Stan Bowker had seen nearly each facet of Thoroughbred racing. From his beginning level in Omaha, Neb., at Ak-Sar-Ben, he ended his profession as a racing commissioner and a revered steward. Bowker died Sept. 10 in Clearwater, Fla., after an extended sickness. He was 81.
Bowker labored for 17 1/2 years at Ak-Sar-Ben, sporting quite a few hats balancing 5 departments earlier than turning into the director of racing. He was an integral a part of the improvement of Canterbury Downs (now Canterbury Park) from engaged on early design. In 1984 he grew to become vice chairman and basic supervisor of this new observe in a recent market, Minnesota.
Creating Stan Bowker and Associates in 1987, he established a consulting firm to help new tracks in new markets of their efforts to acquire a license and assemble and open a racing facility. The primary consumer was Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa. He labored with the architect and building supervisor and have become the observe’s first vice chairman and basic supervisor.
Bowker’s start-up experience noticed him work with Will Rogers Downs, a longtime Oklahoma observe that had been closed for a number of years. When the present administration crew purchased Canterbury after it had sat idle for practically 18 months, he was introduced again as president and basic supervisor to re-open the observe. Bowker was finally requested to arrange the operation of a brand new racetrack underneath building midway between Richmond and Williamsburg, Va.—Colonial Downs.
Transferring from the administration of racetracks to the regulation of racing, he began because the senior steward for the Virginia Racing Fee. Inside his first yr, its govt director retired and he was requested to change into each the govt director and senior steward. Throughout these years, he additionally served on a number of committees for the Affiliation of Racing Commissioners Worldwide. In 2006 he was awarded the Len Foote Award for excellent service as an govt director of a racing fee.
Bowker was additionally a member of the group that established the Racing Officers Accreditation Program, the group that accredits stewards and judges in racing. He served as chairman for the primary seven years. He additionally has taught at 10 persevering with training and three full colleges, working underneath Bob Lawrence, Wealthy Wilke, Tim Capps, Terri Burch, and Wendy Davis. He had served for 11 years as a steward at Oaklawn Park and Indiana Grand and retired from the business when he hung up his binoculars for the final time as a steward at Canterbury in 2021.
Late in 2018, he, together with David Hooper, the late Herbert Clark, and the late Donald Le Vine, had been recipients of the Pete Pedersen Award, which is introduced to stewards who’ve demonstrated skilled excellence, integrity, and benevolent consideration within the efficiency of their duties.
“Racing has misplaced one among its all-time nice contributors, however I and the various others who knew him have misplaced an all-time nice trainer, mentor, champion, and buddy,” mentioned his son, Todd, who has labored within the business for many years. “He liked serving to individuals, and for those who requested him what he was most happy with, he would inform you he liked seeing the individuals he labored with succeed.”
Bowker is survived by Judy Bowker, his spouse of 62 years, who like Todd resides in Clearwater, and his brother Clayton Bowker of Omaha. No companies are deliberate. In lieu of flowers, the household has requested donations to the Completely Disabled Jockeys Fund (pdjf.org/donate), whose work he strongly supported.
This press launch has been edited for content material and elegance by BloodHorse Workers.
