor was found. The racing board said Baedeker retired on March 31.

Chaney took command of the day-to-day activities of the racing board on Thursday and will serve his first monthly meeting on Wednesday.

He joins the racing board during a tumultuous time for California racing, which faces ongoing pressure to improve equine safety in training and racing following a series of fatal breakdowns at Santa Anita in the first half of 2019 and the current disruption of Thoroughbred racing at Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The tracks are hoping to resume racing in coming weeks, pending approval of local government officials.

Chaney, a former assistant trainer to Darrell Vienna in the late 1990s and early 2000s, has worked as a steward at Southern California tracks since 2005 and was based at the Los Alamitos evening meeting for Quarter Horses and lower-level Thoroughbreds most recently. In addition to overseeing racing on a regular basis, Chaney served the board as a hearing officer for cases involving rule violations and reviewed legal matters.

Last year, Chaney was one of several stewards and racing officials who served on a panel that reviewed the medical, training, and race records of horses entered to race. The panel was created last June after California Gov. Gavin Newsom called for greater regulatory oversight for racing in an effort to avoid equine injuries.

In a statement released by the racing board, Chaney said his focus as executive director will be similar to that of a steward “to create a safe and fair environment for horses and licensees, as well as to protect the wagering public.

“As executive director, my duties become more expansive, but my basic role remains the same,” Chaney said in the statement. “Integrity, safety, and animal welfare are our principal concerns, especially in these challenging times.”

Chaney lives in the Los Angeles area, but is expected to relocate to Sacramento where the racing board has offices.

Baedeker joined the racing board as executive director in January 2014. He replaced Kirk Breed, who died in 2013 following an illness.

Baedeker was president of Hollywood Park from 1999 to 2005 and had a background in marketing at that venue as well as with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. Baedeker’s father, the late handicapper Bud Baedeker, had a family public handicapping business based in Southern California.

Before becoming president of Hollywood Park, Baedeker held leadership positions at The Woodlands racetrack in Kansas City, Kan., and with TVG during its early development.

After leaving Hollywood, Baedeker worked as a consultant for the Breeders’ Cup in California and helped develop simulcast venues at Southern California restaurant and bars.