Jennifer Torres of the Stockton Record reports that a 47-year-old man died after he was hurt while working Sunday on the San Joaquin County Fair's horse-racing track, fair and law enforcement officials confirmed Monday.

David Fowler-Wright, a Humboldt County resident, was a former jockey who was employed this year as a rake man, responsible for raking the track smooth of tire tracks that can frighten horses.

About 4 p.m. Sunday, horses had just left the starting gate for the seventh race of the day. Fowler-Wright was on top of the gate when a tractor began pulling it out of the way of oncoming horses, according to a Stockton Police Department report on the incident.

While the gate was moving, Fowler-Wright either slipped or tried to jump off it and fell. He was run over by the gate's back tires.

He was taken to San Joaquin General Hospital, where he died.

"He was my good, good friend," Kenny Olsen said as he tried to light a cigarette inside a tack room at the track on Monday. "He was an outstanding friend. ... He was an outstanding jockey."

People who knew Fowler-Wright said he originally was from England and had worked as a jockey until about two years ago.

The racetrack was dark Monday and will be today for a previously scheduled break. Racing is to resume Wednesday, the first day of the county fair, CEO Debbie Cook said.

Cook said fair officials are investigating the accident, and an employee meeting will be held Wednesday.

Marty McGee, Daily Racing Form - Churchill Downs officials are promising that the exceedingly difficult conditions that greeted the massive crowd for its historic first night-racing program last Friday will not be repeated when the track doubles its number of beverage stations and triples its staffing at those stations for the two night-racing programs that remain at the spring meet.

The attendance count released by Churchill for Friday was 28,011, many of whom endured interminably long lines for concessions amid brutal heat. Officials admitted they were badly understaffed for the occasion, but that won't be the case when night cards are run this Friday and July 2.

"Many fans were clearly unhappy with the unacceptable level of service," Bill Carstanjen, chief operating officer for Churchill Downs Inc., said in a track release. "We share their frustration, apologize for the experience, and vow it will not happen again."

Regardless of the snafus involving parking, programs, and concessions, Churchill officials were elated with the interest generated by its initial foray into night racing. Indeed, the Friday program was the talk of the town and the racing industry.