Since opening day in 1968, Romona Hubbard has worked each season at the Dover Downs meet, but all will change with the start of the track's 43rd season on

Sunday, October 31. At the conclusion of the ongoing Harrington meet, she will retire from the Delaware capital city raceway race office.

Over the years, she has worked in various positions assisting some of the most memorable race secretaries in the sport. Her first position was clerk of the course and in her most recent capacity at assistant race secretary.

"Fred Greenly was race secretary back in the first season," Hubbard remebered. "When I married [horseman Pat Hubbard], I gave up being a housewife and went to the USTA School learning to be a clerk of the course. I've been at the track ever since."

Over the years, starting in the mid-1960s at the former Georgetown Raceway, Hubbard has become a friend to horsemen in the Mid-Atlantic region. She has work year-round at Dover Downs, Harrington Raceway and the former Brandywine and Georgetown raceways in Delaware, Rosecroft, Laurel Raceway and Ocean Downs (once also named Delmarva Raceway).

Off hand, she quickly can recall almost all of the race secretaries, including Hall of Famer Ted Leonard, Herman Brickel, John Phillips. Bruce Munn, Frank Ferone, Barney Breslow, Hugh Gallagher, Reg Outten, Marilyn Abbott, Rick Bonekemper, Sam McWilliams and Mick Myers and Rod Newhart, the current race secretaries at Harrington and Dover Downs respectively.

'Because of the bad weather last winter, when I had trouble getting to the track from my house in Harrington, I reluctantly decided to retire from the Dover Downs meet, but will probably come back for the Harrington season in late Spring," Romona revealed. "I plan to take time off, watch TV, visit, go on a cruise and travel with my sister Mable [Garvis]."

I won't be the same in the Dover Downs race office when racing resumes on Halloween night.

(Dover)