Hugh J. Gallagher

Hugh Joseph Gallagher, III, of Goldsboro, Maryland, passed away on Wednesday, September 18, at Bay Health Hospital in Dover, Delaware. He was 76.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Virginia Smith Gallagher and Hugh Joseph Gallagher, ll, Hugh graduated from The Boys' Latin School in 1967 and later earned his bachelor's degree from Towson State University. He also pursued graduate studies in philosophy at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa., after which he lived briefly in St. Michaels, Md. and Ocean City, Md.

Inspired by the example of his stepfather, Eric Frederick, a long-time standardbred horse racing trainer member of the Maryland Racing Commission, and having worked summers during high school and college at Ocean Downs Racetrack in Berlin, Md., Hugh completed training to become a horse racing steward in the early 1980s. His first meets were at Pompano Race Track in Pompano Beach, Fla., and Scioto Downs Racetrack in Columbus, Oh. In both, he served as State Steward for standardbred racing until early 1987, when he was recruited to serve as presiding judge at the Meadowlands' Standardbred race meet in East Rutherford, NJ - the premier harness racing meet in the United States. He served in that capacity for 10 years.

Hugh returned to Maryland's Eastern Shore in 1997 to work as race director for Bally's, which had purchased Ocean Downs and Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, Md. After a hiatus away from horse racing, he became Executive Director for the Delaware Harness Racing Commission in Dover, De., in 2005. In 2014, he was hired by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) as the first-ever Safety Steward in Thoroughbred racing nationwide. In that capacity, he worked to ensure integrity and safety at Saratoga Race Course, Aqueduct Race Track, and Belmont Park. After leaving NYRA in 2021, he officiated race meets in Illinois and New Mexico.

During more than four decades in horse racing, Hugh officiated more than 50,000 Standardbred and Thoroughbred races in several jurisdictions, and became a respected authority on racing safety and integrity. He also played a leading role in the training and education of horse racing officials, nationally, including serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP); and for the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI), as Chair of the Education Committee and Vice Chair of Model Rules. In 2013, in recognition of his exemplary service and contributions to racing integrity, Hugh received ARCI's Len Foote Award, the highest honor bestowed on racing regulators in North America,

Throughout his life, Hugh was an avid reader, particularly on the subjects of philosophy, history, art, religion and spiritualism. He also was a fan of many music genres and musicians, from classical to Latin American, and from Ray Charles to Weird Al Yankovich - two of the artists he hosted in outdoor concerts during his tenure with Bally's at Ocean Downs. Thanks to his childhood summers in Ocean City, Hugh was an excellent ocean swimmer. He was always happiest with his face in the sun and his feet in the sand, especially in the company of his family and friends.

Hugh is survived by his wife, Kimberly Williams Gallagher; their son, R. Patrick Gallagher; his daughters, Grace Gallagher Grammer (Robert) and Elaine Gallagher, and their mother, Kate Edmunds LaMotte; sister, Virginia Keelty; niece Katie Disney (Jack); nephew Kevin Keelty, Jr. (Anna); his cousins, Pat Gallagher (Meg) and Mary Lawrence, Gretchen and Eric Schmidt, Paula and Paul (Julie) Schmidt, Justin Wasilifsky (Nancy), and Matt O'Donnell (Cathy); his in-laws, Ken and Charlotte Williams, and Tim, Kathy, Marley and Jack Savin; and a host of friends and other relatives.

Internment will be private. Messages of condolence to the family may be sent to elaine.e.gallagher@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Hugh's memory be made to the Thoroughbred horse rescue organization, Rerun, Inc.( https://www.rerunottb.com/support-rerun-test ) or the Standardbred horse rescue organization, Standardbred Retirement Foundation (https://www.adoptahorse.org/memorial-commemorative).