by Ed DeRosa

Dwight Manley has resigned as national manager of the Jockeys’ Guild after about 13 months on the job.

Manley, 41, succeeded L. Wayne Gertmenian, who the Guild’s board of directors ousted in December 2005. Manley first met with the Guild on June 26 at a Guild Senate meeting in Louisville where the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the RainbowPUSH Coalition founder and 1988 presidential candidate, spoke on his behalf. Manley accepted the Guild job a month later.

“My decision to resign was not an easy one, but a necessary one,” Manley said. “I’m a single father of two children, and I cannot commit the time that the Jockeys’ Guild deserves from its national manager and fulfill my obligations to my family.”

During his tenure, Manley has helped right the finances of the Guild and has bolstered its political strength within the Thoroughbred racing industry. Manley settled lawsuits with former Guild member and paralyzed jockey Gary Birzer as well as with Churchill Downs Inc.

“Mr. Manley became national manager at a time of crisis for our organization,” Guild Chairman John Velazquez said. “He saved the Guild. Under his leadership, we have now stabilized our finances. We appreciate all of his efforts and his achievements as our leader in dealing with the industry and achieving a sound financial basis for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.”

Manley fulfilled his duties without compensation and personally loaned the organization $500,000 to help it avoid bankruptcy. Manley is a rare coin collector who has acted as agent for Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman.

“I firmly believe that now is the time for the Guild to have a more traditional national manager—someone who is salaried, works out of the Guild’s office, and has the ability to devote 100% of his time to the Guild’s future,” Manley said.

The Guild has not announced Manley’s replacement, but a release from its media representative, Donn Pearlman, intimates that an announcement could be forthcoming.

“[Manley] notified the Guild’s board in mid-July of his intention to leave by October 1, but the announcement was not made public until now to give the board time to begin the search for a replacement,” the release says.

Ed DeRosa is news editor of Thoroughbred Times