Pat Pope
Pat Pope is Racing Secretary at Oaklawn and as such heads up racing operations at the track. A resident of Bossier City, Louisiana, he also fills the position of Racing Secretary and Director of Racing at Harrah's Louisiana Downs in that city.
A graduate of the University of Arizona Racetrack Management program, Pat got his early racing experience at South Dakota tracks, Park Jefferson and Sodrac. He began his racing career full-time in 1980 at Louisiana Downs, where he started as a claims clerk, but quickly stepped up to Assistant Racing Secretary. By 1985 he assumed the Racing Secretary's job.
Pat came to Oaklawn as a patrol judge in 1983 and has also been Assistant Racing Secretary at Oaklawn in addition to his stint as steward.
Pope and his wife, Jeanne, have three children: Michael, Jennifer, and John.