Former ABC Radio sports director Whitfield dies at 77

Shelby Whitfield, the former sports director of ABC Radio who produced horse racing broadcasts, died Feb. 5 at a rehabilitation center in Jackson, N.J. Whitfield was 77.

A longtime radio announcer and radio-show host, Whitfield made his mark in the racing world in the 1980s by producing ABC Radio’s Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup broadcasts. During his time at ABC Radio, Whitfield worked with stations to more widely disseminate the company’s racing broadcasts, according to racing officials.

Whitfield was the director of ABC Radio from 1981 and 1997, and, previously, from 1974 to 1981, was the first director of AP Radio. In 1991, Whitfield co-authored a book with Howard Cosell, the longtime television broadcaster, called “What’s Wrong with Sports?” that examined corruption and drug use in sports, among other topics.