Former trainer Knight dies at 80

C.R. Knight, who trained Thoroughbred stakes winners at Del Mar, Hollywood Park, and Santa Anita in the late 1970s and early 1980s, died last Friday after an illness, the Del Mar publicity department announced on Sunday.

Knight, better known as Chay Knight, was 80. Born in Ventura, Calif., on Aug. 4, 1934, Knight began as a Quarter Horse trainer. He was based at Los Alamitos in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when his stable included Kaweah Bar, the World Champion Running Quarter Horse in 1968 and 1970.

Knight had switched to Thoroughbreds by the late 1970s. At that time, his stable included Parsec, the winner of the 1979 Hollywood Juvenile Championship, and Raise a Man, a winner of three stakes in 1980 – the Malibu Stakes, San Felipe Handicap, and San Vicente Stakes.

In 1981, Knight won the Santa Anita Derby with Splendid Spruce, who finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby behind Pleasant Colony. Splendid Spruce later won the Will Rogers Handicap at Hollywood Park.

At Del Mar, Knight won the 1982 Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies with Time of Sale. Knight won the last stakes of his career, the Hutchinson Handicap at Emerald Downs, in 1996. He had his final starter at Hollywood Park in 1997.

Knight was living in Clovis, Calif., at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, Mary, a bloodstock agent in California, and four sons – Barry, Chris, Greg, and Terry. No memorial service will be held, according to a statement released by Del Mar.