Steve Lym takes racing secretary position at Santa Anita

ARCADIA, Calif. – Steve Lym, the longtime racing secretary and director of racing at Canada's Woodbine, will move to the United States and take over as the vice president and racing secretary at Santa Anita, the California track announced Saturday afternoon in a press release.

Lym replaces Rick Hammerle, a favorite of the local horsemen, who was relieved of his duties earlier this month.

Lym will be joining a Santa Anita management team that desires to replicate what the Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita, has done at Gulfstream Park: seek bigger fields, often with low-level claiming races; more races per day; and more race dates. The turf course is expected to be utilized more, with, for instance, races for mid-level claiming horses added to the previous recipe of stakes, allowances, and high-priced claimers.

Lym’s hiring was well known within the sport. Santa Anita held off making an official announcement until his paperwork was resolved, as Lym is a Canadian citizen who had to have a work visa okayed. He is scheduled to be on site soon after the new year.

In advance of Lym’s arrival, the first three cards for the upcoming meet, which opens Wednesday, were overseen by Dan Eidson, the track’s racing secretary, and P.J. Campo, the vice president of racing for the Stronach Group.

“We’re excited that Steve will soon be joining forces with Dan and P.J., and together, we are going to be presenting our fans and horsemen with fair and consistent racing, across the board,” Tim Ritvo, the chief operating officer of the Stronach Group, said in a press release.

“Steve and our entire team know that we have to embrace change and produce the best possible product for our customers to wager on.”