Randazzo out as The Jockey Club steward for NYRA

Samantha Randazzo, The Jockey Club steward at the New York Racing Association tracks since late 2022, is no longer serving in that capacity, according to The Jockey Club, effective immediately.

In a brief phone interview, Randazzo, who had previously worked as a steward at Finger Lakes Racetrack, declined to comment.

Juliet Kagno, who is NYRA’s safety steward, will fill the vacancy at the Aqueduct spring meet and for the Belmont at Aqueduct meet running from May 2 to July 7, The Jockey Club said, while the organization conducts an “international search for candidates.”

Dr. Ted Hill, who is a former steward for The Jockey Club at NYRA, will take over the position for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga from June 6-9 and for the Saratoga summer meet, scheduled for July 11-Sept. 2.

This is the second change in the NYRA stewards’ stand in the past three months. In February, NYRA fired its association steward, Brook Hawkins, and replaced him with Victor Escobar, who was previously the state steward for the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission.

Hawkins, who was hired in late 2019, told Daily Racing Form that he was not given a reason for his firing.

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