Ex-jockey, trainer Richard Wright dies at 81

Former jockey and trainer Richard Wright died peacefully at home Monday in Renton, Wash.

According to his son, Blaine Wright, “he died of old age and was three weeks shy of his eighty-second birthday.”

Richard Wright began riding match races when he was 12 or 13 and was usually in the top 10 in the jockey standings for 22 years at Longacres, Playfair, and Portland Meadows.

He retired from riding in 1974 and took out his trainer’s license in 1976. He won 962 races as a trainer, with his most important victory coming in the 1982 Longacres Derby with Flying Judgement.

“It’s funny,” Blaine Wright said. “We both had horses stabled at Emerald and I would be at his barn every morning, so I eventually moved in with him. We put the horses in my name but when I found out his record, I told him to put me down as assistant so he could get to a thousand wins. He didn’t care about the record and told me they were my horses now.”

With his father’s guidance, Blaine Wright became one of the top trainers at Emerald. He was the leading trainer at the Auburn, Wash., track in 2016-17 and this year he won the Grade 3 Longacres Mile with Anothertwistafate. The Mile is the most important race in the Northwest.

“Richard was a great guy, a super trainer, and he was so proud of Blaine,” said Joe Withee, director of publicity at Emerald. “He was stoic and he would say something with a straight face that would get everyone laughing in the winner’s circle in the post-race interviews, mostly after Blaine won a stakes race. He talked a lot about how much he loved his trip to the Preakness with Blaine and the rest of the family last year with Anothertwistafate.”

“He was a standup guy,” said Frank Lucarelli, the all-time leading trainer at Emerald. “I could tell you lots of funny stories about us joking around and razzing each other, which we did all the time, but what I will remember most about him is his integrity. He would tell it like it is and not jump on any bandwagons. He always stood up for the industry and was great for racing in Washington.”

Wright is survived by his wife, Susan; daughters Cherie and Susan; and sons Kenny and Blaine.