Noted sports writer 'Billy' Reed, chronicled Kentucky Derby for decades, dies at 78

William F. “Billy” Reed, whose work as a sports journalist included decades of high-profile coverage of the Kentucky Derby and other major racing events, died Saturday in a Louisville, Ky., hospital after suffering from liver disease and other ailments. He was 78.

Reed, a native of Mt. Sterling, Ky., wrote extensively for the Louisville Courier-Journal, Sports Illustrated, and the Lexington Herald-Leader prior to going into semi-retirement about 10 years ago.

Reed was particularly close with the noted racing historian, Jim Bolus, who died in 1997, and often professed an unwavering admiration for other legendary writers who shared his love for the Derby, including Red Smith and Daily Racing Form’s Joe Hirsch.

Reed was not without his critics – the iconic veterinarian Alex Harthill famously punched him for what he thought was overly aggressive coverage of the Dancer’s Image controversy in 1968 – but few could argue that he wasn't a titan at his craft. His tribute to Smith in the Courier-Journal printed on the morning of the 1982 Derby, just months after Smith’s death, was typical of a style that provoked deep thought and emotion in his readers.

While lauding Smith as an all-time great, “… we also think we are doing something that people care about,” wrote Reed, “which makes (sportswriting) worthwhile. We live for that rare day when we can write the story that will bring a tear or a smile or somehow enrich the lives of those people good enough to follow us and care about us.”

Reed was a former president of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association and a member of the Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor at the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga. He also was inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, and the U.S. Basketball Writers Hall of Fame, among others. He was a three-time winner of an Eclipse Award for his work in racing and was honored as sportswriter of the year in Kentucky eight times.

Reed graduated from Transylvania University before quickly establishing himself as a prolific writer and a beacon of journalistic talent and integrity, covering virtually all major sports, particularly college football and basketball. He wrote six books, the last one being “Last of a BReed.”

His work encompassed nearly 60 years, including a wide variety of writings and regular appearances for local journals and media outlets after he left a second stint with the Herald-Leader. Tributes poured forth over the weekend for Reed on social media and elsewhere, including from high-profile personalities in the world of politics and sports.

Reed is survived by his daughters, Susan and Amy, and four grandchildren. A memorial service will be scheduled by the family at a later date.