John Wayne, longtime racing regulator, dies

John Wayne, the longtime executive director of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission, died Wednesday while visiting New Mexico, according to associates.

Wayne, who had been the head of Delaware’s Thoroughbred regulatory agency since 1999, was well respected by his peers and was known for his thorough knowledge of investigatory practices and racing regulations. A former investigator for the Thoroughbred Racing and Protective Bureau, Wayne annually hosted a meeting of racing stewards and was a stalwart defender of the sport’s rules.

“We lost a really good one,” said Alan Foreman, the Maryland-based chief executive officer of the National Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association who spearheads a project to unite racing states on the Eastern Seaboard, including Delaware. “As one who’s worked with John for 30 years, this is a tremendous loss to the racing industry. John was your boots-on-the-ground guy as far as understanding what it took to conduct an investigation and what is needed to protect the integrity of the sport.”

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According to associates, Wayne was partaking in a tour of a national park in New Mexico when he suddenly collapsed and died. Wayne, who was in his mid-60s, had been receiving treatment for cancer for several years, but had always maintained a solid resolve in the face of the disease.

Wayne was on the tour following the close of a conference for racing investigators. Wayne organized and administered the conference as the chair of the Organization of Racing Investigators.

Wayne started his career in racing at the TRPB, and he was assigned at times to Santa Anita, Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Turfway, and Assiniboia Downs. In 1990, he became general manager at Atlantic City Race Course, a position he held for eight years before moving to the Delaware commission.

Wayne had been a board member of the Association of Racing Commissioners International since 1999 and was an active member of several of the committees at the organization over the past 20 years.

In the “about” section on his LinkedIn page, Wayne wrote: “Stand for integrity, maintain ethical standards, accountability, treat others with compassion and understanding, [and] help those in need or in need of guidance.”

“He was a giant,” said Ed Martin, the president of the RCI. “You wouldn’t find a nicer, more dedicated, or fair, or thorough guy. He was committed to the sport and keeping it fair. It’s just a tremendous loss to us all.”