Mike Luzzi Accepts George Woolf Award
Mike Luzzi was basking in the sunshine of another glorious morning at Santa Anita
Saturday, 30 hours before he was to enjoy a more significant moment in the sun, acceptance of Santa Anita’s George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award after tomorrow’s sixth race.
“It’s a great honor,” said Luzzi (as in fuzzy), who was accompanied by his son, Lane as he greeted old friends and well wishers. “My grandfather (Virgil “Buddy” Raines) was a trainer and was friendly with George Woolf, so the award means a little extra to my Mom.
“Raines was a regular at Delaware Park and that’s where I grew up, right outside the gate there (in Stanton). My grandfather and George Woolf were close. I actually have some souvenirs from that time, the last program on the day he was killed, so this means more to me than it might to someone else, because I heard about George Woolf from Pops.”
Sidelined because of a broken leg and a fractured pelvis sustained in a paddock accident last Nov. 2 at Aqueduct, Luzzi, winner of 3,420 career races, has undergone reconstructive surgery and hopes to resume riding at some point this year.
Presented annually by Santa Anita since 1950, the Woolf Award is one of the most coveted honors in racing, as it recognizes riders whose careers and personal character have earned esteem for both the individual and the sport of Thoroughbred racing.
RADIO RACING PIONEER BILL GARR VIEWING ON MONDAY
Bill Garr, who loved racing as much as life itself life and devoted the major portion of his career to the game he loved, died on March 28 at the age of 98.
Garr, a Southern California-based radio broadcaster who did countless shows from Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, Del Mar and the Los Angeles County Fair, was a notorious punster and teller of corny jokes who also enjoyed backing a horse he fancied with a few dollars. When once asked by an on-air listener, “Who do you like in the sixth race” on a particular Saturday, Garr unhesitatingly responded, “I like Hot Dog in the sixth, he’s a Weiner.”
Garr’s first live show from Santa Anita was broadcast on Dec. 26, 1959. For nearly four decades, he broadcast his show from live racing venues on the Southern California circuit and unabashedly promoted loyal sponsors such as Kitty Queen, Canada Dry, Old English Rancho, Pro Express and many others.
A native of San Francisco, Garr’s first break in radio came as a station announcer at KNBR, which was the West Coast’s flagship station for NBC in the early 1940s.
Garr was preceded in death by his wife, Jean. He was the brother of the late Louis Eilken, a former racing secretary at Santa Anita and at Canterbury Downs in Minnesota. He is survived by his daughter, Jeannie, son Bill, and three grandchildren.
A viewing will be held this Monday, April 13, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Douglass and Zook Chapel of Remembrance Funeral Home, 600 East Foothill Blvd., Monrovia, 91016.
A memorial service will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1757 North Lake Ave., Pasadena 91104, on Tuesday, April 14, at 12 noon. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to the Shadow Hills Equestrian Therapeutic Riding Club, www.shadowhillsridingclub.org, or U.S. Navy League, Navy Days 310 392-1275.