His official job title is Manager of Racing Operations for the New York Racing Association, Inc. But Bruce Johnstone's actual job description is more like "Racing's Go-To Guy."

Basically, if concerns racing, it concerns Johnstone. From trainers to jockeys, from EMTs to the stall office, from the clockers to the gate crew, and everything in between, the 65-year-old former trainer works with virtually every group associated with racing operations.

"NYRA originally wanted someone who had come from the backside, who had experience, preferably as a trainer, to come work on the management side. Not just a suit who knew the words, but somebody who had done it," Johnstone said.

Over the course of his life so far, Johnstone has done racing and much more. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, he attended the University of California, Berkeley, worked as a lifeguard on Southern California beaches, served in the military and enjoyed a successful career as a restaurateur before starting over at age 32 in the horse business.

After his start on the breeding end at Claiborne Farm, Johnstone landed in New York in 1972 and began his training career in earnest. A lifelong athlete, Johnstone thinks it was the athleticism of racing that hooked him on training

“I enjoyed the intensity and the involvement of knowing the horse inside and out,” Johnstone said.

Intensity and involvement also aptly describe his current job.

Upon retiring from training in early 2007, Johnstone expected to leave racing and move in an entirely different direction. As he contemplated his next move, some fellow trainers encouraged him to look into the racing operations position being developed at NYRA, in which his knowledge of racing in New York and his experience as a trainer has proven invaluable.

The original goal of the job -- to improve communications between the back side and the front side -- remains the same, but its scope has broadened considerably.

"It's hard to transition from one side of the fence to the other," said NYRA’s Director of Racing P.J. Campo, with whom Johnstone works closely. “In hiring for this position the response from trainers was very important - Bruce is very well-respected and that's been a huge asset."

Johnstone's day typically begins on the backside at 7:30, where he is in constant contact with trainers as well as the outriders and the gate crew.

"In the mornings, it's about being accessible to the trainers," said Johnstone. “If they're not happy with the racetrack, or some procedure, or can't get something fixed in their barn, or have an idea about something ... they come to me. I'm a sounding board, as well as a problem solver - and if I can't help them, I can often point them in the direction of the person who can."

At noon, when Johnstone arrives at his office in the grandstand, he makes another set of rounds, typically beginning in the jockey's room. At this time of year, Johnstone tries to be especially proactive about weather-related issues, making sure he's in regular contact with the colony about track conditions and often bringing in Director of Racing Surfaces, Glen Kozak, to talk with them also.

Like the weather, Johnston's job can be unpredictable, but he enjoys the challenge. At the same time, he sometimes struggles to evaluate his own effectiveness.

““I have the challenge of learning the business side of the race track and as much as I’ve learned, I have that and much more to learn still,” he said. “But I get up in the morning and don’t necessarily know what my day is going to be like, and that’s stimulating.

“When I was training horses, I knew I was doing a good job when the horses were running well,” he added. “In this job, there’s no obvious way to measure. My frustration is if I can’t solve the problem. I’ve got these sticky notes, they’re everywhere – lists of things. As I go through and check things off, that lets me know I’m putting problems to bed.”