Wayne Oke, one of the three stewards at Cal-Expo along with Grant Baker and Will Meyers, recalls getting his first taste of harness racing at the age of eight in his hometown of Port Perry, Ont.
“The town was, and still is, a hotbed for harness,” he related. “As with all youngsters growing up in small communities in Canada, though, my attention turned to hockey and was the focus of my young life.”
That dream ended for Wayne at the age of 18, when he blew out his knee while playing for the Boston Bruins farm system, thus ending those aspirations. He turned back to harness racing and is happy he did.
“I actually worked in the business world for 12 years before I got into harness racing on a full-time basis,” Oke explained. “Over the last 30-plus years I’ve probably worked at every major racetrack in North America. When I settled in Kentucky, I met and become friends with Marc Guilfoil, who was then the presiding judge at all tracks in the state.”
It was at Guilfoil’s suggestion that Wayne took the judge’s exam and began working with Marc in various capacities. In addition to working as a steward (or judge as they are referred to in the Blue Grass State), he has also been a racing secretary and a starter. It was after attending an accreditation course at Los Alamitos that he was approached concerning an opening for state steward by the CHRB and took up residence in the stand at Cal-Expo.
“The difficulties of converting from a long-time participant in racing to an official can be many,” Oke said. “I’ve found that as long as you treat everyone with respect and are consistent and use common sense in your application of the rules, everything will work out fine.”
Of course, being a steward for harness racing and holding the same job with thoroughbreds can be very different.
“We have to be conscious of the horse’s gait, their position relative to the pylons, as well as obvious concerns over interference and the drivers' adherence to the rules.
“The function of the stewards in harness racing also varies greatly relative to the interaction with the racing office and other racing officials. The staffs tend to be smaller, requiring a more hands-on approach from the stewards.”
(Cal-Expo)