Muzio, former trainer, jockey agent, racing official, dies at 64

Michael J. Muzio, a former trainer, jockey agent, and racing official, died Sunday at his home in Melbourne Beach, Fla., after a short battle with cancer. He was 64.

Muzio trained horses for 23 years, winning 121 races from 1,447 starters. His horses earned $1,063,606, according to Equibase statistics. Some of his top horses were Friday Knight, Heama Jac Mac, Bold Adonis, and Grab the Glory.

Muzio also worked as a jockey agent and worked for Steve Capanas in 1988 when Capanas won the Eclipse Award as the nation’s top apprentice jockey, according to his long-time partner Karen Brady.

Muzio worked in the racing office at the New York Racing Association for several years before he retired two years ago.

Muzio and Brady moved to Melbourne Beach, Fla., in April. Muzio was diagnosed with cancer in May.

“We bought the house of our dreams,” said Brady, who previously worked in the NYRA Horse Identification office. “He thought he was going to retire and kayak and do all those things.”