Daniel A. Luciano

Dan, a native of Massachusetts, was introduced to the sportwhen he received a greyhound as a pet in 1965. Not long after that he became a kennel helper for the Discolo Kennel and eventually became the kennel’s trainer at Wonderland and Bonita Springs.

After leaving the kennel side of the business, Dan embarked on a long career in track management starting as a racing official at Seabrook and working his way up through the ranks, eventually managing at some of the country’s top facilities including Geneva Lakes, Dubuque, Plainfield and Phoenix.

His time at Phoenix began in 1992 when he was also named President of American Greyhound Racing which represented all of Delaware North’s tracks. He was always an active member of The American Greyhound Track Operator’s Association and served as its President from 2002 to 2004. Dan is credited to bringing the innovative “stretch vest” racing blanket to America while at Phoenix in 2000. Dan is also credited with the first use of the bone-shaped lure(at Plainfield) which would go on to be used at numerous track around the country.

Dan was one of the best track operators in America, in part because he went the extra mile to associate personally and professionally with the greyhound racing community itself. His relationship with the NGA and greyhound owners and breeders helped lead also to his selection to serve on such important boards as the American Greyhound Council and the Greyhound Hall of Fame, where he still sits to this day.

As an early greyhound pet owner, Dan has actively supported greyhound adoption programs wherever he worked and is especially proud of his affiliation with Arizona Adopt a Greyhound. Dan and his late wife, Sidra, were owners of pet greyhounds for some 40 years, virtually throughout Dan’s lifetime career in racing.

Dan was also active in his community wherever he may have been residing during his racing career such as serving on various boards including United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona, the Phoenix Lions Club, Arizona Town Hall and Gateway Community College Citizens Advisory.