by Steve Myrick

Buddy LeRoux, a controversial sports figure who once owned Suffolk Downs, died on Monday. He was 77.

LeRoux purchased the historic Boston track in 1986. His tenure there was marked by controversy. Mired in financial problems in December of 1989, he closed the track, and it remained shuttered for more than two years.

LeRoux began his career in Boston sports as a trainer with the Boston Bruins organization, and was for many years the trainer for the Boston Celtics and then the Boston Red Sox. He befriended many players who remained fiercely loyal to him through the decades.

He headed a business group that purchased the Red Sox after longtime owner Tom Yawkey died, but the partners later became bitter rivals.

LeRoux amassed a fortune in real estate, at one point listing assets of more than $100-million.

Steve Myrick is a Massachusetts-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent