Peter Tunney, who served the racing industry both as an executive at California tracks and as a trustee of the California Thoroughbred Foundation, died Sept. 22 at age 83 at his home in Piedmont after a lengthy illness. Associated primarily with Golden Gate Fields, where he had worked for decades, Tunney also had been a racing official at Southern California tracks, including as Del Mar’s racing secretary from 1972-74. He joined the Golden Gate team as general manager in 1980 and later served as an executive vice president before retiring in 2017.
Tunney helped represent the Foundation in Northern California and was an active participant at board meetings. His daughter, Courtney Tunney Hotchkis, became
a Foundation trustee late last year. Several people who served with Tunney on the Foundation board shared their remembrances of him.
“Peter was one of a kind–he had a keen sense of humor and was a practical joker who constantly put you on your toes,” said current trustee and Del Mar executive Tom Robbins. “He was my first boss ever at Del Mar in 1968, and I learned so much from observing the way he interacted with the vast variety of people we deal with in Thoroughbred horse racing. Peter’s ability to treat people with kindness and respect spoke volumes of his character.”
Former trustee Dr. Greg Ferraro, currently chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, said, “Peter Tunney was widely known for an old-world charm and sophistication that brought memories of the former glory days of horse racing. His wry smile and sharp wit made him popular in any social setting. He was a man of the world whose knowledge and experience made him a valuable racing executive. Those who knew him will surely miss him, and those who never met him have missed a one-of-a-kind gentleman.”
Former trustee Alan Balch, executive director of California Thoroughbred Trainers, had worked with Tunney at several California tracks and said, “One of racing’s good guys, Peter Tunney was at home anywhere on the track—whether in the garage at Hollywood Park, to the overflow parking lot at Santa Anita, to a Paris restaurant during Arc week, any stewards’ stand, racing office, or the executive suite at Golden Gate Fields. He was a gifted raconteur and bon vivant whose droll sense of humor is unforgettable and was a big part of his success as a management leader.”