Tony Martinez has been named the new track superintendent at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Martinez is set to replace current track superintendent Roy Smith, who has announced his retirement at the end of the 2022 season at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Martinez has been involved in track maintenance for more than 30 years and brings more than 15 years of experience as a track superintendent. The third generation track man has expertise in all surfaces and is especially know for his work in fine grading, track moisture evaluations, extensive harrowing, and soil composition. Over the years, he has been involved with the construction of more than 25 training and arena facilities. Martinez has served as superintendent at seven racetracks over his career with his most recent post at Gulfstream Park in South Florida.
“We are extremely pleased to bring in Tony as our next track superintendent,” said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing. “Roy (Smith) has developed a great track maintenance program at our facility. We look forward to welcoming Tony in to continue the hard work already implemented. We have a great foundation for both our dirt and turf courses and are confident in Tony's skills to take the lead in this department.”
Horseshoe Indianapolis underwent a total track renovation during the 2018 racing season with an investment that topped $800,000. Prior to that, a new $3.3 million track maintenance building was constructed with upgrades in equipment added for both surfaces.
“I'm very excited to join the team at Horseshoe Indianapolis,” said Martinez. “Their facility is state of the art and being able to walk into a program like this is a great opportunity for me. I look forward to working with both the Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse programs in Indiana.”
Martinez will begin his duties alongside Smith this fall. Smith will remain on property in a consulting position until his retirement at the end of the year.
“Having a top-notch track man like Roy (Smith) is hard to replace,” added Joe Morris, Senior Vice President of Racing for Caesars Entertainment. “Being able to secure a talent like Tony (Martinez) is another way we can continue our upward momentum in the Indiana horse racing industry. It shows our continued commitment to both the Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse programs. We strive to provide the best possible racing surfaces and will continue that goal under the guidance of someone who is a third generation track man and who is invested in our vision in taking our program to the next level.”
The 20th season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Wednesday, Nov. 23. Live racing is conducted at 2:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday with Thursday post times set for 2:10 p.m. A total of 12 Saturdays will feature live racing in 2022 highlighted by the 28th running of the Grade 3 $300,000 Indiana Derby and the 27th running of the Grade 3 $200,000 Indiana Oaks set for Saturday, July 9. For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.
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