Emerald Downs: Doug Moore steps down as Executive Secretary of WHRC

3/31/2023

(Olympia, WA) There is a new Executive Secretary of the Washington State Horse Racing Commission and it’s Amanda Benton. Benton was the long time Deputy Secretary for Doug Moore. Moore recently retired as the Executive Secretary at the end of January after working for the Racing commission since 1994 and as the Exec Secretary for the past decade. Moore took over for Bruce Batson in 2013 after spending more than 4 years as Batson’s top Deputy. The circle has been completed for Moore when he encouraged his longtime Deputy Amanda Benton to take his place and the commission agreed.

Moore grew up and made his life’s work around the racetrack beginning in 1974 as an apprentice jockey scoring his 1st career win aboard Pegs Que at Coeur d’ Alene racetrack in Idaho. Moore would set a record for apprentice wins at Playfair in 1975 and then rode the Northwest circuit at tracks such as Yakima, Portland, Les Bois, Salem, Great Falls and finally came to Longacres fulltime in 1986.

**Doug Moore (Courtesy Four Footed Fotos)**

During his time at Longacres, Moore was given the opportunity to ride one of the most, if not most popular horses ever to run at the Renton oval, Captain Condo. Moore was 1 of 16 different riders to get a leg up on the gray flash but only 1 of 6 to win a stakes race when Condo and Moore took the 1987 Governor’s Handicap (Race Video below). Altogether, Moore won 5 times on Captain Condo at Longacres. Moore also won stakes races at Longacres on Polynesian Flyer in the Renton and Space Needle Handicaps and aboard Pilot’s Panache in the Green River Valley stakes. Moore would win everywhere he rode with stakes wins at Longacres, Playfair, Portland, Salem, Boise and Centennial racetrack in Colorado. He finished riding fulltime in 1989 and had more than 1,800 wins.

Moore is stepping away from the day-to-day operations of the racing commission but is going to stay involved and was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to fill the commissioner seat recently held by Dr. Everett Macomber. Moore says his goal remains to be the long term health of thoroughbred racing in Washington state. Moore says if Emerald Downs ever closes the future of any horse racing in the Northwest will be gone.

The past 2 legislative sessions a bill that would designate additional dollars to racing and overall equine activities from current sales tax revenue on equine products and services has failed to get out of committee in the Senate. There is overwhelming bipartisan support in the House of Representatives and Governor Inslee also supports the bill but a select few legislators who are opposed to it have not allowed it to be brought to the floor of the Senate for a vote where it would likely pass.

As frustrating as this process is, it is what happens at the State Capitol and Moore feels even though they did not get the bill up for a vote that some progress was made and they will get back to work and try to adjust the language further to satisfy those in the Senate leadership opposed to the bill as it was written.

Moore is excited to take on his new assignment as a WHRC commissioner joining commission chair Robert Lopez and commissioner Dr. Claude Ragle. Moore says Benton has been training for the Executive Secretary position for many years where she has worked for the WHRC as a mutual inspector, a steward and then Moore’s top Deputy. Moore says Benton knows the job inside and out and the transition will be smooth to Benton’s leadership.

The commission is the government oversight of horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering. Their most prominent duties are to license, regulate and supervise all horse racing in the state. They meet on a monthly basis.