Longtime DRF editor-in-chief Fred Grossman dies

Fred Grossman, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Racing Form from the 70s into the 90s, died on Sunday, according to family members. Grossman was 86 and lived in Monroe Township, N.J.

Grossman was named editor of the Morning Telegraph, a sister publication which later merged with the Form, in 1975 after more than two decades on the newspaper’s copy desk and as an assistant editor. He served as the editor until his retirement in the early 1990s.

Under Grossman, the Form introduced speed index ratings and track variants. His time at the helm was marked by two sales of the newspaper, in 1988 and 1991. He was employed by the company for 43 years.

The son of Russian immigrants, Grossman was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. He was drafted during the Korean War, and served as an editor of a base newspaper at Ft. Jackson, S.C., during his service, according to his daughter Paula Joffe.

In addition to his daughter, Grossman is survived by his wife of 60 years, Arlene; a sister, Eileen Yasgur; and another daughter, Ellen Lieber.