Industry Innovator Steven Crist announces retirement

Steven Crist, one of the most respected horseplayers, journalists, and authors in the industry, announced his retirement Wednesday. An industry innovator, Crist, 59, was named as one four of the inaugural class of the Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 2010.

(photo courtesy of NYRA)

Crist has had several key roles within racing over the past four decades, including as a turf writer for The New York Times, founding editor-in-chief of The Racing Times, a member of New York state advisory commission on racing, where he consistently advocated the horseplayer, vice president of the New York Racing Association, and most recently several importing leading roles at the Daily Racing Form.

Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, had this to say about Crist upon the news of his retirement. “Whether as a bettor, reporter, columnist, editor, publisher, author or racetrack executive, Steven Crist has been America’s voice of the horseplayer for more than 35 years. His contributions to Thoroughbred racing are immense and we hope that he remains an advocate for our sport and its customers for many years to come.”