Lehr Named Track Superintendent at Kentucky Downs

Raymond "Butch" Lehr has joined Kentucky Downs as track superintendent following the retirement of Ron Moore, the track announced Nov. 26.

Lehr, Churchill Downs' track superintendent for 30 years before retiring from that position in 2012, has served in a consultant's role in recent years. He was awarded the Joe Palmer Award for meritorious service to racing in 2012 by the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, the only track superintendent so honored in the 60-year history of the NTWAB.

The position at Kentucky Downs, which runs exclusively on grass on its undulating 1 5/16-mile course, was desirable for Lehr, combining involvement with a lucrative race meet while maintaining much of his freedom of retirement.

"I miss it to a certain extent," Lehr said of his work in horse racing. "I wanted to get involved a little bit. This is an opportunity to be around people I used to work with, without doing it seven days a week for much of the year. I also see it as a little bit of a challenge, to see if I can make a difference.

"Right now (after the Kentucky Downs' meet) the turf is better than it was in years past. I can't remember when it was, but they asked me to come up there. I mean, if they'd had a weed program when they first started, they wouldn't have had a turf course. It's come a long way. It's one of the tracks I've always said I'd like to work at."

Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs' senior vice president and general manager, said he is excited to have Lehr on staff.

"We race only six days in 2020, which makes it all the more critical that our course is at its absolute best on those days," Nicholson said. "With its unusual configuration and changes in elevations, our track provides unique challenges. Butch made a career out of tackling challenges head on. There's no more pressure in the trackman profession than being the guy in charge when it comes to maintaining the racing surface for the Kentucky Derby."

Lehr, who joined the Churchill Downs maintenance crew in 1967 before becoming track superintendent in 1982, oversaw the design and construction of Churchill Downs' turf course that opened in 1986, the conversion of the former Louisville Downs harness track into the Trackside training center with a six-furlong dirt track, installing and updating the drainage systems for the track's dirt and grass courses, and played a leadership role in safety programs and initiatives that in 2009 saw Churchill Downs become the first track to receive accreditation from the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Safety & Integrity Alliance.