Ken Smole, President

Ken is a retired insurance industry executive with over thirty years of experience in the healthcare area.   He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and has resided in the Bay Area since 1972.  Ken and his wife, Jane, have been horse owners since 1985 and they have long been committed to assisting backstretch workers.  Ken has served on the CTHF board since 2007.

Josh Rubinstein, Vice President

Josh is President and Chief Operating Officer of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. He serves on several industry committees and boards including the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), the Thoroughbred Racing Association (TRA), and Southern California Off-Track Wagering Inc. (SCOTWINC). Josh is a graduate of San Diego State University. He was born in New York, New York and currently resides in San Diego.

Angie Carmona – Secretary/Treasurer

Angie Carmona has been serving California Thoroughbred horse racing for over thirty years. Now Deputy Director of the California Thoroughbred Trainers, Angie came to Santa Anita in 1983, and has been an advocate for the interests of the backstretch community ever since. She was elected to the CTHF board in 2014.  She also serves on the board of the nonprofit Edwin J. Gregson Foundation, dedicated to improving the quality of life for backstretch workers and their family members through education programs such as scholarships, as well as social and recreation programs. Native Californians, Angie resides in Los Angeles with her daughter Alex.

Damascus Castellanos

Damascus has been a Teamster member for 30 years, including a Business Representative for the past 15 years.  As the labor representative on the CTHF board, Damascus has seen the passion his members have for the racing industry, given many of them come from families steeped in California racing’s history.  His passion has been contagious, and Damascus now brings that passion not only over to the backstretch community, but also as a Commissioner on the California Horse Racing Board. Damascus has a son and a daughter.  He grew up in Pico Rivera, California where he continues to reside.

Thomas R Bell

“Ray” has been involved in the Thoroughbred Industry as a trainer, owner and breeder for most of his life.  He also currently serves as a board member of the California Thoroughbred Trainers (“CTT”).  Ray’s father and grandfather were also heavily involved in the Industry — his grandfather’s participation dating back to when Del Mar originally opened in the late 1930’s.  Ray has seen the benefits the CTHF offers to his employees, and all backstretch workers, and is pleased to be able to represent his fellow stable workers with a seat on the CTHF board.

Eric Sindler

Eric has been a fan of horse racing since he first went to Pimlico Racecourse with his father over 30 years ago.  After graduating from law school, he nevertheless wanted to get back into racing and obtained his Master’s Degree from the Arizona Race Track Industry program.  Eric is currently employed by Monarch Content Management, LLC, and is heavily involved in negotiating export and import simulcast agreements for a myriad of racing entities.  Eric also serves as a board member for SCOTWINC, the Stabling and Vanning Committee, the CTBL (Workmen’s Compensation) and the California Marketing Committee.  Like all of our board members, Eric appreciates the work our foundation does on behalf of the backstretch workers.

Millie Yakteen

A native of England, with a bachelors degree from the Royal Agricultural College, Cirenceter, Millie moved to California in 1995 to be an exercise rider at Hollywood Park.  The former amateur jockey worked for Hall of Fame trainers Bobby Frankel, Bod Baffert and Richard Mandella.  In 2003, now married to trainer Tim Yakteen, Millie joined the Santa Anita on-air family as a host and reporter with HRTV.   In 2015, Millie joined a small group in the launch of XBTV, which has become Thoroughbred horse racing’s “go to” platform for morning workouts.  A constant presence in morning backstretch activities over many years has provided Millie with a passion of dedication to both the horses and the workers CTHF services.

Stephanie Hronis

Stephanie and her family have been in horse racing, as owners, since 2010.  As her time at the track increased, her attention expanded from the love of watching the horses race to all that goes into getting a horse to the track.  She particularly was drawn to the hard work and dedication of the backstretch workers, and she found this community to be very similar to many of the migrant families she worked with as a School Counselor in California’s Central Valley.  Stephanie serves on additional boards and committees in the industry.  She looks forward to serving the backstretch community as a CTHF board member.

Lucy Lawrence

Lucy has been fully engaged in California Thoroughbred racing as an owner, breeder, syndicate partner and the aftercare of Thoroughbreds.  She recognizes her athletes are successful when part of the team, which includes their grooms, hotwalkers, riders and training leaders.  When not at the track, she forms part of several startups across North and Latin America.  She serves as Chairwoman to Financiera Contigo, MD Partners, Troquer, and UN’s Business for eTrade.  She also serves on LRF Cares Board of focusing on the aftercare of Thoroughbreds.  Fluent in Spanish, she looks forward to continuing to improve the lives of the backstretch workers.

Dr. James Dunn

Dr. Dunn is a recently retired physician but is still motivated to help others in the medical arena. Fortunately for CTHF, he has the time to do so. Dr. Dunn feels a connection with the largely Hispanic population we service. As a child, he lived in Venezuela for eight years then moving back to the United States he trained at LAC-USC in East Los Angeles, then practiced in Santa Barbara, California, where he now resides. He treated a large agricultural population and participated in several missions to Honduras and Guatemala, ironically where many of the backstretch workers are from. Dr. Dunn also has a background at the racetrack with his grandfather, uncle and cousin all being horse trainers. He is a small-scale owner of Thoroughbreds, giving him another perspective of racetrack life.

David Naftzger

David Naftzger has been affiliated with the CTHF since 2007 as an advisor or board member.  He received his B.S. and MBA from USC in 1970 and then moved to New York. During his twelve years in New York, David served as a securities analyst and Chief Options Strategist for EF Hutton. David moved back to Los Angeles in 1982 and worked as a stock broker from then until 2020, when he retired in Las Vegas.

Bill Patterson

Bill Patterson, manager for the California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT) in Northern California, is the son of trainer Dennis Patterson. After attending UC Davis, he returned to the Northern racing circuit, first working for a backstretch veterinarian before joining trainer Chuck Jenda’s barn. Patterson was Jenda’s assistant the year Brown Bess won the Eclipse Award for top Turf Female. He later became his father’s assistant, taking over the stable after he passed away and then left the training profession in 2015 to become the CTT NorCal Manager/Representative. Bill’s duties at CTT involve overseeing issues dealing with the safety and welfare of the backstretch workers and horses, as well as working with racetrack management on racing, training and stable area matters.

Dino Perez

Dino Perez, executive director of the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association, has a breadth of experience in the California racing industry. He served as a racing official on the Southern California Racing Circuit from 1996 to 2003 serving man roles. In 2003, he joined the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association, which represents Quarter Horse owners, breeders, and trainers in the state of California. A graduate of the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program, Dino also serves as the president of the Los Alamitos division of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America and is a member of the Quarter House Benevolent Charity Foundation board of directors.

Darin Scharer

Darin Scharer, Executive Director of the Winner’s Foundation, has more than 37 years of progressively responsible experience directing and counseling in various program modalities ranging from residential drug and alcohol treatment, outpatient drug and alcohol treatment as well as may court ordered programs. He is a Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor – Clinical Supervisor, Internationally Certified Clinical Supervisor, Certified Recovery Program Manager, and Internationally Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor. He remains on the forefront of the Substance Use Disorder field educating and mentoring new counselors. His knowledge extends into many modalities and theories of practice. His passion is to reduce the stigma of Substance Use Disorder by providing services, referrals and support through empowering those who need help in embracing change. Darin joined the advisory committee in 2024.