Roy Smith

Roy Smith, who inaugurated the racetrack superintendent field day in 2001, was honored with the Racetrack Superintendent's Innovator Award during last week's University of Arizona Race Track Industry Symposium. A second-generation race tracker, Smith served as assistant  track superintendent to Blackie Chobanian at Suffolk Downs in 1977 and he took charge after Chobanian's passing in 1981. He moved to Philadelphia Park in 1984 and worked at the Pennsylvania track for 31 years before moving to Indiana Grand in 2014. Smith was selected for the 2023 superintendent's innovator award for his...

Tony Martinez has been named the new track superintendent at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Martinez is set to replace current track superintendent Roy Smith, who announced his retirement at the end of the Indiana track's 2022 season. 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. He has been...

A panel covering the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) has been added to the agenda for Track Superintendent Field Day set for June 12-14 at Gulfstream Park. The implementation of HISA is set to take effect on July 1. "We know that HISA is the most important topic in the industry right now, so we worked to put together a panel to address the specific impact on track superintendents," said Roy Smith, founder of the event and track superintendent at Horseshoe Indianapolis. "We are keeping registration open for anyone...

The 2022 edition of Track Superintendent Field Day will be held June 12-14 at Gulfstream in Hallandale Beach, Florida. This will mark the first time the event, which debuted in 2002 at Philadelphia Park (now Parx Racing), has been held at Gulfstream. The gathering brings together track superintendents and staff to discuss best practices related to track maintenance, safety and operational issues for racing and training facilities. "We are thrilled to be heading to Florida in 2022," said Roy Smith, founder of the event and track superintendent at Indiana Grand...

Following a two-year hiatus, the 19th annual Track Superintendent Field Day is set to return Sunday, June 13 at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino. The event kicks off with a reception at the Holiday Inn Express in Shelbyville followed by two days of conference activity at Indiana Grand June 14-15. Moderated by Nancy Holthus, on-air paddock analyst at Indiana Grand, numerous industry experts will be scattered throughout the two-day event regarding surface and soil sciences, the latest in equipment used to maintain track surfaces, agronomic practices, and other tactical safety...

The 20th edition of the Track Superintendents' Field Day will take place June 14 and 15, 2021, at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino. The event brings together track superintendents and staff annually to discuss best practices related to track maintenance, safety and operational issues for racing and training facilities worldwide. "Because Track Supers Field Day is the only annual gathering for the hard-working men and women who help ensure the safety of our horses and riders, we felt it was important to have the event this year after being forced...

Congratulations to Roy Smith, one of three finalists in the Leadership Award in Racing category of the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (TIEA), presented by Godolphin. The track superintendent at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino, Smith has been "a track man [his] whole life." He says he was born and raised at Indiana Grand, as his father was a trainer. He grew up walking hots, became a groom, ponied, became an assistant track superintendent, and did just about everything on the backside other than become a trainer, a route he knew...