A NY Racing Legend Passes On

[blackthroatedwind]

Ralph Theroux was one of the first people I met when I was a little kid at the racetrack and one of NY's most popular racing personalities for over half a century. He will be missed.



Ralph Theroux Sr. dead at age 86
By DAVID GRENING
Ralph Theroux Sr., a longtime jockey agent who once represented Hall of Fame jockeys Bill Boland, Pat Day, and Walter Blum during a long, colorful career, died Saturday morning. He was 86.

Theroux was born in Rhode Island but moved to South Ozone Park, N.Y., when he was 8. Theroux worked for legendary trainers Hirsch Jacobs and Ben Jones before serving 33 months in the U.S. Army in Europe and Northern Africa during World War II.

Theroux is survived by his wife, Florence, his son Ralph Jr., a former jockey agent who now works in the racing department of NYRA, daughters Kathy and Virginia and six grandchildren.

[Danzig]

boy, the stories he must have been able to tell. sounds like he lived a full, adventurous life.

[Cannon Shell]

Ralph was one of the nicest people I have ever met.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

very sad r.i.p

[SentToStud]

Always sad to hear of a recetracker passing. RIP Ralph.

[ELA]

I can't tell you how many years ago I met Ralph. It was a long time ago. He's been an absolute fixture at the track for his entire life. He was one of the most popular guys in NY racing. Some of the stories he would tell were nothing short of incredible. In the past years, he spent most of the day in the race office. I enjoyed talking to him, listening to his stories and hearing first hand about the history of our game.

In recent years, when he was using a walker, there wasn't one jockey agent, race office official, etc. that wouldn't go out of their way to bring him a coffee, bring him up to the grandstand, hold the door, whatever. His son, Ralph Jr. had Jean Luc's book for a very long time. I think that jock/agent relationship lasted longer than any other in NY.

He will be very missed.

Eric