Santa Anita promotes Newby and Merz

Santa Anita announced earlier this week that longtime track executive Nate Newby has been named general manager and that Chris Merz has been promoted to racing secretary. The announcements come less than a month before the start of the track’s winter-spring meeting on Dec. 26.

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Newby has a background as director of marketing and, more recently, as assistant general manager. He was promoted following the departure of Aidan Butler to take the position of chief operating officer for the track’s parent company, The Stronach Group. Butler will be based in Florida.

Merz worked as stakes coordinator at Santa Anita before relocating for two years to work as racing secretary on the Maryland circuit at Laurel and Pimlico, tracks owned by The Stronach Group. Merz returned to Santa Anita earlier this year and worked as director of racing under Steve Lym, who was recently given a management position as senior vice-president of racing development with The Stronach Group.

Merz worked in the racing offices at Del Mar and Los Alamitos before moving to Maryland.