With Magna Entertainment Corp. having departed the racing scene at the Meadows on Tuesday, September 1, former Harness Tracks of America director Mike Jeannot has been named president of Meadows Racing by its owner, Cannery Casino Resorts.

Cannery’s chief operating officer, Xavier Walsh, said, in announcing the appointment, “Our transition to management of all trackside operations will be seamless thanks to the guidance of Mike Jeannot as the leader of Meadows Racing. With over two decades of experience, Mike has developed a stellar reputation in the local community and in the harness racing industry. Racing at the Meadows has gotten off to a great start at our new facility, but race fans haven’t seen anything yet. Mike is going to take harness racing to a whole new level.”

Jeannot, who worked with Ladbrokes when the English betting firm owned the track, has held important positions since 1990, including oversight of facilities, concessions and racing operations.

He called the staff at the track “a great team with dedicated horsemen in place. Everyone is excited to be part of this new challenge to make racing better than ever at the Meadows.”

(With files from Harness Tracks of America)