NEWS
Bill Knauf
Posted: Thursday, June 24, 2010 10:14 AM
BILL KNAUF
Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
Monmouth Park
Like so many others who either grew up in the small city of Saratoga Springs, New York, or in any of the nearby cities and towns, Bill Knauf caught the racing bug early in his life attending the annual summer meeting at Saratoga Race Course.
“I grew up in Albany, New York, and frequented Saratoga every summer,” said Knauf, a graduate of the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program who currently serves as assistant vice president and assistant general manager at another popular summer destination racetrack, Monmouth Park. “I grew to love the game as my entire family loved sports and especially horse racing.
“My parents loved bringing us to the picnic area and throwing down a blanket and enjoying the day. When I was in high school, my uncle started a tip sheet—Horse Cents—and I hawked his tip sheets outside the Saratoga gates. Sometimes when he couldn’t do the picks, I took the reins and handicapped the card and my picks were used.”
Those early days selling tip sheets and handicapping the races helped Knauf in some of his previous positions at Monmouth, including stints as player development manager and marketing and communications director. Promoted to his current position in 2008, Knauf played one of the lead roles in coordinating the ’07 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Monmouth.
The 2007 event at Monmouth was the first two-day Breeders’ Cup, a change that has since been repeated with some modifications in ’08 and ’09.
“Our industry is in a very dynamic time,” he said. “All parts of the industry are changing and adapting to fit the needs of today’s patron.”
Date of birth: June 1, 1973
Birthplace: Troy, New York
Residence: Jackson, New Jersey
Title: Assistant vice president of marketing operations, assistant general manager
Company: Monmouth Park
Education: Bachelor of Arts in political science and classics, Tufts University; Bachelor of Science, University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program
Family: Married, two children
Career: Worked in several positions at Monmouth Park since 1998, including marketing assistant from ’98 to 2000, media manager, player development manager, and marketing and communications director from ’01 to ’07, and current position since ’08
What book are you currently reading? The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty, by Julia Flynn Siler
Last movie you saw at the theater: Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
What’s on your iPod? The Killers, Dave Matthews Band, Flogging Molly, B. B. King
Outside interests: “Watching my kids play sports, cooking, wine, marathon running”
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Posted by: Gary, solana Beach, CA on June 27, 2010 at 04:51 PM
Bill Knauf is the best in the business.Monmouth Park is very lucky to have him !
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