Mitch Shirota, a lifelong horseman who worked for more than 40 years as a jockey and trainer on the Kentucky circuit, died early Wednesday at Suburban Hospital following a lengthy illness. He was 78.
According to his daughter, Lori Gowen, Shirota had suffered in recent weeks with pulmonary fibrosis. Shirota suffered for years with arthritis, which contributed to his retirement from training in 2007.
Elmer Polzin, a former handicapper and turf writer at several Chicago newspapers, and the father of Arlington director of racing Chris Polzin, died Tuesday at 87 following a long illness.
Polzin worked for the Chicago American and Chicago Today – both long defunct – before moving in 1974 to the Chicago Tribune, where he worked until retiring in 1985. Gruff and garrulous, Polzin was a revered figure in the Chicago press boxes at a time when racing still commanded serious attention in the Chicago papers.
W. Cothran “Cot” Campbell, who revolutionized racehorse ownership and syndication through his Dogwood Stable, will be honored with the Eclipse Award of Merit for a lifetime of outstanding achievement in Thoroughbred racing, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters announced Tuesday.
Campbell, 84, of Aiken, S.C., will receive the Eclipse Award of Merit on Jan. 16 at the 41st Annual Eclipse Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Cardmania, the 1993 champion sprinter, was euthanized on Monday after a recent illness, his former trainer Derek Meredith said.
A 26-year-old gelding, Cardmania resided at the United Pegasus Foundation in Tehachapi, Calif., a retirement home for Thoroughbreds operated by Meredith’s wife, Helen, north of Los Angeles.
“I went and saw him on Friday and he didn’t look very good,” an emotional Derek Meredith said on Monday. “He’d lost a lot of weight. [Helen] called this morning and told me the bad news.”
Rick Lang, a longtime racetrack personality best known as the lead handicapper for the New York Post in the 1990’s, died Sunday of cancer. He was 62.
Lang, a 1971 graduate of the University of Miami, went to work that year for trainer Arnold Winick and worked at racetracks in the Northeast in some capacity for more than 30 years. He worked as a chart-caller for the Daily Racing Form in the 1980’s before moving to the Post. At Monmouth Park, he hosted a popular weekend handicapping seminar.
There were familiar names at the top of the national leader board in 2011.
Trainer Todd Pletcher’s stable led the nation in earnings with $17,186,956, his sixth title and second consecutive title in that category. Pletcher, 44, won his first career earnings title in 2004. His 2011 earnings were far below the $23.1 million his stable earned in 2010, but high enough to surpass Steve Asmussen ($16,287,685), Bob Baffert ($14,504,834), Bill Mott ($10,731,249), and Graham Motion ($8,818,283) who rounded out the top five.
Rapid Redux fits all the criteria for Horse of the Year
The discussion whether Rapid Redux is a fitting candidate for the 2011 Horse of the Year voting should start with the name of the award. The award is the horse of the “year.” Not the horse of the spring, not the horse of the fall, and not the horse who wins the Breeders’ Cup.
On the heels of Rapid Redux’s 19th win of 2011, Bill Christine ranks the 10 racing records that will never be matched (view 10-6)
Rapid Redux won another race Dec. 13 at Laurel Park.
"Rapid Redux," the Associated Press dispatch began," tied a North American Thoroughbred record for most victories in a calendar year, winning his 19th straight race Tuesday to match the mark set by Citation in 1948."
The Reuters version: "Rapid Redux entered rarefied air in U.S. Thoroughbred racing on Tuesday by winning his 19th race in 2011, equaling the modern-day single-season record shared by Triple Crown winner Citation."
On the heels of Rapid Redux’s 19th win of 2011, Bill Christine ranks the 10 racing records that will never be matched (view the top 5)
