Retired horseman Goldfine dies at age 99

Lou Goldfine, who ran a successful training operation in Chicago, Florida, and Kentucky that lasted from 1964 through 2000, died this week in California at 99.

His passing was reported Friday by his son and former assistant, Chicago-based trainer Mickey Goldfine.

Goldfine was born in Boston but set down his racing roots in Chicago, though he wintered in Florida, where he would move full-time upon his retirement. Goldfine won 1,352 races during his long career and came up with his only Grade 1 winner, Wild Event, just before he retired and turned his stable over to his son, Mickey. Wild Event, an Arthur Appleton homebred, earned just shy of $1 million in his career and captured the Grade 1 Turf Classic in May 1999 at Churchill Downs.

Goldfine also trained Shecky Greene, who won the 1973 Fountain of Youth despite being a sprinter at heart. Goldfine trained 2-year-old filly champion It’s in the Air before she was sold and transferred to trainer Laz Barrera in California, and conditioned seven other graded-stakes winners during his career.