Tag Archives: New York Racing Association
C.V. Whitney
C.V. Whitney (Racing. Born, Roslyn, NY, Feb. 12, 1899; died, Saratoga Springs, NY, Dec. 13, 1992.) Gifted with both wealth and a heritage nearly unique among Americans, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney became a major force in thoroughbred racing. Whitney was the son of Harry Payne Whitney, the polo star and oil and tobacco heir, and Gertrude […]
George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner (Executive. Born, Rocky River, OH, July 4, 1930; died, Tampa, FL, July 13, 2010.) One of the most visible figures in New York sports history, George Michael Steinbrenner, III, owned the Yankees longer than anyone else had, and reestablished the team as the sport’s flagship franchise team during his tumultuous 37-year ownership, though his […]
Tony Sparando
Tony Sparando (Bowling. Born, Brooklyn, NY, Jan. 18, 1906; died, Rego Park, NY, Sept. 21, 1989.) In 1938, Anthony Sparando set a record for high average in the Metropolitan Major League, then the leading New York area bowling organization. Twenty years later, when the record was finally broken, it was broken by Tony Sparando. For much […]
Robert F. Kelley
Robert F. Kelley (Sportswriter. Born, Narragansett Pier, RI, Sept. 15, 1900; died, Huntington, NY, Dec. 14, 1975.) Emerging as a man for many seasons, Robert Fulton Paul Anthony Kelley began his career at the New York Evening Post in 1920. Kelley covered horse racing, a little baseball, polo, yachting, and even the occasional football game. […]
Mike Lee
Mike Lee (Sports editor. Born, Yonkers, NY, Jan. 30, 1910; died, Jamaica, NY, Nov. 22, 1986.) Considered a thoroughbred racing authority, Michael Lee was sports editor of the Long Island Daily Press in Jamaica for nearly 39 years (1938-77). Born Michael Leibowitz, Lee started his sportswriting career as a schoolboy correspondent for the Yonkers Herald […]
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole (Horse racing. Born, New York, NY, July 11, 1876; died, New York, NY, Feb. 23, 1965.) Though not a noted owner or breeder, Ashley T. Cole had a profound effect on New York thoroughbred racing. When Cole was appointed to the Racing Commission by Gov. Herbert Lehman in May 1942, the appointment was […]
Marshall Cassidy
Marshall Cassidy (Racing. Born, Washington, DC, Feb. 21, 1892; died, Glen Cove, NY, Oct. 23, 1968.) Generally credited with devising the modern stall-style starting gate, Marshall Cassidy also perfected the photo-finish camera system. Previously, thoroughbreds began races from a more-or-less standing start at the starting line before Cassidy introduced his gate system in the 1940s. […]
